Fiesta Bowl Got Lucky, Stays In BCS Mix

The Fiesta Bowl stays in the BCS mix but not doing business on the up and up is going to cost them $1 million.

The University presidents and conference commissioners that over the Bowl Championship Series approved the recommendations of a special task force chaired by Penn State University President Graham Spanier to enact a series of sanctions designed to create stronger oversight and better management of the Fiesta Bowl, including a $1 million sanction.

The BCS released this statement from that special task force. “The board of directors of the Fiesta Bowl failed in its responsibility to properly oversee the management and administration of the Bowl. The task force is deeply troubled by the evidence set forth in the [Fiesta Bowl’s] Special Committee’s report. That evidence strongly suggests that the Bowl’s executive staff frequently acted with scant regard for ethics and proper conduct. Further, it is the opinion of the task force that the Bowl’s board of directors over the years was negligent in its oversight responsibilities.”

While the Fiesta Bowl has cleared the BCS hurdle there's still the NCAA who is reviewing the Fiesta Bowl's licensing.

The BCS task force said the way the Fiesta Bowl has taken steps in the right direction saved it from the BCS axe.

"These are strong actions in keeping with the nature of what was revealed in their report." BCS executive director Bill Hancock said. "These actions were not taken to satisfy or not satisfy any critics. They were taken because they were the appropriate actions, in light of the findings."

So the Fiesta Bowl survived this from the BCS. It still doesn't solve what has got to be the worst post-season in all of sports.

Oh sure new oversights will be mandated for the bowl system and I'm sure the term "zero tolerance" will be thrown around. That doesn't mean a damn thing. Bowls exist to make a crap load of money from sponsors and re-distribute that wealth to the conferences and if your in the BCS, the payday is significant.

Don't worry, bowl directors are taken care of too.

I've been on the fence toward a playoff system and still not completely sold for reasons I might get into someday but the BCS is really turning into a big pile of BS.

Here's the report in full, thanks azcentral.com

Here's ESPN's Dari Knowkah discussing with Joe Schad...

Fiesta Bowl Now Waits For Resolution

((HT: 12News Phoenix))

The Fiesta Bowl folks met with BCS types in New Orleans to throw themselves on the mercy of the court in an attempt to try and keep their bowl and/or BCS certification.

The subcommittee in charge of the decision isn't above reproach in this case as 9 of the 11 members attended a Fiesta Bowl junket in the past- so anything is possible...

The Fiesta Bowl folks are also looking at ditching their corporate counsel and their corporate accountant, PriceWaterhouseCoopers since recent financial documents revealed a million dollars in payouts over certain time frames...

Lin Sue and Mark have the latest...

Bee-Cee-Ess Confident About Themselves Minus Fiesta

((HT: azfamily.com))

The executive director of the BCS is confident they could boot the Fiesta Bowl out of their rotation before the end of their current contract with themselves ends in three years...

Bill Hancock said in a phone interview that the BCS "will not be associated with this kind of behavior."

What Hancock did not say was that most of the big, bad Bee-Cee-Ess games are desperately trying to fix their red wagons before others come sniffing around.

The BCS has set up a task force to see if they want to keep the Fiesta Bowl as part of the in-crowd. We all know how effective task forces are, don't we...???

Here's your daily coverage from our friends at AZ3...

Breaking: John Junker resigns as Fiesta Bowl investigation concludes

John Junker/Courtesy: Fiestabowl.org

We've been following this for sometime as part of our criticism of the BCS and the College Football bowl system as whole.

The now, former president of the Fiesta Bowl has resigned ahead of a scathing report about to be released regarding the over-the-top, extravagant spending of both he and his bowl game.

Read that story from AZCentral.com RIGHT HERE

You can read the report yourself, follow the link HERE

**UPDATE**---The BCS of all people scolds Junker and the Fiesta Bowl, threatening to pull the Fiesta Bowl's BCS status. Their executive director Bill Hancock said this to the Arizona Republic: "The BCS group takes this matter very seriously and will consider whether they keep a BCS Bowl game and we'll consider other appropriate sanctions.""If the bowl does remain a BCS Bowl, its handling of things will be closely monitored going forward".

