I’ve seen so many debates in regards to the Cricket Celebration Bowl verses the FCS Playoffs. The passionate dialogue goes on and on and it’ll proceed to take action. After attending each over the past three years, for me there isn’t a comparability. The Celebration Bowl and its festivities dominate the FCS Playoffs and its lure of being the very best in FCS.
Two years in the past, Florida A&M completed with a 9-2 document. It’s solely two losses had been to Jackson State (FCS) and the College of South Florida (FBS). The Rattlers had been chosen to the sphere, however weren’t granted internet hosting standing. This was the case despite the fact that FAMU had a bigger stadium and a greater document than the crew they selected for FAMU to go to.
Arriving in Hammond, LA, it wasn’t the best expertise to say the least. Followers had been outright excessive. They had been verbally abusive and sooner or later safety was despatched to mediate between their followers and the Rattler followers because it was above and past regular fan banter. As HBCUs, that isn’t our tradition. We struggle arduous on the sphere and root for our groups, however expletives directed at opponents is frowned upon in our tradition. We maintain widespread targets which doesn’t enable for slanderous or offensive conduct a lot previous pleasant banter. That holds true even when we face our arch-rivals.
It was not an excellent expertise, however the actuality is FAMU ought to have by no means been there. With a greater document each out and in of convention, SELU ought to have visited Tallahassee and Bragg Memorial Stadium. Go to Tallahassee, Tallahassee and Leon County’s joint bureau of tourism, had partnered to submit the applying for FAMU to host, however to no avail. The choice was left to a committee who operates behind closed doorways and solutions to nobody.
Even with the visibly torn jersey from repeated holding, not a single holding penalty was known as on SLU’s offensive lineman
I’ve by no means seen so many situations of holding that weren’t known as. I distinctly keep in mind FAMU All-SWAC defensive lineman Savion Wilkerson’s jersey actually being torn from the holding, however there was not a single holding name in any of his engagements…this after him repeatedly begging the refs to observe as he was being held. A FAMU tools supervisor needed to tape his jersey again collectively so he may play. Many FAMU followers left the sport early as to not endure extra tormenting. FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson filed a proper criticism to the NCAA..which they rapidly responded that there was not “credible proof.”
FAMU had almost an equivalent season in 2022. It opened the season with a loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. It was a powerful loss with FAMU hanging robust till the fourth quarter. The following week they misplaced 59-3 defending SWAC champion Jackson State. It reeled off 9 straight wins from there.
Trying on the panorama of the FCS playoffs, the Rattlers absolutely anticipated to make the playoffs once more and would have a yr of expertise underneath their belts. As an alternative, they had been snubbed. The committee put groups within the playoffs with decrease data than FAMU’s. It was a stark reminder that the FCS committee may transfer the goalposts at any time.
Price range smart, the FCS playoffs has zero financial advantages. North Carolina A&T who holds the document for many wins within the Celebration Bowl, discovered that out as nicely. In 2015, it received the inaugural Celebration Bowl. The following yr it was MEAC runner-up to North Carolina Central, however earned a beginning within the FCS Playoffs. The gamers had been very vocal after the primary spherical loss that it was a “downer” in comparison with the Celebration Bowl.
Celebration Bowl closely resembles the Orange Blossom Basic
From 1933 to 1978, the Black Faculty Nationwide Champion was sometimes chosen by a matchup within the Orange Blossom Basic. FAMU had developed the basic to play the highest performing crew within the nation in Miami’s Orange Bowl to find out the HBCU nationwide champion. Greats like Eddie Robinson, Jake Gaither, A.W. Mumford, and John Merritt every put their finest on in a championship completed for HBCUs. The historic media company that usually accepted because the determinant of the black school champions was the Pittsburgh Courier. Its champions most of the time mirrored the winner of the OBC.
The Mid-Jap Athletic Convention and Southwestern Athletic Convention every agreed to the phrases for the Celebration Bowl following the 2014 season. Each conferences would ship their champions, making it a defacto HBCU FCS nationwide championship, pitting every convention’s champions in opposition to one another in Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. With that, there was no likelihood for a snub like FAMU obtained for the FCS Playoffs. It was lower and dry, win and also you’re in. There has not been one dispute between the contenders within the Celebration Bowl. The goal is secure and attainable.
In addition to the transparency of selecting contributors, the festivities surrounding the Celebration Bowl are second to none. Growth actions are organized for each groups. A particular dinner on the Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame can also be included. It’s a true bowl expertise very like FBS bowls. This yr even a nationwide band battle was added to the fold.
Moreover, each the in-person attendance in addition to tv viewership rivals lots of the mid-level FBS bowl video games. This previous weekend, the Celebration Bowl outdrew a number of FCS playoff video games from its platform on ABC.
