The concept of the "third place game"

[SoonerPride]

FIFA has Brazil v Netherlands playing for third place.

Brazil got humiliated in their previous match and the Netherlands, while not humiliated, obviously lost their bid to be in the finals.

I've always thought this was weird. Why bother, right?

Now that college football will have the Final Four what would you think of having the losers of the prior semifinal games play each other?

Like a bowl game it would be for exhibition only. It would be for money and bragging rights only. But you'd almost certainly be guaranteed a great match up of really excellent teams.

Would you watch?

Would you care?

If you can't win it all is there any reason to keep on playing? (which begs the question of the other 60 bowl games at the end of the year)

[EatLeadCommie]

They used to have them in the NCAA Tournament, IIRC.

I don't think they're particularly necessary, at least not for football where every additional game ups your chance of being injured more than any other sport.

[SoonerMarkVA]

I would watch, and care, only if OU were in it. Then again, that's true for every bowl game.

[KantoSooner]

you covered my position, Mark.

[picasso]

Consolation game. I played in one my junior year of high school in the Oolagah basketball tourney. We won. It was meh.

[SoonerPride]

Would it take the bitterness out of losing the previous game?

For Brazil will it help them mentally recover from the embarrassment of the prior match? Instead of waiting a long time to sulk and feel the sting of that loss perhaps they can redeem themselves and salvage some self respect?

Imagine if "the game of which we do it speak" were a semifinal match.

Would you want OU to play a week later? Maybe get that bitter taste out of our mouths?

[jkjsooner]

It will never happen in football because of the value added is not worth the time and health risks.

Does FIFA give out gold, silver, and bronze medals? Obviously the Olympics have a third place game and it's really important because if you lose you get nothing.

[BoulderSooner79]

They used to have them in the NCAA Tournament, IIRC.

I don't think they're particularly necessary, at least not for football where every additional game ups your chance of being injured more than any other sport.

I remember watching a few of those consolation hoop games that were very exciting and the fans were really into it since they were there anyway. Probably didn't bring in much advertising revenue, so not surprised they were discontinued. I don't think they would work in football because of the expense and injury risk. I would think the top players that are draft eligible would all develop injuries that would keep them from playing in a consolation game.

[badger]

Every bowl game is a third place game. If you're not in the title game, after winning a bowl trophy you can talk about how you belonged there instead of so-and-so :)

go cry in a bowl of smurfberries, boise

[TheHumanAlphabet]

It all comes down to $$$$$$$$$$$. If nobody went, the third place game would go away...

[KantoSooner]

Here's an option: the 'consolation match' would be played between the subs of the two 'qualifying teams' (the two 'losers').All starters would sit. Those players would get the benefit of extra practices and exposure, the fans would get to see who's waiting in the wings. Make it so that 'red shirt' players could play without burning their shirt.
I'd tune in.

[8timechamps]

Would it take the bitterness out of losing the previous game?

For Brazil will it help them mentally recover from the embarrassment of the prior match? Instead of waiting a long time to sulk and feel the sting of that loss perhaps they can redeem themselves and salvage some self respect?

Imagine if "the game of which we do it speak" were a semifinal match.

Would you want OU to play a week later? Maybe get that bitter taste out of our mouths?

I think the third place game would help take the bitterness out of losing for the winner only. I think it only exasperates the feelings the fans of the losing team have.

I'm a college football junkie, so a third place game would interest me regardless of the teams, but I don't think it would have enough draw to make it happen.

Interesting question though.

[Eielson]

I think it's always fun to watch when you have two great teams playing each other. In theory, this would be the #3 team playing the #4 team in the country, so yeah, I'd tune in. Unless they were both in the SEC.

[Ruf/Nek7]

I don't know what would be worse for Brazil, them losing a game that doesn't matter or watching Argentina win the cup in their country? Obviously the worst out come is Brazil lose and Argentina win.

[King Crimson]

I don't know what would be worse for Brazil, them losing a game that doesn't matter or watching Argentina win the cup in their country? Obviously the worst out come is Brazil lose and Argentina win.

well, the first half of that worst case scenario just happened. Germany looks like the class of the the tournament, but that's why we play the games not talk about them. only.

[King Crimson]

and we just beat alabama is less than a 3rd place game for anyone but them.....and we still **** strut about it.

and btw, i ain't no soccer guy much. haven't seen more than about 20 minutes of the whole tournament.

[bluedogok]

The podium concept is more rooted in European/world sports, the most visible being the Olympics. Pretty much all the racing series rooted in Europe have the podium and in most series more points are awarded for the top 3 places and points drop off quickly from fourth on down instead of the 1,000 points a race scoring system awarded in Nascar races.

[jkjsooner]

I think the third place game would help take the bitterness out of losing for the winner only. I think it only exasperates the feelings the fans of the losing team have.


Agreed. And since as of now there is a four team playoff, winning a consolation game would get the "you didn't belong" doubters off your back. Losing that game would intensify the criticizm.

[BoulderSooner79]

The hoops consolation game had the advantages that all final 4 games were played on the same court, 2 days apart with all the traveling fans potentially still there. If that game didn't survive, I can't imagine a football version succeeding without any of those issues being solved.

[oudivesherpa]

There would be very little team motivation for a third place game!

[mainline13]

I think it's always fun to watch when you have two great teams playing each other. In theory, this would be the #3 team playing the #4 team in the country, so yeah, I'd tune in. Unless they were both in the SEC.

I don't know, but I might just watch 2 SEC teams in a "consolation" game. Just to laugh, and see which team could out-disinterest the other.