The Chris Moeller Archives

BCS BS

I watched the Iowa State Cyclones' victory in the Independence Bowl last night, but derived little pleasure from it. What did the victory mean? What are the implications? The Cyclones appear ready to declare their season a success. I'm not so sure. They're better than Miami of Ohio. That much, we know.

The college football season contains no reward for me. No emotion. No drama. No closure. I don't understand the mindset of a fan who invests his time and energy into a sports season that may be decided ultimately by a computer printout. I find it troubling that a so-called democratic society has become so at ease with its rampant unfairness and inequality that it accepts a bowl system without defined standards. I'm now convinced that most of the football establishment prefers an end-of-the-season championship controversy to a clear resolution. It creates a much needed topic for college football discussion on sports talk radio.

What makes sports most appealing is the aspect of fairness. In sports, actions have consequences. Success and failure are strictly measured. Everyone plays by the same rules. This rarely exists in the rest of America. The Reverend Jesse Jackson has pointed out- with great merit, I believe- that this is why minorities and the underclass do so well in sports. When a level playing field exists, hunger and determination win out. Jackie Robinson became a reality in Major League Baseball because the Dodgers believed he would help them win games. Once the Dodgers had the talented Robinson, other teams integrated to keep pace on the diamond.

If we demanded of our political and community leaders what we demand of our athletic figures, we could achieve much more. This violates the conventional wisdom surrounding the "spoiled jock," but consider this- rhetoric and promises don't count for squat in the sports world. You have to back your reputation during the competition. Sports fans closely examine the statistics. They typically have high expectations and little patience. Conversely, Americans pay scant attention to the voting records of Congress. Little is demanded of our political leaders other than that they convey a vague sense of optimism.

I say scrap this BCS garbage. Stop protecting whoever it is that's profiting from the current system. (Probably the corporate boards of the various bowl games.) The traditions of college football aren't so glorious that they can't be amended. The Rose Bowl, for example, was never that prestigious to begin with. For most of its history, only 20 teams were eligible to play in it. Much of the current system could even remain, except that the top 8 teams would enter a single-elimination tournament with the direct purpose of rooting out a champion. There would be seven games over three weekends, 4,2, and 1. And don't give me any lip about kids missing additional classes. We know that's already the lowest priority on everyone's list. Besides, the three weekends would fall during winter break for most schools. College football could sell incredibly lucrative sponsorships for the seven game tournament, financially surpassing even those of the NCAA's men's basketball tournament. With the top 8 teams given a fair shot at the title, the championship could finally be won on the field, rather than on the air during the Sports Zoo with Jabber Jake and the Booger Man.

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The current American aid figure for the tsunami disaster is $35 million. Republicans plan to spend $40 million on President Bush's inaugural festivities.

posted by CM @ 12:38 AM