US DOJ asks the NCAA a question

[knapplc]

And so it begins. Those of you who love bowl games - and who couldn't love the rich pageantry and tradition of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl and the Meineke Car Care Bowl - may be seeing the end of an era soon.

Feds to NCAA: Why no playoffs?
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department wants to know why the NCAA doesn't have a college football playoff system and says there are "serious questions" about whether the current format to determine a national champion complies with antitrust laws.

Critics who have urged the department to investigate the Bowl Championship Series contend it unfairly gives some schools preferential access to the title championship game and top-tier end-of-season bowls.

In a letter this week, the department's antitrust chief, Christine Varney, asked NCAA president Mark Emmert why a playoff system isn't used in football, unlike in other sports; what steps the NCAA has taken to create one; and whether Emmert thinks there are aspects of the BCS system that don't serve the interest of fans, schools and players.

"Your views would be relevant in helping us to determine the best course of action with regard to the BCS," she wrote.

"Serious questions continue to arise suggesting the current Bowl Championship Series system may not be conducted consistent with the competition principles expressed in the federal antitrust laws," Varney said.

Funny pull quote from the article:

"Goodness gracious, with all that's going on in the world right now and with national and state budgets being what they are, it seems like a waste of taxpayers' money to have the government looking into how college football games are played," said Bill Hancock, the BCS executive director.
Goodness gracious, Bill! Do you really want a government of hundreds of lawmakers that can only focus on one thing at a time? Personally, I'd like a government that's capable of walking and chewing gum simultaneously. Guess you and me don't see it the same, Bill.

Or is it a matter of you not wanting the Feds looking into your little pot containing hundreds of millions of dollars - and billions of dollars in TV contracts, host city revenues and the like? Me, I'm guessing the latter.

 

[strigori]

I don't want government anywhere near my football. Too many 'interests' pop up when it comes time to do things. Odds are if those morons get involved we end up in a situation where the MAC champion has some sort of 'right' to have a chance for a national title, which is ridiculous.

 

[huskerscott]

Average American to US Department of Justice--- "Dont you have better things to worry about."

 

[knapplc]

Average American to US Department of Justice--- "Dont you have better things to worry about."

I think you misunderstand some things. First, the average American wants a playoff. Second, the government can do more than one thing at a time. Third, this is a multi-billion dollar a year industry that skates off tax-free. That is precisely the kind of thing I pay my taxes to have looked after.

 

[knapplc]

I don't want government anywhere near my football. Too many 'interests' pop up when it comes time to do things. Odds are if those morons get involved we end up in a situation where the MAC champion has some sort of 'right' to have a chance for a national title, which is ridiculous.

Yeah, because the BCS is doing just fine on their own.



LINK

 

[huskerscott]

Average American to US Department of Justice--- "Dont you have better things to worry about."

I think you misunderstand some things. First, the average American wants a playoff. Second, the government can do more than one thing at a time. Third, this is a multi-billion dollar a year industry that skates off tax-free. That is precisely the kind of thing I pay my taxes to have looked after.

My point was with all the other stuff going on in the country...... a college football playoff is the last thing the government needs to worry about. Im sure their other things to put on their plate of issues other than talking BCS.

Yes most americans want a playoff, do most americans want the government to get involved knowing the other issues this country faces, definitely no.

 

[strigori]

Average American to US Department of Justice--- "Dont you have better things to worry about."

I think you misunderstand some things. First, the average American wants a playoff. Second, the government can do more than one thing at a time. Third, this is a multi-billion dollar a year industry that skates off tax-free. That is precisely the kind of thing I pay my taxes to have looked after.

What the average person wants is not necessarily what we need. I'm fairly content with what we have, the regular season is so much better than anything else the NCAA oversees. We don't want it to turn into the basketball regular season.

The Gov has about 6 billion things to do right now. And I have real doubts about how many things the fools in Washington can handle at one time. If you gave them all gum and told them to walk down the stairs we would need to elect 2/3 of the seats again.

 

[knapplc]

You guys act like the government can only do one thing at a time. To hear you talk you'd think the government could never get around to looking into Enron when 9/11 had just happened. Thankfully, the government is a large and multi-pronged instrument capable of doing many things at once.

This is a large, complicated country. The government has to be flexible enough to cover all ends, and a multi-billion dollar industry running amok is certainly one of the things our government should be keeping an eye on. It's silly to think "there are better things to look into."

 

[huskerscott]

You guys act like the government can only do one thing at a time. To hear you talk you'd think the government could never get around to looking into Enron when 9/11 had just happened. Thankfully, the government is a large and multi-pronged instrument capable of doing many things at once.

This is a large, complicated country. The government has to be flexible enough to cover all ends, and a multi-billion dollar industry running amok is certainly one of the things our government should be keeping an eye on. It's silly to think "there are better things to look into."

Its not silly to think that. Yes the government is big and complex system, but my feelings are they poke there business into minor things rather poke into the bigger problems.... unemployment, gas prices etc.,etc,.

Which would you rather have the government look into the BCS or gas prices/unemployment/budget deficit/war on terror. You cant choose both.

 

[knapplc]

Which would you rather have the government look into the BCS or gas prices/unemployment/budget deficit/war on terror. You cant choose both.

:dunno

Of course you can. It's absurd to think the government can't tackle all of these things at once. Do you honestly think the United States government can only accomplish one task at a time? Or a dozen? Or a hundred? It's designed to accomplish thousands and thousands of tasks at a time. Each department can accomplish hundreds, if not thousands, of tasks at a time.

