SEC media days: Hey, who let the BCS in here?
This is Bill Hancock of the BCS. He told us a few jokes.
HOOVER, Ala. — Let me start by saying that I really like Bill Hancock. He has worked for the USOC for several past Olympics (summer and winter) that I’ve covered and he’s one of the few individuals a media person can always count on to get information and help cut through international red tape on issues.
But Hancock now is a likable guy with a thankless job: He is the executive director of the BCS.
Nothing stirs the masses like a power point. (Yawn.)
I believe his second choice for employment was environmental spokesperson for BP.
Hancock opened SEC media days with a 15-minute power point presentation. He started with an unintended joke: “I’m going to tell you how [the BCS] works and why it works.”
He went on to talk about how college football “never has been more popular.” And, “Since the BCS was created, attendance and TV ratings have soared.” And (this might be my favorite): “We have the best sport, hands down. Why monkey with that?”
See, here’s the problem: Logic screams that college football has grown in spite of the BCS, not because of it.
The growth of college football can be traced to an increased presence on television, more dollars flowing into the sport than ever before and more higher profile coaches elevating programs to the stature of small nations or major corporations.
The fact college football has a flawed postseason system has nothing to do with its boom.
So I asked Hancock: What tells him that the BCS is directly responsible for college football’s growth?
His answer: “That’s a good question. That’s one of the things I thought about during my run this morning. I don’t think there’s a lot of intuitive evidence, hard evidence [that the two are related]. But attendance did begin to rise when the BCS was formed. Could it have been a coincidence? It could have. But we know the game has become much more of a national game because of the BCS. It’s not fair for us to take all of the credit for everything or get all of the blame for everything. But I don’t think it was just a coincidence.”
I’ll give him credit for a creative, albeit vague, answer.
But for what it’s worth, after his power point and a brief Q-and-A, I’m not sure that he convinced anybody in the room.
♦
Previous SEC/Georgia posts
♦ We’re LIVE at SEC media days (with no shortage of storylines)
♦ NCAA reportedly investigating Florida (but temper excitement)
♦ Can Dogs end Alabama-Florida monopoly in SEC title game?
♦ Listen up, Ole Miss: I’ve got Colonel Reb’s replacement
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
110 comments Add your comment
George Stein
July 21st, 2010
2:43 pm
Funny comment, Hawk.
GTAnchorage
July 21st, 2010
2:52 pm
Actually, most business presentations are given in PowerPoint…
TampaGator
July 21st, 2010
2:54 pm
Jeff…
I am glad Saban is “railing” about the agents. Someone needs to lead the way on the issue. By the way….Saban is a class act and I see why so many outstanding players want to play for the man…and why so many parents want their children to play for him. It will be interesting to see how Meyer addresses the agent issue….now that Pouncey has clearly stated he never accepted any money from an agent.
….and is there anyone more reviled that Lane Kiffin in the SEC….the polar opposite of class act.
T3
July 21st, 2010
2:55 pm
The BCS is simply nothing but a “Cartel.”
As for how it compares to a Playoff system, here’s an
article that Bill Hancock doesnt want ANYBODY to read.
Link:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-expansion060610
GeoffDawg
July 21st, 2010
2:56 pm
Not true Hawk. His contract just requires that all Bama administrators kneel before him when he enters the room.
GeoffDawg
July 21st, 2010
2:58 pm
Steve Spurrier used to be more reviled TampaGator. When you stop winning, “evil genius” becomes “eccentric old guy”.
Driver 8
July 21st, 2010
2:58 pm
Jeff,
If you address Saban as your Sensei, he will doubtless want you to sweep Meyer’s leg.
RxDawg
July 21st, 2010
2:59 pm
Logan, your right and I think that has to do with the way the other BCS bowls do their selection process. It’s like a draft, where they get to pick one really good pick, then have to wait while the other bowls pick, then they all get a weaker second team. I think it would be MUCH better if the bowls got to pick their 2 teams at once. It would make for much better matchups. Then you wont see Florida vs. Cinncy, or UGA vs. Hawaii.
joe
July 21st, 2010
3:01 pm
I will grant him that the BCS at least has delivered some sort of championship game during its existence that was better than the polls deciding the champion(s), but until it is decided on the field like division II and III football, his arguments won’t mean squat…
Monster
July 21st, 2010
3:03 pm
i hope a tornado sweeps you up and throws you out of b’ham jeff along with that bcs liar.
Saban's panties
July 21st, 2010
3:06 pm
Why does he care about sleazy agents? His guys get paid without the help of agents.
gcs
July 21st, 2010
3:19 pm
Hasn’t college football attendance risen every year since 1888?
Attendance has risen since man stepped on the moon. Maybe that did it. It also rose since the Berlin Wall fell.
It’s like saying I have a magic rock that keeps tigers away. How do I know it works? You don’t see any tigers around do you?
I’d be willing to bet college basketball, baseball, softball, etc. have risen since the BCS began as well.
.
G Man
July 21st, 2010
3:21 pm
Jeff,
Jeff,
You know who bought everything Bill Hancock said about the BCS system? Your esteemed colleague Tony Barnhardt.