Among the details in the report, which the New York Times got an advance copy of, includes funneling campaign contributions to politicians, flying other politicians around the country on the bowl game's dime, a $1000 bill at a strip club and a $30,000 birthday party for Junker his ownself.

Read the entire story from the New York Times RIGHT HERE

For his part, Junker, who was put on administrative leave, never did speak to investigators. But he apparently didn't have to. The excess also included many personal expenses which were billed back to the bowl.

The whole affair was triggered by an initial complaint that Bowl Game employees were being coerced into donating money to chosen political candidates with the assumption they'd be re-paid. They weren't.

The investigation later discovered the Fiesta Bowl had lobbyists and others on the payroll, though nobody could figure out why they would need them.

This all goes back to our point that the Bowl games exist strictly for their own benefit. Even though many claim they are "Non-profit" in nature, a notion we and most everyone else scoffs at. We reported recently on the University of Connecticut having to pay back over $1 million to the Fiesta Bowl because they couldn't convince fans to travel across the country for the game. Same for Oklahoma, though they got bailed out by their conference.

There are several prevailing arguments out there that the Bowl system and the BCS in particular will never change because too many people have their hands in the kitty. Nobody wants to give up their kingdom. When you have a system that pays someone like Junker $600,000 to oversee, let me emphasize this "ONE" football game, you've got a problem.

Unfortunately, we don't think this will change much of anything. It should, but it won't. Junker won't be charged with anything if this story is an indicator. We aren't saying he did anything criminal, but it sure the heck looks like he did.

In a land where the rich get richer...and the rich are the only ones who get to increase their profits, nobody is going to do what is best for everyone. Which, to be honest, is a crying-ass shame.

Here's the latest from our friends at KTVK-TV/AZ3 in Phoenix...

Fiesta Bowl takes lots of Oklahoma and UConn money

((ht: wizard of odds/hartford courant))

If you ever wanted to know why we think BCS Bowl Games and Bowl Games in general are a sham, then continue reading this story.

The participants in January's Fiesta Bowl, we'll they didn't exactly have as fun of a trip as they probably would've liked to. The University of Oklahoma made money. $9,350 to be exact and they only made it because their conference picked up the other $1,884,250 of their tab.

As for the other participant, UConn, they weren't so lucky. They owe the Arizona bowl game $1,663,580. And no, the Big East isn't bailing them out.

Read the excellent story from the Hartford Courant RIGHT HERE

If you ever want to argue why the whole College Football Bowl system needs to be revamped, ratings non-withstanding, you can start here.

The reason both schools were so indebted to the bowl game, they didn't sell their allotment of tickets. While we certainly understand that the bowl games would like all of their tickets sold, it should not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE be on the school to foot the bill if they don't. The Bowl Games, particularly the BCS Games make more in sponsorship money than god. Why do they have to bill the schools for it?

For UConn to sell all their tickets to a game in Tempe, Arizona, would've taken a miracle. And hey, with the current economic situation for most people, it was a trip they probably couldn't afford.

So instead the taxpayers of Connecticut got to pay for it.

For the Fiesta Bowl, because it's our example here, they pay their "Executive Director" John Junker--at least when he's not suspended, well over $600,000 a year and pay more than that for lobbyists. But they can't afford to foot the bill for their own tickets? No, we don't buy that...at all.

This goes back to the argument that many are making about the BCS and Bowl Games. That argument is the system in place benefits the people aligned with the bowl games, not the participants and certainly not the schools...unless you are playing for the championship.

So we would argue it's time for change. It's time for the greed and sloth that the "Bowl Executives" are living on and off of needs to stop. It's time to play the games for the right reason. Not for the profit of a select few....

