Congress and the BCS

[Fbolt]

Congress to examine fairness, financing of BCS :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Colleges

What a joke-Congress is the most inefficient body in the world-they can't get anything done. I suppose this will be another book that is opened and left to collect dust.

 

[ACamp1900]

Dude people are stupid... since when is a playoff a fair way of crowning a champ for the entire season when the playoff in many ways diminishes the regular season itself?? That idea is self defeating, yet it is the status quo so no one questions it...


Second, If the money gets shared throughout the universities, isn't that a good thing... especially coming from a liberal congress... as always they see an angle to get votes and know a playoff is liked by most so they play it...

Third, doesn't congress have enough to worry about??? seriously

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

I agree that the congress should be worrying about more important things.

That said, you are just not thinking clearly if you think the bowls are good for anything beyond meaningless exhibition...

all the bullshit arguments for the bowls are a steaming pile of crap.

 

[Junkhead]

Seriously, with all the problems we have....recession, crime, deficit, flu pandemic, that is all they have to worry about?

 

[Echo Insanity]

I for one am glad they are distracted from their usual activities.

 

[ACamp1900]

I agree that the congress should be worrying about more important things.

That said, you are just not thinking clearly if you think the bowls are good for anything beyond meaningless exhibition...

all the bullshit arguments for the bowls are a steaming pile of crap.

I never defended the bowls... but thanks for putting words in my mouth... but any playoff system that lets the Giants beat the Pats after the Pats established themselves as the greatest team ever ALL year and through a worthless playoff that included wildcards who were BARELY .500 is more than just a steaming pile... it's massively unjust... a playoff is not the answer if you want legitimacy fairness... playoffs aren't about fairness, they are about money, that's why every sport in the country that has one has expanded to the point where it is now impossible to say the winner of the playoff in the best in the sport for that year... but let's destroy CFB as well...

besides can't those who hate playoffs have ONE SPORT they can enjoy

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

... a playoff is not the answer if you want legitimacy fairness... playoffs aren't about fairness, they are about money, that's why every sport in the country that has one has expanded to the point where it is now impossible to say the winner of the playoff in the best in the sport for that year... but let's destroy CFB as well...

I tend to agree with this. It is especially evident in college basketball, especially when it comes to league tournaments. The teams have already played each other throughout the season, and a clear number one has emerged. Why let the darkhorse have a good week and get an automatic bid?

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

I never defended the bowls... but thanks for putting words in my mouth... but any playoff system that lets the Giants beat the Pats after the Pats established themselves as the greatest team ever ALL year and through a worthless playoff that included wildcards who were BARELY .500 is more than just a steaming pile... it's massively unjust... a playoff is not the answer if you want legitimacy fairness... playoffs aren't about fairness, they are about money, that's why every sport in the country that has one has expanded to the point where it is now impossible to say the winner of the playoff in the best in the sport for that year... but let's destroy CFB as well...

Well, I wasn't responding to you the first go around, or else I would have stuck your quote in there.

But since you want me to respond so bad, your rationale is also a steaming pile. The Patriots choked, plain and simple, in the biggest game of their careers. Thats not the playoffs' fault. Gee whiz, you blame rape victims for dressing provocatively, too?

 

[ACamp1900]

I tend to agree with this. It is especially evident in college basketball, especially when it comes to league tournaments. The teams have already played each other throughout the season, and a clear number one has emerged. Why let the darkhorse have a good week and get an automatic bid?

already said it for me

Well, I wasn't responding to you the first go around, or else I would have stuck your quote in there.

But since you want me to respond so bad, your rationale is also a steaming pile. The Patriots choked, plain and simple, in the biggest game of their careers. Thats not the playoffs' fault. Gee whiz, you blame rape victims for dressing provocatively, too?

