The American Spectator : More BCS From Congress

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More BCS From Congress

By Doug Bandow on 12.14.09 @ 6:07AM

Is it time for Congress to save college football?

(Page 3 of 3)

The Pope is unresponsive to Catholics who want to use birth control. Should legislators "speak-up" for their constituents and complain to the Vatican? Lots of organizations often don't care much about what people think. Who would trust politicians, who spend their entire careers attempting to insulate themselves from popular pressure, to take up the cause of public opinion elsewhere?

Playoff PAC appears to believe that Uncle Sam should act a little like God, who cares about the smallest thing, including a sparrow falling to earth.

Last year President Barack Obama went on ESPN radio and promised to "have my attorney general investigate the possibility of instituting a college football playoff system through executive order." However, it appears that President Obama's tongue was firmly planted in his cheek -- making this one of the few parts of the economy in which he doesn't want to expand state control.

Not so legislators who long have had "fun" talking about sports. Congress has browbeaten baseball players over their use of steroids and failure to be good role models. (Imagine: congressmen complaining about other people being bad role models!) Then there were hearings on the dangerous epidemic of gambling, which, it was thought, threatened the very foundations of our nation.

Playoff PAC grandly declares: "college football reform is Congress' business because it is the people's business." No. Everything that goes on in our society is, in one way or another, the people's business. But that does not mean everything is the government's business.

The BCS procedure undoubtedly is flawed. There is, however, no evidence that politicians would do a better job running the system.

It's time for Congress to declare that Uncle Sam is not God. And that there is at least one problem it is not the government's responsibility to "fix."

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topics:
College Football, Bowl Championship Series

About the Author

Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).

Letter to the Editor View all comments (28) | Leave a comment

Warren Piece| 12.14.09 @ 7:06AM

We're talking about a turgid game where a single touchdown is granted seven points to provide the illusion of "action-packed" and we're to worry about Congress meddling with its purity? Better Congress "fixin'" sports and declaring an endless number of "National Pixie Days" than constantly calculating how to extract new ways to take our property. Priorities, man!

Dixie Pixie| 12.14.09 @ 1:04PM

What --- I get a “National Day”.
How nice of you but quite insane.

Warren Piece| 12.17.09 @ 7:06AM

Of course, Dixie Pixie. No one is suggesting that if Congress fiddles with college football then they won't fiddle with our properties. Nevertheless, like it or not, Conservatives would be well advised to pick their battles. In the grand scheme of things, which college/university wins the Orange Bowl is forgotten a mere few weeks--it doesn't matter. Unless one is already insane, it has no impact on how we live. But right now we have Liberal moves before us that will result in massive changes in how we live our lives. Once the government succeeds in "nationalizing" our healthcare, it truly will be a bell that can't be unrung. In theory, nationalized healthcare can be undone by good old fashioned Democracy. Historically, however, the best that we have achieved is applying amendments to such massive programs. Priorities, man!

Ryan| 12.14.09 @ 8:32AM

One, the article is generally right about that this isn't something that our legislators should be wasting our tax dollars dealing with.

The rest...meh. The BCS has consistently produced a genuine national champion, with only the rare instance of a school being left out. I personally favor a tweaking, NOT a playoff system (more conferences, strength of schedule given greater weight, drop the Notre Dame clause). The current regular season should remain the playoff.

Playoffs are rarely about who is best. They are about who is streaking (see the NCAA basketball tourney). There are several instances where the best football team didn't get in the Super Bowl.

One other thing that needs consideration - the old bowl system was far more flawed, with few #1 vs #2 matchups. Yes, the BCS has issues, but they typically come from schools that wouldn't get in a bowl game if they were in a major conference (sorry TCU, but beating two mediocre ranked teams does NOT a National Champion bid make.)

Eric Damon| 12.14.09 @ 2:20PM

Dude, the BCS has NOT consistently produced a genuine national champion! When a tw loss LSU team is given a chance to win a title, when undefeated teams are left out right and left (Utah, TCU, Cincy, Auburn) you are not getting a true national champion. What we get in college football on a yearly basis is the fulfillment of preseason polling; if you are ranked high in the preseason polls you have a shot, but if you aren't...as most non-BCS league schools aren't...you are SOL.

