Monday, May 9, 2011

Jim Delany and BCS ready to take on Feds

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We don't normally cheer for the government when they stick their collective noses into sports issues, but GOD, do we hope they win this argument.

For those not up to speed, Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney sent a letter last week to NCAA president Mark Emmert last week, questioning the Bowl Championship Series and why the NCAA doesn't have a playoff.

If you follow us, you pretty much know the answer to that question...the people in the BCS and bowl games don't want to give up their money.

Anyway, before we get sidetracked. The NCAA is currently digesting the letter and is a bit concerned the Feds may be throwing the "Anti-trust" thing around. They don't yet know what their response will be.

But....

The folks at USA Today went and asked BCS bigwig and Big 10 Commissioner Jim Delany his thoughts about the issue.

And Delany, as usual, was pretty blunt. He tells the paper he's got confidence there are no "Anti-trust" issues with the BCS. He adds they've done their homework on behalf of the presidents of the schools involved. And this quote "There's no judge or jury in the world that can make you enter into a 4-team, 8-team or 16-team playoff".

Read the rest of the interview with Steve Wieberg of USA Today RIGHT HERE

Pardon us while we stifle a laugh. While we don't disagree with everything Delany says, he's very much perpetuating what many of us think about the BCS.

Invented by the high and mighty to benefit the same. It (the BCS) has nothing to do with being representative of the NCAA, it never has. It only represents the schools in the power conferences and is THE prime example of how the NCAA has no control over those conferences.

The BCS exists for one thing...and one thing only. To benefit those involved with it. And not everybody gets to. It's like their own version of Augusta National Golf Club, only for "High and Mighty" public institutions (Colleges).

You can certainly float the "Anti-trust" argument simply because this isn't an "All-inclusive" group. And if they represent public schools and take taxpayer money (see unpaid tickets for BCS games), then they should represent everyone.

The best example of the elitism of the BCS, arguably a microcosm of the issues the U.S currently faces as whole: Gordon Gee of Ohio State calling out Texas Christian by saying they play a schedule of "Little Sisters of the Poor". (Oh, ye (or Gee) in glass houses) The fact that unless you play in the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, ACC, Pac10/12, or the Big East, means you aren't able to play for the championship. Period.

And yes, as the Mountain West has demonstrated over and over again, there are teams out there better than that.

Enough soap box.

For your College Football fix, enjoy the ESPN produced "Images of the Decade: 2000-2009:

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