My rationale is off yet you liken playoff losers to rape victims............???? wow


Not that you really deserve a legit response at this point... but your post went thought for thought with mine and even used the same verbage not easy to see you were throwing it at me...


anyway, please explain how a playoff can determine the legit champion for an entire season when a playoff diminishes the reg. season itself...again, bowl systems aside... playoffs are not the answer if you are looking for legitimacy in regards to the best team in that sport... if you simply want a playoff winner and nothing more then seed the nation from the very first day and play it off, but to say a playoff decides the best team for the whole year is a laughably dumb statement when even the best teams lose once and you allow teams that are barely above .500 who now have nothing to lose (AFTER they have shown themselves to be inferior ALL YEAR LONG) into any expanded playoff format... explain to me how a one to three week playoff is a better sample of greatness than an entire season???... and the "win it when it counts" argument defeats the whole point of a playoff in that sense...

one thing that is without argument if looked at objectively is that the BCS (and I'm not saying it is prefect, it OBVIOUSLY needs work) is a better method of deciding a champion i.e. "the best team in the sport for that year" than a wildcard-style-expanded-playoff will ever be... ESPECIALLY in a single elimination format... at least under the current system you are guaranteed to have two teams that have at the very least proven to be among the truly elite of the sport for that year... does it work well??? Is it wihtout fualt and or corruption?? Hell no... But you won't see some 7-5 team winning the national title in the current system... once you open it up to a playoff and that's what you will have in no more than 25 years... so yeah, I'll take the current system with the possibility of tweaks over any sport destroying playoff

and agin, why not leave one, JUST ONE sport without a playoff for those whose eyes are open enough to see how garbage they are


P.S. I can't believe I just dignified a response from someone who compares playoff losers to rape victims and refers to others opinions as steaming piles....

(bows head in shame)

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

lol. Shamrock and Acamp both talking the same stuff, but my good bud Shamrock kinda surprised me with that leap in logic too.

Regarding the first sentence in the article "Members of Congress are interested in learning more about the Bowl Championship Series and whether it is a fair way of choosing a college football champion"...it seems "choosing" a champion is the best college football can do. Too many teams. Too tough a game. These are "college students" for Crist sake. Quit the hypocrisy.

I favor NFL paying for its own farm club system and let the "football dummies" go there and let student athletes play football. (I have a whole book to write about this, so don't hold me to that sentence...best I can do in short time...but feel free to add or subtract...)

I kinda injected the basketball thing in there. Apples and oranges. I can play basketball day and night. I can only play one football game a week and hope to keep my kneecaps or neck from getting broken.

What were we talking about?

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

anyway, please explain how a playoff can determine the legit champion for an entire season when a playoff diminishes the reg. season itself

For starters, I don't accept that a playoff diminishes regular seasons. It does for say, Basketball and hockey, because 3/4 of the league gets into those tournaments. I don't think anyone wants to see a 64 team college football tournament.

playoffs are not the answer if you are looking for legitimacy in regards to the best team in that sport... if you simply want a playoff winner and nothing more

No, I don't suppose they really are. But you backed yourself into a corner - the BCS IS THE SAME THING! All it really tells you is who the champion of 2 arbitrarily picked teams is. Its, in fact, is itself a playoff, just a 2 team playoff with some bullshit excuses used to "determine" who is chosen to play in it. If there was ZERO controversy every year on who the two best teams were, then we wouldn't be having this conversation.

explain to me how a one to three week playoff is a better sample of greatness than an entire season???...

And the point here really emerges. Everyone with an interest in college football wants a champion. The BCS has a proven 10 year legacy of being unable to decide one.

I don't disagree that a playoff is not superior than the regular season. So our alternatives are 1) determine the "champion" based on regular season results ALONE (and no, I don't know how the hell you would do that) or 2)have a postseason tournament. Nearly every sport in the history of civilized man has chosen the latter. But somehow college football has decided 35 meaningless exhibition games with one being almost randomly chosen as the "championship game" is the right method? With perspective, doesn't it look silly?

one thing that is without argument if looked at objectively is that the BCS (and I'm not saying it is prefect, it OBVIOUSLY needs work) is a better method of deciding a champion i.e. "the best team in the sport for that year" than a wildcard-style-expanded-playoff will ever be...

This statement is where you lose all credibility.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

lol. Shamrock and Acamp both talking the same stuff, but my good bud Shamrock kinda surprised me with that leap in logic too.

Its no leap of logic.... since i'm talking to.... a.... deer....

I favor NFL paying for its own farm club system and let the "football dummies" go there and let student athletes play football.

