Disney is shutting down Splash Mountain
Which is why I’m confident TCU is almost a lock to make the playoffs over politically-incorrect Bama.
UPDATE: I now see my below prediction was accurate. TCU in. Bama out.
UPDATE 2: Georgia 65, TCU 7.
An added thought: Those who make any decision that supports the authorized narrative - narratives that are increasingly supported by the “woke” ideology - are not going to experience any serious blowback. That is, such decisions insulate the decision-makers from wide-spread criticism as everyone who matters signs off on these decisions.
This makes “politically correct” decisions even more likely. “Bold” decisions that would challenge the narrative almost never occur any more. This of course applies to almost all big decisions these days (think Covid decisions, for example).
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I’m writing this early Sunday morning, several hours before the College Football Playoff Committee selects the four teams that will make this year’s four-team playoff. Here’s my prediction: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and TCU will be those four teams. The team that won’t make the playoffs is my favorite team, Alabama.
Plenty of reasons (or metrics) can be considered in selecting the “best four teams.” But I’m probably the only college football fan/scribe who will identify what’s actually the most important “metric” in this decision - Woke-ism and/or “political correctness,” which now carries more weight than any kind of “common sense” metric.
I’m certainly the only writer who will compare the Playoff Committee’s decision to another recent “woke decision” - the decision of the Walt Disney Company to discontinue its “iconic” and hugely popular theme-park ride, Splash Mountain.
Splash Mountain will close forever at the end of January, replaced by a “re-imagined” attraction “Tiana's Bayou Adventure,” which is set to open in 2024 at Disneyland and DisneyWorld.
Disney’s executives are closing one of their theme parks’ most popular (and thus profit-generating) attractions because Splash Mountain includes characters from the politically-incorrect 1946 Disney Movie Song of the South.
Gone will be Br’er Fox and Br’er Fox and the beloved song “Zip-A-Dee Doo Dah,” replaced by Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog.” Tiana, for those who don’t know, is Disney’s one black princess.
It might be a small world after all, but it’s also now a Woke World and Alabama doesn’t have much of a chance to play for a national title in such a world.
I might add that ESPN pretty much runs college football these days and ESPN is owned by … Disney. So the same “logic” that tells us one of Disney’s most popular attractions HAS to be closed will probably be employed to tell us that it would simply not be right for Alabama to be allowed to make the playoffs.
The Woke logic at work ….
Everyone (at least everyone who is socially aware) knows that Alabama has unfairly benefitted in the past because it’s long been a member of the privileged class of football programs. Programs like TCU, which could be analogized to the disadvantaged minority groups, have not been given the chance to show their talents. By selecting TCU over Alabama, the enlightened Committee members can correct some past social wrongs, etc.
Today’s decision might frame larger issues affecting virtually every major organizations in today’s “woke” society. Basically, merit and common sense have been trumped by nascent politically-correct social engineering.
That is, if the Committee was just supposed to pick the “best four teams” at the end of the season (which is what’s its supposed to do, according to its charter), Alabama would be one of those four teams.
Political sensibilities aside, the selection should come down to one decision - who has the better team - Alabama or TCU? If Alabama and TCU played a game in a month, which team would be most likely to win?
Actually, we don’t know. You’d have to play the game to find out. However, we do know who the odds-makers think would win. If that game was played, Alabama would be a heavy favorite. In fact, Alabama would probably be favored against every team that’s expected to make the playoff field except for Georgia.
Question: Do we think Georgia or Michigan would rather play TCU in the first game or Alabama?
Betting lines are actually made by the betting public … and the betting public would “vote” with their bets that Alabama is actually the second best team in the country right now behind Georgia.
That is, Alabama, who will probably be left out of the playoffs, might be the only team that could knock off Georgia. Said differently, if Alabama was allowed into the playoff field, nobody would be that surprised if Alabama went on to win the national title.
In contrast, every college football fan would be stunned if TCU went on to win the national title. In fact, Georgia would be probably at least a two-touchdown favorite in its first game against TCU. The Dogs certainly wouldn’t be a two-touchdown favorite over the Tide.
Back to Disney’s woke decision …
Back to Disney’s decision to shut down one of its most popular attractions for politically-correct reasons. Disney executives admit they’ve been thinking about shutting down “Splash Mountain” since 2019.
According to a CBS News article, the water ride is closing after being “criticized for its idyllic portrayal of plantation life with its current Brer Rabbit story tied to the 1946 Disney film, "Song of the South.”
Per how these things happen, a tiny drip of “criticism” was made to seem like a giant waterfall of criticism. In my quick research for this article, I also learned that a petition to cancel Splash Mountain due to its (non-existent) racism went “viral” several years ago.
Where were all the offended protestors?
As it happens, my family actually went to Disney World over Spring Break. We can report that “Splash Mountain” was easily one of the most popular attractions of all the Disney theme parks. If I remember, we had to wait in line for at least an hour to get to the top of the mountain.
