Message-ID: <29914510.1075855176520.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 07:27:28 -0800 (PST) From: m..tholt@enron.com To: sbaird@socalgas.com Subject: FW: FW: NYTimes.com Article: B.C.S. Formula Works Just Fine Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Tholt, Jane M. X-To: 'sbaird@socalgas.com' X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Jane_Tholt_Jan2002_1\Tholt, Jane M.\Sent Items X-Origin: Tholt-J X-FileName: jtholt (Non-Privileged).pst -----Original Message----- From: stevens.gl.1@pg.com@ENRON Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:05 AM To: adams.rg@pg.com; anderson.tw.2@pg.com; berg.dj@pg.com; brenno.nl@pg.com; clay kennard; cwiem1@aol.com; jhwk87@aol.com; jtholt@enron.com; karen stevens; linda kisler; peters.sl@pg.com; edrosesoap@aol.com; marlene swanson Subject: Fw: FW: NYTimes.com Article: B.C.S. Formula Works Just Fine ---------------------- Forwarded by Gary Stevens-GL-1/PGI on 12/12/2001 11:02 AM --------------------------- Internet Mail Message Received from host: pimout2-ext.prodigy.net [207.115.63.101] From: "MARY A SHEEHAN" on 12/12/2001 03:51 AM GMT "MARY A SHEEHAN" To: "TERRY COMSTOCK" , "Terry Baseler" , "Sherry Clark" , "SCOTT KIRKENDALL" , "SCOTT 12/11/2001 09:51 PM OGLESBY \(E-mail\)" , "Ray & Kari Bealer" , "MIKE DAVIS & MAGGIE" , "Michael & TrudyJo Kluver" , "MARY S STACK" , "MARY R GURRISTER" , "MARK W SOLOMON \(E-mail\)" , "Larry and Lori Heath" , "John Steindl" , "JEFF RODIS" , Gary Stevens-GL-1/PGI, "Fred Clark" , "EMILY AUSDEMORE" , "Ed Sekera Jr" , "Doug and Rita Sue Parr \(E-mail\)" , "Dale Schmeichel" , "Charles A Davis" , "BUDDY TILLMAN \(E-mail\)" , "BOB & COLLEEN BILLINGS" Cc: Subject: Fw: FW: NYTimes.com Article: B.C.S. Formula Works Just Fine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Sykora" To: ; ; Cc: ; ; Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 9:16 PM Subject: Fwd: FW: NYTimes.com Article: B.C.S. Formula Works Just Fine >From: brueningt@tsainc.com >To: lance.bruening@usoncology.com, DKMaginn@aol.com, mm04052@alltel.net, >ShawndaLM@aol.com, colson@kiemat.com, jolso7@amfam.com, >mary_oden@csgsystems.com, JMOINIA@aol.com, sonken@utilicorp.com, >JAMESPASCH@aol.com, Ed_Sykora@hotmail.com, willie@radiks.net, >Pat.Rosenthal@firstdatacorp.com >Subject: FW: NYTimes.com Article: B.C.S. Formula Works Just Fine >Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 09:44:40 -0600 > >Thought you might like reading this article from the New York Times. >********************************* >Tammy Bruening >CIS Analyst >ACI Worldwide >(402) 390-8930 >brueningt@tsainc.com >********************************* >----- Forwarded by Tammy Bruening/US/AM/TSA on 12/11/01 09:42 AM ----- > > >Joseph M Kreifels >12/11/01 09:35 AM > > > To: sig-omaha-thirdclass > cc: Brian L Hire/US/AM/TSA, Jeremy Brooks/US/AM/TSA, Mark S >House/US/AM/TSA, >Richard Doty/US/AM/TSA, Ronald W Schmidt/US/AM/TSA, Anthony P >Kreifels/US/AM/TSA, William Hill , Douglas B >Prewitt/US/AM/TSA, Darin L Davis/US/AM/TSA, Daron P Kruse/US/AM/TSA, >Deborah Trusty-Prewitt/US/AM/TSA > Subject: FW: NYTimes.com Article: B.C.S. Formula Works Just >Fine (Sent by >articles-email@ms1.lga2.nytimes.com on behalf of >kreifelsj@aciworldwide.com ) > >I thought this article expressed my feelings pretty well... > >This article from NYTimes.com >has been sent to you by kreifelsj@aciworldwide.com. > > >/-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ > > >Special Offer to NY Times customers: >Get FREE shipping on orders of $75 or more at Starbucks.com >http://www.starbucks.com/shop/category.asp?catalogFname=Starbucks&categoryF name=Gifts&ci=325 > >\----------------------------------------------------------/ > > >B.C.S. Formula Works Just Fine > >December 11, 2001 > >By JOE DRAPE > > > > >The Bowl Championship Series ranking formula was designed >to give something to everybody. The human polls are counted >along with computer rankings, the strength of schedule is >factored in, and teams are penalized for losses and >credited for victories over better teams. As it has the >past three years, the system worked. Can anyone honestly >say undefeated Miami versus Nebraska (11-1) is not the best >matchup for the national title game? > >Now Colorado Coach Gary Barnett and the Buffaloes' faithful >are trying to say it is not. > >Yes, Colorado (10-2) beat the Cornhuskers handily and went >on to win the Big 12 championship. > >The Buffaloes also lost two games, one to Fresno State, a >fine team with a future pro quarterback in David Carr. But >Fresno State did not even win the Western Athletic >Conference title; Louisiana Tech did. The Bulldogs posted >an 11-2 record by beating league teams like Tulsa, Southern >Methodist, Nevada and San Jose State - a group that >finished with a combined 11-34 record. > >The Buffaloes are beating their chests about holding off >Texas, 39-37, in the conference championship game, but the >Longhorns rolled over Colorado by 41-7 earlier in the >season. One loss in a season when there are not two >undefeated teams is understandable; rewarding two losses >would be absurd. > >Colorado did not earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. If the >Buffaloes beat Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl and Nebraska >upends top-ranked Miami in the title game, shame on any >voter in the Associated Press news media poll who decides >that Colorado (11-2) is more deserving of the No. 1 ranking >than Nebraska (12-1). > >Oregon (10-1), on the other hand, has a right to feel >slighted. The Ducks can also be heartened that a >Miami-lose, Oregon-win scenario might earn them the A.P.'s >top ranking. > >The Ducks, who only lost to a very good 9-2 Stanford team, >are ranked No. 2 in both the A.P. and USA Today/ESPN >coaches polls. The strength-of-schedule and computer >component of the B.C.S. formula did Oregon in. The won-lost >records of opponents and opponents' opponents don't lie. >For Oregon, those numbers add up to the nation's >31st-toughest schedule compared to Nebraska's 14th-ranked >schedule. > >Even if you dislike or don't understand the computer >rankings, they account for only 25 percent of the B.C.S. >formula. Oregon was ranked as high as No. 2 by one >computer, and as low as No. 8 by another. Both were thrown >out, as the formula requires, and the remaining six >computer service rankings were averaged. Oregon's >average-point total was 4.83, which means the computers >rated it as the fourth- or fifth-best team in the nation. > >The math is essentially the short way of telling you what >an hour of reviewing Oregon's season game recaps spell out: >the Ducks struggled to beat decent but hardly great >opponents. > >Six of their games were decided by 7 points or fewer. In >four games, the margin was 3 or fewer. The Ducks had to >persevere against Wisconsin (5-7), Southern California >(6-5), U.C.L.A. (7-4) and Oregon State (5-6). > >Without the moral authority of the No. 2 ranking in the >human polls, Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti and the Ducks' fans >would assume the same gracious (and silent) posture as the >coaches and partisans at Illinois and Maryland, both also >10-1. They would celebrate their fine season at a >high-profile bowl game, regret their single loss and admit >that a down year in their respective conferences cost them >a trip to the big game. > >And how about that moral authority? After Tennessee lost to >Louisiana State last Saturday, the coaching colleagues of >Nebraska's Frank Solich changed their votes in favor of >Barnett and Colorado to try to keep the Cornhuskers out of >the title game. > >Say what you want about computers and formulas, but doesn't >it bother you that the human component of the B.C.S. >formula is the only one that can willfully corrupt the >integrity of the standing? > >Beyond Colorado and Oregon, the loudest whining is coming >from the college playoff proponents, many of whom are A.P. >poll voters. Fortunately, they too account for 25 percent >of the B.C.S. standing. > >. . . > >So far, university presidents have emphatically shot down >any playoff structure. Wisely, in my opinion. Would the >last three weeks with losses by Nebraska to Colorado, >Oklahoma to Oklahoma State, Texas to Colorado, Florida to >Tennessee, and Tennessee to L.S.U. have been as urgent or >dramatic if you knew many of these teams were going to tee >it up again in a week or two and commence a round-robin? > >Of all the major sports, only college football offers a >regular season that matters. Expanded playoffs in the pro >sports and even the N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament >give fans cues when to pay attention. In college football, >you pay attention from August on because the playoff is >under way. > >The B.C.S. standing was created to ensure that the best two >teams met in a title game, which wasn't always guaranteed. >Tennessee-Florida State? Virginia Tech-Florida State? >Oklahoma-Florida State? The past three B.C.S. title games >resulted in an undisputed national champion. > >Cut through all the noise, and in Nebraska you'll find a >team that won 11 straight by 10 points or more. Yes, >Nebraska's loss was ugly and it came in the season finale, >which pollsters, for some reason, have historically found >abhorrent. Yet Nebraska has one fewer loss than Colorado >and has faced better competition than Oregon. > >You may not like the B.C.S. formula, but it is fair. >Whether you calculate by abacus or algorithms. Whether you >argue it with barroom gusto or classroom decorum, the >B.C.S. made the right game. > > > > >http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/11/sports/ncaafootball/11COLL.html?ex=100909 3052&ei=1&en=813add902a25dadd > > > >HOW TO ADVERTISE >--------------------------------- >For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters >or other creative advertising opportunities with The >New York Times on the Web, please contact Alyson >Racer at alyson@nytimes.com or visit our online media >kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo > >For general information about NYTimes.com, write to >help@nytimes.com. > >Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company > _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx