Just the Way It Is

True story: It’s Wednesday night and I’m surfing the net. I happen upon the tee-times for the 2007 Masters, which begins the next morning. Suddenly, it hits me. I need to make a change. I need to stir the pot. I need to back a winner. So, leaning on my background as a suburban, conservative father-of-three, I decided to turn in my membership card to the Phil Mickelson fan club. I decided to no longer support the sometimes spectacular, often infuriating left-handed risk taker and hitch my rooting interest to the one guy I thought surely could win me a championship. That’s right. I turned to my wife and said, “Okay, if anyone asks, I’m a lifelong Tiger Woods fan.”

Sounds plausible, right? I could get used to saying I root for Tiger because then I could cheer when Tiger pulled on his fifth green jacket on Sunday. Despite the failures and shortcomings of my other “favorites”, I could have at least one “sure thing” in my pocket. I even considered calling my brother-in-law, who is ever faithful to any team or player with even the remotest of ties to Brigham Young University, and making the declaration official. I’m fairly certain the conversation would have gone something like this:

Me: Hey, I’ve changed allegiances. I’m rooting for Tiger Woods now. My guy is totally going to win the Masters.

Him: What? Why would you do such a thing? Have you considered the merits of Mike Weir? He played for the Cougars, you know! Did you know former BYU linebacker Rob Morris single-handedly won the Super Bowl for the Indianapolis Colts? With Danny Ainge running the Celtics, they’ll soon return to the NBA elite. Remember what he did to Notre Dame? Go Cougs!

Well, I didn’t make the call. But it didn’t matter. I knew I had done it. I had a winner. I could finally celebrate. I would be anxiously awaiting my Sports Illustrated with Mickelson, my new nemesis, helping Tiger into yet another green jacket. I was ready to start yelling, “You the man” after every Woods tee shot. I would buy red Nike gear to wear to Church on Sundays to celebrate Tiger in red walking up the 18th fairway. It would be the dawning of a new day in fandom for me. By Saturday night, I was getting ready to taunt my friends that supported lesser golfers. The conditions at Augusta were horrific and the field was in shambles. Despite playing less than stellar golf, they’d all come back to Tiger and he’d once again be in the final group on Sunday. It was his tournament. It was my tournament. I was sure of it.

Then reality returned to my world. Woods took the lead briefly on the front 9 and knocked in an incredible eagle on the back 9, but he never really made a significant charge. He never forced the other contenders to blink. He never got that intense look in his eyes that tells everyone the tournament is his. Nope. He didn’t do any of those things. You know what he did? He lost. He didn’t choke. He didn’t fall apart. He just lost. In other words, he played just like all my other favorites play when things matter. Somewhere between mediocre and crappy. Certainly this was just a fluke for Tiger! Those things happen, right? Oh, yes. They happen often. They happen with the kind of insidious frequency to the teams and players for whom I cheer, that I’ve been forced to turn to the fatalist’s mantra – that’s just the way it is. There’s nothing I can do to change it. Unless I jump off the Tiger bandwagon, his assault on Nicklaus’ major championship record is in dire straits.

However, despite this life altering realization, I’m not here to complain. I’m not here to scream. I’m not here to cry about bad plays or missed calls or if onlys. No, I’m here to make some money. I’m here to tell you that I have a business proposition for you. For only a nominal fee, I will become an ardent fan of your most hated rival. Can’t stand the Lakers? I’ll don a Kobe jersey and they’ll be out in the first round of the playoffs. Sick of Yankee dominance? I’ll sport the accent and start calling Mike and Mad Dog to tell them the Yanks are going to cruise to the World Series. Before you can say Derek Jeter, the Bronx Bombers will be dropping both ends of a double header with the Devil Rays. And, perhaps this little nugget. Are you a Buckeye? What if I grow my hair long, get a perm, tie it back in a crazy pony tail and start telling everyone how the Gator Boys are going to party like no one has ever seen before. That in itself could set Florida basketball back to peach baskets and granny shots!

That’s right. I’ve finally come to this important realization. It’s hit me and there is really no denying it. My teams don’t win – at least not championships. Next year is the 20 year anniversary of the last time any of my four favorite teams (Royals baseball, Chiefs pro football, Jayhawk basketball and BYU college football) won a major championship. That’s right. In 1988, Danny Manning took the Jayhawks to the title. It was the end of a phenomenal run for me. In 1985, George Brett and the Royals won the World Series. In 1984, Robbie Boscoe led the Cougars to an undefeated season and a national title. Granted, the Chiefs were pretty lousy back then, but it’s not like they’ve been to a Super Bowl since then, either – even with the great Joe Montana running the offense in the early 90s.

