Would Congress Please Stay Out of Sports?

[WVRed]

I wish this were from the Onion, I really do.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2245440

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," Weiberg said.


"The current structure is designed to match the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams, identified through a ranking system, in a bowl game. It is an extension of the bowl system and a method to determine a national champion through the bowls," Weiberg said. "It has paired teams in bowl games that would not have been possible under the bowl arrangements existing before its creation."


Along with the acclaim of a national champion, the BCS also created a financial windfall with tens of millions of dollars at stake for teams and conferences who participate.


But it has seldom been without controversy.


For example, Southeastern Conference champion Auburn was undefeated in 2004 but was shut out of the BCS title game, which matched USC against Oklahoma. Utah also finished the season undefeated but could not play for the title.


The Jan. 4 Rose Bowl is the site of this year's BCS championship game. Other games with BCS ties are the Orange, Sugar and Fiesta bowls, with a rotating schedule for hosting the championship matchup.

[princeton]

yep, don't you just wish that JMcCain had kept his trap shut so's we could have more Mr. Universes and brain tumors in baseball?

[WVRed]

yep, don't you just wish that JMcCain had kept his trap shut so's we could have more Mr. Universes and brain tumors in baseball?

It should be MLBs responsibility, not Congresses, to enact a steroid policy. And this takes it to a whole new low.

In a way, I can understand steroids, but the BCS? That is just reaching it.

[Unassisted]

The BCS is a broken system, but the NCAA doesn't want to wave goodbye to all of those bowl game bucks.

Maybe these members of Congress were feeling giddy after fixing baseball's steroids issue and decided to "help" another sport solve its biggest problem? After this will come legislation to force Americans to watch soccer.

[KronoRed]

After this will come legislation to force Americans to watch soccer.

Canada here I come

[Yachtzee]

It should be MLBs responsibility, not Congresses, to enact a steroid policy. And this takes it to a whole new low.

In a way, I can understand steroids, but the BCS? That is just reaching it.

If Congress hadn't gotten involved, I doubt MLB would have a steroid policy. Of course Congress may justifiably look into the issue of steroid use in professional sports. The use of steroids without a prescription is illegal, and has been since well before the steroid problem in baseball came to everyone's attention. Congress has the power to conduct hearings to determine whether further legislation is necessary to prevent illegal use of steroids.

Getting involved in the BCS issue, on the other hand, is ridiculous. Absent evidence of an attempt by the BCS committee to defraud the public, there should be no reason for Congress to raise the issue.

[Caveat Emperor]

Getting involved in the BCS issue, on the other hand, is ridiculous. Absent evidence of an attempt by the BCS committee to defraud the public, there should be no reason for Congress to raise the issue.

As idiotic an issue as this is for Congress to raise, they're on firmer ground Constitutionally then they are with a lot of things.

This is clearly an interstate commerce issue, even an issue of commerce directly between the states consideirng how many state-funded institutions compete in the BCS games. With the possible exception of Notre Dame, every competing school in the BCS is going to be a publicly-funded organization from differing states.

There's a lot of money in college sports and a hell of an unfair competitive balance, especially in D-1, in how that money is doled out. I'm surprised that it's taken Congress this long for someone to make it a 'pet issue.'

It's a terrible idea, to be certain, but so is most of the drivel that comes out of Congress. They're exceptionally good at fighting and saber-rattling against issues that in no way impact the day-to-day lives of Americans.

[paintmered]

With the possible exception of Notre Dame, every competing school in the BCS is going to be a publicly-funded organization from differing states.

FWIW, Miami (FL) is also a private school.

[GAC]

Excelent points. And the only reason/justification for the government to get involved....

If Congress hadn't gotten involved, I doubt MLB would have a steroid policy.

When they refused to "police" themselves when it comes to an issue of health and safety.

Absent evidence of an attempt by the BCS committee to defraud the public, there should be no reason for Congress to raise the issue.

[Redsfaithful]

yep, don't you just wish that JMcCain had kept his trap shut so's we could have more Mr. Universes and brain tumors in baseball?

Thank God Congress solved all the other problems in America so that they could move on to fixing our sports.

I hate the BCS, but I hate political grandstanding even more.

[RFS62]

I wonder if they can do anything about Milton.

[GAC]

I wonder if they can do anything about Milton.

They condone pork-barrel spending.