Tuesday, December 7, 2010

BCS stands for Bowl Cartel System


Okay, now that Oregon is in the "National Championship" game, it's time to trash the system that gave us this so-called "championship."

The Bowl Championship Series began in 1998 and it is cartel of five bowls -- Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange and National Championship -- that annually hordes tens of millions of dollars that rightfully belong to colleges all over America.

In the process, it denies deserving teams a chance to compete for the mythical national championship.

In all other sports in all divisions in the NCAA, a true national champion is determined on the field, court or track or in the pool.

All except the biggest money-maker of them all: Division 1 football, now known as FBS or Football Bowl Subdivision.

That is why there has never been a true national champion in D-1/FBS football.

When a national championship pairing is determined by a matrix of polls and computers, you know how bogus it is. Why even play the game if polls and computers are so accurate?

Teams that get screwed over in this cartel are in the less-populated western part of the country in general and in the Pac-10 in particular. Oregon, USC and Cal have all been passed over for less deserving teams in the South and Midwest.

Boise State, Utah and TCU have all been denied a chance at the pinnacle.

Why has there never been a playoff?

Well, there are a few ridiculous reasons trotted out by the cartel. They include:

1) It would hurt the present bowl system. Please. The cartel makes all but one game completely meaningless and not worth watching.

2) It would diminish the regular season. Of course, they give no data to back up this assertion, because there is no data since there has never been a playoff. For all we now know, the opposite is likely true: A playoff enhances the regular season.

3) It would negatively affect the education of the student-athletes by keeping them away from the classroom in December. Really? Are they serious? What education are they talking about?

The big schools, from Ohio State to Texas, prefer the status quo because they get the most money from this arrangement. Although, as the writers of "Death to the BCS" point out, all colleges are leaving millions on the table under the cartel.

Money is one of the main reasons why we don't have a true champion determined on the gridiron.

The other main reason is the elephant in the room: the NFL.

The NFL doesn't want a college playoff because it would coincide with the end of their season and beginning of their playoffs.

Imagine if the NCAA basketball tournament took place during the NBA playoffs. No one would watch the NBA games.

Likewise with the NFL and NCAA football. A college playoff system would crush the NFL in the TV ratings. The college game is just more entertaining. In fact, the NFL is predictable and boring.

The NFL certainly does not want a college football playoff and that is why we're stuck with the Bowl Cartel System.


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