Tip to NCAA: It's all about the money

◊ The Orlando Sentinel had a good article today by Alan Schmadtke, who explained that if anything is ever going to change in college football, it must start and end with the money.

"Hitting the Seminoles right where they hurt most -- Bowden's record -- isn't the most effective way to punish schools across the board when it comes to NCAA penalties... Hit schools where it hurts: in the checkbook."

I couldn't agree more with Schmadtke. While I don't personally mind, for obvious reasons, if the NCAA upholds the forfeit of those 14 Bowden wins, I do believe that it's not an effective way to solve these problems.

College football is one of the best run businesses next to the NFL. You could actually say it's better, due to the ever-ridiculous cloak of "student athletes = more wholesome sport." Bullshit. By taking away wins from another team that committed a similar ––we'll use USC as the example–– it would not really hurt the football program the way a financial punishment would. Do you think USC and other juggernauts would be so lax about the rules, if they faced the possibility of a hefty fine on top of all the other normal punishments?

You throw a $500,000 fine at USC, including loss of scholarships and probation; now there's incentive to behave.

Schmadtke continued,

"The NCAA screams about the arms race in college athletics. Schools spend too much money on athletic facilities, it says. They're escalating coaching salaries too high, it says. Budget trends are non-sustainable, it says...Well, OK. Force schools that cheat to cut back. Fine them. The bigger the penalty, the bigger the fine... Fine them and put all of a school year's fines into an escrow account to pay for NCAA initiatives that will benefit athletes and schools that don't cheat."

Now that's a winning point right there. If the NCAA did that, it would be viewed as a shining beacon of light in an otherwise dark world of college football. I really hope someone from the NCAA reads this.

Now, I don't want to hear people contend that the NCAA can't do things like fining and stuff. Bullshit. When college football went to bed with the BCS, and rakes in billions of dollars each season, they forfeited any right to complain about financial sanctions for rule breakers.

But there is one last thing about Schmadtke's article I should point out. He wrote the following passage:

"Steve Spurrier was railing about this way back in 1990 when he arrived at probation-laden Florida when his first team was paying for the sins committed under former coach Galen Hall."

This is simply a misinformed statement. I don't know how you could be a college football writer at one of Florida's leading news organizations, yet mess something up this big. The NCAA violations which resulted in the sanctions placed on Florida in the 1980s, were due to infractions by the Gators' previous coach, Charley Pell. Galen Hall did not commit those "sins" while at Florida. In fact, he went on to several very successful seasons with the Gators, despite the fact that he had to deal with Pell's mess.

(link) Orlando Sentinel

Have a great weekend everyone!

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A special comment on Florida State

◊ Florida State was handed four years probation, reduction in scholarships, and forfeit of wins achieved during the 2006 and 2007 athletic seasons. In all, 10 sports programs at the university will be sanctioned. So what does this all really mean?

This kind of wide-range academic cheating scandal doesn't come along very often. In fact, we've never seen something similar, involving so many different sports programs at one school. The punishments are, well, much more severe than they even seem; and that's saying a lot.

I'm going to focus mainly on the football team, as that is the most visible program at the university, and of most interest to my readers.

Academic infractions usually get treated much more severe by the NCAA. For instance, when Reggie Bush was being accused of getting a free apartment and cash for his family, it felt like the NCAA was doing all it could to sweep it under the rug.

Then, when Oklahoma was nabbed for non-academic infractions, it was forced to vacate all wins from 2005. Later, however, an appeal was won by the Sooners, and their wins reinstated.

Don't count on a successful appeal by Florida State. Oh, they will try, but I really don't believe that the NCAA will budge on their decision. The punishment was a dead giveaway that they're being dead serious about this one.

Only one team in college football history has been punished by The Death Penalty, SMU in the late 1980s.

Before and ever since, not too many program have been whacked with sanctions like the ones Florida State will now have to deal with. This punishment is so severe, you could call it "The Death Penalty-lite."

