{"id":22923,"date":"2015-12-31T05:30:42","date_gmt":"2015-12-31T10:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/?p=22923"},"modified":"2015-12-30T22:52:21","modified_gmt":"2015-12-31T03:52:21","slug":"reinventing-new-years-eve-with-college-football-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2015\/12\/reinventing-new-years-eve-with-college-football-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Reinventing New Year’s Eve with college football playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I\u2019ve got to say, I\u2019m excited that the Sooners of the University of Oklahoma, one of my alma maters<\/em>, is in the college football playoffs tonight.\u00a0 I had given up on them after they lost to Texas, but here they are, playing the undefeated Clemson for a shot at the national championship.\u00a0 For everything you want to know about the playoffs and much more than you\u00a0 want to know, go here<\/a>.\u00a0 (Give your picks in the comments.)<\/p>\n

The bigger story, though, is ESPN\u2019s attempt to take over the way Americans celebrate New Year\u2019s Eve.\u00a0 Instead of going to parties, staying up until midnight, and watching the ball drop at Times Square, watch college football!<\/p>\n

From With College Playoff, ESPN Plans to Reinvent New Year\u2019s Eve \u2013 The New York Times<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

ESPN wants to dominate New Year\u2019s Eve, much as the N.F.L. takes over Thanksgiving Day and the N.B.A. deploys five games in its bid to wrest control of Christmas from Santa Claus. But playing games on national holidays is one thing; seeking dominion on New Year\u2019s Eve is another.<\/p>\n

Unless New Year\u2019s Eve falls on a weekend, the first of the national semifinals in the foreseeable future will be played while some people are still at work. (This year, it\u2019s the Orange Bowl, between Clemson and Oklahoma, at 4 p.m.) And the second game (the Cotton Bowl, between Alabama and Michigan State, at 8 p.m.) will compete against New Year\u2019s Eve parties, at home and elsewhere, and televised revels like \u201cDick Clark\u2019s New Year\u2019s Rockin\u2019 Eve With Ryan Seacrest\u201d on ABC, ESPN\u2019s corporate sibling within the Walt Disney Company.<\/p>\n

All of this does not ruffle ESPN, which has a 12-year, $7.3 billion contract to carry the Playoff and other bowls. Its executives are secure in knowing how powerful college football is and how potent the Playoff is, even after only one go-round. Last season, the semifinal games were played on New Year\u2019s Day and drew an average of just over 28 million viewers.<\/p>\n

[Keep reading . . .]\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve got to say, I\u2019m excited that the Sooners of the University of Oklahoma, one of my alma maters, is in the college football playoffs tonight.\u00a0 I had given up on them after they lost to Texas, but here they are, playing the undefeated Clemson for a shot at the national championship.\u00a0 For everything you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,21,45],"tags":[4217,4216],"class_list":["post-22923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-football","category-holidays","category-television","tag-college-football-playoff","tag-new-years-eve"],"yoast_head":"\nReinventing New Year's Eve with college football playoffs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I've got to say, I'm excited that the Sooners of the University of Oklahoma, one of my alma maters, is in the college 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