Now, I like Tony-seems like a real solid cat, but let’s face it-he never strays far from the NCAA talking points. Seems to repackage a lot of conventional wisdom as well. That said, I’d love to have his job!
Ted Striker
July 21st, 2010
3:22 pm
LOL at the “sweeping Saban’s leg” comment.
juvenal
July 21st, 2010
3:27 pm
name another sport that does this format–now name another sport that would be better if it did….b(c)s at least makes March Madness that much more legitimate, & fun…
Tech Sucks
July 21st, 2010
3:30 pm
BCS is a joke. There is nothing he can say to convince anyone that it isn’t. Playoffs have to be implemented eventually. Period.
PJ for Governor
July 21st, 2010
3:30 pm
Jeff, he’s right and you’re wrong. While the BCS is not perfect, it is a consolation prize to all the playoff noise. The game is the best in the world because it has no playoff (that and its played by people who enjoy it not get paid for it). THE SEASON IS THE PLAYOFFS. BTW – true perfection would be a return to the old system. If you want playoff, go to the NFL, IMO that is the boring. Perfect would also be to get full time referees but do away with instant replay (its not exciting, even if commentators like to say it is, it kills the pace of the game, but does allow for more commercial, hmmmm).
GT Alum
July 21st, 2010
3:35 pm
PJ for Gov, sorry, but 90% of fans disagree. Most fans are more worried about the outcomes of games (replay) and the crowning of a national champion (BCS) having as much legitimacy as possible, rather than just catering to your ADHD.
GT BABY
July 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
WHATEVER….UGAY SUCKS!
GT BABY
July 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
JEFF, YOURE BOTHERING ME….
GeoffDawg
July 21st, 2010
3:42 pm
The BCS while having served an important role in the evolution of college football has lived past its usefulness. Without the mandatory bowl/conference tie-ins, we at least now have a better opportunity to see 1 v. 2 in the title game than we did previously. For example, if the BCS had been around one year earlier, Florida would’ve never won the national title in ‘96 because the game would’ve featured FSU and Arizona State. Because the Pac 10 was still locked into the Rose Bowl at that time, we had to deal with a bunch of incredibly obnoxious gator fans and it’s only gotten worse since.
That being said, while it had its purpose, in the long run, it’s only a stop-gap measure that should eventually lead into a playoff.
AlwaysAVol
July 21st, 2010
3:42 pm
Did he at least have those cool transitions between power point slides?
JB
July 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
How they can justify, with a straight face, being the only sport on the planet that doesn’t have a playoff, of some type, is WAAAAY beyond me.
HBTD!!!
REDPANTIES
July 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
DAMON? DAMON? I NEED MY PANTIES BACK!!! DADDY’S MAD!!!
REDPANTIES
July 21st, 2010
3:49 pm
I wonder if Courtney is kin to Mark Furhman???
PJ for Governor
July 21st, 2010
3:50 pm
GT Alum. The grass always seems greener, but seldom is it. Playoffs will kill the uniquenes and tradition that makes college football great. That is more than it already has with the BCS. If you want more proof to decide a champion make teams play real out of conference skeds (ie- include Boise St.) instead of D-2 teams. No playoffs, as with pre-instant replay, it the debates and arguments that make the game live on long after the final gun. If you want football with a playoff, watch the NFL, which fails to capture the same imagination and excitement.
Dawg1970
July 21st, 2010
3:53 pm
BCS is working just fine. It’s not perfect but even a playoff system wouldn’t be either and would be darn near impossible. I’ll be glad when the schoolkids go back and the red panties jokes can slow down. Grow up junior. BTW on a serious note, how did the mention of the red panties show up in an official police report? Does this sound odd to anybody else?
74Dawg
July 21st, 2010
3:53 pm
Jeff, i think the real reason you like Bill Hancock is the same reason I think you are a good guy- you’ve got less hair than I do. On the BCS apoligist power point presentation: how the hell did he come up with 15 minutes of good stuff to say about the BCS ? Were half(or more) of the pages blank? Did it take 5 minutes to load each page/ If not, BP should whip out the check book and sign this guy as a free agent immediately .
GeoffDawg
July 21st, 2010
3:56 pm
Dawg1970 – regarding the panties, I was thinking the other day that that was odd for the officer to include in his official report. The only possible explanation I could come up with was that pulling them off the girl, in the officer’s opinion, may have conributed to the erratic driving.
How2fish
July 21st, 2010
3:57 pm
JB well said how indeed?
Tao
July 21st, 2010
3:59 pm
What did I miss? When did it become unacceptable to use Power Point in a presentation? Are you supposed to come out in a cloud of smoke and flashing lights like LaBron and Wade?
HugoStiglitz
July 21st, 2010
4:01 pm
PJ for Governor, I appreciate your enthusiasm for college football but pretending it is at the same level as pro football is crazy. The NFL gets much better TV ratings, money, and more fans then college football has ever gotten. At the same time, they crown a real champion. A playoff system for college football would increase the interest, TV ratings, and legitimacy of the sport.