And playoffs generally do determine who the best team is; look at the NBA championship. The Lakers beat the Magic four times out of six...because they were better. And in college football, Appalachian State University has won 3 out of the last four national titles at the D-1AA (FCS) level because they were the best in the division. Tournaments at least give a team a chance to get on the field of play to either win or lose, not be left out because some pollster who votes based on a belief that one conference is simply better than another doesn't think you're good enough.

And we can agree that the BCS has issues, chief among them that it is not designed to crown a real champion, but to make money. I have nothing against making money, but the BCS conference presidents should just admit that the system is designed to get as much cash into the coffers of the SEC, ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, and Pac-10 as possible. That's why the door is shut to a Boise State, a Utah, or a TCU not any considerations of whether or not the teams are good enough.

Ken (Old Texican)| 12.14.09 @ 8:33AM

College athletes ought to at least earn minimum wage...shouldn't they?

Colleges in less demanding conferences should not be candidates for national title regardless of their record.
I was sorta' proud when Baylor U. stepped up to the big twelve. We get murderized, but our kids are watched by the same pro-scouts as Texas U. and the rest.
Heh, Baylor doesn't even have a basket weaving major for athletes.
Read "Meat On The Hoof" for an inside glimpse at college football.

JP| 12.14.09 @ 9:12AM

Ken,
Chicago Bear fans will be forever greatful. Baylor gave Chicago Mike Singletary. Other notable Texas connections are Mike Ditka (The Dallas Cowboys), Steve McMichael (U of Texas), Dennis Gentry (Baylor), and Reggie Phillips (SMU).

Personally, I could care less about college fooball or pro football anymore. However, I think Congress should stay out of it. Our lawmakers will foul things up even worse than what they are now. We have more important problems to solve.

Bo Darville| 12.14.09 @ 10:17AM

Maybe Congress should just vote for who the National Champion should be?

Stephen Zierak| 12.14.09 @ 10:21AM

Any Republican who proposes or supports Congressional meddling in the BCS or college sports in general obviously doesn't understand the meaning of "limited" in limited government, and should be retired by his or her constituents at the earliest possible moment. Do these people understand the trouble our nation faces, and the socialist remedies that are being foisted on us? Get real!

Publius| 12.14.09 @ 10:45AM

Bo, why Congress? This is a job custom made for the annointed one.

Al Adab| 12.14.09 @ 10:51AM

But if Congress is kept busy with issues of this importance, they would keep their hands off the economy and health care; cap and trade and whatever else they intend to muck up. Better for us all. Let's demand action on the BCS.

Derek Leaberry| 12.14.09 @ 11:41AM

That Congress is meddling in college football when it is running a government with $ 1.5 trillion deficits is absurd and a sad commentary of America 2009.

Dean| 12.14.09 @ 12:30PM

I am no fan of the BCS arrangement. There should be a playoff system such as in Division II football. The championship game could be played in various locations on a rotating basis, such as the Rose Bowl or Orange Bowl. But for God's sake, keep Congress out of the matter; whatever they touch they ruin completely.

Scott A Joseph, MD| 12.14.09 @ 2:21PM

Wah, Wah, Zoo, Zoo...Give 'em Hell, TCU!

Al Adab| 12.14.09 @ 2:44PM

TCU should play Texas for the championship.
Boise could play 'Bama

JohnD| 12.14.09 @ 2:44PM

There needs to be a college playoff. Declaring a "Champion" when several conferences are excluded (TCU, Cincy, Utah last year) IS a decepetive practice.

There are 11 Div I conferences: Take the 11 champs of each conference and have a playoff, like so:

(1) Play-in Round (December):
Big East vs. Conf. USA
MAC vs. Sun Belt
WAC vs. Mountain West

(2) Round of Eight (New Years day Bowls):
Orange Bowl: ACC vs. Big East/Conf USA winner
Sugar Bowl: SEC vs. MAC/Sun Belt winner
Cotton/Fiesta: Big 12 vs. Mt West/WAC winner
Rose Bowl: Pac 10 vs. Big 10 (Tradition)

(3) Semifinals: With these New Years bowls decided you are down to 4 teams, two games, played on weeknights in prime time during NFL playoffs; Bowl sites can bid on the games.