But, I’m not going to be down anymore. Nope, I’m looking to the future. I’m planning ahead. I’m hoping to pay for my children’s missions, college educations and weddings. Just let me know who you want me to back and they’ll fall on the kind of hard times that legends are made of. Together, we can do it! We can beat this thing. We can lose one for the Gipper! And don’t forget our new slogan – That’s Just the Way It Is!

10 Things I'd Change About Sports

A couple weeks ago, I took a look at the biggest travesty in sports – the current college football bowl system and the completely inane way they determine a national champion. Well, that got me to thinking. If I could change anything about sports today, beyond the obvious revenue disparities that are killing baseball, what would I do? I’m not talking about the massive restructuring needed in the NBA or anything like that. Mostly, I’m just speaking of the things that bug me that I don’t want around anymore. Feel free to add your own!

1. Tennis Scoring – Tennis is a fairly simple game. Win six games to win a set, but you have to win by two or the fifteenth game goes to a tie-breaker. Best of three or five sets wins. That makes perfect sense. It’s an enjoyable game to watch and long rallies in big matches can generate the requisite amount of tension to qualify as big sports moments. Tennis has had great characters over the years – from the stoic Ivan Lendl to the manic John McEnroe to the over-the-top Richard Williams. It has a terrific history. It’s an enjoyable game. So, why, in all of that, do we perpetuate the game scoring system? Love-15-30-40-Game? Advantage this or that? How about first to four, gotta win by two? Wouldn’t that be a lot easier?

2. No More Cupcakes – No, this is not about my in-game snacks - this one goes to college football and basketball. Enough with the Division IIs to warm up for the big games. I’ll accept some exhibition games to give the local small schools some revenue. But those should be at a discounted price for the fans and should not count on your season record. Two things bother me about these games – besides the fact that I’m charged full price for a ticket. First, they are almost always blowouts. I know Colorado lost to Montana State this year, but 99% of the time, the bigger school wins. It’s not that enjoyable. I love my Jayhawks, but I really don’t get excited to see them blow out Washburn in early November at Allen Field House. Second, these games can do more harm than good. There’s nothing in it for the bigger school but a W. Do they prepare as well? Do they look ahead? Isn’t this a recipe for disaster on the injury front when a small school player is just trying to get noticed? In the grander scheme of things, I just don’t like the idea of “pad” games to boost your win total. This is one area where the professional leagues have it right. When the season starts, all games should carry equal value. It’s one thing to play a bad team in your league. It’s another altogether to play an inferior team in a different league and have it count on your win total. I want to see more match-ups like last week’s Ohio St.-Texas game or the upcoming USC-Nebraska. That’s what I like in sports.

3. Mandatory Double-headers. Baseball is getting a bit soft. Double-headers are a treat for the fans and should be a part of every team’s schedule. All scheduled double-headers should be played on Saturdays. Come on, is it really going to hurt to play two games in one day? It’s not like you have to have the same pitcher out there for 18 straight innings. I know it would mean six less days to sell tickets, but how about if each team schedules three home and three road double-headers. One ticket gets the fans into both games. Go out to the park around 3:00 pm, and stay through the end of game two between 10 and 11. That is a great way to spend the day. Plus, if you don’t change the length of the season, that gives the team six extra off days. At what point did baseball become so fragile that teams now claim this would be too hard on the players? They’re not china dolls! They can play a game for a couple of hours – especially if the dates are scheduled in the fall – after the rosters expand. It’s a money issue for the owners. So you get 59 home dates instead of 62. Get over it, you babies!

4. No Televised Poker – Poker must be stopped. It’s getting out of control. I don’t care if you’re in the “poker takes skill” camp or the “poker is all luck” camp. Regardless, I am tired of seeing it on television. I have two reasons for this. The first is a moral reason. Poker is gambling and gambling can ruin lives. It is addictive. People seek the rush and for every college-Joe who’s won the World Series of Poker, there are 1,000 schmoes who’ve spent the family savings on the game. Let’s not pretend it’s anything different. Second, it’s stupid. Obviously, this is a subjective opinion, so I really don’t need facts to back it up. But, it’s a silly game of chance and you can puff it up with all the ridiculous terminology you want, at its heart, that’s really all it is. Whether it’s a poker pro from Atlantic City or Ben Affleck playing with his buddies, I’m sick of the latest rage.