Per my research, the ride is widely considered “iconic” and has always generated “rave reviews” from Disney patrons.
So all this “viral” criticism” is NOT coming from the millions of people who queue up every year to ride this ride. If these throngs of citizens are upset by the depiction of Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox, these masses have a strange way of showing their disapproval.
Still, Disney is going to spend $XXX millions re-configuring the ride. Not only that, the crowd-attracting ride won’t be available for more than a year so the powers that be at Disney are willing to shutter one of its proven, time-tested money-makers … so they can mollify the 28 people (?) who are genuinely offended by the ride.
This, to me, makes the larger point that political correctness in our New Normal is even more important than the shareholder bottom line.
Disney will LOSE money by introducing its new attraction … but this doesn’t matter or is not “the most important thing” here.
Similarly, Disney - as well as the committee members who no doubt can read the “woke” tea leave - is probably willing to forfeit TV ratings by giving the world a Georgia-TCU (or Michigan-TCU) match-up as opposed to a game that would draw much higher TV ratings (Alabama-Georgia).
Another first-round blowout will not produce optimal TV ratings (and thus advertising revenues) … but will prove their all-important Woke bonafides.
You’ve got to prove your woke bonafides in our New Normal …
This will also keep committee and college football executives from being labeled Alabama supporters, which is probably the sports equivalent of being a Putin supporter … or an “anti-vaxxer” or Gov. George Wallace supporter when Wallace stood in the school house door 59 years ago.
By selecting TCU, the Committee and the Powers that Be will be insulating themselves from the charge that they favor the Alabama’s of the world, who might be analogized to the rich kids or high-SAT kids who used to get in Ivy League schools at the expense of just-as-deserving minority kids who couldn’t pay for all that SAT prep work (plus the tests are racist).
Yes, the strongest four teams probably won’t be selected for the playoff field and, yes, the networks might have fewer viewers for the semi-final game, but at least committee members will be striking a blow for “equity” or “inclusion” or whatever.
All of this said, TCU did have a great season and one can certainly make arguments they belong in the playoff field. But, almost anyone who understands football knows that TCU is not as strong a team as Alabama.
Georgia is probably better than Alabama this year and would beat Alabama more times than not. But Alabama might be the only team that could actually beat Georgia. Georgia’s coaches know thus; its players know this; its fans know this - every talking head at ESPN (if they are honest) knows this. Certainly savvy bettors know this.
Alabama, despite its two conference losses (both on the road and both on the last play of the game) is the second best team in the SEC. TCU is now considered the second best team in the Big-12 after losing to … Kansas State (led by its back-up quarterback).
TCU does have a better record (11 wins vs. Alabama’s 10 wins), but would TCU really have gone undefeated in the regular season if it played an SEC schedule? Would Alabama have lost two games if it played in the Big-12?
Alabama probably has the best quarterback in the country and he’s now completely healthy.
In a non-woke world, Alabama makes the playoff field over TCU.
In a non-woke world, Disney doesn’t shut down one of its most popular attractions so it can diss Br’er Rabbit and celebrate the color of Tiana’s skin.
But that’s not the world we live in any longer. TCU is in. Alabama is out. Everyone (except Alabama fans who are crazy and don’t support social justice) will cheer that this is the fair and right thing to do. Also, people like me are insensitive and don’t know what we are talking about. We should not be listened to.
Trust me. I get it by now.
Note: Of course, maybe I’m wrong on this prediction. I note that U.S. intelligence agencies sometimes assign “confidence” percentages to their predictions. So they were probably 90 percent sure Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. They are still 100 percent confident the vaccines are “safe and effective.”
Regarding my prediction that TCU is in and Bama’s out, I’d say I’m 80 percent confident about this prediction. That is, some people - even people who aren’t Alabama fans - think like I do and think Alabama should get the final playoff spot, even though that will produce a cascade of boos and outrage from the virtuous sect.
That’s really why I want to see Alabama selected today. This would prove at least a few people still have the guts to do something they know will be unpopular, but they do it anyway - because they think it’s the right or fair thing to do.
I heard the other day that FL legislature is considering reinstituting Disneys “special” status - why on earth would they ever consider such a thing? It may be back under “new” (old) leadership, but I’m sure he’s as bad - he just wants to be more quiet about it.
I agree with your analysis. However I think Bama gets in over Ohio State. Wishful thinking.
This Disney thing brings up a topic where people are saying especially with the Twitter Musk news the last two days that we can win this battle by just not doing business with work corporations. I say that’s Stinkin Thinkin
My barber went to Disney two weeks ago. His wife wanted to go as she had never been so that was going to be their fun honeymoon.
It was so crowded that even with Fast Pass they had a terrible time. Proves that people are not going to stand on principle and boycott woke companies even when prices are outrageous which they were.