Monday, January 12, 2009

Gig 'Em


Texas Rep. Joe Barton (WHOOP) -- a Texas A&M grad and Aggies fan -- agrees with Barack Obama about the need for a real college football championship game.

To that end, the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee is introducing legislation "To prohibit, as an unfair and deceptive act or practice, the promotion, marketing, and advertising of any post-season NCAA Division I football game as a national championship game unless such game is the culmination of a fair and equitable playoff system."

Still, it's hard to see how the thing gets enforced if its passed -- particularly since there would be nothing to stop the NCAA from billing it as the "BCS National Championship" as it currently does.

So do you think that the FEDERAL government needs to get involved in college football?
Do you think that the government could solve the "playoff" question that plagues D1 programs?
Do you think it's funny that an Aggie is proposing this since Aggies haven't had a viable team in over a decade?
BTHOBCS....whoop!

55 comments:

joshochoa54321 said...

i agree that ths BCS should have a playoff system over the computer cause either way, one game could decied the whole system, posivite of negative

g.i.joe nathan said...

Haha, the idea that the federal government is getting involved with college football is really comical. (Even though I do agree with the need for a different college football-national-championship system.)
There are waaaaaay to many other things for the government to worry about other than college football.
If Barack Obama solves all of the worlds problems (like I think he will) and realizes that he has some free time, it'd be great if he would fix the college football postseason mess. But until then, I think we can suffer through another BCS Natl. Championship game.

amandamills3 said...

I think the federal government has way more important things to concentrate on than college football. Are unhappy fans of football willing to forfeit improvements in other aspects of their lives to allow the government to concentrate on sports? To me that is a misallocation of time, money, and energy, which is ironic considering the guy on the Energy and Commerce committee is involved. Shouldn't this guy be solving energy and commerce problems? Maybe that is why we have found ourselves in such sticky situations lately...everyone is distracted by play-off games... Perhaps our government should be less ADD and then we wouldn't have to escape so often to the world of college sports in the first place.

Mr. P said...

Well...bowl games do bring in alot of $$$$ so maybe it does fall into "commerce"?
I just think it's a grand conspiracy for A&M to finally get a shot at a national title since they are soooo horrible now in football!

diamonddavis1 said...

Barack Obama has way too many responsibilities and things to worry about other than football. Don't get my wrong, I am a huge fan of the sport, but he does have a bundle of issues sitting on his shoulders that the world wants him to "change". Our economy is in a sinkhole, do we really want our "top guys" to be concentrating on something so meager as football?

Rachael Henderson said...

Really? If the Federal Government is even thinking about wasting time figuring out the corrupt game that is college football, they have way too much time on their hands! Even if they thought they had the time, why would they spend it on college football when they could put it to good use fixing something a tad more important? And yes I do find it very ironic that an aggie is proposing this when they can't play their way out of a paper bag!

brookemccallon3 said...

Not to be on the fence, but I can see either side of the argument. Obama said, "I think a football playoff system makes sense. I've spoken about this quite a bit, and I think if you look at knowledgeable sports fans, they agree with me. But, you know, I've got to pick and choose my battles." On the other hand Ray MeLick states,” I don't know about you, but somehow whether Florida or Utah or Texas or Southern Cal gets another trophy for its athletics department trophy case does not strike me as a cry for 'where is government when we need it most?'" Like I said either side can be argued, but you can't ignore that the five BCS bowls weren't given to the top ten teams. To say that government shouldn't be involved (wrong or right) it already is = Congress has given antitrust exemptions and tax breaks to many professional sports. Government obviously has more important things to be dealing with, but it is also apparent that our college football needs some help and organization. But then again, coaches of college football teams vote at the beginning of the year for the rules and regulations for the BCS, so they don't really have any room to complain.

Sarah Moore 2 said...

the federal government and football should they get involve. I don't think thats such a good idea and really do we need to spend the money in that direction mabey in a few years yes but solve our problem with recession 1st that can come after the bigger issues.