5. The NBA Playoffs – This one is easy. They’re too long. It’s as simple as that. It takes much too long to get from Game 82 of the regular season to Game one of the NBA finals. The current playoff structure rewards mediocrity and in turn hurts excellence by making them risk it all in a seven game series against a team that barely won half their games, but got a big star back right before the post-season. I don’t like it. I say cut it in half. Four teams advance from each conference – the three division winners and one wildcard. That’s plenty and it means there’s actually a reward for winning. Next, the first round is a best of five. Conference finals are best of seven and the NBA title should be best of seven. It doesn’t minimize the champion and it makes the playoffs mean a lot more. 16 teams in the playoffs is really just a first round money-grab for ticket sales.

6. Standardize Golf Equipment – I am certain this will never happen, but I am equally certain that it would be good for golf. The PGA can handle this in one of two ways. First, use the NASCAR model – different manufacturers, but specific standards on the equipment. The other option is for the PGA to sell the rights by club – drivers, irons, wedges, putters – and by ball. That’s five different contracts, but all players use the same set of equipment. Let the players use their clothing to advertise for other manufacturers. The result will be a level playing field. How much better is Tiger than the rest of the field? Let’s find out with everyone using the same shaft, the same club head, the same ball.

7. Pass Interference – Nothing is more absurd than the pass interference call at the pro level. By placing the ball at the spot of the foul, you are simply assuming that every ball would have been caught. College football has the penalty right – 15 yards and an automatic first down. That’s plenty. Even better, though more subjective, would be to make pass interference similar to the face mask penalty. Have an incidental version and an intentional version and make defenses pay for pass interference with the intent to interfere. If my corner back is running stride for stride, looking back at the ball and the wide receiver stops, causing my DB to crash into him, that’s incidental. My guy was looking for the ball. However, if my DB tackles your WR before the ball gets there, that is true pass interference.

8. Intentional Fouls – The concept of intentional versus incidental is never more muddled than in the world of basketball. I’m tired of the foul shots at the end of the game. When did this become an accepted part of the strategy? If you’re not good enough to win in the flow of the game, you’re not good enough. This idea of “going for the ball” being the line in the sand between a regular foul and an intentional foul is ridiculous. Intentional means you did it on purpose. The penalty for any such foul should be two shots AND the ball. If you know you won’t get the ball back, the incentive to commit the intentional foul goes away. I agree that defenses may need to be more aggressive at the end of games, but there are consequences for that. You shouldn’t get the reward of getting the ball back.

9. Eye in the Sky/Get the Call Right – I’m tired of professional sports trying to fight against technology – specifically when it comes to replay. If video review can get a call right, let’s use it! I’d much rather know that the play was called correctly than to be worried that a review slowed the pace of the game. I think review can be used to improve the quality of the officiating. How many of a crew’s calls had to be overturned? The onus of this shouldn’t be on the coaches to throw a flag. The leagues should want to get the calls right, no matter what. So let’s use the technology we have to make that happen. Personally, I say take it even farther. Can we use the system that tennis has to determine where a ball hit to determine if the football crosses the plane of the goal line? Can we standardize the strike zone? Are there other tools that we can use so that the play on the field determines the winner – not the calls made during the game? That’s what I would prefer.

10. No More Intentional Walks – Lots of people don’t like the DH. That one doesn’t bother me. I like offense and the DH promotes offense. If I could change one rule in baseball, it would be the intentional walk. I hate that thing. Certainly it has made a star of Barry Bonds in recent years. But, it just rubs me the wrong way. You should have to try and get each batter out. If you can’t do it, there are consequences. However, the percentages already favor the pitcher. The best hitters still fail more than 60% of the time. So, it’s not as much strategic as it is cowardly. Now, if a team is really committed to NOT pitch to someone, the consequences should be more severe. I think, if a walk is deemed intentional, the batter should get two bases or let all runners move up 90 feet with the walk. So, if you have a man on second and want to walk someone, that’s fine, but the man on second will be moving to third, as well. Or have all intentional walks be worth two bases. Then, if a man is on second and you don’t want to pitch to the batter, the runner goes to third and the batter goes to second. The next intentional walk would score the runner on third, even with first base open.

So there you have it. Those are the top ten changes I would make. I’m sure there are more. Let’s hear what you’ve got.

The Race for 63! The Royals continue to inch closer to the 63 win mark and are playing .500 baseball. This week they went 1-2 against the Payroll, and 2-1 against Payroll, Jr. in Boston. With two out-of-contention teams this week in Cleveland and Seattle, they can make up some ground. Current record: 54-90. Projected record: 61-101.