Meh, they keep trying and it keeps failing. They actually had two teams with the best records play at the end of the year, and no one watched it..... HMMMMMM

 

[ACamp1900]

For starters, I don't accept that a playoff diminishes regular seasons. It does for say, Basketball and hockey, because 3/4 of the league gets into those tournaments. I don't think anyone wants to see a 64 team college football tournament.




No, I don't suppose they really are. But you backed yourself into a corner - the BCS IS THE SAME THING! All it really tells you is who the champion of 2 arbitrarily picked teams is. Its, in fact, is itself a playoff, just a 2 team playoff with some bullshit excuses used to "determine" who is chosen to play in it. If there was ZERO controversy every year on who the two best teams were, then we wouldn't be having this conversation.




And the point here really emerges. Everyone with an interest in college football wants a champion. The BCS has a proven 10 year legacy of being unable to decide one.

I don't disagree that a playoff is not superior than the regular season. So our alternatives are 1) determine the "champion" based on regular season results ALONE (and no, I don't know how the hell you would do that) or 2)have a postseason tournament. Nearly every sport in the history of civilized man has chosen the latter. But somehow college football has decided 35 meaningless exhibition games with one being almost randomly chosen as the "championship game" is the right method? With perspective, doesn't it look silly?





This statement is where you lose all credibility.

Because you... the same guy who uses rape victim examples in his football arguments..... say so??? I'll take that as a giant BOAST in my credibility... again, you simply say it isn’t so and leave it at that… as most playoff pushers do, yet explain to me how a one to three week sample AT MOST is more accurate than an entire season... THAT is the core/root argument between the BCS and a playoff... and you say you don't like expanded playoffs... yet every single sport has and will continue to expand... simply because of cries from people like you

randomly chosen??? with that statement YOU lose all credibility my friend

and again I have said the BCS is flawed so, I backed myself into nothing at all... again your argument is all “because I say so”… see that's the thing with cfb and a playoff... people view it like politics "if you aren't with me you’re a radical on the other side".... I have often pointed out a flaw in the current system, and hope it gets fixed... but again as you have stated yourself... every other sport has gone to a playoff and has hence diminished the reg. season... this point is NOT my opinion... it's a fact... and it should not be this hard for a rational thinking person to see... and that statement is not at you it's at the whole playoff thumping nation in general... if you have a playoff that requires an elite regular season team to beat an average regular season team for the second and at times third time AND allow the possibility to have a barely .500 team become "Champion" among other things you have without argue spit on the results of the regular season... so yeah ANY system that guarantees you will have two elite teams that have prvoed it all year facing off for the title is a better any system than one that lets a team like the Arizona Cardinals play for a Championship after they showed all year they were not Championship caliber... it’s not even close in regards to legitmacy over the course of the entire year...

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Seriously, with all the problems we have....recession, crime, deficit, flu pandemic, that is all they have to worry about?

435 members and a ton of committees...they have the time

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

What a joke-Congress is the most inefficient body in the world-they can't get anything done. I suppose this will be another book that is opened and left to collect dust.

Honestly, sounds just like a IT-PMO to me.

Congress moves faster than a PMO can.

/just sayin

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

Because you... course of the entire year...

Flailing rants aside, this thread was about the BCS and congress. The good news for me, and the bad news for you is that the BCS is destined to be dismantled, one way or another. Assuming congress doesn't do anything now (which they shouldn't - thats already been addressed) the fiscal condition of the country is heading down a path that will lead us there. And if not, perhaps the president will inject himself when all these other crises blow over. And if not, the handful of belligerent and anachronistic thinking college presidents who are causing this problem will turn over eventually...

The point is, change is coming - one way or another, at some time or another. Very few people think the BCS has any value. Its day is nearing an end, and not a moment too soon.

I'm not necessarily a playoff proponent - I'm simply anti-BCS. If the solution is a playoff, I'm fine with that. If its a return to old way of just letting bowls pick whoever they damn well please, thats fine too. But don't bullshit us with this BCS rubbish.