SavannahWood4 said...

The government is too busy now, especially with the hopeful reform of our bailout. Football is cool, but not worth sacrificing things that actually affect our lives, money, time, etc... Leave well enough alone for now and focus on the big things. Football will still be there afterward.

diamonddavis1 said...

Our new president has more important tasks at hand and at this point in time should not be worried about something as meager as college football. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan, but right now our economy is in a sinkhole and his mind should be on fixing that, then he can concentrate on sports.

Jeffrey Killeen 5 said...

the BCS desperately needs a play off system, and I still don't quite under stand how a computer can determine who plays in what bowl, and who is better. The A&M grad commenting on the BCS system is just his opinion and it's not like anybody has said" THE BCS NEEDS TO HAVE A PLAYOFF SYSTEM". Also, the bowl system is unfair. Ex.Utah went undefeated, but they're not number one. Anyway, I think that the government shouldn't mess with the BCS system, unless that is the only way to make there be playoffs. In that case, let the government do what they must.

eulatolentino4 said...

I don't think that the federal government should be dealing with college football. First, there are primary national and international issues that need to be taken care of. Second, why would the government get involved with college football? It would seem as if the fed was inching its way into something that should be separated from governmental matters.
Though government may be able to solve the problems with the playoffs, so can other people. It should not be their concern.
It doesn't matter that the aggies haven't had a viable team for the playoffs. They're like other football fans. All they want is a real playoff system.

Anonymous said...

I hate to bring up Reaganomics in a time where we are up to our hair follicles in government regulation as our economy slowly swirls around like a rubber duck in a bathtub, but honestly, the government needs to lay off the NCAA. If anyone should be making a call about D1 playoffs it should be the NCAA itself and not the Energy and Commerce Committee and most certainly not an Aggie. Although it would be profitable for the government to regulate the wrenching national issue of promoting off season games; it is unnecessary and detracts from the core issues that plague the American public today such as healthcare, education (Child Left Behind?), and the economy. Which last time I checked is in a recession... Sorry Mr. Top Republican but your attempts to create a new genre of ear marks is unnecessary and low considering Aggies aren't so great at football to begin with.

allisonheadley3rd said...

I think that it is utterly ridiculous that the federal government would be getting involved in college football. I mean, yes, the college football national championship system has it's problems but shouldn't the government fix other things that are more important such as THE ECONOMY before they think about fixing FOOTBALL. Oh I don't know, I think there should be some priority check somewhere....

BonnieFanning1 said...

I find it odd that the federal government would even begin to be involved with college football. By supporting this, the federal government will definitely be stepping over boundaries. I think their time would be better spent trying to get us out of the mess we are currently in. I don't think college football concerns that. I do not feel that football should be made a priority in the federal government. However, if others find this to be an important issue, then it should be dealt with at a more oppurtune time. The fact that the aggies are proposing this is bizzare considering their record.

AmandaCaughron1 said...

The Federal government has so many important things to worry about and i dont believe that they should add college football to their list. There are people being paid to deal with college football so the federal government shouldnt tangle themselfs in the chaos of it all. It's football for goodness sake.

ashleyledesma7 said...

I agree with the fact about wanting a different college football national championship system, but i also think that its not as important as the other things that revolve around us.
So maybe the federal government
should be more worried about this later as more things get solved.

CatWiechmann6 said...

I think that they have more impotant things to do than deal with college fotball. I am a big fan of college football(GOOOO RAIDERS!!!!!) and would like to see that happen, but we need to spend time on the important things.

jakelabrec7 said...

haha i think that the government has bigger things to worry about than college football. i also think it is very funny that the aggie said this since the aggies just plain suck. but i do think the bcs should have a play off system that way if you go the entire season w/ losing then lose one of the last games (stupid harell) you can still have a shot at the championship.

jessica casarez 7 said...

i dont think that the government should get involved with football, they should leave it to the pro's, there are more things to worry about lik emaybe the war for example haha :]

Manuel Ordaz 01 said...

