"Oh, so five more weeks until we pretend to be excited about the FedEx Cup?"

After the Canadian Open and as the playoffs loom, the SI/golf.com gang is really excited about the FedEx Cup points race and the potential for a renewal in the next TV deal.

Van Sickle: The PGA Tour will do what it has to do to sell the next TV deal. If TV doesn't want it, they'll have to get rid of it. I know the other events would like to strangle it, as sponsors who spend big money to promote their own companies get FedEx signs jammed down their throats at their own tournaments. I'm not sure I'd put up with that if I was a sponsor.

Lipsey: I think FedEx will do away with it. Can't fathom them paying another $30-40 million to sponsor it. If the Tour can find another sponsor at that level, hats off to Tim Finchem.

Van Sickle: Rick's right. It's hard to see them or anyone else dropping $300 million over six years to sponsor this thing. Other than forcing top players to play and having some exciting individual tournament finishes (which any tournament could have), the FedEx Cup "race" has been a dud from Day One.

This all reminds me that I read a most enjoyable USA Today/Nate Ryan story while on vacation about the demise of NASCAR and it's "Chase" structure no longer exciting fans for all of the same reasons that the PGA Tour playoffs are boring. It's a non-playoff.

The playoffs have had a positive impact on the viewership in other sports. The NFL (102%), NBA (158%) and Major League Baseball (425%) all posting large postseason ratings gains over the regular season last year. All three leagues posted a triple-digit gain over the regular season with a championship game or series. In NASCAR, the 10 Chase events last year shown on ABC earned a 3.5 rating that was down from Fox's 5.1 during the first 13 races and was a drop from 3.8 during the 2008 Chase.

Julie Sobieski, ESPN's vice president of programming & acquisitions who handles its business relationship with NASCAR, says the network believes there'd be an opportunity for increases in NASCAR viewership with a format change. ESPN and ABC broadcast the final 17 races of the season, starting with Sunday's Brickyard.

"Anything that really puts the emphasis on winning in every race throughout those playoffs increases the drama for fans, knowing everything is on the line every single race," she said. "That's something we support as an opportunity to get the NASCAR fans excited again and the casual sports fan as well."

Will a television executive will tell the PGA Tour the same thing about their so-called playoffs?