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In the end, Mountain West took the money and walked
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Archives
- MWC proposal, meet BCS deaf ears (3-5-2009)
- Without a playoff, what's the point? (1-5-2009)
- Nothing personal, just business (12-18-2008)
- Believe it or not, BCS is about the money (11-21-2008)
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Money talks, and whatever argument Sen. Orrin Hatch and his constituents from the University of Utah made in front of a U.S. Senate subcommittee, on behalf of the Mountain West and college football’s other have-not conferences for automatic inclusion into the Bowl Championship Series, walks.
The Mountain West’s new theme song should be Edwin Starr’s “Twenty Five Miles From Home.” The conference is at least that far from rightly gaining an automatic bid into the bowl championship cartel after becoming the last holdout to ratify a new four-year agreement between the BCS and ESPN that goes into effect in 2010.
So keep on walkin’. Huh!
I wanted so badly for the Mountain West to tell the BCS to take its Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and shove it where the Sun Bowl doesn’t shine.
By taking a stand against the power conferences and the Big East, it would have earned the respect of college football fans, the majority of whom are clamoring loudly for some sort of all-inclusive December Madness playoff system.
Louder than the Mountain West, which was proposing an eight-team playoff. Apparently its plan was about as well thought out as Heckle and Jeckle’s to rob a bank, or at least that’s what one of the other senators inferred. Your plan doesn’t go far enough, the Mountain West was told. It still includes automatic berths. And Brent Musburger.
So when push came to shove, the MWC’s talking magpies signed on the bottom line.
They caved like a bunch of spelunkers at Carlsbad Caverns.
They folded like a guy holding pocket deuces.
Just as you knew they would.
Just as I hoped they would not.
Not signing the agreement would have been very costly for the MWC schools. Even in the years Utah loses a few games, Mountain West members receive up to $300,000 in hush money from the BCS. When Utah goes undefeated and crashes the BCS, the other Mountain West teams get a check for about $900,000.
In this economy, five zeros are nothing to sneeze at. With five zeros, UNLV might even be able to afford a scoreboard at the Thomas & Mack Center on which the numbers line up.
You can understand what Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson was up against. Even had he wanted to go maverick, it would have taken the MWC presidents who sign his paycheck about eight seconds to wish him well in his new gig with the Patriot League.
But as far as giving up money for nothing to make a statement, I would only add that it cost Muhammad Ali the most prestigious title in sports as well as his freedom to back up his statement that he didn’t have a quarrel with the Viet Cong.
Ali didn’t sign the contract. Instead, he went to jail. A lot of people respected him for that.
My first reaction when I learned the Mountain West had signed the contract was that I’m glad the colonists who founded this country showed a little more backbone, or we’d all be watching soccer and sipping tea this weekend.
The Mountain West says it will continue its fight for truth, justice and the American way — and an automatic berth into the FedEx Orange Bowl. But by signing the contract, its rightful argument will go away as quickly as Utah marched down the field against Alabama.
Keep on walkin’.
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Is this an opinion piece? Is it supposed to be informative? Or are you trying to be a comedian?
Hey here's an idea. Reference a story about Muhammed Ali, then don't explain it or provide background, so that people who aren't old enough to know about it have no clue what you are talking about. That makes for great reading.
JerryWayne--you can't tell, just by the context of the statement, that Ali refused to enlist in the military when he was drafted to fight in Vietnam?
The Viet Cong is what the Northern Vietnamese were called. Ali said that he wouldn't fight because "he had nothing against them."
Seriously, dude, try Google instead of ripping the writer just because he didn't write a story custom tailored to YOU.
JerryWayne:
The answers to your questions are yes, yes and yes.
The Vietnam War is the one where Paris Hilton would have entertained the troops, if she weren't approximately your age. Hope that explains it for you.
You could also try renting that movie in which Will Smith plays Ali.
Or, better yet, read a book about U.S. history.
Sorry to be such a wise guy but if you would have asked me nice, I would have explained it nice.
Rebelred22: Thanks for getting my back.
I don't mind if you come back as wiseguy, it's your right. I have far thicker skin and it takes a little more for me to be offended. And truthfully, I kind of like that about the Sun and it's writers. They provide rebuttals when someone leaves comments on their article.
The point is one should not have to "google" anything to figure out what Ron's talking about. The information should be clear, after all this is a news website. Don't make the mistake of thinking I didn't know what Ron was referring to.
And Rebelred22, don't get all bent out of shape because I think we should hold a journalist to a higher standard. Your username would suggest you are a Rebel fan and you probably clicked on the article to find out what was going on. But then I'd be assuming, and you know what they say about that....
What are you, some kind of travel guide or something? What the heck is a Carlsbad Cavern? This is a garbage article because you didn't explain what the BCS is. Who are colonists and what do they have to do with tea?
Ali was a tool of the black militants. He never would have carried a gun. He would have been given an easy assignment of giving boxing exhibitions for the troops. He is NOT a hero to many of us.
Rose -
At least Ali took a stand - had you been of age at that time, you likely would have gone the school deferment route, like so many kids of privileged families. You seem upset that he didn't serve, but then criticize him for probably receiving an easy assignment. Wow - tough nut to please.
Now now Jerry, be nice to the poor, never harsh to anyone editor.