I agree with Obama, the BCS should change their way of picking their teams for the playoffs. Its a shame that they want the federal government to get involve in something that is a waste of time. The BCS committee should get their lazy butts and confront the problem...(soccer!)

Heath McCasland 4 said...

Playoffs have been a topic of conversation long discussed in circles of NCAA football fans, and it comes as no surprise that the uproar over the current situation has intensified.
In all honesty, the current system is seriously flawed - namely, the subjective voting that places schools in the 'ranked' and 'unranked' categories. Ties, as we have seen between Tech, Texas, and the Sooners, are decided by computers, coaches, and other prejudiced people who vote on these things.
The federal government needs to step in and change the rules, plain and simple. A bit of forceful coercion should do the trick. heh heh heh heh......

Anonymous said...

LOL. I think it's funny that the govenment is tyring to get involved in colledge football. I mean are you serious? The government has other things to take care of and shouldn't be worried about some silly colledge football.

Unknown said...

Haha,its funny to me that politics are getting into sports instead of worrying about the country...but i believe Barack Obama will carry out his duties..and then will have enough time..to just chill-out and do other things

bryahdaniels3 said...

Barack is cool. He can do whatever he want to do, so long as he takes care of all the promises he made to the people that elected him to office!! Because if not their are going to be A BUNCH of UNHAPPY PEOPLE!! Now the federal government, they had better start taking care of what they are supposed to too- Whatever that is. I do think it is kind of funny how they are worried about college football and the economy is rapidly diminishing into the depths of the earth... i just forgot to laugh.

HannahLambVines1 said...

Seriously? I can't believe that politics have digressed so much so that they're choosing to focus on sports rather than, oh, I don't know... the economy?! Totally ridiculous, but maybe that's just because I don't understand how the National championships or whatever really work.

briansmith3 said...

I disagree that legislation should prohibit the term "National Championship" for a NCAA football game, but I do agree that a more legitimate system should be used to determine a championship team. There is no reason why the game (between the #1 and #2 BCS ranked teams) should not be called the BCS championship game because that is the proper title for it. Now, if there was, say, a NCAA Playoff Championship game, that would be completely different, and would probably go over with the American sports fan better because it would require multiple stages of ranked playoff games. But I won't continue to describe how the system would work, because all you have to do is look at how the NFL works...
I don't think the government should have any say in what the NCAA does about football because they would make there be too much paperwork...

AntonSoriano2 said...

lol, thats hilarious. College football really needs some sort of new system. The bcs really messed up a lot of teams this year. Penn State and USC ended up being higher ranked then what they were supposed to be. But idk it will be a long time before this bcs system will be fixed.

elizabeth_hendrix_4 said...

When I first started reading this i thought it was a joke, but apparently the federal government has nothing better to do with their time. I bet Mike Leach has something to do with this. He should have been a political spokesperson because he would be all over this bill. Who cares about the economic crisis, the war in Iraq and the millions of people loosing their jobs. But i guess as long as the play-offs go well who cares about the rest of the world. The people in Vegas will get money from all the bets made on the games and mabe stimulate the economy.

Richard Windisch 7 said...

I think that the idea of a the federal government getting involved with college football is laughable. While there may be a need for a playoff, I'm not sure that the government should get involved, I mean its just college football. If they do get involved though its not really a big deal, people are saying there are bigger issues, but I think the government has to multitask to do things anyway so it probably won't be a big deal

JenniScott3 said...

Are you serious? One of the last things that the federal government needs to be concerned with is college football. I'm sure that the end of the world won't come just because some people think that the national championship should be set up differnetly. The government needs to be paying attention to things like possibly running the country. Wars using our troops around the world, economic crashes, unemployment, and trillions of dollars of debt should be priority. Believe it or not, college football will survive for a little while longer with the national championship as is.

