Orrin Hatch Doesn’t Get It
When he’s not busy defending polygamists (hey, props to you if you can pull it off), Senator Orrin Hatch likes to meddle in intercollegiate athletics – something that’s become a friggin’ pandemic in the state of Utah.
In fact, after watching his home state get the shaft last season, Hatch is raising hell against the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) – i.e. the convoluted, computerized corporate whoredom the NCAA foists upon the nation every year in lieu of implementing a “let’s settle this the way every other sport does – on the field” playoff system.
We get it, Orrin. We really do. Polygamy, BCS hatred … the whole nine yards.
And as we’ve noted in the past, we hate the BCS. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Of course, we wouldn’t make a “federal case” over the whole thing, because quite frankly Congress has no business sticking its nose into the sports world … college or professional.
Hatch is making a federal case of it, though, pushing the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the BCS for … get this … violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits unfair agreements that inhibit trade and commerce.
Look, while we have puritanical objections to computers deciding champions and corporations stifling competition, Hatch arrives at his hatred of the BCS from another perspective.
“The purposeful disparities in funding created by the BCS ensures that schools in privileged conferences, even those whose football teams are not all that competitive, enjoy advantages in offering scholarships and providing staff and facilities for all their athletic programs.” Hatch says. “The increased visibility that accompanies automatic qualification into a BCS game guarantees that the teams from outside conferences face disadvantages with regard to recruiting players and hiring top coaches.”
Ummm … we hate to break it to Hatch, but the Southeastern Conference (winner of the last three BCS championships) is “privileged” because its teams kick the ever-living crap out of every other football conference that’s out there.
Hell, if it weren’t for computer programs and an antiquated bowl system keeping things competitive, the SEC would emerge victorious in every NCAA playoff.
Seriously, people … think about it.
All last year we heard about the Big XII and its high-powered offenses … only to watch Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and the Oklahoma Sooners get shut down like a JV powder puff squad by the Florida Gator defense.
How good is the SEC?
Ask Ohio State, which got steamrolled by LSU and then Florida in the 2007 and 2008 championship games … and by South Carolina in the 2001 and 2002 Outback Bowls, for that matter.
Sure, sure, sure … Utah beat the crap out of SEC powerhouse Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and we gave them props for it.
We also argued that Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham was well within his rights to demand a Utah-Florida winner-take-all championship – in which Florida would have beat the Utes like they stole something.
Anyway, if politicians like Hatch are going to meddle with the BCS, they should investigate why bailout baby Citi is being allowed to sponsor the championship game this year … on top of spending $400 million to name a baseball field, for that matter.
Seriously, Orrin.
Do your job.
Comments
By Boyd on July 9th, 2009 at 1:02 am
The reason you don’t support anti-trust intervention is because the BCS favors your conference. Imagine for a second what it would be like to be on the other side of the fence:
a) recruiting is difficult because there is no possibility of a National Championship
b) “BCS” programs continue to receive large sums of money even if they don’t accomplish anything
c) more competitive programs refuse to schedule good “non-BCS” schools, and if they do, they’ll only schedule home games
You can see how “non-BCS” schools are at a distinct disadvantage and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING they can do about it. That’s the definition of a violation to the Sherman Anti-trust act, and the only reason you disagree is because the BCS is in your selfish interest.
By Freedom for Me on July 9th, 2009 at 4:54 am
You nailed this one…..But i am glad this is the only thing wrong with our country and the politicians are just bored
By Toyota Kawaski on July 9th, 2009 at 9:50 am
seriously Orrin RETIRE
By CNSYD on July 9th, 2009 at 9:58 am
There are way too many schools in Divison 1 football. Most can’t afford it but try to keep up with their neighbors. If the NCAA had gonads, which they don’t, they would raise the bar on the requirements to be Div. 1 and let the bottom feeders create a new division which is competitive.
By Kevin Bryant on July 9th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Thanks for showing my guy Knowshon, We are really gonna miss him!
By Toyota Kawaski on July 9th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Boyd im sorry that ITT Tech is not a BCS school!
By Crooner on July 9th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I would have added an amen to this one, but I recently read an article in SI wherein Hatch made the case for the antitrust violation. It is quite compelling and transcends sports. And, if you think about it, Division I college football is big business.
By James on July 9th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I actually stop reading after Congress shouldn’t get involved in college or professional sports. Where did they find the person who wrote this. Professional and College sports are a business. They involve millions even billions of dollars, employ thousands of people and they have deep economic impacts on institutions and communities. The BCS anti-trust suit is no different then the antitrust suit brought against Microsoft. History also tells us that Congress and the government has always involved themselves in the buisness of sports see MLB exemption…or (NFL free agency. Idiot!!!
By Boyd on July 10th, 2009 at 9:19 am
>> Boyd im sorry that ITT Tech is not a BCS school!
Are you suggesting that the author of this article is an ITT tech grad/fan? If that is the case then I stepped way out of bounds :).
By AuditDawg on July 10th, 2009 at 9:33 am
@ Boyd
I appreciate your sentiment, but you’re way off base. First off, the man admits that he’s not a fan of the BCS which you accuse him of being. Secondly, none of the reasons you gave are examples of violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. For an entity to violate the Sherman Anti-Trust Act it must restrict competition due to predatory action which the BCS does not. There is nothing stopping the Coalition conferences (WAC, MWC, etc.) from setting up their own system, even a playoff if they like, and calling the winner a national champion. The “system” did not prevent Utah from playing for the national championship last year. It was the 175 voters who voted them 7th in both major polls prior to the bowls (including Utah’s coach, Kyle Whittingham, who only voted his team 5th).
Now I agree with your three points in the middle of your argument, but that’s a point about the system being UNFAIR. Unfairness does not equal ANTI-TRUST.
@fitsnews
Just an FYI, the NCAA doesn’t “foist” anything upon us. The NCAA does not award a national championship in FBS college football. The AP and Coaches Polls do. The BCS is an agreement between conferences, the five bowl games, and the television outlets that broadcast them. After the anti-trust lawsuit the NCAA lost in the 1980s that Georgia and Oklahoma brought it has had no authority to negotiate television contracts.
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