You do realize "the government" is not one department, one edifice, right?

 

[krill]

I don't want government anywhere near my football. Too many 'interests' pop up when it comes time to do things. Odds are if those morons get involved we end up in a situation where the MAC champion has some sort of 'right' to have a chance for a national title, which is ridiculous.

I thought the same thing about congressional investigations into performance enhancing drugs in the MLB. Seemed like a wasteful use of time and tax dollars to grandstand, but at least it achieved the desired result of forcing baseball to deal with the issue and out the dirty players.

If it takes the DOJ thumbing the unfairness and corruption of the BCS then so be it. It is a legal matter if antitrust laws are being broken; last I checked it was the government's prerogative to enforce laws.

 

[huskerscott]

Which would you rather have the government look into the BCS or gas prices/unemployment/budget deficit/war on terror. You cant choose both.

:dunno

Of course you can. It's absurd to think the government can't tackle all of these things at once. Do you honestly think the United States government can only accomplish one task at a time? Or a dozen? Or a hundred? It's designed to accomplish thousands and thousands of tasks at a time. Each department can accomplish hundreds, if not thousands, of tasks at a time.

You do realize "the government" is not one department, one edifice, right?

Majority of the public doesnt give two craps about the BCS/college football playoff compared to the other issues.

Im sure they can accomplish alot at one time, but with EVERYTHING else that is going on..... BCS/college football should be put on the back burner, that is my point.

The got involved with baseball steriod thing, Sammy Sosa and his juice crew made them look absolutely clueless. Baseball eventually fixed the problem but look at all the money/time that was wasted in the process.

 

[strigori]

I don't want government anywhere near my football. Too many 'interests' pop up when it comes time to do things. Odds are if those morons get involved we end up in a situation where the MAC champion has some sort of 'right' to have a chance for a national title, which is ridiculous.

I thought the same thing about congressional investigations into performance enhancing drugs in the MLB. Seemed like a wasteful use of time and tax dollars to grandstand, but at least it achieved the desired result of forcing baseball to deal with the issue and out the dirty players.

If it takes the DOJ thumbing the unfairness and corruption of the BCS then so be it. It is a legal matter if antitrust laws are being broken; last I checked it was the government's prerogative to enforce laws.

The phrase 'anti-trust' only shows up when it meats a specific congressman's agenda. Otherwise it gets brushed over with something along the lines of 'its good for business.' The 'anti-trust' argument is that the little schools like say Buffalo, do not have the same access to the big money bowl games. So? Reps from Utah brought this forward, over Utah not getting a chance to play for the national championship when they went undefeated. Or when Hawaii did the same. Again, so? There are some things that are not 'equal' and never will be. If the aforementioned Tulsa were to skip the big boys they lose to regularly, and slot in a bunch of awful teams, run the table of Conference USA and be 13-0 that makes them the same as a Big 10 or SEC school that had to go through their tough conference slates?

 

[knapplc]

The phrase 'anti-trust' only shows up when it meats a specific congressman's agenda. Otherwise it gets brushed over with something along the lines of 'its good for business.' The 'anti-trust' argument is that the little schools like say Buffalo, do not have the same access to the big money bowl games. So? Reps from Utah brought this forward, over Utah not getting a chance to play for the national championship when they went undefeated. Or when Hawaii did the same. Again, so? There are some things that are not 'equal' and never will be. If the aforementioned Tulsa were to skip the big boys they lose to regularly, and slot in a bunch of awful teams, run the table of Conference USA and be 13-0 that makes them the same as a Big 10 or SEC school that had to go through their tough conference slates?

That is a very myopic account of the kinds of corruption that's going on in the bowl system. But even if it was "just" those things, those are hardly "so?" issues.

I pay taxes so my government puts a halt to corruption. They can damned well do their jobs and get after it, whether it's in college football or wherever.

EDIT - This also shouldn't shock you. This is how congress has functioned for centuries. Because this is the way congress does business doesn't mean the bowl system can't be corrupt, or in violation of anti-trust laws.

 

[huskerscott]

The phrase 'anti-trust' only shows up when it meats a specific congressman's agenda. Otherwise it gets brushed over with something along the lines of 'its good for business.' The 'anti-trust' argument is that the little schools like say Buffalo, do not have the same access to the big money bowl games. So? Reps from Utah brought this forward, over Utah not getting a chance to play for the national championship when they went undefeated. Or when Hawaii did the same. Again, so? There are some things that are not 'equal' and never will be. If the aforementioned Tulsa were to skip the big boys they lose to regularly, and slot in a bunch of awful teams, run the table of Conference USA and be 13-0 that makes them the same as a Big 10 or SEC school that had to go through their tough conference slates?

That is a very myopic account of the kinds of corruption that's going on in the bowl system. But even if it was "just" those things, those are hardly "so?" issues.

I pay taxes so my government puts a halt to corruption. They can damned well do their jobs and get after it, whether it's in college football or wherever.

Good for you knapplc. Im more worried about paying $4.00 a gallon gas. My job being cut to 4 days because the price of diesel is even higher, plus nobody is buying the goods I deliver, because gas is so much and people are out of jobs. People are scraping enough to go to the grocery store and some are more concerned with BCS. ISNT AMERICA GREAT!!!!!!!!