Bring Back the 3rd Place Game

Remember that? The team that was 3rd best in any sports league? Well I want to bring that back. How about if the NFL decides to do it again? Instead of 2 weeks of waiting to watch the Super Bowl, how about putting in the 2 respective conference losers in a 3rd place game? Here's an example of how it would work:

Patriots vs. Colts

Cowboys vs. Saints

Bold team is the winner.

Super Bowl: Pats vs. Cowboys (Feb 3rd, 2008)

3rd Place Game: Colts vs. Saints (Jan 27th, 2008)

That gets your juices flowing doesn't it? An exciting 3rd place contest like Manning vs. Brees would be a great lead up to the Pats/Cowboys.

It's nothing to do with the ratings, but it seems that Super Bowl Sunday is losing it's luster a bit. I'd prefer to see a 3rd place matchup the week before the Super Bowl.

It's not just the NFL, College Basketball, and College Football should really take that into consideration, because it's not only an extra game for sporting fanatics, but it is also going to generate more money.

So what do you guys think? Should we revive 3rd place matches for the sake of consolation?

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JuTMSY4Legend

776 days ago

Score 8

I see your point, but if you're the Colts or Saints, would you really wanna play a very pointless game...given the risks... Why not just hold the pro-bowl that sunday without the SB teams' players?

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Falcon02520Legend

776 days ago

Score 3

You can't hold the pro bowl because what about the players playing in the super bowl the following week...

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JuTMSY4Legend

776 days ago

Score 4

please read again...

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NejoshiDiv-I Stud

776 days ago

Score 3

The Pro Bowl won't be as much of a showcase without the Super Bowl's players. You'd figure that the teams that made it to the SB would have several Pro Bowlers, and that would cause many second tier players to take their place instead, making a boring game even worse.

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Falcon02520Legend

776 days ago

Score 1

ha, *hits self in head...

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JuTMSY4Legend

776 days ago

Score 0

I agree Nejoshi, but doesn't that already happen...i mean, if i just played in the SB i'd been in hawaii, but i wouldn't be playing...

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Srtellis4585JV Squad

776 days ago

Score 0

A lot of players already don't play in the Pro Bowl, so I don't see what the difference in not having the SB players in it would be. I say it's worth a try anyway.

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Behbigben15All-Star

776 days ago

Score 2

I like the idea SS. That way, we can escape all the SB hype and actually watch football instead of having to listen to the media wear out the subject for two weeks before the actual game is played. Very good idea.

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Simms1156Div-I Stud

776 days ago

Score 3

As Vince Lombardi said about the third place game "its a hinky dink game, in a hinky dink city, for two hinky dink teams." Ahhh if only people still said words like hinky dink.

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Taytay 24All-American

776 days ago

Score 4

I'll give you points (and a vote) for thinking outside of the box, at least as far as the NFL in concerned, but personally, I don't give a rip about consolation games.

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The PipDiv-I Stud

776 days ago

Score 2

I love 3rd place games. The Final Four used to have four games. But sadly they are meaningless and if someone gets hurt, there is a lot of $$$ down the drain.

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TheSportsFanaticWaterboy

776 days ago

Score 0

3rd place game = WHY BOTHER!! I love the way you thought outside the box, but seriously the players won't care for the game and I don't know if the fans would either.

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Srtellis4585JV Squad

776 days ago

Score 1

College basketball might want to think about it. The NIT has a 3rd place game, so why not the NCAA tourney? Then again, you could call the NIT a consolation tournament as it is anyway. Maybe if both teams want to stick around then you play it a few hours before the championship game.

The NFL...I think with players not playing the Pro Bowl, one of the reasons being injuries, I don't believe they'd want to play what they would probably consider a meaningless game.

Doesn't college football already have 31 consolation games?

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