Wrathful Gripes (Two)

We are above all grateful as we enter the New Year, but let us now get the two greatest irritations of the season out of the way:

College Football--I'm with Obama all the way. It's impossible to make a coherent argument in support of the current approach except that it is, and that therefore it requires some initiative to change it. No one seems to know how to make that happen.

This year's outrage is the exclusion-by-accident of USC and Texas from the so-called Championship Game. These two teams lost a single game, narrowly and somewhat flukishly, as did the two Championship contenders, Oklahoma and Florida. I don't begrudge either its spot in the final--ultimately they came as winners of the Big 12 and SEC championship games (themselves being a great target for elimination when we go to a 3-round playoff).

Texas was excluded from that Big 12 game (Oklahoma against non-factor Missouri--there's a great argument for eliminating the conference championships, as it didn't even produce a game between the two best teams in the conference!) because of its lower ranking in one of the polls. SC had the misfortune of not being South Carolina, a longtime member of the SEC. As it turned out, Florida's opponent was #1-ranked-and-undefeated Alabama, which itself would've been in the C.G. The subsequent underwhelming performances of Alabama and Texas don't prove they didn't belong, really: they were playing in the Unpopular Bowl, parts 1 and 2. Alabama's loss came to undefeated Utah, yet another reason for an inclusive playoff (even if it's a longshot for a low seed to win through).

I'm flexible: I would even go for a 6-team playoff (with a couple of bye teams) if it became necessary to make a compromise which does not lengthen the season excessively. The basic idea is to move the crux of decisioning to a level lower among the leaders: between 6 and 7, say, or between 8 and 9. Now it's always between 2 and 3. But Something. Must. Be done.

I suggest Obama appoint George W. Bush to settle the matter, Bush-style. Contrary opinions from college presidents will be noted, then politely ignored (as should much of what they do). They (O.-Dubya.) can probably see eye to eye on this one.

If this doesn't happen, what are the remedies to us, those who must endure this? I'd recommend boycotting those games like Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, which are in the BCS Championships but don't mean #1 or #2. Of course, I'd never go to one of those, anyway. We should avoid talking about them, or even acknowledging the legitimacy of their existence. TV Ratings Matter Not?

Movie Release TimingThe basic concept here is to minimize the amount of time from general release to Oscar nomination (Jan. 22). That is, if there are nominations to be had. Voting for Oscars seems to have a halflife of about four weeks.

I feel the only way to counter that is to urge voting for those like "The Dark Knight" and "Tropic Thunder" that dared to open early--and make the money. There is an exception, which will be duly recognized on Oscar night: Heath Ledger will be invulnerable to the time decay calculations on voting, because Death is Forever. (screams: Movie Title!)

It's impossible for a layman to comment on the quality of nominations--the number of movies issued in the last week of the year would preclude my seeing the key ones before nominations are finalized, if the limited and localized relases (to those not Academy members) were not enough.

I did manage to catch "...Benjamin Button", and "Doubt". If it comes down to those two, I'll have no Doubt--Button is better. Lead actor, actress, direction, and best film. From "Doubt", I'd choose Amy Adams (over Viola Adams, also from the D-word-flick) as supporting actress. Ledger for S-Actor (of course).

For me, "...Benjamin Button" is more a throwback to "Little Big Man" than to the vastly inferior "Forrest Gump", the prizewinner to which it is often compared. Prosthetic makeup was basically given its first pioneering example in Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of the 110-year-old (or so) Sam Crabb. Of the two lead characters in "Button", I'd say Cate Blanchett's aged appearance is more award-worthy from the Best Actress point of view, but the movie will also be up for awards in technical creation, as in Brad Pitt's aged portrayal.

As for "Doubt", I thought a tense and interesting set-up had a fairly routine climax and denouement (particularly the latter, for which I thought Meryl Streep was a bit unconvincing).