Season of Hope

The National Football League has it all figured out. They put the pieces together, they’ve been willing to sacrifice a little for the good of the whole and they’ve reaped the reward – becoming the most powerful sports league in the United States. And this is the time of year when you can see just how well the business plan works. From Seattle to South Florida, from San Diego to Foxborough and everywhere in between, fans are saying the same thing: “If a couple of things go our way, this could be our year!” It’s true! The feeling is everywhere. Colts fans believe Manning gets over the hump this year and carries the franchise to glory. Raider fans are hopeful a mobile Aaron Brooks will allow the offense to carry a suspect D. Just last week, Eagles fans saw the trade for Donte Stallworth and said, “This may be the missing piece now that You Know Who is gone.” It’s all based on hope – and hope sells tickets.

Granted, some hopes are more realistic than others. For example, the Patriots have a proven track record that a strong D and some piece parts on offense, plus the amazing leadership ability of Tom Brady can be enough to win Super Bowls. They don’t need to just hope – they’ve seen it happen. Their hope is that the stars align again this year – and that Deion Branch picks up his uniform and starts playing! On the other coast, 49ers fans are hoping that things click this year for Alex Smith and that the offense can look more like an NFL team and less like pee-wee football. But, the hope is still there that with just a few breaks, the 49ers can be a wildcard team. Perhaps the place where hope reigns supreme this year is in the Superdome in New Orleans. Just a year after Katrina, the signing of a marquee QB and dumb luck (plus a dumber Houston front office) helping to get Reggie Bush wearing black and gold, hope is the operative word in the Saints locker room. Hope is contagious in the NFL – and from late July to early September, it is rampant.

Right here in Kansas City, hope strikes hard. Like the majority of NFL teams, hope in Kansas City is based on not-quite fulfilled expectations in the past combined with off-season moves heralded with the promise of future success. It’s the kind of hope that builds excitement, even though there are way too many unanswered questions. A defense that has been horrid for years gets some young talent up front and some old talent in the secondary. But is it enough to even be middle-of-the-pack in the NFL? The offense is revamped to focus on a bruising runner that exploited defenses throughout the second half of 2005. But, with huge changes along the offensive line, will he get the blocking he needs to continue his meteoric success? And of course, the issue of age. Is the window closing? Despite the likes of Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Larry Johnson, the Chiefs must be considered one of the older teams in the league. Trent Green, Tony Gonzalez, Eddie Kennison, Will Shields Ty Law and Patrick Surtain all will play prominent – even vital – roles this year. Yet all are on the back-half of their careers and, in the NFL, age can catch up in an instant. All we can do is hope that these guys still have enough in the tank to finish the year.

As for me, I’m conflicted. I want to buy into the hype. I want to believe that a patchwork offensive line can open holes for Larry Johnson, even with future Hall of Famer Willie Roaf watching from home. I want to believe that Tony Gonzalez will get back the Mojo that Antonio Gates stole from him and return to prominence as one of the best Tight Ends in the game. I want to believe Kyle Turley can protect Trent Green’s blindside and Sammie Parker can become a legitimate receiving threat. Then there’s the defense. I hope against hope that Hali will be a difference maker and not hit the wall in Week 10. I hope that Ty Law still has enough savvy to pick off 5 to 10 passes and Bernard Pollard can continue to ram into receivers like a freight train. I’m desperate to see a defensive line that can at least slow the run, even if they can’t stop it all together.

But, even will all this hope running through my veins, I’ve got a nagging feeling about this Chiefs team. There’s that doubt in the back of my mind – this fear that we’re one knee injury away from 2-14. I was amazed by Larry Johnson last year. I don’t expect a repeat performance. The line is part of the reason. But the other part is just a feeling. I’m not sure Larry can do it for a full year. He’s going to slow down. Defenses are going to stack against him. It will be more difficult. I like Ty Law, but the man is getting up there for a defensive back and he has to go up against Randy Moss twice this year (even with Aaron Brooks throwing those ducks down the field). And, I firmly believe the AFC West is one of the best, if not the best, division in football. Nobody lies down. There are no gimmies. Oakland is bad, but they’re still Oakland. Even if you dressed me in Silver and Black, you couldn’t pay me enough to go to a game there. That place is scary! Denver is better than last year – even with Jake the Snake still running the offense. San Diego probably has the most talent in the AFC, but will have to get along together to make it work. It’s going to be a tough ride. I can see the Chiefs finishing anywhere from 8-8 to 12-4. I think they’ll need at least 10 wins – and most likely 11 – to make the playoffs. So, here’s how I think it shakes out this year:

September 10 versus Cincinnati – Carson Palmer will come out firing, but Arrowhead on Opening Day should be enough. Plus, I think Palmer is still worried about his legs and I wouldn’t put it past Gunther Cunningham to tell his guys to hit low. Chiefs hold on for the win (1-0).

