The Annual BCS Fiasco Is Cooking Nicely

Get ready to grab your ankles, college football fans.

The annual BCS goat-screw is coming, and this year looks like a doozy!

With the USC loss, it opens up a pandoras box of jilted teams, all feeling worthy of a National Title shot.

Personally, I say if L’Ville or West Virginia go undefeated, you MUST let them in. Period. You may not like the Big East conference, but it IS a BCS conference. In other words, it’s a “made guy” in the Big Six Crime Families. Plus, it’s not like Rutgers and Pitt suck. All of that, plus West Virginia’s thumping of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl says they can play with anybody.

But how do you decide among the one-loss teams who should meet the Michigan-Ohio State winner?

USC? They lost too late. And could still lose to Notre Dame.
Texas? Miracle wins vs. Tech and Nebraska. Eeeehh.
Auburn? Sound beating by Arkansas doesn’t help.
Florida? If they get through SEC Champ, they’ve got best argument.
Tennessee? Dark horse, because they likely won’t get SEC title shot.

And then, there’s Notre Dame. There’s no way in hell they actually deserve a shot, given the Michigan State collapse and the miracle finish at home vs. UCLA.

However, you just KNOW there will be some people in the media pimpin’ for them to get a shot. Guys like that worthless corksoaker of an analyst, “Lispin’” Lou Holtz.

Once upon a time, I used to get really, really mad about there not being a playoff. I’m over it now. Unless those people directly involved in the college game don’t care enough to sink this BCS gravy boat, then why should I?

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Congrats to the Cardinals for the World Series. I guess pitching and experience do count for something. Could the Tigers pitchers have put on a more pathetic fielding and throwing display than that? I know what the first drill in Lakeland will be this March.

One very interesting nugget that I didn’t hear many people talk about was this. When Jim Leyland was asked whether or not he would start Kenny Rogers instead of Verlander in Game 5 (the rainout made it possible on normal rest) Leyland was adamant.

No he said, he didn’t want to put him out there “in that atmosphere.”

The presumption was the “atmosphere” following “tar-gate.” But Jim Rome crushed that logic like a 3-0 fastball. Rome mocked on his TV show: would you ever say that about Clemens, or Pedro, or any other big game pitcher? Would they be afraid of a few boos?

When Verlander labored in the first inning, it set the tone. Could Kenny Rogers have gotten the game off to a better start? Would he have been more solid in the field?

All good questions to stew on in the off-season, if you are the Tigers and Leyland.

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Red Auerbach dies over the weekend. The ESPN tribute package they had on Saturday night was fantastic in content, tone, and perspective. It’s funny to think about a time in which a coach would fire up a baseball bat sized stogie on the BENCH during a game, and it didn’t cause any great uproar.

Imagine today, if a coach did the same. Or player. I bet a Pistons-Pacers Brawl II breaks out in retaliation.

If there were a Mt. Rushmore for coaches, it’s tough to say whether Auerbach deserves to be on it representing basketball over John Wooden. Nitpickers will point out that Wooden had such loaded teams, thanks in part to very lax enforcement of NCAA recruiting rules that UCLA skirted if not outright violated.

But then again, it’s not like Red’s Celtics were hurting for talent either.

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My wife and I had house guests this weekend. We hosted her college roomate’s family from Columbus Ohio. It was fun to get the full inside scoop on all things “Buckeye Nation” related.

They also threw out the possibility (just possibility, mind you) that they might have a ticket for me to the upcoming Michigan game at the Horseshoe. I said… “gi-gi-gi-GIDDYUP!”

I mean, I would be an idiot for not driving the mere 6 hours out there to see that game in person, right?

If that happens, I will have then notched two epic sports rivalry games. My other one is Duke-North Carolina at Cameron Indoor in 1998. Carolina had Vince Carter and Antwan Jamison. Duke was Wojo-led at the point, but had Brand, Avery, Langdon, and Battier. Duke won 77-75, and even if you hated the Devils, it was an unreal scene inside Cameron.

So assuming Ohio State v. Michigan actually happens for me (which now that I’ve written about it, of course won’t) here’s what’s next on my “list” of game I simply must attend before I die…

Auburn-Alabama in college football (either stadium, fine with me).
Red Sox – Yankees (Fenway, if I had the choice)
Packers – Bears (Lambeau)

And oh yeah…. I almost forgot.

Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Hornets (in Oklahoma City, of course).

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And Now, Your Pic O’ The Day!!!!

A**hole roomates!