Congress to look into whether BCS is illegal

[ZachTheZip]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j76N3Q_...Qn6b7gD9040A1O0

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 also would 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?"

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."

[GP1]

I can't believe they have nothing better to do than look into this.

[zen]

I can't believe they have nothing better to do than look into this.

They stuck their nose into "the steroids issue" in MLB, didn't they?Anti-trust issues are more in the court of congress then some social cause.

[GP1]

I can't believe they have nothing better to do than look into this.

They stuck their nose into "the steroids issue" in MLB, didn't they?Anti-trust issues are more in the court of congress then some social cause.

It is nothing more than grandstanding.

[zip37]

Set my bull ship detector off!!!!!!!!!!With ball ammunition locak and ;load, and of course

[Zipsrifle]

I can't believe they have nothing better to do than look into this.

Ok, here is the way I see it....Congress is looking into SPORTS for the rich helping the rich, but we're going to spend billions to bailout the banks and builders who happen to have powerful lobbies??? WTF is going on in Washington!

[Z.I.P.]

I can't believe they have nothing better to do than look into this.

Ok, here is the way I see it....Congress is looking into SPORTS for the rich helping the rich, but we're going to spend billions to bailout the banks and builders who happen to have powerful lobbies??? WTF is going on in Washington!

Take it from a constituent, Hawaii Rep. Neil Abercrombie and grandstanding is a redundancy.

[Redleg2Signal]

All this with a war going on. You'd think there would be better priorities made.

[zippy5]

All this with a war going on. You'd think there would be better priorities made.

There are other problems too, they don't spend 24 hours assessing the war, I hate when people make that statement. You couldn't be further from the truth.

[Zippysgotagun]

Kindly note that the last (and only) 2 teams to "crash the BCS party" are from the states that introduced the bill. I find that a bit interesting.

[Redleg2Signal]

All this with a war going on. You'd think there would be better priorities made.

There are other problems too, they don't spend 24 hours assessing the war, I hate when people make that statement. You couldn't be further from the truth.

Sure, they asses the war when it's politically convenient. But you think that congressional involvement into sports is more important than department of defense issues? I'd like to know considering you seem to be closer to the truth than me on the war.Besides, I never claimed that the war was THE issue congress needs to deal with. I suggested merely that there seems to be a lack of priorities.

[zen]

Kindly note that the last (and only) 2 teams to "crash the BCS party" are from the states that introduced the bill. I find that a bit interesting.

I was thinking about that a little also. There must be some significance to that. Was it because they felt they should have received better bowl selections than they got?Or is it something even deeper? After getting where they got, did they discover evidence of more institutionalized "ceilings" to their progress into the BCS?Is the BCS just a big-school protection racket that needs the plebs to remain a part of it so that they have fodder to walk on?

[Zippysgotagun]

Is the BCS just a big-school protection racket that needs the plebs to remain a part of it so that they have fodder to walk on?

Oklahoma wants their "protection money" back!