BCS BUREAUCRATS MAIN GOAL: AVOID REAL WORLD
By Kevin O’Neill

Doesn’t it seem more and more like the BCS is brought to you by a bunch of people who don’t want to have to get a job in the real world? They like their cushy little fiefdoms where they really aren’t accountable for much of anything. They get sideline passes, have a bunch of TV people sucking up to them, etc. While this is overstated, the entrenched bureaucracy of college athletics is something that is rarely examined.

Almost all that can possibly be said about the BCS controversy has been said. Everyone seems to come out smelling like a rose (no Rose Bowl pun intended), however. Southern Cal has a sweet scenario. They play on their home field for a share of the title. Despite Michigan’s impressive finish to the season, it is obviously an easier task for the Trojans to beat the Maize and Blue at home than it is to play in front of 65,000 crazed Cajuns and 15,000 others in New Orleans. LSU lucks out by getting a suddenly vulnerable opponent, while Oklahoma’s good fortune is just being in the mix at all. Reminds me of the “New Coke” fiasco. What was originally seen as a debacle ended up being a story for weeks about how many people just loved Coca-Cola just the way it is. There would have been no way to buy the positive publicity for the original product that Coke received at no cost as a result of their “New Coke” move. The media got a great story and the participants all benefited. Sounds like the BCS experience doesn’t it?

Who’s had the roughest year in sports? How about Mike Tranghese? Commissioner of the Big East in his permanent job and this year serving as he is serving, of all things, as Chairman of the BCS. His entire year ruined by the sleazy athletic administrators of the ACC and a bunch of computers. Final thought (for this week anyhow) on the BCS deal. Having computers makes sense, but there is a big, big difference between the quality of a Massey or a Sagarin, two guys who know sports and work really hard, and the joke that is the New York Times computer ratings. There’s a good chance that the Times’ rankings has a lot of culpability in this mess.

Some bizarre strategic decisions this past Sunday in the NFL went unchallenged by TV crews. Down 10-0 in snowy Foxboro, Dave Wannsteadt goes for it on 4th and 8 from his own 3-yard line with 1:18 left in the game. Why not? At least he’s not giving up. If something freaky happens to get a TD you can then onside kick and have a chance to win. Instead, Fiedler is sacked for the safety to make it 12-0 Patriots. On the free kick the Dolphins just punt away and the Pats make the fair catch. One Brady knee, two Brady knee, and the Pats run the clock out. Our question, if you’re going to go for it on 4th and 8 from your own 3 down 10-0, why not onside kick the free kick down 12-0? There was no down side. If you’re unsuccessful the Pats just take a couple of knees anyhow. Obviously, even if you’re successful on the onside kick, the chances of winning are still about 1 in 500, but why the change in direction?

Shift to Green Bay. 9½ minutes left in the game. Packers have come back from a 14-0 deficit to lead 19-14. The Bears are driving to possibly take a lead and Kordell Stewart throws an interception that is returned 90 yards for a TD. Green Bay is now up 25-14 with the extra point pending. Mike Sherman inexplicably sends out his offense to go for two. No real reason to do this. The 98% certain kick gives you a 12-point lead, the 40% 2-pointer gives you a 13-point lead. No real difference between the two margins. At 12 or 13 Chicago needs two TD’s to beat you. But the important thing is to get off 11. 11 allows the Bears to tie it up with an 8-point TD and a field goal. Not expecting to have to play defense, the Bears call time out. You figure during the time out someone would tell Sherman, “hey Mike, let’s just kick it and get over 11. It’s the obvious thing to do.” Nope. They still go for two. The Packers converted the two-pointer but it was clearly the wrong move to make. There isn’t even an argument for going for two there. Just like in the New England game, the subject was not broached by play-by-play team.

Longtime readers who are bored with this subject, move to the next paragraph, please. But why these multi-million dollar businesses don’t spend $100,000 for a “strategy and clock management” coach continues to baffle us. Every week there are wrong moves made by coaches who are too preoccupied with play calling and matchups to make the proper game management decisions. While it is easy to criticize these missteps from the comfort of our living room, we certainly understand how coaches can make mistakes in the heat of battle. What we don’t understand is why they don’t take steps to insure that they make the right moves.