Here are some highlights from an Oklahoma fan with too much time on his hands:

This is why the Bowl system stinks: Fiesta Bowl CEO being investigated

John Junker/Courtesy: Fiestabowl.org

We had heard rumblings of this story a couple of months ago and now it sounds like it is playing itself out.

Reports started surfacing Monday that the man who runs the Fiesta Bowl and is one of the, if not the most powerful voice on the top-tier college football bowl system, John Junker was being investigated. Junker is being investigated for potential financial irregularities as under his watch.

Yes, the man also makes nearly $600,000 a year for essentially organizing a (one) college football game a year.

Read more from the Arizona Republic RIGHT HERE

Sure, Junker is on "Paid administrative leave", but we suspect he'll be back. This whole thing goes back to something that we...and many other reporters rail on about all year long. It points back to the corruption and greasy money made by college bowl games.

If you ever want to know why the BCS will never go away. Or the bowl system the way it's currently set-up will never go away. Because there are too many people like Junker making a king's ransom running them. If a playoff was in place, there would be no need for people like him. Or for that matter the $200k he spent paying lobbyists.

That of course leads to another question. Why the h-e...double l would a college football game need political lobbyists? And another one. If the BCS games are all but pre-determined, then why do the guys in the god-awful colored sports coats (see above), need to show up at random college football games?

Just askin'...

Sooners Lower The Boom On UConn Huskies, OU Win Fiesta Bowl

Pardon the Oklahoma Sooner fans if they aren't big fans of the BCS bowls. OU had lost five BCS bowls in a row heading into Saturday's Fiesta Bowl against Connecticut.

This time the Sooners took the fight out of the dog.

Oklahoma took out those BCS frustrations on the Huskies with a 48-20 beat down.

OU quarterback Landry Jones picked apart the Connecticut secondary and sharing that wealth with a trio of Sooner receivers.

Cameron Kenney caught seven balls for 154 yards and a touchdown

Kenny Stills had eight catches for 73 yards

Ryan Broyles had himself and night with 13 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown.

Landry Jones' number were impressive. 34-49 for 429 yards and three touchdowns.

"Landry had a huge night." Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said in the post game press conference. "Ryan always does. Jeez, that catch he made, he just every does something amazing every game."

"Great players just making plays out there." OU quarterback Landry Jones said in the post game press conference. "Ryan is one of our great players on the team."

"Coaches put us in great positions to make plays." OU wide receiver Ryan Broyles said after the game. "Landry is out there throwing the ball, putting it on spots. It is a whole team effort on offense and it definitely helps when the defense gets their offense on the field as well."

Damon Fontenot fills you in with highlights from Glendale, AZ. (Thanks NewsOK.com)



FOSG Barry Trammel and Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman add a post script to Oklahoma's win in the Fiesta Bowl. (Thanks NewsOK.com)



Photo Courtesy: Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

TWTW: Your 2010 Bowl Matchups

New Mexico Bowl
BYU vs. UTEP
Albuquerque, N.M.
University Stadium
December 18
2 p.m. ESPN

uDrove Humanitarian
Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
Boise, Idaho
Bronco Stadium
December 18
5:30 p.m. ESPN

R+L Carriers New Orleans
Ohio vs. Troy
New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
December 18
9 p.m. ESPN

Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg
Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Tropicana Field
December 21
8 p.m. ESPN

MAACO Las Vegas
Utah vs. Boise State
Las Vegas
Sam Boyd Stadium
December 22
8 p.m. ESPN

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia
Navy vs. San Diego State
San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
December 23
8 p.m. ESPN

Sheraton Hawaii
Hawaii vs. Tulsa
Honolulu
Aloha Stadium
December 24
8 p.m. ESPN

Little Caesars
Florida International vs. Toledo
Detroit
Ford Field
December 26
8:30 p.m. ESPN

AdvoCare V100 Independence
Air Force vs. Georgia Tech
Shreveport, La.
Independence Stadium
December 27
5 p.m. ESPN2