(4) National Title game on Saturday of Super Bowl off-week.

There! Everyone has a shot, everyone is in the mix, a real Champion, the Bowl system is preserved (non-BCS bowls can pick through the also-rans, like they do now), new revenue stream for NCAA - everyone should be happy! Problem solved.

GW| 12.14.09 @ 10:34PM

So florida, who lost in the sec title game doesn't get in the playoffs yet the Sun Belt winner does?

Fail....

JohnD| 12.15.09 @ 9:04AM

You have to win your conference before playing for the championship. How can Florida be the second best team in the SEC but the best in the USA? That logic fails.

Florida was annointed a great team by the pundits; they lost on the field. . .

JP| 12.14.09 @ 3:13PM

The following can be expected from Congress if they craft a BCS Law:

1)Look for Universities in the states of New York, California, Vermont, Mass, and Illinois to get automatic births every year. Conversely, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma will have to fight for one available birth. You don't expect Barney Frank, Diana Feinstein, and Chucky Schummer are going to let a crisis go to waste?

2)The LGBT Alliance will force the NCAA to university cheerleaders with transvestites.

3)Congress will force the NCAA to allow Imans to give an Islamic prayer before every game.

4)Congress will force the NCAA to allow Burka clad Islamic women to march during halftime.

5)Chicago's Cook County Democratic Party will provide the refs for the play-offs.

6)Statisticians from CRU will provide the game's statisticians.

7)All revenues generated from the play-off system will be taxed at 100%, with all of the proceeds going to President Obama's future defense fund.

8)Rahm Emmanual will be appointed lifetime CEO and director of the instant replay and rules committee.

9)Using the Interstate Commerce Clause, Congress reserves the right to regulate all college recruiting.

10)If the College play-offs do not generate at least $10 billion in revenue, Congress reserves the right to levy a 25 cent tax on all soda pop and use it to fund item 7.

Let the games begin! Go University of Vermont! (BTW, if Vermont doesn't have a football team, the University of Texas's football team must moved to Vermont at its own expense, or face a $250,000 fine for every player. If it fails to bring home the trophy, all players will be shipped to Kabul to do community outreach work for a period determined by Rahm Emmanual and Senator Leahy).

Al Adab| 12.14.09 @ 3:27PM

They may be a first amendment problem here as Football is the state religion of Texas.

We will have to consult with Old Texican to see if there is some way around that.

C.K. Amos| 12.14.09 @ 7:33PM

For this absurdity, Congress should be tarred, feathered and run out of D.C.

Good Lord, the country's going to hell in a handbasket and they stick their fingers into collegiate football?

Throw'em all out, next election.

What's next? Bread and circuses? Oh, wait, Emporer Barackus Husseinus Obamus the Magnificent's probably already plannning for that.

Bums, all.

Buckeye fan from way back| 12.16.09 @ 9:52PM

I am so torn, I HATE the BCS. It is nothing but a bunch of good ole boys who do nothing but argue over who is first. There choice often has nothing to do with the reality of college football but more of a current favorite.

HOWEVER......

Whatever congress does always ends up much worse. Congress's meddling would completely ruin college football. I can see the NEW and MANY federal regulations and czar(s).

I despise the BCS but hate what congress would do to the game I love. The BCS is something I can tolerate but congress ruining college football is totally unacceptable.

Bell| 12.25.09 @ 9:11AM

What does Congress have to do with sports? You obviously didn't SEE the hearing, because if did you would of heard Rep. Barton said that these schools receive a lot money from Federal and State Government. The BCS system isn't fair half of the teams no matter the talent are eliminated from a National Championship before the season even begins. The votes for who plays in these bowl games are wrong as well. Each major conference has a vote, then there's just 1 vote for everyone else, and then Norte Dame gets their own vote??? It makes absolutely no sense. Someone needs to fix it and I wish Congress didn't have to jump in but the BCS committee continues to ignore these obvious problems without any correction.

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Waco Cars| 9.9.10 @ 5:53PM

I agree with Dean. Not a huge fan of the BCS whatsoever. A playoff system in place would be a lot more exciting in the end and give every team their chance. It would be a terrible thing for Congress to get involved.