Quit Feeding the BCS Monster

Haven't really addressed it on the blog too much, but I can't help but hear all this clamor over the BCS these days. I'm guessing no one can get away from it, though. You've got JoePa basically not acknowledging the BCS even exists, calling it the "BSC or whatever". Pete Carroll said the BCS "stinks". Hell, our new President even called for a playoff system during that interview with Chris Berman.

And then there are the ESPN analysts and Sportscenter hosts. It seems like every highlight that's college-football related has to be tinged with a little bit of "Man I wish we had a playoff" sarcasm. Now I don't want to make it look like I don't want a playoff. I think there's five grumpy old men (Dick Cheney inevitably has to be one of them) who sit in rocking chairs in some wood cabin sipping on scotch and everytime the chair moves they let out an evil laugh because of what they've done to college football.


The BCS conference commissioners before their latest meeting on how to screw over the college football world.

So it came as a shock when i found out ESPN is basically gift wrapping a fresh bottle of the most expensive scotch ever made to these old bastards:

The Walt Disney Co., the parent company of ESPN, is among the bidders for the five BCS games -- and according to reports in USA Today and SportsBusiness Daily, the company has bid about $25 million per year more than its closest competitor for the new BCS deal. ...

SportsBusiness Daily reported that in bidding, Disney is offering about $125 million annually to air the games, while Fox is offering about $100 million annually. According to USA Today, several people with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed those figures.

Now personally, I'm all for ESPN broadcasting these major bowls because most FOX announcers blow. But I think if the Worldwide leader is going to advocate for a playoff, they shouldn't be allowed to offer this absurd amount of money for the broadcasting rights to something they hate so much. It's hypocrisy at its most expensive price.

There's a catch to this, though. According to the blog Awful Announcing, it might not matter if ESPN offers those scotch-sipping jackasses the moon because of FOX's current contract:

While ESPN probably offered a number that's way higher than FOX would or did, under the current contract the BCS still has to present FOX with a number first. The network can either accept or refuse, and if they don't accept, the rights go out on the open market. The number that's being thrown around is a $500 million, 4-year deal, which would constitute a 50% hike over last year's price to FOX.

Seriously, folks this isn't very difficult. If you want a playoff, the powers that be within college football just need to treated like pigeons. How does an analogy of old men drinking whisky turn into flying rats? Well, when you're in the park and you want to be around pigeon, you get some bread crumbs and the bastards come flying from all over the place. When you're out they move onto the next sap. And when there aren't anymore saps to go around, it probably means it's winter and there's nobody in the park, so the pigeons die.


Hey, look everyone, it's BCS coordinator and ACC commissioner John Swofford.

Well ESPN, you claim to not want the BCS (or pigeons) around anymore and yet here you are offering them 125 million bread crumbs. Why would they go away if they can get fat and happy off your bread crumbs (no matter how much criticism they may take for it)?