Champs Sports
West Virginia vs. NC State
Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl
December 28
6:30 p.m. ESPN

Insight
Missouri vs. Iowa
Tempe, Arizona
Sun Devil Stadium
December 28
10 p.m. ESPN

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
East Carolina vs. Maryland
Washington, D.C.
RFK Stadium
December 29
2:30 p.m. ESPN

Texas
Illinois vs. Baylor
Houston
Reliant Stadium
December 29
6 p.m. ESPN

Valero Alamo
Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
San Antonio
Alamodome
December 29
9:15 p.m. ESPN

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
Army vs. SMU
Dallas
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
December 30
Noon ESPN

New Era Pinstripe
Kansas St. vs. Syracuse
Bronx, N.Y.
Yankee Stadium
December 30
3:20 p.m. ESPN

Franklin American Mortgage Music City
North Carolina vs. Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
LP Field
December 30
6:40 p.m. ESPN

Bridgepoint Education Holiday
Nebraska vs. Washington
San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
December 30
10 p.m. ESPN

Meineke Car Care
South Florida vs. Clemson
Charlotte, North Carolina
Bank of America Stadium
December 31
Noon ESPN

Hyundai Sun
Notre Dame vs. Miami
El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl
December 31
2 p.m. CBS

AutoZone Liberty
Georgia vs. UCF
Memphis, Tennessee
Liberty Bowl
December 31
3:30 p.m. ESPN

Chick-fil-A
South Carolina vs. Florida State
Atlanta
Georgia Dome
December 31
7:30 p.m. ESPN

TicketCity
Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Dallas
Cotton Bowl
January 1
Noon ESPNU

Outback
Florida vs. Penn State
Tampa, Florida
Raymond James Stadium
January 1
1 p.m. ABC

Capital One
Alabama vs. Michigan State
Orlando, Florida
Florida Citrus Bowl
January 1
1 p.m. ESPN

Gator Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Michigan
Jacksonville, Florida
Municipal Stadium
January 1
1:30 p.m. ESPN2

Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
Wisconsin vs. TCU
Pasadena, California
Rose Bowl
January 1
5 p.m. ESPN

Tostitos Fiesta
Connecticut vs. Oklahoma
Glendale, Arizona
U. of Phoenix Stadium
January 1
8:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D

Discover Orange
Stanford vs. Virginia Tech
Miami
Sun Life Stadium
January 3
8:30 p.m. ESPN

Allstate Sugar
Ohio State vs. Arkansas
New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
January 4
8:30 p.m. ESPN

GoDaddy.com
Middle Tennessee vs. Miami (Ohio)
Mobile, Alabama
Ladd-Peebles Stadium
January 6
8 p.m. ESPN

AT&T Cotton
LSU vs. Texas A&M
Arlington, Texas
Cowboys Stadium
January 7
8 p.m. FOX

BBVA Compass Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky
Birmingham, Alabama
Legion Field
January 8
Noon ESPN

Kraft Fight Hunger
Nevada vs. Boston College
San Francisco
AT&T Park
January 9
9 p.m. ESPN

Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
Oregon vs. Auburn
Glendale, Arizona
U. of Phoenix Stadium
January 10
8:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN3D

Fiesta Bowl Setting Up "Special Committee"

And OSG sources think this is the beginning of the end of John Junker...

From the Fiesta Bowl their ownselves...

In light of new information received by the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors, the Board has appointed a Special Committee to investigate previous allegations with respect to campaign contributions by current and former Bowl employees.

The Special Committee will consist of Board members Jim Bruner and Steve Whiteman and a former judge. The panel will name its own counsel and operate independently.

“Since these allegations with respect to candidate contributions first came to light last year, I have always stated that, if there is credible information with respect to these allegations, the Bowl will act,” Board Chairman Duane Woods said.

The Special Committee has broad authority to review any and all matters. It does not have a timeframe for its work. The Bowl will have no further comment during the investigation.

