One of the many reasons we all love sports is that, as the saying goes, games are decided on the field. Regardless of the time analysts spend previewing and recapping a game, the results are finalized within a mere two- to four-hour span.
And yet, the sports' world is made more controversial by the art of voting. It's not always a bad thing - Heisman trophies and MVP honors need to be awarded somehow - but it nevertheless always results in some people getting angry. For instance, fans constantly argue about college football rankings, which are nearly all either directly or indirectly tabulated through a voting process. Even the BCS rankings, touted by some as impartial because they're the "computers'" work, are determined in part by the AP and coaches' polls. Voting just seems to complicate things.
Take the situation that is in progress in South Bend, Ind. Yes, I'm talking about the Notre Dame football program but I'm not talking about the head coaching situation. (Firing Charlie Weis was inevitable, and the right move.)
The Fighting Irish went 6-6 this season, dropping their last four after a 6-2 start. Despite the miserable end of the season, the school qualified to participate in a bowl game. For most schools, if you win six games and can play in a bowl, then you go. It's not really a choice - players want to play, coaches want to coach and schools want to make money.
And yet, Notre Dame, from high atop its pedestal, doesn't see things the same way as everyone else. Even before Charlie Weis was officially fired, it publicly stated that its players would vote on whether they would attend a bowl game. To me, it seems absurd that this would even be a question. You play a regular season to try to make the "playoffs," which in the case of college football, is a bowl game.
I would be disappointed if the team voted against playing in a bowl game. Voting that way would be a slap in the face to your teammates, who in spite of a .500 record, worked hard all season in hopes of making a bowl game. It might not be the most glamorous one
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