Then there's the record for all-time wins by a major college football coach. While slim, there is still the chance for a successful appeal to at least reinstate the wins from 2006 and 2007. But that would mean the university would have to have known the students were ineligible to play at the time of the games, which is tough to prove.

However, if those wins are in fact forfeited, Bobby Bowden would lose 14 wins from his career total. That would mean he'd no longer trail Joe Paterno 383 to 382, but rather 383 to 368.

Bowden's current deal allows him to coach until 2010, where after if he stays on, coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher would be paid a few million a year until Bowden leaves. Assuming the wins are vacated, Bowden would absolutely have to continue coaching beyond 2010 to even catch Paterno again.

In a more long-term view, what does this do to Bowden in the end? He was once idolized by every rising coaching star, and feared by all opponents. Now, with his team mired in mediocrity on the field, and disgrace off it, Bowden's legacy is in danger.

History usually views things differently than the people living the situations. I think history will look kindly on Bowden in the end, with this final disappointment as just a small blemish when compared to the greatness of his career.

As much as we all jump to demonize coaches who allow their programs to run out of control, particularly when those programs win a lot of games over the years, it can't be forgotten that coaches like Bowden don't come along all that often anymore.

Does this punishment go to far? No, definitely no. Florida State and its athletic department deserves everything coming at it. But we can't forget that this is not a problem unique to only a few universities.

And that's the sad part, now isn't it? For every Florida State that gets caught, there are about 50 more programs that don't get caught. College sports have become a bloated, self congratulating conglomeration, hell bent on making as much money as possible. The NCAA can't keep up.

It's an unfortunate reality we have to live with. Football, college football specifically, needs help, but no one wants to seriously bring it up. There's too much money at stake.

The universities, athletic departments and the boosters have too much invested to allow their teams and athletes to fail, even if it means looking the other way just when guidance is needed most. In Tallahassee, those who were supposed to be stewards of hundreds of young people's lives just looked the other way.

Unfortunately for 10 Florida State athletic programs, and the athletes in them who didn't cheat, the NCAA saw what no one else wanted to. It's about time.

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The Definition of Rediculous

As we actually begin to think the United States government can't get much worse, they go ahead and waste our tax money on this. Oh, wait, they probably used the borrowed money from China to fund it.

Full story below:

WASHINGTON -- Forget government corruption or corporate fraud. Three members of Congress want the Justice Department to investigate whether college football's Bowl Championship Series is an illegal enterprise.

Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) are introducing a resolution rejecting the oft-criticized bowl system as an illegal restriction on trade because only the largest universities compete in most of the major bowl games. The resolution would require Justice's antitrust division to investigate whether the system violates federal law.

The measure would also put Congress on record as supporting a college football playoff.

"Who elected these NCAA people? Who are they to decide who competes for the championship?" Abercrombie said at a press conference Thursday on Capitol Hill, gripping a souvenir Hawaii football.

Abercrombie said the matter is worthy of federal review because college football is big business with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.

"It's money. That's what this is all about," he said.

But it's no coincidence that all three lawmakers have home-state schools with recent beefs against the bowl system.

Hawaii and Boise State University in Idaho each had an undefeated season in recent years but were denied a shot at the championship. And Westmoreland said he is still smarting about his Georgia Bulldogs being passed over for the national championship game last year.

Georgia instead was matched up against undefeated Hawaii in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, winning 41-10.

Westmoreland and Abercrombie said they started talking about the resolution after that game, as Abercrombie was paying off a bet with chocolate-covered macadamia nuts.

The lawmakers say the bowl system is rigid and blocks all but the largest universities from competing in postseason bowls, denying dozens of others not just the opportunity to compete but also a shot at the big payoffs and national exposure that come with bowl appearances.

Abercrombie maintained that television markets are one factor in selecting which teams go to high-profile bowls.

"We shouldn't have to argue about who the champion is," Westmoreland said, citing the excitement and unpredictability of the NCAA college basketball tournament. "That should be decided on the field."

The BCS was created in 1998 by the six most powerful conferences. It relies on polls and computer ratings to determine which teams qualify for the top bowls.