Central Florida had a terribly disappointing season after being picked by some as a front-runner in the MAC. In addition to a disappointing on-field performance, one of the reasons coach Mike Kruczek was fired was due to a series of suspensions that decimated his team. A number of players, including big time QB Ryan Schneider, were suspended for falsifying academic attendance records. So isn’t it rather ironic that Central Florida’s new $750,000-per year head coach is George O’Leary? O’Leary was fired by Notre Dame after five days on the job for….falsifying academic attendance records.

Former Missouri basketball player Ricky Clemons is the frontrunner for this season’s Tony Cole Award. The news this week that Clemons made jailhouse claims that he was paid by Missouri coaches is no surprise to anyone who has followed to Missouri hoops since Quin Snyder took over. So explain this fawning column by Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelley entitled Snyder a Rare Shining Star in Sullied World of Coaching. Check it out at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2001811577_kelley10.html. Kelley, who apparently just hasn’t been paying attention, makes Snyder out to be Father Flanagan when in reality he’s a combination of Jim Harrick and Jerry Tarkanian. You would think a columnist who had a chance to watch Rick Neuheisel up close would know better.

Last week Hornets coach Tim Floyd returned to Chicago, where he had a 49-190 mark coaching the Bulls. He reminded the Chicago media that the plan was for the Bulls to lose so they could gather high draft picks and build with talented young players. Floyd compared it to people forgetting why the US invaded Afghanistan. Interesting comparison to say the least. On to people who operate with a tad more humility. Earlier this year a priest from my church who was moving on to another assignment gave a farewell sermon. He barely even referred to himself and instead told parishioners that if they are ever tempted to think of him, think of Jesus instead. He concluded, “The one thing you can do for me, is to just follow Him.” I was impressed with his concern for the spiritual lives of his flock overwhelming any interest he had in receiving kudos for the fine work he had done. So how in the world are we going to equate this to the Daily Racing Form? Go here http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=51943&subs=0&arc=0 and read this farewell column from Joe Hirsch, a columnist with DRF since the John Quincy Adams administration. Instead of listing his accomplishments, Hirsch chronicles what he loves about horses and racing. The result is a touching and admirable column.

Seeing Michael Vick back reminded viewers of how he just doesn’t like to get hit. He’s complained about teams trying to injure him previously and when a Panther lineman lunged at the scrambling Vick and was lucky enough to hit him, albeit a little bit high, Vick carried on as though it was premeditated. It wasn’t a planned cheap shot, the guy just got lucky to take him down. If Vick stays reasonably healthy he will soon have a well-earned reputation as a prima donna who doesn’t like contact. In other Falcons news (isn’t this exciting?) Dan Reeves deserved to get fired, and deserved to get fired a couple of years ago. In his seven seasons with the Falcons there were only two winning campaigns, and his teams were known for not putting up a fight down the stretch once they had fallen out of the playoff hunt. Amazingly, in more than 35 years of play the Falcons have never had consecutive winning seasons.

We’ve got daily hoops selections and information for you at no cost on our hotline at 1-770-618-8700. The Hotline is a 24-hour voice broadcast and doesn’t cost you a thing. Let’s look at a NFL game for this Sunday. With a lack of production out of the quarterback position and a solid defense, the Bills have gone under the total in ten consecutive games. Tennessee may let down off of their disappointing home loss to the Colts and their offense has slowed a bit in recent weeks. What keeps this from being a stronger play is the fact that this total opened at 40 and the Titans have had only one game all year go under 38 points. The home team often controls the pace, but if Tennessee is flat this non-divisional matchup may be an atypical game for them. Look to the under at Bankruptcy Coliseum this Sunday.

Our appearances on the web may be somewhat sporadic over the Christmas holidays. Make sure you don’t miss an single edition of S&G News by signing up for your no-cost subscription at http://www.consumerbet.com/email.html. You’ll get S&G News delivered via email each week.

Kevin O’Neill is the director of content for www.consumerbet.com. His 24-hour free telephone selection hotline can be accessed by calling 1-770-618-8700.

Take advantage of the ConsumerBet Best Deal Guarantee at the Industry's Best Sports Books