“Our expectation is that the Special Committee will conduct a thorough investigation, but it should not – and I’m sure will not – take any shortcuts and do anything short of a complete and thorough investigation,” Woods said.

Woods expressed confidence that the investigation will have no impact on the Fiesta Bowl’s staff and volunteers as they host three bowl games this postseason – the Insight Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Tostitos BCS National Championship Game.

“My job, as well as every member of our staff and our 3,000 volunteers, is to put on the best Fiesta Bowl, Insight Bowl and BCS Championship games ever, and that is what we will do,” Woods said.

Oops...

And the HQ thinks that any bowl game that is seeing what's going on in Scottsdale will be running around with their hair on fire waiting for some kind of resolution- and hoping they don't have to do the same thing...

This is cool! Fiesta Bowl Time Lapse

This really isn't relevant to a whole lot of things it is just kind of cool if you like looking at Time Lapse videos. This particular one is a 2 day span between the Cardinals/Packers NFC Playoff game and the Fiesta Bowl the next day.

Much props to a dgklee who posted this on the You Tube, just passing it on: (Note, there isn't any audio, but it's still cool to look at)

TWTW: Boise Gets Noisey Again In The Fiesta Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl was a dog of a game. Boise State won this game with their defense. That's right defense however, TCU was helping out as well with terrible play calling and poor execution. I'm not saying TCU's offense was unprepared but it looked the Horned Frogs were nervous and tight in this big time setting.

This Fiesta Bowl match up between TCU and Boise State was a terrible idea by the BCS selection committee. The Horned Frogs and the Broncos want to prove themselves against the big boys. Monday nights game didn't prove a thing and that contributed to an uninspired effort by both teams.

If it's any consolation, Boise State will be one of 2 teams to finish the season undefeated but will have nothing to show for it. They Broncos didn't beat Oklahoma this time. At least the WAC can say their conference is one up on the Mountain West. Yippee.

All this game will do is add more ammo for Congress to eliminate the BCS and force the top level of college football to have a playoff. That's change I can't believe in.

Here are your highlights, Thanks Fox Sports/Youtube.com


Here's postgame from a very excited Justin Corr from our friends at KTVB-TV in Boise



Photo Courtesy: Shawn Raecke \ Idaho Statesman

Bowling For Dollars: Fiesta Bowl Reaction

It's TCU and Boise in an absolute, as Ol' JR says, slobber-knocker...
These two should pack Arizona with a lot of folks and a great ball game...
The first time that two undefeated schools play in a BCS game and still not play for a title...

Hmmm....

Here's how TCU celebrated their bid...
Thanks to our friends at MyFoxDFW and Sophia Reza...


The Brncos have been to the Fiesta before, but this time we think there won't be any marriage proposals after the game in 2010...

Here's the reaction from our friends at KTVB-TV...
Justin Corr takes the lead...


This is a rematch of last year's Poinsettia Bowl...
By the way, it's pronounced Poin-Set-Uh...
Not Poin-Set-Tea-Uh...

Bowl Lineup In Tact Through 2013

The Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar bowls extended their agreements with the Bowl Championship Series, deals that will keep the national championship game at the sites of those games through the 2013 college football season.

The BCS was not expected to change its bowl partners, so the new four-year deals come as no surprise.

The current contracts with those four games run out after the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., hosts the BCS national championship game in 2010.

The new deal starts with the January 2011 bowl games, and the championship game rotation will start in Glendale, Arizona, with the Fiesta Bowl hosting two games about a week apart.

New Orleans will host the Sugar Bowl and BCS national championship game in 2012. Miami will be the site of the 2013 title game, a week after the Orange Bowl. The championship game returns to the Rose Bowl in 2014.

The deals between the BCS and its bowl partners run concurrent to its TV deal.

The BCS is in its final season of a four-year deal with Fox. Its new four-year deal with ESPN, worth $125 million per year, begins with the 2011 bowl games.