MenakaYadav3 said...

I believe the issue of a "real college football championship game" is somewhat insignificant when compared to other issues that the Energy and Commerce Committee has to deal with--healthcare and ENERGY, for example. And come on people, do we really need to add a clause to the separation of church and state for the separation of state and football?

In all fairness, this person is an aggie AND a republican so his misdirection kind of makes sense. ;]

JessicaGatica3 said...

The BCS has been around for awhile so why should the government try to get involved now to change it. I love watching football but I think the government has way too many problems too worry about the BCS. Yea i think it is pretty funny that an aggie would be worrying about this. They are sorry at football!!!! hahaha. . . .

amber obregon 2 said...

I think that football should be the last concern for the goverment. There are alot more things that are more important than football...

patreaferrell1 said...

Lol it's funny how the government is trying to fix a college football national-championship system. Since the government thinks that they can fix everything.Instead Obama needs to focus on the task at hand.We are already in a HUGE crisis. Let's fix this one first and then maybe if he has time, Obama can change college football.

Margie Tucker 1 said...

Now I love me some college football but really?!?! I think this should be the last thing the government should be worrying about right now. Yes the college football system and set up has problems but thats what the bcs people fix, not the government. Right??

Margie Tucker 1 said...

Now I love me some college football but really?!? This should be the last thing congress is worrying about. Now I'm not saying that the college football system is perfect but didnt couldn't the BCS hire people to work on things like this??

JaredRauch1st said...

If the play off and championship system for the NCAA is going to change it should be the doing of people in charge of the NCAA. The fact that federal gov't is even talking about this is quite disturbing.

Ezequiel Savedra 7 said...

ezequielsavedra7

The federal government should not worry if the BCS should have a playoff system, but worry about the other crises that is happening in this world.

mariaolascoaga1 said...

I personally would not mind if the BCS had playoff system , but I think the idea of the federal government getting involved is absurd. They should not be preoccupied with college football at the time. There are so many important problems that they have to handle first that football should be the least of their concerns.

nataliarangel4 said...

To be honest i really dont care for football im a baseball girl but i think the government has way more important things to worry about than college football. Our economy is suffering right now. To me that's the only thing the governnment should be focused on. Maybe after they fix the more important problems they can make this happen for college football.

mattdotray3 said...

Are we still talking about this? Give me a break. Personally, I don't think there should be a playoff. It would make upsets in the regular season a lost less special, and that is why I watch football in the first place. And if I was head of the BCS, I wouldn't want one. This controversy alone makes college football the most talked about sport in the US. I know everyone feels pitty for Utah, but come on, they know they are in a weak conference, and they need to step up and join the Pac-10. I'm sure the Pac-10 would be more than happy to let go of one of the Washington teams. Getting snubbed is just a part of sports. You don't see the Patriots or the Jets complaining that they didn't make the playoffs and the Chargers did. But about the government getting involved, Obama's comment about him wanting a playoff doesn't fool me at all. Assuming that he is an Illinois fan, the Big 10 has no complaints. They are more than happy taking an automatic rose bowl bid.

mattdotray3 said...

Are we still talking about this? Give me a break. Personally, I don't think there should be a playoff. It would make upsets in the regular season a lost less special, and that is why I watch football in the first place. And if I was head of the BCS, I wouldn't want one. This controversy alone makes college football the most talked about sport in the US. I know everyone feels pitty for Utah, but come on, they know they are in a weak conference, and they need to step up and join the Pac-10. I'm sure the Pac-10 would be more the happy to let go of one of the Washington teams. Getting snubbed is just a part of sports. You don't see the Patriots or the Jets complaining that they didn't make the playoffs and the Chargers did. But about the government getting involved, Obama's comment about him wanting a playoff doesn't fool me at all. Assuming that he is an Illinois fan, the Big 10 has no complaints. They are more than happy taking that automatic rose bowl bid.