Ted Striker
July 21st, 2010
4:05 pm
UF leaving Mike Pouncey on the schedule might be a disservice to the guy. Then again, I think anyone who asks Mike about his brother is taking a cheapie. I wouldn’t do it and I take cheap shots all the time. But not at family members. Just at the person directly.
Striker DOES have a code.
dagnabit
July 21st, 2010
4:05 pm
If I remember right, the dawg nation were all thrilled when the news of Urban’s chest pains came out. There were some rather nasty comments made about mrs. Urban also. Ask Urban if Jacksonville is circled on the gator calendar.
Dawg1970
July 21st, 2010
4:07 pm
At least the BCS avoids the confusion of prior yrs.Remember 1990? Gt and Colorado both still claim they were NC that year.
74Dawg
July 21st, 2010
4:12 pm
Hey Jeff, what happened to my post?
Tao
July 21st, 2010
4:12 pm
dagnabit – if CUM is so stupid to not give up what was causing his medical condition at doctors’ orders I hope he dies on the sideline
HugoStiglitz
July 21st, 2010
4:14 pm
Not really Dawg1970. In 2003 USC and LSU were both champions. The BCS does not prevent a split National Championship.
Tech Fan Since 1950
July 21st, 2010
4:15 pm
The rise in college football attendance and all those other superlatives mentioned have nothing to do with the hated (much hated) BCS. College football has always been popular and both we baby boomers and our kids were destined to grow up for larger numbers in stadiums. The BCS is still a fraud and a joke. Anyone that has ever attended a Furman/Georgia Southern or a Valdosta State/Carson Newman playoff football game, or some other playoff game, knows that a playoff system transferred to Division I football would be an even greater success than the BCS can imagine.
Tweets that mention SEC media days: Hey, who let the BCS in here? | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
July 21st, 2010
4:17 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by david jean, Jeff Schultz. Jeff Schultz said: BCS power point presentation at SEC media days was hysterical, only for its lack of substance. http://bit.ly/9Sv2PY [...]
Dawg1970
July 21st, 2010
4:23 pm
Hugo, I believe LSU was NC for 2003 season as a result of Jan 04 BCS game. So Cal won it the next year but that can now be called into question since they evidently broke NCAA rules to win it.
HugoStiglitz
July 21st, 2010
4:28 pm
No Dawg1970, in 2003 LSU won the BCS game and were crowned BCS champions. USC won their bowl game and were voted champions by the AP. Resulting in a split championship just like 1990.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_NCAA_Division_I-A_football_season
No One Knows You're a Dawg
July 21st, 2010
4:28 pm
“See, here’s the problem: Logic screams that college football has grown in spite of the BCS, not because of it.
The growth of college football can be traced to an increased presence on television, more dollars flowing into the sport than ever before and more higher profile coaches elevating programs to the stature of small nations or major corporations.”
Contra: The NCAA (not BCS) basketball tournament, which has rendered much of the regular season meaningless.
DawginLex
July 21st, 2010
4:35 pm
Add 1 more game after the BCS bowls and most years the arguments would go away.
Last year, Bama would have been forced to play boise state and Bama would have absolutely destroyed them. Most years though, a plus one would work like a charm.
2002 UGA vs Ohio State
2003 LSU vs USC
2004 USC vs Auburn
2005 Texas vs West VA
2006 Florida vs USC
2007 LSU vs USC
2008 Florida vs ??
2009 Bama vs BSU
dawgcrzy
July 21st, 2010
4:43 pm
Hugo, I’ll agree with everything except the fans and maybe the TV ratings. You look around at what people are wearing and the tags on cars and no way there is more fans.
dawgcrzy
July 21st, 2010
4:44 pm
are not is..duh
DZ
July 21st, 2010
4:59 pm
You can’t spell BCS without BS.
HugoStiglitz
July 21st, 2010
5:09 pm
dawgcrzy, for an example of TV ratings, the BCS championship last year drew a little over 30 million viewers. The NFC championship game drew about 57 million and the AFC championship game drew about 47 million. Both NFL conference championship games completely dwarfed the BCS championship. You can imagine how far beyond that the Super Bowl went. As for the fans, you are going to have to leave Georgia to see serious NFL fans, but nation wide the NFL is much bigger then college football.
PJ for Governor
July 21st, 2010
5:28 pm
Hugo, I guess that’s where we are differing. In our state and in the south, the ratio of college fans to NFL fans is significantly levered to the former. In fact outside of maybe Northeast and California, college is probably more popular. Whole states love college football, pro is usually limited to just cities and even some cities (Atlanta) prefers college. I have to think there are more college fans in Florida, more in Texas, Tennessee, etc than NFL. I’m not even mentioning Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kentucky, cities with no local NFL. Of course in NY, Boston, and DC, its the opposite. (No offense, but then again I honestly don’t really care much about what they follow (baseball? hockey? thanks but no thanks).)
superDawg
July 21st, 2010
5:35 pm
The BCS wants to get an early look at the next NC.