PB As Crotchety Old Man Complainer

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--