Well Ron, Red and Rain, I guess I'm an ignorant moron too. Certainly I, as well as most others, understand the reference to colonists but I didn't know that Ali refused to enter the Vietnam war and I love & study U.S. history often. Particularly, war that the U.S. is involved in.
Somehow I missed that extremely unimportant piece of information that some would consider 'useful'. I don't consider Ali any type of hero either.
The Sun is beyond great at covering UNLV and I will continue to read the sports section whether some want me to or not but......they are worse than aweful at most things outside of said subject.
JerryWayne & rose1414: Don't worry, I've got your back.
BTW, I could care less if Ali dodged the draft or refused to go outright. He's that insignificant to me.
DSP- what makes you think I am "privileged"? Because I don't like Ali? Sorry, the guy ain't no hero. Suppose you worship Teddy Kennedy too?
Ummm, back to football if that's OK...
The MWC had no choice but to sign the deal. The conference deserves some props; however, for at least railing at the windmill a little whereas other non-BCS cartel conferences made hardly a peep.
Not signing the MWC deal would have been devasting to its members. Without BCS money (and with Title IX firmly in place), I'd bet half the MWC schools would not have athletics programs in a year. The way things are going, don't be surprised if you see a precipitous drop in D-I participants in the next few years.
It's staggering how much more money the BCS/Notre Dame cartel gets than the non-BCS schools. Given that discrepancy, and how so many of the schools in those conferences are little more than football teams with campuses around them, I'd be very surprised if a real playoff ever happens.
Thanks FastCamron! I agree, Rebel coverage is top notch, I just figured since this is related to UNLV it would be to.
MWCRob:
While I think I addressed your points about loss of revenue in my column, I believe that until one of the have-nots makes a strong statement about the inequalities of the system, these inequalities will continue to exist.
Seceding from the "union," as it were, would be a pretty strong statement.
Thanks for reading and writing.
You too, JerryWayne.
And Fastcamron says:
"I guess I'm an ignorant moron too. Certainly I, as well as most others, understand the reference to colonists but I didn't know that Ali refused to enter the Vietnam war and I love & study U.S. history often."
You love to study U.S. history often but, apparently, you lack the mental dexterity to understand something in the context that it's written in (i.e. the ability to infer, from the context of what was written, what it's referring to--even when you're clueless as to the meaning).
It's okay, critical thinking skills are an acquired skill that takes some people longer than others to develop. You'll get there...someday.
And the ALL MIGHTY, I mean Rebelred says:
"you lack the mental dexterity to understand something in the context that it's written in (i.e. the ability to infer, from the context of what was written, what it's referring to--even when you're clueless as to the meaning)."
I never inferred on any level that I didn't understand the context in which Ron referred to Ali, I only said that I wasn't informed as to that small piece of history.
What is plain to some is obscure to others. I got behind Jerry because you jumped on him for not being able to put it together. Don't be so condescending. I'm quite sure you have flaws, even intellectual ones. Could he have been softer in his questioning, sure....but damn dude, just relax, it's not like taxes are about to skyrocket...oh wait........
With newspapers losing readers in droves these days you would think journalists would stop using these out-of-date references that nobody under the age of 50 understands. It seems like it's all some big inside joke that the journalists are in on and the reader be damned.
But I guess that's why newspapers are losing readers in droves.
Fastcamron--
Oh, I have flaws, but their not the intellectual kind. I'm shorter than I'd like to be, I can't golf as well as I'd like to, and I wish I had more patience for people like you.
Your last statement regarding taxes explains a lot. You're a mis-informed Republican. You should probably stick to the Review Journal.
And I meant "they're" not "their"...
I bet you were all fired up to rebut my "lack of intellectual flaws" statement but then that smile turned upside down with this correction.
Let this be a living lesson to you all that Firefox spell check doesn't recognize the miss-use of homophones (these are words that SOUND alike but have different meanings and spellings).
That fact that you 'think' that you're perfect intellectually assures everyone here that you have flaws, specifically arrogance. That's some unwarranted ego you've got there.
I could care less if someone mispells a word, I'm not the type of person to bury them when they make a mistake. But...you would and that's why you thought that I would too.
I know that you liberals feel like you've taken over the country with you're communistic, socialistic ideology but I can assure you it only seems that way. In spite of your aweful views, this is a free country and will read and comment where I choose. The Sun covers the Rebels the best by far and that's where I will continue to get most of my information concerning UNLV. The Sun is more liberal it's true but I'll be damned if I let someone with opposing views run me off.
Despite your misguided and amazingly self assured characteristics, I'm sure your a good guy. You're a Rebel fan, so you can't be half bad......
Nice conversing with you, it gets the blood pumping. Later Red.
Rose - did you serve? If so, thanks - we owe you our gratitude. If not, and if you were of age during the draft, why not?
Not quite sure how Ted Kennedy factors into the discussion....but I'm sure you have a rational explanation. LOL.
I did not serve- there was not a draft when I was 18. My older brother did go to Vietnam, and fortunately he came back. Obviously we were not from a "privileged" family, and if the draft existed, I would have served. Kennedy, and his clan, is one of the "privileged" you speak of. Ali was a joke as far as I am concerned- I rank him right up there with Jane Fonda.
If you didn't know that Ali went to jail for refusing to fight the Viet Cong then you're either too young or didn't pay attention in school, or like Ron said, you didn't watch the movie ;-)