September 17 at Denver – The frustration continues at Mile High. This game is probably too early for a Chiefs defense still trying to find its way. Plummer will be conservative early in the year – he saves his choke jobs for when it matters. Broncos get the first one (1-1).

September 24 – BYE.

October 1 versus San Francisco – This is one of those games that the Chiefs lost in the past because they assumed they would win just by showing up. I blame that on Vermeil. I think Edwards has them ready and they win big (2-1).

October 8 at Arizona – Edgerin James scares me, but Kurt Warner and the Arizona offensive line do not. I’d give anything to have one of those receivers wearing red and gold, though. I like the Chiefs in the dessert (3-1).

October 15 at Pittsburgh – The Chiefs are no match for the defending Super Bowl champs. This team will be supremely confident and I don’t think the Chiefs can stop Willie Parker or the Steelers’ defense. Chiefs lose (3-2).

October 22 versus San Diego – I like the Chiefs to defend their home turf against and AFC West rival. Look for multiple defensive stunts to keep Phillip Rivers uncomfortable and the Chiefs out in front (4-2).

October 29 versus Seattle – The Chiefs can’t keep the momentum going and Shawn Alexander will tear them to pieces. In a matter of three weeks, they’ll have lost to both 2006 Super Bowl teams (4-3).

November 5 at St. Louis – The Chiefs reach the half-way point of the season with no sign of Willie Roaf. However, they are better than the Rams and talent will be enough (5-3).

November 12 at Miami – The Dolphins prove why they are one of the AFC favorites this year – dominating the Chiefs on the ground and on defense. That is quickly becoming the recipe for success against KC as they just can’t get over the hump (5-4).

November 19 versus Oakland – The Chiefs move into the easiest part of their schedule and crush the Raiders in KC. No love lost between these teams, but Oakland is bad on both sides of the ball (6-4).

November 23 versus Denver – Again, the Chiefs use home field and fend off the surging Broncos. Thanksgiving Day in KC will be good for the home team (7-4).

December 3 at Cleveland – The Browns and Charlie Frye will be overmatched as they are still a couple of years away. The Chiefs make it three in a row with a road win (8-4).

December 10 versus Baltimore – This game would scare me earlier in the year, but this late, McNair will be hurt, Lewis will be in jail and the Chiefs will win their fourth in a row (9-4).

December 17 at San Diego – On the road in the AFC is always tough and this game proves no different. The Chargers use Tomlinson perfectly and knock off the Chiefs (9-5).

December 23 at Oakland – A night game with those insane fans? No thank you. But, the Chiefs put up a good fight, then blow it on a couple of big plays to Randy Moss (9-6).

December 31 versus Jacksonville – In a must win to have any shot at the playoffs, and playing at home, the Chiefs struggle with the pressure, but are able to keep Jacksonville quiet in the cold (10-6).

So, there you have it. Ten wins, six losses. But, here’s the kicker that will really make Carl Peterson’s blood boil. It still won’t be enough to get into the playoffs, finishing with a 3-3 division record – behind San Diego and Denver at 4-2 in the West. And so will begin an off-season of frustration. And, when the NFL draft roles around, hope will return. It always does.

The Race for 63! The Royals take two from the Twins and two from the White Sox before getting crushed by the Payroll (Yanks) on Labor Day. They’ve got a heck of a schedule through the end of the year, but the .500 baseball effort will still get the job done. Current record – 51-88. Projected record – 59-103.

Fixing College Football (Part II)

A couple of interesting comments on my plan for re-aligning the college football conferences and I’m guessing most of you agreed with the sentiment that this may be a bit far fetched. (I believe the words “pipe dream” were used.) That’s all fine and good. I’m well aware that the powers that be are not interested in making radical changes. My plan is simply to put out there what would work. I am confident we will spend the next ten years or more wondering why USC and Auburn aren’t playing for the title when neither has a loss, or how a two loss Oklahoma team snuck into the picture or why TCU isn’t getting a shot or what to do with three undefeateds. That’s the reality of college football today. My point is that it doesn’t have to be. It just takes some common sense.

