Posted on 12/02/2005 5:44:10 PM PST by scott says
HOUSTON -- Calling the Bowl Championship Series "deeply flawed," the chairman of a congressional committee has called a hearing on the controversial system used to determine college football's national champion.
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, charged with regulating America's sports industry, announced Friday it will conduct a hearing on the BCS next week, after this season's bowl matchups are determined.
"College football is not just an exhilarating sport, but a billion-dollar business that Congress cannot ignore," said committee Chairman Joe Barton, a Texas Republican. Barton's panel is separate from the House Government Reform panel that tackled steroids in baseball.
The committee announcement called the hearing, scheduled for next Wednesday, a "comprehensive review" of the BCS and postseason college football.
"Too often college football ends in sniping and controversy, rather than winners and losers," Barton said. "The current system of determining who's No. 1 appears deeply flawed."
Barton said he does not have legislation in mind to force a change, but said he hopes congressional hearings will spur discussion and improvements. It won't be the first time Congress has looked at the BCS. In 2003, the Senate probed whether the system was unfairly tilted against smaller schools.
NCAA Division I-A football does not have a playoff. The Bowl Championship Series was established in 1998 to determine a national champion using the traditional bowl system and a mix of computer and human polls to set up a championship game.
Because of the controversy surrounding the bowl selection process last season, The Associated Press told BCS officials to stop using its writers polls in its formula.
The committee invited testimony from Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg, the current chairman of the BCS.
"If members of the subcommittee have ideas on how the college football postseason can be improved, we welcome that input,"
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Why is OUR CONGRESS getting involved is regulating sports?
Screw them.
This is a joke, right?
... right?
I'm no big fan of the BCS, but Congress should butt out of this one. They stick their noses into way too many things as it is.
Hi HR,
How are you? Do you know who the Red Raiders will be playing in the Cotton Bowl? One of my students, who is on the team, told me that we might play either Alabama or Auburn. Do you know which team we are going to play?
indcons
"a billion-dollar business that Congress cannot ignore"
Translated from Congressese to standard English: Here's a pocket we haven't stuck our sticky little fingers into yet.
I'm not sure who we're playing. Bama scares me a little.
Same problem you have today. Team A beats team B but loses to team C. All three teams have the same record the end of the season. One team goes to the playoffs, two teams moan and groan about the unfairness of the system.
Congress gets involved and a marginal system gets even worse.
ps Glad to see you here.
It can't get any worse.
That depends on which Bama shows up to play.
Better pick up a hobby Joe. Our congress-critters are going to get some well-deserved time off in 06.
Retirement.
This is from 4 years ago, but still would be a near perfect solution that is fairly close to your suggestion, but less of a total change and thus more feasible:
One thing that is good about the current system, is that in essence, there is essentially a playoff game almost every week during the regular season. Texas-Ohio State was a playoff game, Notre Dame-USC was a playoff game. The winner stays alive, and the loser is pretty much out of the picture.
In college basketball, if #1 plays #2 during the regular season, who cares? It's not as if it matters, both teams will make the tournament anyway.
That having been said, I would prefer a playoff, but that would mean giving up some of the good things about college football along with it.
Play-offs. That is the only solution.
The BCS by passes teams like Oregon for Notre Dame only based on GREED.. I developed a Play-off system back in 2000 that I send you guys at ESPN ever year and USA and all the coaches.. It's simple and would work fine if greed does not creep in.. Ha Ha.. It uses all the current big bowls for the play-off rounds and ends like it should be on January 1st not January 2nd, 3rd or 4th.. Back in the day the big game was on New Years Day like it should be..
THE ROSE BOWL is RIGHT USC should play Texas they got that right, THE ORANGE BOWL should be Penn St. playing Ohio St. They got that WRONG.. The Fiesta Bowl should be Oregon playing Notre Dame and The SUGAR should be Georgia playing Auburn.. Oregon like in 2001 gets the shaft again and loses out.. In 2001 Oregon should of played Miami in the National Championship game but the BCS gave the nod to Nebraska..
Also the Championship game is a joke when you have an unranked Colorado going against #2 Texas.. Instead of wasting time on championship games just put in a Play-off system and do it right and start the Play-off on the 1st Saturday of December..
RBC Out !!
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria.
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