 

[ACamp1900]

as always the playoff guy has nothing more than status quo and "f you" behind him...

and agian, if some logical argument is brought up a person they are a rubbish spilling moron... I'm all for changing the system too... but not for a playoff...

a playoff will never happen, and if it does I am done watching... as will a large portion of the country... just as with NCAABB, NHL, NBA, MLB... why even have a regular season if it doens't matter in the long run... yet you complain about ONE exhibition game??? please

 

[ARALOU]

Remember when the National Champs were awarded their rank "BEFORE" the bowl game? The "regular season" actually determined the #1 team. Then folks (me included) started bitching that bowl wins should count. It evolved into what it is now. Chaos! I dont know the answer but I think an eight game regular season and some kind of four round playoff with the bowls played last to determine #1 and so forth on down.

 

[FrankMA]

For starters, I don't accept that a playoff diminishes regular seasons. It does for say, Basketball and hockey, because 3/4 of the league gets into those tournaments. I don't think anyone wants to see a 64 team college football tournament.




I disagree. Take a look at college basketball. How big would a regular season game be of say; Duke and North Carolina, if only the regular season conference champion were allowed into the tournament. It would be huge. As it is now, it is only a game for bragging rights only. I don't even bother watching college basketball during the regular season because the games are, for the most part, meaningless.
Pro football is very similar, teams can make the wild card sometimes with a 9-7 record. It's a little more interesting because you can watch your team once in a while to see if they finish 9-7 and are in the playoffs. A better system would be to just allow the best team in the AFC and the best team in the NFC play in the Suprbowl and forget the rest of the playoffs. It would make the regular season games a lot more meaningful.
The point is that now the regular season games in college football are a lot more important than the games in any other sport. A playoff system would take away from that.


And the point here really emerges. Everyone with an interest in college football wants a champion. The BCS has a proven 10 year legacy of being unable to decide one.

I don't disagree that a playoff is not superior than the regular season. So our alternatives are 1) determine the "champion" based on regular season results ALONE (and no, I don't know how the hell you would do that) or 2)have a postseason tournament. Nearly every sport in the history of civilized man has chosen the latter. But somehow college football has decided 35 meaningless exhibition games with one being almost randomly chosen as the "championship game" is the right method? With perspective, doesn't it look silly?

I also agree that the system now in place inst't good. How about the regular season, regular bowls, and a one game playoff of the best teams from the regular season and the bowls in a championship game.

 

[MeanGreen]

First doesn't congress have anything better to do! I know they are waste my tax dollars daily, but don't flaunt it. I agree something is wrong with the system, but you just can't say next year we are going to have a playoff. There are many aspects to this that needs fixed. I hate automatic berth to conferences in all sports tournaments and to bowl games. I hate the weak schedules everyone plays because they need to win their conference. I ask anyone that can remember "back in the day" without the 10, 12, 14 team conferences did we have this problem? Not so much once or twice a decade. When the NCAA let the conferences start running things, that is when this became a mess. Find me a fix that doesn't just say top 8 or 10 or reward conference champs automatically no matter what their record or schedule looks like. To fix it right people(sponsors, conferences, cities, NCAA) are going to have to lose money or give up money they are used to getting and that is not going to happen.

 

[ACamp1900]

I also agree that the system now in place inst't good. How about the regular season, regular bowls, and a one game playoff of the best teams from the regular season and the bowls in a championship game.

First doesn't congress have anything better to do! I know they are waste my tax dollars daily, but don't flaunt it. I agree something is wrong with the system, but you just can't say next year we are going to have a playoff. There are many aspects to this that needs fixed. I hate automatic berth to conferences in all sports tournaments and to bowl games. I hate the weak schedules everyone plays because they need to win their conference. I ask anyone that can remember "back in the day" without the 10, 12, 14 team conferences did we have this problem? Not so much once or twice a decade. When the NCAA let the conferences start running things, that is when this became a mess. Find me a fix that doesn't just say top 8 or 10 or reward conference champs automatically no matter what their record or schedule looks like. To fix it right people(sponsors, conferences, cities, NCAA) are going to have to lose money or give up money they are used to getting and that is not going to happen.

agree, and I'm all for a plus one... you want to fix "the problem"?? in my opinion all that is needed is as stated above get rid of the auto bids... 2nd no polls until about week six... SO many issues come out of the pre season polls... we should see the teams first... bring the Cotton Bowl into the BCS and have five BCS games and number 1 and 2 AFTER the bowls play in the national title game that will rotate sites as it does now...

