BOGUS COMPUTERIZED SHIT ENCOURAGES CHEATING....
Sword of Troy
By Gary Caruso
Capitol Comments
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Share this article Published: Friday, November 6, 2009
Updated: Sunday, November 8, 2009
Human nature dictates that the more select and coveted a prize, the
greater the impetus to control the process that awards a trophy. No
truer statement need be said but for the granddaddy of all the
punkishly rigid and controlling processes than that of the national
collegiate football championship. The so-called “Bowl Championship
Series” is a fiefdom presented with an earthshaking clarion call, but
in reality only focuses on one important bowl venue each season. It is
neither an actual series, nor an impartial championship journey.
Rather, the BCS is a manipulated, subjective process controlled by an
oligarchy of interests who assiduously limit the competition to a mere
two teams. As a result, the current BCS model is the quintessential
study that showcases a sure-fire way to encourage ongoing manipulation
and cheating by those who participate in as well as those who control
the process.
Not meaning to appear churlish, this columnist last January outlined a
more inclusive and fair process to determine the champion on the field
by placing the top-four ranked teams in a two-week, three-bowl
process.
My “Two, Three, Four Championship” process is sensible, reduces
cheating and manipulation, adds a new type of playoff excitement to
college football without upsetting conference play or team schedules,
and most importantly, allows the top-four ranked teams to settle the
championship on the field. Furthermore, it involves two more bowls
each year that will host the semifinal rounds. Each aspect of the
2-3-4 process is a yang balanced with a positive yin. This quick and
clean “playoff” would match the top four teams on New Year’s Day with
the surviving two teams playing a week to 10 days later for the
championship.
The beauty of the 2-3-4 comes on two fronts — more teams participate,
and fewer outside influences determine those teams. It is not out of
pique to note that thus far this season more than one Southeastern
Conference head football coach has publicly complained that SEC
officiating seems to favor the currently top-ranked University of
Florida Gators. While each opponent of the number-one and number-two
ranked teams dreams of an upset each week, several recalcitrant BSC
power centers clutch onto their restrictive self-serving oligarchy of
greed.
Sportswriters, conference officials (both administrative and those on
the field with zebra-striped shirts), bowl committees, university
administrators, athletic departments, booster clubs and corporate
sponsors each own a piece of that ultimate moment of giddy in January.
Reducing the influence of these special interests allows an undefeated
Boise State from past years or possibly an undefeated Iowa this season
to prove (or disprove) on the field the voting pollsters’ self-
proclaimed and usually regionally limited sage sports knowledge.
On the flip side, how disconcerting must it be for a team to lose one
game and be ranked number three in the nation at year’s end? No other
sport depends on “acknowledging” an undefeated team before it may
participate on one hand, or that “special” one-loss team on the other,
before crowning its champion as much as the BCS. Yet as it currently
stands, both the conscience and unconscious can act with bias to
promote a particular team or conference. Schedules are massaged to
include as many home games as possible against just the right
nonconference opponents to boost late-season BCS rankings.
Sportswriters and pollsters can boost a regional team while trashing a
truly national powerhouse in an effort to skew rankings. Referees can
brag that they work for the conference with the national champion and
that they have in fact “worked” that team’s games. Coaches attract
better recruits. University administrators and athletic departments
can stack their golden coin bowl payouts next to their trophies. But
ultimately, sanguine boosters with visions of future trophies dancing
in their heads can venerate their current teams and enjoy some
personal satisfaction while extrapolating future team glory.
No doubt, the Nay-Sayers will bludgeon a new concept and concoct more
doozy replies reminiscent of those who opposed my first 2-3-4
description last January — the most unique complaint lamented that
fans would incur financial hardships and uncertain travel reservations
to follow their teams to a second bowl appearance. That reasoning
ignores the successful following of rabid NFL fans during that playoff
system. Such personal chutzpah about attending two bowls makes as much
sense as saying Gator fans are currently limited to attend either the
SEC championship game or a bowl game.
The BCS stranglehold this season, like most others past, will ignore
at least one team that should have been given the chance to prove its
metal on the gridiron. How long the BCS oligarchy reigns is anyone’s
guess — at least until third and fourth-ranked teams unite for
change. We wait until then while the BCS pushes up its two favorite
teams and the rest of us are left to push up daisies.
Gary Caruso, Notre Dame ‘73, serves in the Department of Homeland
Security and was a legislative and public affairs director in
President Clinton’s administration. His column appears every other
Friday. He can be contacted at GaryJ...@alumni.nd.edu
Steve Cutchen
All unsubstantiated sensationalistic headline and not ONE SENTENCE (out
of WAY too fucking many sentences) to back it up.
The headline screams CHEATING!!!
The long and bombastic, self-promoting story says NOTHING to
substantiate ANY cheating.
<sigh>
Nothing to see here... move on. Just another waste of time.
<SIGH>