As for questions about which teams were in and which were out, remember that all teams are still D-I and all conferences will have a shot. We’ll get to more of that later. I could certainly see replacing Miami-OH with Northwestern, but the Wildcats never really fit into the Big 10 and I think one of those MAC teams that is actually trying to succeed in big time college football at least deserves a shot. I feel the same way when it comes to excluding Texas Teach and Baylor in favor of at least one team from the WAC and the Mountain West. Though decent schools, Tech and Baylor never would have been invited into the Big 12 if BYU had accepted the offer back when the league was formed. Just because they’ve been in for 10 years doesn’t make them a legit super-conference team to me. And finally, Duke. I understand their basketball prowess and if the same scheme were applied for both football and basketball, they would have to be included. But as a football only solution, the Blue Devils get the boot. They are awful and don’t deserve to be in a Super-Conference based on their gridiron incompetence. That’s just the way it is.

The next step in the process involves scheduling. This is pretty simple. First of all, no more Division II’s (known as “cupcakes” to most of the world, “tune-ups” if you have a lot on your schedule or you live in Manhattan, Kansas). If you choose to schedule a Division II, it doesn’t count on your record, but you don’t get to schedule an extra game because of it. The maximum number of regular season games is 11. The regular season must be complete by the weekend after Thanksgiving. For Super-Conferences, you play each team in your division one time. For regular conferences, you play each team in your conference once. That leaves four games on each schedule.

For Super-Conference teams, one of those games will come against a team from the other division in your Super-Conference. The match-up will be determined by the order of finish in each division the previous year – if you finish third in your division, you play the team the finished third in the other division. Home field rotates. One year one division hosts all of them, the next year the other division hosts. Think of the matchups, especially based on the first, second and third place teams. It makes me giddy! The schedule opens 13 weeks before the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, that would be September 2. That’s when games are scheduled to begin already. That gives every school one or two off weeks throughout the regular season. Plenty of time for an 11-game schedule. I’m getting rid of conference championship games. They are worthless. The coaches don’t like them and they really aren’t fair. The current state of the Big 12 is a great example. If Texas runs the table and wins the Big 12 South, they shouldn’t have to play a nothing to lose Nebraska team that won the North, but is barely ranked in the Top 25. My system will reward both for winning their division, but Nebraska will have to work its way through the field to get a shot at the Longhorns.

Oh, and that reminds me. College football games will be played on Thursday and Saturday. That’s it, with some minor exceptions during playoff time. No Tuesday night game. No Wednesday night game. The NFL gets Sunday and Monday. High school football gets Friday. I don’t need to see Marshall play Northern Illinois on Wednesday night just because ESPN thinks it would be fun to get an extra game televised. Stick to the normal days! The compromise is Thursday with a couple of games televised that night. But that’s it! Not only is this better for the fans, the fact that the NCAA is allowing games on any day but Saturday goes directly against their “these are students-first” philosophy. Students first unless they have to go crazy prepping for a Wednesday game when they just played four days before that. If you’re so in love with protecting your student-athletes, make it Saturday only for college football! Otherwise, enough with the hypocrisy!

So that leaves us with three games for the Super-Conferences and four for the Standard Conferences. Schools can schedule these games against whomever they want – if Notre Dame wants to play USC every year, great. But, for Super-Conference teams, only one of these games can be against other Super-Conference teams. The other two have to be against Standard Conference teams. The philosophy here is that the in-conference schedule for Standard Conference teams is naturally going to be a bit weaker. They deserve a shot at as many Super-Conference teams they can get. However, the Standard Conference teams have no limits on their opponents. As long as they are Division-1, they can play whomever they want. Finally, all non-conference games must be complete prior to the beginning of conference play. Once conference play begins, that’s where we stay – until playoff time.

And that’s where it gets exciting. When play ends on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, it’s time to determine which teams are in the hunt for the championship. My system is simple. The format will consist of 24 teams. The division winners of each of the four Super-Conference divisions (8 teams) and the conference winners of each of the seven Standard Conferences (7 teams) get automatic berths. The final nine teams are the nine teams not yet in with the highest ranking according to the final BCS poll. Because the conference champs or division champs are automatically in, I can’t envision any scenario where an undefeated team isn’t in the playoff. They’ll have played every team in their division or conference at least once and not lost, meaning every other team in their division or conference has at least one loss. No more Utah’s and Auburn’s on the outside looking in. They get their shot.

The final 24 teams are then seeded one through 24 based on the final BCS poll. Teams one through 8 get a first week bye. Teams 9 through 24 play each other the first Saturday after the regular season ends. (Team 9 plays 24, 10 plays 23, etc.) For Week 1 of the playoffs, games are held at campus sites of the higher seeded team. When those eight games are completed, the teams are re-seeded 1-16 and the 1-8 teams host Week 2 playoff games. (Again, one plays 16, two plays 15, etc.)

