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The Spectacle Blog
Matthew Sanderson of Playoff PAC complains about George Will and yours truly dismissing his organization’s demand that Uncle Sam fix college football. You know, after balancing the budget, restarting the economy, reforming health care, eliminating Social Security’s deficit, turning public schools into genuine educational institutions, eliminating crime, and safeguarding America from terrorists, Congress should decide on the right championship system for college ball.
Sanderson contends that there’s nothing unconservative in turning Uncle Sam into the Sportsman-in-Chief:
In the end, this debate over college football reform offers no evidence of “government takeover” and casts no doubt on Congressman Barton’s adherence to conservative principles. Instead, it exposes the need for fewer knee-jerk reactions and more thoughtful analysis to prevent conservatism from becoming simply a “philosophy of no” in a time of truly heinous government intrusions.
So the answer so “truly heinous government intrusions” apparently is another heinous government intrusion. Makes sense in a Washington-sort-of-way.
The issue is not really what is “conservative.” After all, President George W. Bush claimed to be a conservative while busting the budget, expanding the welfare state, and centralizing power in Washington. Taking over college football would have been just a small extension of federal authority for his administration.
The essential question is: do we believe in limited government and individual rights? If we believe there are some things in life that are not matters of public policy, then sports should be one of them. And if we believe there are individual liberties protected from government interference, then organizing sports should be one. I don’t have the slightest idea whether the BCS makes sense. But I do know that “fixing” the BCS is not the federal government’s responsibility.
It is time for us to respond with a very loud and insistent “no” to new proposals for additional “heinous government intrusions,” no matter how well-intentioned they might seem to be.
View all comments (6) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Doug Bandow
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/08/what-happened-to-limited-gover
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Deborah D | 1.8.10 @ 8:06AM
Amen, Mr. Bandow. Let's just get the federal gov't involved in Little League and let it go from there!
Sheesh. What is wrong with people? Don't they know that a little gov't at first becomes a lot of gov't later? What the heck has gov't ever done right? Winning WWII. Building the Interstate system. Putting a man on the moon. Umm, Umm...anything since then?
Al Adab| 1.8.10 @ 11:28AM
But, Deborah:
How could limited government ever pay our bills, enforce afirmative action, redistribute wealth, solve the BCS "crisis", prevent global warming, bring peace to the world, yadda, yadda, yadda?
With tongue in check best wishes
Jim Hlavac | 1.8.10 @ 10:25AM
I've joked about it before on these pages -- though it might be just too serious -- but once the Congress starts to decide who is to play whom in one sport, it's a mere matter of time before the newly created Department of Sports takes over all sports at every level (Chris Dodd for Secretary of Sports, no doubt.) They will then work to change team colors, mascots, names and the rules themselves. It's a disaster waiting to happen -- and it will be billed as "fairness" and "stimulus" and "jobs." I can see now the female running backs on the New Orleans Levee Builders or something other than the "Saints" -- separation of church and state after all. Egads, what mind boggling mush.
And how stupid can any college sports person be to even consider such a request? Can't they figure it out themselves? And why should I care -- but now I'll have to wonder about my Senator Landrieu's position on the playoffs. Perhaps they are waiting next to hear from Congress what color underwear they should wear so they don't get caught in a TSA dragnet.
Ken (Old Texican)| 1.8.10 @ 11:47AM
Dear Mr. McCain ...and Doug
I sorta' like the bowl scheme pretty much as is.
I note that McCain is getting over his celebratory...celebration this morning. Uh...alka selzer helps, sir.
I was very proud of both teams. Both demonstrated a lot of class and good sportsmanship. I think Texas has a pretty good "quarterback of the future".
Whew...as a freshman I was thrown in to relieve an injured upper classman pitcher. I have the honor of losing that conference championship game. heh
pallet racking | 1.9.10 @ 10:30AM
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