Congress holding hearings on a Division I-A playoff.

[patdog]

Link

I've never been in favor of a playoff (I have been in favor of a plus-one though), but here's a compromise I could accept. 8 team playoff with 6 spots going to the 6 BCS league champions, 1 spot going to the highest ranked non-BCS conference champion or independent, and 1 at-large spot. 1st round is 2 weeks after the league championship games at the homes of the top 4 seeds. 2nd round is 2 weeks later (around New Year's Day) and at 2 of the 4 major bowls on a rotating basis. Title game is 2 weeks later at 1 of the major bowls on a rotating basis. In a 4-year period, each of the 4 major bowls would have 1 title game, 2 semi-final games, and 1 just regular old bowl game.

 

[BriantheDawg]

I am dumbfounded that Congress is spending time on a matter such as this right now. There are much more pressing needs that our Country needs addressed that doesn't involve sports. First, the Barry Bonds witchhunt and now this. Just blows my mind we have elected officials spending tax dollars on **** like this. Unbelievable.

 

[Ivehadbetter]

and I don't care if there is nothing going on in the world and our country is in perfect condition, I still don't want the Gov't getting their hands in college football. Period.

 

[Stansfield]

How many billions of dollars does sports generate for the US? Sports in general are a very integral part of our economy and American way of life.

 

[BriantheDawg]

not the U.S. Government. That's why. And what makes you think the U.S. Government will get it right anyways? The Federal Government is already getting too big and has it's hands in too many cookie jars already. College sports does NOT need the Federal Government telling it what to do/how to operate. Period.</p>

 

[XUglow]

To me, this is like the early days of the NCAA basketball tournament when the NIT was the top dog. Basketball had the NIT. Football has the BCS.

The NCAA already has a playoff in Division 1. They dropped the 1-AA tag a while back. It seems to me like the solution would be to let anyone that qualifies that wants to go to the 16-team playoff go. If you want to opt out of the playoffs by going to a regular or BCS bowl, then that is OK as well. When Alabama, USC, Florida, Ohio State, etc. get tired of Utah or TCU or or MSU or whomever winning and claiming the national crown, they will come play as well.

Put both out there and let the best system win.

 

[crackerjack.sixpack]

1) The BCS involves interstate commerce, which is regulated by Congress.
2) The BCS arguably violates the federal antitrust laws, which prohibit combinations and conspiracies to put restrictions on the free market (here the NCAA has restrained the market from being able to have a playoff system).

Now whether politicians are as inept as the NCAA at determining a true national champion is up for argument, but Congress' ability to interfere with how the BCS is run is not.

 

[Jackdragbean]

Why in the hell are they involved at all? Hey ********! Fix the economy! My 401k has taken a beating as of late! The college championship should be the last thing to fix on your list. I like sports just as much as the next guy, but holy hell! I'm sick of this "Let's do what's trendy" attitude out of the government.

Rant over.

 

[lawdawg02]

they shouldn't tell a multistate business how to run its business (as far as creating its product and how to present it to the public), and they shouldn't tell an organization how to crown its champion.

the antitrust law application is not that the NCAA "restrain the market from being able to have a playoff system", but that certain NCAA members are practically shut out of contention for title consideration as the system is currently set up. i don't buy that argument either, because of the system's reliance on computer rankings and polls to choose who plays in the title game.

in any event, i don't think congress should be involved at all. there are other things they should be worrying about. let the NCAA and its constituents figure out how to best run their sports.

 

[crackerjack.sixpack]

I'm not arguing the policy behind the law, but it is what it is. People are wondering why Congress is interfering here, and it's because their constituents want them to and because legally they can. If they couldn't tell multistate businesses how to run their operations then how did the federal government essentially tell GM to fire its CEO? How do we have any labor law? How do we have any trade laws?

Just to quibble, the fact that the NCAA restrains the market from having a playoff system is the reason teams are shut out from contention for national title consideration. And the computer rankings and polls are designed to prevent most teams from having a shot at the national title b/c of strength of schedule.

 

[Ivehadbetter]

People are wondering why Congress is interfering here, and it's because their constituents want them to

I doubt this very seriously.

 

[lawdawg02]

If they couldn't tell multistate businesses how to run their operations then how did the federal government essentially tell GM to fire its CEO? How do we have any labor law? How do we have any trade laws?

that's why i limited my comment to "they shouldn't tell a multistate business how to run its business (as far as creating its product and how to present it to the public)". sure, they can regulate how businesses operate. but they shouldn't be able to tell sham-wow that they have to sell a certain color sham-wow. or tell the NFL that it should have 16 team playoffs instead of 12. also, the GM deal had a lot to do with the bailout, which is a wholly separate topic.

i just didn't understand the way you worded the second part. we're saying the same thing, but i just don't agree with that argument. there is nothing preventing teams from dropping out of their crappy conferences and getting a good enough schedule to garner title consideration if they play well enough. take notre dame, for example. sure, they have the auto-BCS berth. even if they didn't, if they won all their games, their strength of schedule would probably be high enough to be seriously considered by the computers, because they play usc, mich, mich st, etc. if tulane wants to be considered, then don't go 12-0 against east carolina and la tech - drop out and play some real teams. nothing's stopping you.

 

[JimHalpert.nafoom]

could create anything other than complete failure?

 

[coach66]

we are here to help", ranks second only to "We are here from headquarters and we are here to help"!

 

[Stansfield]

..

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...why should government try to solve this problem?

I read the article and, predictably, these congressmen don't know what the hell they are talking about.

The only way the NCAA will go to a legit play-off format? When there becomes enough of a public outcry for it.

Lastly, who is the poster here with the comic that makes fun of Obama for filling out a NCAA bracket?

Well, it's twice as bad when a bunch of ignorant congressmen start "debating" a college football play-off.

If anybody comes across that comic, e-mail it to me.

 

[hatfieldms]

It isnt like we are in a recession, or there is a war going on or anything

 

[The Big Slick]

GM took a bailout from the Federal government. The terms of the bailout were that the Feds gets GM by the balls. With the exception of a few highly regulated industries (utilities, transportation) and now industries that take money from the government (banks and autos), the Fed cannot use the interstate commerce clause (and should not be able to) to simply tell a multistate industry how to operate.

 

[Stansfield]

I still can't believe that woman is actually an elected official, well actually I can. damn. The founding fathers must be spinning like tops lately.

 

[DirtyLopez]

or guns and grenades. It is time to hit the reset button and flush all these dumbasses down the toilet.