MelodyStone4 said...

There are too many things to deal with right now. The government doesnt need to get involved in something else. They need to deal with everything else at hand and get all of that settled and then maybe they can worry about football.

mirandamartell7 said...

I do agree that the BCS should have a playoff system, they way it is now...yea its not working. And the government getting involved???????? Whats up with that? They have other things to worrying about and football is not 1 of them.

karalynneparent4 said...

rofl. Is the federal governement that bored? I guess fixing the economy is not on the 'top priority list' anymore. I think that Obama needs to focus on the bigger problems in the country, not some petty football issues that people have dealt with for years now. Besides, the BCS are big kids, they can fix their own problems, the federal government should just drop it.

Mike Onion 3 said...

It would be very beneficial if governement made college football get a playoff system for their championship. Other main sports such as basketball and baseball already have playoffs and it seems to work really well. This would give football fans across the nation overall satisfaction, because their team could prove themselves on the field. Instead of it being decided by the ap and coaches polls.

Chris Rodriguez 7 said...

ha the aggies havent had a good team in a while so why should they care. I think that there sould be a playoff system because one loss in the regular season can really hurt and mess up a team. but the goverment needs to fix the economy first then worry about everything elso.

mattdotray3 said...

Are we still talking about this? Give me a break. Personally, I don't think there should be a playoff. It would make upsets in the regular season a lot less special, and that is why I watch college football in the first place. And if I was head of the BCS, I wouldn't want one. This controversy alone makes college football the most talked about sport in the US. I know everyone feels pitty for Utah, but come on, they know they are in a weak conference, and they need to step up and join the Pac-10 if they want respect. I'm sure the Pac-10 would be more than happy to let go of one of the Washington teams. Getting snubbed is just a part of sports. You don't see the Patriots or the Jets complaining that they didn't make the playoffs and the Chargers did despite having a better record. But about the government getting involved, Obama's comment about him wanting a playoff doesn't fool me at all. Assuming that he is an Illinois fan, the Big 10 has no complaints. They are more than happy taking that automatic rose bowl bid.

AndrewRiojas1st said...

Finally! An aggie is doing something right for a change. I think if the governent had the time they should step in. The BCS system is such unfair system and teams like TTU and OSU wouldn't get screwed over like they did this year. If we had some sort of playoff system the national championship would have been a lot different. I'm a Tech fan and I don't mean to sound mean to the other teams but I think if we would have had a playoff system ttu probly would have won the national title. I really hope the governent does have some sort of playoff system in the near future.

matthewcastro1 said...

Im going to have to agree and say that the Federal Gov. has bigger issues to deal with than college football. Although, i feel that the play off system needs to be put in place because the BCS is garbage. Why is A&M proposing this? There the new Baylor of the big 12

Ralph Molina 7th said...

You have got to be kidding me!!! Why in the world does Obama think that this is his problem. The Aggies have more reason to worry about this than him. the president has plenty of things to do and he needs to get them done. College football has nothing to do with him being president. Politics and football need to stay away from each other because they are unrelated. Obama has no idea what the ups and downs of a playoff system are he was simply stating that it sounded like a good idea. i dont think even he meant for himself to be in on the process and if he did then once again i am worried about the ridiculous agenda of our president elect. he needs to focus on the jobs that he is responsible for and football is not one of them. Although i do laugh a bit when i think that A&M is worried about this. ARE THEY OUR FUTURE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS?!?!?!?!?!?

JA7 said...

I don't think that the government should screw with anymore associations especially college football. If they do, then they're just wasting their time, because you know that a college will have someone to go against it, then they'll have a real problem on their hands.

Anonymous said...

I think that they should worry about more important things then college football.

gloria sanchez 4th said...

Football and government? Yes, this idea could be profitable but why add another issue to the tons we already have. The NCAA does have it's problems but goverment issues like our dwindling economy must have priority over a game that will always be there.