PB As Crotchety Old Man Complainer

by Peter Bean on Jan 30, 2007 11:53 AM CST in Texas Longhorns Football

When Texas announced the final pathetic piece of its 2007 schedule, I lambasted the program's administrators for their scheduling decisions. Now that Michigan's final opponent is being unveiled, Brian is similarly frustrated, though he takes his rant(!) up a level and trounces the governing body of college football for their complicity in all this.

What's most striking among Brian's arguments is his note about the professionalization of college football, a point that's becoming increasingly difficult to argue against, and which will never be properly debated. Just as I'm not holding my breath for the First Annual China Summit on Democracy, I'm not expecting to see Kirk Herbstreit and Mark May "fact or fiction" their way through a feature on the various ways they, and their employers, are trying to ruin our favorite sport.

And you thought I was kidding...

Skyrocketing coaching salaries, 3-2-5e, the BCS, allowing Fox Freaking Sports to televise the BCS, a bowl game between Western Michigan and Ohio on January 6th? Do you really need further proof that college football is racing to become nothing more than a giant money grab? Don't kid yourself - Disneyland: ESPNZone is coming. Count on it. For $100 you'll be able to get your daypass into the best ESPN has to offer. Lee Corso, starved of his meds for two weeks, caged with a chimpanzee and a chess board. (Seriously: who wins?) Roller coasters that zoom through faux GameDay sets and confetti cyclones. A dunking booth filled with the slobber from Lou Holz's mouth.

The most alarming trend of all is the slew of decisions made with no regard to the interests of the most passionate fans. What is this, anyway? Major League Baseball?

Sadly, Brian is right: we fans can be taken for granted. Like the baseball diehards who will never give up their passionate following, we, too, will remain CFB junkies no matter the cost to our sanity (or wallets). I mean, what are we gonna do? Stop caring? Or watching?

Hmph.

We're more likely to shell out $100 to ride Mel Kiper's Draft Day Express. Complete with stock phrase hyperbole earphones, natch.

I think I may need a nap.

--PB--

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Be loud

start a petition and send it to the NCAA.

by Wells on Jan 30, 2007 12:05 PM CST reply actions

Scheduling

I actually think Brian of MGoBlog has little reason to complain (at least compared to other Universities' fans), given Michigan's strong non-conference schedule this upcoming year. Although both games are at home, Michigan is taking on both Notre Dame AND Oregon in 2007. That, IMHO, is as strong a pair of nonconference teams as any major university will play this upcoming Fall.

by hookemblue on Jan 30, 2007 12:11 PM CST reply actions

OOC

SC plays Idaho (oh well), Nebraska, and Notre Dame, which frankly is a bit of a drop-off. If we were to compare ourselves to Michigan, it would boil down to whether Oregon or Nebraska will be better next year. Because Notre Dame is probably going to be horrible.

by DC Trojan on Jan 30, 2007 4:28 PM CST up reply actions

Hey, argument-killer!

The fans' option to stop caring is the only reasonable idea propping up my opposition to paying players. Watch your back, Bean!

by smq on Jan 30, 2007 1:22 PM CST reply actions

This

This, from the man who no doubt previewed, taped, watched, and analyzed the International Bowl! ;)

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Jan 30, 2007 1:29 PM CST up reply actions

it's not the only reason

there are plenty of reasons, tons, in fact to not play college football players.

your mind getting weak?

Go Big Red Nebraska!
http://www.cornnation.com

by cornnation @ Burnt Orange Nation on Jan 30, 2007 2:10 PM CST up reply actions

Totally

They ARE already paid. They get a free college education, free tutors, free room and board and free meals. As well as gym access, personal trainers, easy bitches.....

I agree that college football is totally out of line with the way they make money hand over fist--starting with the horrible bowl system, but paying players is a bad idea. Unless of course you go to OU or USC.

by kicker @ Burnt Orange Nation on Jan 30, 2007 2:37 PM CST up reply actions

one heisman winner goes free-agent...

... and now his former teammates are all getting paid. They don't all have the ingenuity of young Reginald Bush, you know.

by DC Trojan on Jan 30, 2007 4:22 PM CST up reply actions

didn't Leinart and Jarrett

inexplicably live in some fancy penthouse in downtown LA during 04-05? I am sure Jarrett paid rent every month.

by kicker @ Burnt Orange Nation on Jan 31, 2007 1:03 PM CST up reply actions

not at all...

Not inexplicable at all. Leinart's father rented the apartment that they lived in, and covered the delta between Jarrett's and Leinart's housing stipend and the actual monthly cost of the rent. When the fuss started about whether it was an improper benefit, Leinart pere turned over the details of the cost differential and what he had paid.

The NCAA, in their infinite wisdom, thought about taking away 5 scholarships from San Jose State before concluding that 1) Jarrett and Leinart had been roommates in university housing, 2) Jarrett was already enrolled (e.g. not an enticement), and 3) having your roommate's father help with the rent was qualitatively different from getting over $200k worth of mystery payments from would-be agents.

So they made Jarrett agree to donate a portion of the rent benefit to charity and dropped it.

by DC Trojan on Jan 31, 2007 9:54 PM CST up reply actions

Best suggestion?

Stop caring what other teams do. No, we will not stop caring what Texas does. But do we need to watch what happens in the Arkansas Pine Bluff vs. Tennessee game? No. But some of us watch. Why? Because it's on.

If every CFB fan did this, across the board ratings would plummet. I would like my cake and eat it, too. So I'll watch Texas. But that's it.

This trend of scheduling is maddening. Us fans must be able to do something...

If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable.

by GoHorns on Jan 30, 2007 2:14 PM CST reply actions