Thursday, the Gators will be in Washington, visiting with President Barack Obama at the White House. As some of you remember, President Obama, on several occasions, advocated a playoff. That has led to one of the stupidest articles ever written on this series of tubes; advocating not going to the White House since Obama wants a playoff when UF has benefited from a non-playoff.
As happens, to good writers and bad, one comment by the President is used to make a point rather than the whole quote. So, here is that quote, with emphasis made by me.
"Congratulations Gators on an outstanding season. Tebow is great. Wouldn't you feel better if you had beat every team that was out there through a playoff system? I love you, but I think they could have taken on anybody through the playoff system. By the way one of our secret service guys, his son [Marcus Gilbert], is a tackle on the Florida Gators so I have a soft spot for them."
Without the qualifying sentences, the third sentence isn't exactly a rousing endorsement of the Gators season. But, it follows the same like of thinking as the 'Monday Night Football' and '60 Minutes' interviews. The idea that Obama has something against the Gators is laughable, considering Florida was never higher than 4th in the BCS, until they defeated Alabama. Should Alabama and Oklahoma fans have their panties in a twist because Obama advocated a playoff when their teams were 1 and 2?
The other part is that Florida does benefit from a playoff system. What the hell do you think the SEC Championship Game is? An exhibition game? What about the Big 12 Championship Game? Didn't the winners of those two games play in the National Championship? Wouldn't that be, um, a playoff? Maybe Texas has a beef, but the BCS standings in 2008 created a mini-final four with No. 1 Alabama playing No. 4 Florida and No. 2 Oklahoma playing for a spot in the National Championship Game. Without a playoff in the SEC, you would have seen Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson in Miami as the SEC representative, not Tim Tebow.
I'm sure people will be upset will be upset to see Obama with the Gators because they are Republican, or they think Obama has better things to do. But to use Obama's preference for a playoff is stupid, when a playoff game was the only way for Florida to get to the National Championship Game.