Congress held a hearing on the BCS in 2005, but no legislation came of it.

In a statement, ACC commissioner and current BCS administrator John Swofford said the BCS allows all qualified teams to participate and is beneficial for student-athletes, universities and fans.

"This issue has been looked at before," Swofford said. "We're confident that it complies with the law."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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It's the Bowden bashing hour, brought to you by Foot Locker

Mike over at BSD tore Bobby Bowden a new one, after EDSBS took the initial swing at the legendary FSU coach. All I have to say is Bowden had it coming sooner or later. Wrote Mike of BSD:

"This is a common practice in these southern schools. They are only supposed to sign no more than 25 kids in any one recruiting class. But every year there's Alabama taking 32, Auburn taking 30, LSU taking 26. This year Florida State granted scholarships to 30 kids. Inevitably someone has to get cut. So you start hearing stories about kids being declared academically ineligible. Or suffering mysterious injuries that cut their career short. Or in this case, fifth year seniors who are basically asked not to come back."

Read the original letter sent by former FSU lineman Geoff Berniard's girlfriend to Larry Williams, of the Post And Courier in Charleston, SC. The letter explained how the Bowden family is following a disturbing trend--win at any cost, even if you ruin some people's lives along the way.

But let's take a different angle on this. I'm not going to get on Bowden's case today. I've done plenty of that, and usually focus on his wins at Samford--they count towards his career wins record, even though Joe's were all at a major program like PSU.

Where I'm going with this is PSU's recruiting efforts in recent years. Every one's been bashing the coaching staff for the last two hauls in '06 and '07. The loud minority fan base, which has cried for a top-ten class every year, says that PSU won't win championships by awarding fewer than "the other" do. Mike mentioned earlier that SEC schools usually sign between 25 and 30 recruits... each season. Maybe that's the reason SEC schools usually rank so high on the recruiting class lists. These coaches--in this case, when I say "SEC" I really mean most southern schools--offer kids a scholarship, with nearly no guarantee that they'll remain on scholarship if the on-field performance isn't up to par. That's just plain bullshit. You offer a kid to play for your team, and if he doesn't pan out, tough luck for you, not him. The coaches should never encourage a kid to leave school, just to save a freaking scholarship for next year's recruiting class. Bowden--and by Bowden I mean his whole staff, since he's responsible for their actions--has now fell into the "SEC" category of coaches. Mike's take was hardly as sweet as mine:

"Like I said before, in a way I was glad Joe Paterno broke his leg in 2006. It delayed him from entering the College Football Hall of Fame by one year. If you remember, he was supposed to enter the Hall alongside Bobby Bowden and they were both going to share the stage. I'm glad Joe didn't have to share anything with that fat jerk. The only thing these two men have in common is a lot of wins on the football field. Outside of that, the two programs could not be any more different."

That's just it. Penn State is nothing like Florida State. To many sportswriters and "experts" lump the two schools together all to often. Why, because the two coaches have been around forever and racing to see who could finish with the most wins? Sure, but that's the one and only connection between the two schools. How many times has Florida State played Penn State? Three times. Wow, I'm impressed. Bowden was forced to play PSU in the '70s because West Virginia always played PSU. I don't see FSU scheduling PSU anytime soon. Actually, I don't see FSU scheduling any living, breathing opponents anytime soon.

Let FSU die its slow, painful death. It'll be good for college football. The age of cheating and under-the-table deals is gone in this sport. I'm not being naive. I know there's still wheeling and dealing every hour of every day. But a program like Florida State--rulers of the late '80s and the entire 1990s--needs to go to rehab after its 15-year high. Penn "Mr. Boring Straightedge" State might not be as exciting or fun. PSU is surely not the life of the party in college football, but if you consider what Joe Paterno and his coaches have done for the last 50 years, it's a feat no other school could fathom doing. How many times has PSU been on probation in the Paterno era, or any era for that matter? NONE. Penn State wins with honor.

