SoonerKnight
6/28/2009, 01:45 AM
Here's an article on this. Sorry if already posted..............
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/ncfnation/0-9-135/Is-the-BCS-un-American-.html
Is the BCS un-American?
June 26, 2009 1:21 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
One of the more interesting (and highly entertaining) stories of the last couple of days has been Air Force coach Troy Calhoun calling the BCS un-American.
I bet you thought I was going to say Michael Jackson. And while one of my fondest memories is pulling out my cardboard and break dancing to "Beat It" as a 5-year-old (yeah, had the spin into a sideways laying position down pat), he has nothing to do with football and therefore is not the subject of this post.
During a football kickoff luncheon in Colorado Springs on Thursday, Calhoun blasted the BCS a day after it turned down the Mountain West Conference's proposal to grant fairer access to the BCS championship.
"We basically have a system for college football that too closely resembles the old Soviet Presidium," Calhoun said, referring to the policymaking and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. "You have a seven-member politburo that's decided if you aren't one of those party members, then you're unable to participate.
"... Unfortunately, what's involved here, are some similarities that's not the United States of America. We have something here that's not congruent with the foundation and the principles of our country."
First, and I think I speak for most people reading this blog, I appreciate the link between the BCS and Communism. I found that humorous. While calling the BCS powers-that-be Communists might be a bit heavy, it's essentially the same principles that some people fit and others don't. I guess Calhoun could have called it anything where one group is outcast from others, but the Communist link was pretty good.
The one qualm I have with this is that (and I keep coming back to this) the BCS is voluntary. All of its members sign an agreement to be a part of it. And while I'm sure there are a ton of people saying that voluntary is a loose term when it comes to the BCS, it doesn't make it any less true.
With that said, I don't think the Mountain West's proposal got a fair shake. If everyone agrees to be a member in a group, then everyone should get an equal say. While the Mountain West did get its day in court, so to speak, I think the member conferences had already made up their minds about the proposal and never gave it a real chance.
I'll be the first to say that I saw flaws with the proposal, especially the 40 percent of nonconference games against BCS opponent rule. But that doesn't mean that there weren't parts that were good. And that doesn't mean that there shouldn't have been discussion about ways to make it a workable system before it was flat-out shot down.
I can understand Calhoun's frustration, but after the hoopla that this season has caused, I have to believe that change is eventually on the horizon. Unfortunately, it might have to take a team such as USC, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida being left out of the championship despite an undefeated or one-loss season to make it happen
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/ncfnation/0-9-135/Is-the-BCS-un-American-.html
Is the BCS un-American?
June 26, 2009 1:21 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
One of the more interesting (and highly entertaining) stories of the last couple of days has been Air Force coach Troy Calhoun calling the BCS un-American.
I bet you thought I was going to say Michael Jackson. And while one of my fondest memories is pulling out my cardboard and break dancing to "Beat It" as a 5-year-old (yeah, had the spin into a sideways laying position down pat), he has nothing to do with football and therefore is not the subject of this post.
During a football kickoff luncheon in Colorado Springs on Thursday, Calhoun blasted the BCS a day after it turned down the Mountain West Conference's proposal to grant fairer access to the BCS championship.
"We basically have a system for college football that too closely resembles the old Soviet Presidium," Calhoun said, referring to the policymaking and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. "You have a seven-member politburo that's decided if you aren't one of those party members, then you're unable to participate.
"... Unfortunately, what's involved here, are some similarities that's not the United States of America. We have something here that's not congruent with the foundation and the principles of our country."
First, and I think I speak for most people reading this blog, I appreciate the link between the BCS and Communism. I found that humorous. While calling the BCS powers-that-be Communists might be a bit heavy, it's essentially the same principles that some people fit and others don't. I guess Calhoun could have called it anything where one group is outcast from others, but the Communist link was pretty good.
The one qualm I have with this is that (and I keep coming back to this) the BCS is voluntary. All of its members sign an agreement to be a part of it. And while I'm sure there are a ton of people saying that voluntary is a loose term when it comes to the BCS, it doesn't make it any less true.
With that said, I don't think the Mountain West's proposal got a fair shake. If everyone agrees to be a member in a group, then everyone should get an equal say. While the Mountain West did get its day in court, so to speak, I think the member conferences had already made up their minds about the proposal and never gave it a real chance.
I'll be the first to say that I saw flaws with the proposal, especially the 40 percent of nonconference games against BCS opponent rule. But that doesn't mean that there weren't parts that were good. And that doesn't mean that there shouldn't have been discussion about ways to make it a workable system before it was flat-out shot down.
I can understand Calhoun's frustration, but after the hoopla that this season has caused, I have to believe that change is eventually on the horizon. Unfortunately, it might have to take a team such as USC, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida being left out of the championship despite an undefeated or one-loss season to make it happen