After two weeks of playoff excitement, we’re down to eight teams. Now the bowl affiliations come into play. Seven bowls will be associated with the National Championship series. The NCAA could take bids or simply invite the biggest and best. I would include the five currently part of the BCS system and add two more. Which weekend these bowls are played will rotate each year. Week 3 of the playoff has the eight teams remaining. Week 4 is the Final Four and Week 5 is the National Championship. The National Championship game is always played on New Year’s Day, unless that is a Sunday. In that case, the National Championship game is played on Monday. That means, on New Years Day, you crown an actual National Champ. No waiting for final polls. No questions surrounding two or more undefeateds. The decision is made based on who wins on the field. With the top 24 teams getting in, there is no way that there will be an undefeated team that doesn’t win the National Championship. It’s win or go home.

Now, in today’s bowls system, 56 teams get to play in bowl games. If my system ended there, only 24 teams would get a post-season. That’s where all the rest of the bowls come in. The other bowls can send out invites to other teams that didn’t make the playoff. The significance of these games doesn’t change what we see today. They can pick any of the teams that didn’t make the playoff. They can schedule the games whenever they want as long as it’s not after the National Championship game. College football ends on New Year’s Day. That’s that.

So, there you go. That’s my system. I’m sure it’s not perfect, but I think it would work. The max number of games any team would play is 16 – and that’s only if one of the lower seeded (9-24) teams made it to the title game. I’m guessing the National Championship game will be game 15 for most teams each year. We’ve already got teams that play 14 games a year, so that isn’t much of a stretch. The bowls would complain, but they’d get over it. I think the television folks would prefer this. You’ve got your sites for the final three weeks pre-determined and you are going to see the match-ups every one wants to see over the course of the playoff. All it takes is some willingness to change. And, one more thing. I’m sure the money issue can be worked out. Between gate receipts and the normal fees paid to participants and conferences, there will be plenty to go around. Every conference is assured at least one playoff or bowl game. So you can divide the first two weeks equally between the all Conferences, then do payouts based on remaining games after that. My point is, it’s not that difficult. If I can put something together while working on my laptop and sitting on my bed, the NCAA can get a group together and make it work. Let’s just do it!

The Race to 63! The Royals didn’t take my .500 admonition to heart, losing 2 of three to the Indians and Blue Jays. Now they need a winning streak to get things going in their favor. Current record – 47-85. Projected record – 58-104.

Fixing College Football (Part I)

It’s time to fix college football. Now, I know you cynics out there are saying, “Isn’t college football already fixed?” So, let me be clear. I am not talking about gambling. I am talking about a game that is so broken, that fans of just about every school admit going into the season that it is entirely possible for their team to win every game and not play for the “National Championship.” College football is so behind the times that several coaches that vote in the Coaches Poll admit that they rarely watch other teams play. College football is so lost that even though the Bowl Championship Series has been revised just about every year since its inception, it is still considered the ugly step-sister to every other NCAA-sanctioned method of determining a champion. (See tournament in your dictionary.)

So, before I come to you with my all-encompassing, change everything and see what happens solution, let’s ask the question. Why is college football broken? The game itself is incredibly exciting, the talent on the field has never been better and the passion of fans is off the charts. So what’s the problem? The answer, of course, is money. You see, money changes everything and when it comes to money and the NCAA, the bowl system is the proverbial cash cow (or, in the case of the Chick-Fill-A Peach Bowl ad campaign, quite literally a cash cow). Last season, there were 28 bowl games. There will be about that many again this year. Of those bowl games, one – maybe two – have implications on the National Championship. But all of those bowl games have an effect on the NCAA bottom line. Through sponsorships, ticket sales and broadcasting rights, the NCAA and its schools and conferences make money on each and every game – even when the stands are only one-third full. The bowl organizers make money on all but a few games. The advertisers make money on most games. It’s a delicate balance and the NCAA is terrified to disrupt it.

Who loses in this deal? The fans. The fans pay the money and buy the cable packages and listen to the advertising and watch 27 games that are meaningless to the national title picture. And what are they left with on January 6th or 7th or 8th or whenever the championship game is played these days? Most of the time, we’re left with a disputed National Champion. Does that happen in college basketball? Not a chance. That first Monday in April always ends with a CBS playing “One Shining Moment” while the last team to win cuts down the nets. That’s a champion. No questions. One champ. College baseball? One champion? College softball? One champion. College volleyball, swimming, diving, tennis, wrestling, fencing, tiddlywinks? One champion for each level of competition. Heck, even the Division II and NAIA schools can pick one champion! We don’t get that in Division I college football. And it’s time for that to change.

