BCS Madness

So, in the wake of tonight's second-to-last "real" bowl game (Ball St I guess counts for something, but Tulsa doesn't, and c'mon, it's Ball St...really, who cares?) I'm gonna vomit up a rant which everyone does and never gets anywhere but so what?

Anyway, this one specifically deals with why the BCS officials are telling us we need to not have a playoff. I heard an interview with a BCS official discussing the possibility of playoffs down the line, particularly given one network now owning all the bowls (starting next year). His response was (not an exact quote) 'We don't want a playoff, because we need to protect the integrity of the other bowls. The other bowls will become meaningless if we have a playoff."

Okay, I can dig the "Every regular season game means something" argument. And I can even understand it if they say "MO MONEY!!!" (Actually, I can't, cause how is a playoff NOT going to generate more money? Another post for another time...)

But, hunh???

We have a mini-playoff right now. How exactly is expanding a one game playoff to say a five game playoff going to damage the integrity of the other bowls?

Specifically, how is the EagleBank Bowl - played in early December - going to be any less meaningful because the Fiesta Bowl is suddenly a playoff game rather than what we have tonight? Is there anyone out there that can find me one person that doesn't work in the NCAA that will argue this point? If so, can you please point them in my direction?

In fact, tonight's Fiesta Bowl is exactly what they're arguing about...it's a meaningless game that has no integrity protection. Tonight's game would become MORE meaningful, while the Poinsettia Bowl would become no less meaningful.

Anyway, it's a rant of course, and won't make a bit of difference. But I simply don't understand why anyone out there actually believes someone would swallow that tripe, much less people that work for educational institutions.

Perhaps the lesson here is that I need to home school my children...