Oh, and if you didn't get that Foot Locker reference, go look up "Florida State," "Foot Locker," and "1993."

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Pretty soon, the commercials will have to take "Football Timeouts"

I realize this is almost old news at this point, so I won’t present it as breaking by any means. What I want to do is pick apart what exactly each of these rules would mean to college football, whenever they’re approved. Frankly, I hope sooner than later.

“… after a year of consideration, the committee proposed a 40/25 second play clock system to encourage a consistent pace of play. All rules proposals will be sent for membership comment and considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel before taking effect.”

What I think: This is a good step for CFB. But it’s being taken for the wrong reason. More on that later. But the idea of a 40-second play clock will help keep the game flowing, and allow NFL fans to easily transition to watching CFB.

“A main charge of the rules committee is to enhance the safety of our student-athletes,” said Michael Clark, chair of the committee and head coach at Bridgewater (Virginia) College. “In recent years, the committee has attempted to address head-down contact and dangerous helmet contact in general. The committee is directing game officials to strictly penalize head-down contact as well as players that target defenseless opponents.”

What I think: MICHAEL ROBINSON. I remember watching, live, M-Rob lowering his shoulder into Minnesota defensive back Brandon Owens, who decided to lower his own body—helmet first—into the tackle. Robinson never even hit the ground, but Owens crumbled like a rag doll. At the time, it was a great hit, but later turned out to be very tragic for Owens; he never played again. I have one question for Clark, just who would have been penalized on that play? Robinson lowered his shoulder into the tackle, Owens lowered his helmet into Robinson, but Owens ended up getting hurt? Would you penalize Owens, who was on a gurney a few minutes later?

“A proposal relating to the chop block rule... Another safety proposal deals with a dangerous tackle – commonly referred to as a “horse collar.” Any player will now be prohibited from grabbing the inside back collar of the shoulder pads or jersey, or the inside collar of the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, and immediately pulling the runner down.”

What I think: This one’s not really much of an impact. Players will just have to learn how to properly tackle. That’s all.

“Two other major proposals deal with the pace of play. The rules committee passed a 40/25 second play clock system in an effort to standardize the pace of play. Unless the game is stopped for administrative reasons (e.g., change of possession, injury, etc.), the offensive team will have 40 seconds to snap the ball after it is declared dead.”

What I think: Already covered.

“Additionally, the committee made a change in the timing of the game after a play in which a runner goes out of bounds. Except in the last two minutes of each half, the game clock will start on a signal from the referee, rather than on the snap.”

What I think: This one’s huge. For years, everyone’s known that in CFB, you could completely stop the clock by going out of bounds. Not any more folks. But, as I said in the beginning, this is for the wrong reason. Why did it take so long for the NCAA to propose this, and seriously consider adopting it? Is it a coincidence that it comes right after the NCAA tried to cater to the telecoms by providing more commercial time, rather than actually shortening the game? This is about as transparent as Bush trying to protect the telecoms under the guise of national security (oops, sorry, but I couldn’t resist that one). I could be wrong (about the length of football games). I hope this really does shorten them, but if they are only three or five minutes shorter, you’ll know who to blame, and who is really responsible for deleting game time to insert commercial time.

“The committee also made the following proposals:
• In the rules relating to instant replay, plays where a fumble leads to an immediate recovery may be reviewed.
• In replay rules, a coach that challenges a play and is successful will retain the right to challenge one more time for a maximum of two.
• When a kickoff goes out of bounds, the receiving team may accept the ball at the 40-yard line instead of the 35.
• The incidental five-yard face mask foul was removed. All face mask fouls (pulling, twisting or turning) will be a 15-yard penalty.
• A yardage penalty for sideline control was instituted.”

What I think about these: They’re all nice, simple rule changes. The one that sticks out is the face mask change. I hate the incidental. HATE IT. How many times have we sat through games, wondering why one team got the five-yarder, but the other didn’t? Just go by the personal foul variety. It makes it much easier.

But I’m sure all of this is truly for the benefit of CFB, right? Right.

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