Now, I’m not much for writing a series, but my plans to change college football is going to come in two columns. That’s because I have a lot to say and don’t want to run on forever in one column. The last decade of BCS confusion will indeed take me two installments to fix! First is conference alignment. Part II will include scheduling and bowl games. That way, you can rant at me if your team isn’t treated well not once, but twice!

Okay, let’s get on to the conference system in college football. There are too many conferences and they are not created equally. Even at the super conference level, the current conference alignment doesn’t make sense. The Big East is a great example this year. Though once somewhat powerful, the Big East is a shell of its former self as schools have jumped ship to other conferences. West Virginia is a title contender this year because the Mountaineers should run the table this year. It will be a huge upset for them NOT to be undefeated in December. That’s based on the fact that they are clearly the best team in a weak conference. But because the Big East has an automatic BCS birth, they are virtually guaranteed a spot in the national title equation. That’s not right.

When dealing with re-aligning the conferences, we’re going to start with some automatic disparity differences. For example, North Texas and USC are both Division I college football teams. However, the money that USC puts into their program is millions above the North Texas budget. They aren’t – and shouldn’t be – on a level playing field. However, if North Texas wins its conference and USC wins its conference, both ought to have an opportunity to make it to the national title game. This is the college basketball corollary – that smaller schools aren’t looking for an automatic spot in the championship game, but they are looking for a realistic path to reach that game. The result will be four Super-Conferences with 16 teams each, 8 in two divisions. The remaining Division 1 Teams would form 7 Conferences with 8 teams each. (We’re actually one short, so one team conference could have seven teams or the NCAA could induce another school to move up.) Conferences and divisions are based on geographic area and rivalry history. Here’s how I would break the four Super-Conferences down – we can think of catchy names for them later:

East Coast A
Boston College
Maryland
Penn St.
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Virginia
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
East Coast B
Clemson
Kentucky
Louisville
North Carolina
North Carolina State
South Carolina
Wake Forest
Vanderbilt

Southern A
Alabama
Auburn
Florida
Florida St.
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Miami (FL)
Tennessee
Southern B
Arkansas
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi St.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Texas
Texas A&M

Midwest A
Miami-OH
Michigan
Michigan St.
Minnesota
Notre Dame
Ohio St.
Purdue
Wisconsin
Midwest B
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Iowa St.
Kansas
Kansas St.
Missouri
Nebraska

Western A
BYU
California
Oregon
Oregon St.
Stanford
Utah
Washington
Washington St.
Western B
Arizona
Arizona St.
Colorado
Colorado St.
Fresno St.
San Jose St.
UCLA
USC

I understand that everyone may not agree. Baylor, Texas Tech, Northwestern and Duke would be irate. But, the cuts had to come somewhere and frankly, I liked your programs the least! Also, it’s time for the NCAA to strong arm Notre Dame into a conference. No more special treatment. If they want a shot at the National Championship, they need to play by the same rules, special TV contract or not. And, finally, don’t call me a homer for including BYU in a Super Conference. BYU is a premiere program with a huge national following and the rivalry with Utah pushes them over the top. Plus, my brother-in-law would have clogged my inbox for the rest of the week had I not put them in.

Now, as I said before, the remaining teams would be aligned into standard 8-team conferences. There would be a total of seven. I’m not going to try and organize those conferences. Suffice it to say that the organization should be done by region. The process is simple. Take the final 56 teams and plot them on a map. Then organize them so that the eight closest are together. Pretty straight forward, plus you may actually develop some regional rivalries. There’s a novel thought.

So, there’s phase one – 120 teams in four Super Conferences and seven Standard Conferences. Now, before we move to schedules and bowl games in my next column, let me add one more thing. The BCS Poll stays. In fact, it needs to be expanded. I want it used to rank all 120 teams from top to bottom. The only changes I would make are that it needs to be released weekly starting with the first week of conference play and it needs to be somewhat static. Decide which polls and computers and college football insiders are going to be used and try and keep some continuity from year to year. The poll should be managed by a group of athletic directors and conference presidents that can rotate from year to year. It would be similar to the NCAA Selection Committee. I know many people hate the BCS poll, but in this scheme, I think it would actually work. But, for that revelation, you’ll have to wait for Part II next week. . .


The Race for 62! Though I haven’t written for a while, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped following my favorite baseball team. The Royals have actually improved and don’t seem to be in danger of setting any major league loss records, though they are still flirting with the franchise loss record. After sweeping the A’s in a double-header on Friday, they lost the last two games of the series for a split. However, if they can play .500 baseball through the rest of the year, they will finish the season at 63-99! It’s still in reach! Current record: 45-81. Projected record: 58-104.