I like a plus one, the NFL and MLB had it right up to the 1960's... two best teams play each other and end it there... if you aren't the best team, record wise, at the end of the season you shouldn't have a shot at the title... is that so hard for people?? of course with the sher number of teams in cbf it is more complex then that but that beats the hell out of 64 teams playing it out which is EXACTLY what will happen, or something like it, given time... if we opt for a playoff

I think it is easily the best thing considering how far off the two sides seem to be on this issue... my only problem with a plus one?? Within two years you get people saying "let's add two more teams.......... to make it fair" (which is bull imo) but the above has it right... all the wrong people would have to lose money in most reasonable scenerios...

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

LMI -I suppose Congress checking in on BCS could be compared to IT-PMO.

Mountain West is the squeaky wheel looking for grease,and I don't blame them. It's going to take time to fix things obviously.

Shamrock:

Its no leap of logic.... since i'm talking to.... a.... deer....

But I'm CUTE dammit.

Meh, they keep trying and it keeps failing. They actually had two teams with the best records play at the end of the year, and no one watched it..... HMMMMMM

I told you not to hold me to that sentence. You went and jumped ahead to chapter 7.

 

[jason_h537]

Im glad that congress has decided to spend their time on the big issues like the BCS system. I love college football and the college football regular season. The season counts so much, unlike the basketball season that doesnt start for most people til the NCAA tournament. I dont want a playoff, but the BCS is pretty unfair. Boise St deserved a BCS bid. Why not a selection commitee?

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

The little faith I have in the BCS FAR exceeds that in Congress.

Although their focus on extraneous events might actually save the taxpayer some money....so keep digging!!

 

[TDHeysus]

The current system is obviously flawed - I'm open to a playoff, although I have never seen a detailed playoff plan.

I like the 'bowls plus one' theory. Basically playing one more game after the bowls are done to have the top 2 teams duke it out. its not perfect, but I think one step better than the current BCS system.

 

[jason_h537]

The problem with a plus one is thair will always be a team who thinks they got left out. i say have a selection commitee of people whose job it is to actually watch the games and make an educated decision of who should be playing where.

 

[J-HIP]

In a time where government is overstepping the line between leaders and overseers it is still almost comical that they would spend our money on such a trivial thing. I also say that bcs has had its pitfalls. Be that as it may, I am tired of what I view as the casual college football fan's obsessive need to simplify the game. A playoff system would create a situation where the rich would get richer and those who have no chance to make a playoff would be in a b league type competition. Also, for all the hoopla made over March madness, football consistently beats ncaa basketball in revenue, ratings, and the all important marketing numbers via add placement and commercials.

Every week we sit on the edge of our seats and live and die with the team. All a playoff would do is wake the entire regular season a rush to the playoffs. How can you be a self respecting Notre Dame fan and have almost messiah-like expectations of our team when all you need is 7 or 8 wins to get to some playoff system? Bottom line, the coach who wins the bcs championship is not going to give up his title because some teams fill it's unfair, and congress should figure out how to restore their power as the legislative body of the people instead of wielding what little power they have deciding the fate of 17 to 23 year old athletes.

 

[Bubba]

I think it is absurd that our government is involved in this. As long as college sports is about money instead of athletics, this debate will continue.

 

[Legacy]

I see nothing wrong with the top teams proving who is best on the field. College football has evolved to a non-conference schedule of patsies, half a conference of second tier teams, and a few tough games in a BCS conference. The last time a non-BCS conference team played in a championship was BYU in 1984 and no chance in sight that will change. Unfortunately, Congress has to get involved when cartels eliminate fair competition. Blame the BCS format and conferences not Congress. Non-BCS conference schools get an average of $300K a year from bowl revenue for their football programs.

 

[jason_h537]

I agree that the BCS is unfair to non Bg Six schools, but the championship is played out on the field. Every saturday, win or go home. btw a good piece on the congress and the BCS on the daily show today.