Atlanta Weather

| Traffic

Search
Political Insider

The coming scrimmage between Washington and college football

5:23 pm October 19, 2009, by jgalloway

Washington now has a political action committee sworn to bring an end to the current Bowl Championship Series and replace it with a competitive, post-season system for college football.

Which means Playoff PAC probably won’t be able to purchase influence with free tickets.

With two wars on the table, plus the largest economic downturn since your great-grandmother was calendar material, official D.C. doesn’t want to get too close to an issue that smacks of mere bread-and-circuses.

In early 2008, U.S. Rep Lynn Westmoreland (R-Grantville) and two congressional colleagues introduced a resolution to require the Justice Department to investigate whether the bowl system violates antitrust law.

This was weeks after much of Georgia thought the Bulldogs had been snubbed by the BCS, and shunted into a less-than-dramatic Sugar Bowl confrontation with the University of Hawaii on New Years Day.

Westmoreland’s resolution didn’t go anywhere, of course. But it is one of the few areas of agreement that the congressman shares with Barack Obama, who — as president-elect last year — declared himself ready to see some real playoffs.

Brian Robinson, a spokesman for Westmoreland, says Playoff PAC recently paid a visit to Westmoreland’s office, to measure the Georgia congressman’s continued interest in the matter.

“Congress handles lots of things that don’t rise to the level of taxes or war or Medicare,” Robinson said. “But we’re not going to be out there beating the drum. It’s really not the time or place for that now.”

That said, if Playoff PAC can get something moving, Westmoreland will support it. Bowls are “driven by profit motive rather than who’s the best,” Robinson said. Bringing college football in line with other college playoff systems “would be a chance for the DePauls and Villanovas to show what they’re made of,” the spokesman said.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.

  • Print

20 comments Add your comment

“But our leaders can walk and chew gum at the same time.” « Get The Picture

October 19th, 2009
6:29 pm

[...] And the usual suspects sound very impressed and supportive. [...]

jconservative

October 19th, 2009
6:41 pm

Do we really want to involve the Federal government in the issue of which college football teams play for the mythical national championship? Or do we want the Federal government to decide how the NCAA decides its mythical national champion?

We have politicians who will swear their daddy assaulted the preachers wife if it will get them a few more votes.

PeteyNice

October 19th, 2009
7:03 pm

I am all for a college football playoff. I don’t care if the feds require it or not. However, DePaul does not have a football team and Villanova is not 1A in football.

reck style

October 19th, 2009
7:27 pm

so I went to work today and sat across from Hokie grad like I do every M-F, did not have to say a word, just played this video baby……………. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8GuH9oDHrU hahahahahahah God I love this team and CPJ rocks! bring the playoffs on!

gatorman770

October 19th, 2009
7:31 pm

That’s just what we need the Federal Government taking over the BCS and all collegiate sports to bring “Change”,”Fairness” and more unionization by running it with the efficency of the US Postal Service, Medicaid and Social Security!

gtfanfrom1951

October 19th, 2009
7:36 pm

Slow day Jim?

SC Dawg

October 19th, 2009
8:16 pm

Jim, your a douch bag for even using this as an article period.

Brian Robinson

October 19th, 2009
8:26 pm

To PeteyNice: You’re right and I want to clarify what I said about Depaul and Villanova. I was saying a college football playoff would give us an exciting event like college basketball’s NCAA Tournament where little schools can develop excellent programs that play with the bigs. I wasn’t saying those schools would have Division I football teams.

Are You Kidding?

October 19th, 2009
8:30 pm

Bringing college football in line with other college playoff systems “would be a chance for the DePauls and Villa Novas to show what they’re made of,” the spokesman said.

In this quote we have direct proof that Westmoreland nor his staff have any business involving itself anywhere in the sporting arena. Villanova is a FCS member meaning it is already involved in a playoff system while football is not played at DePaul.

Westmoreland is simply bitter that his beloved Bulldogs were left out of the BCS Championship Game in 2007. If he was as informed as he believed himself to be, he would have realized then just as we all realize now, that georgia was omitted because as a football team it was not up to par with the top two college teams that season.

The bowl system currently in place generates more revenue than a college playoff possibly could and there’s no logical way to dispute that.

Again, this Westmoreland guy is a clown trying to garner favor with a few college football fans, nothing more. he’s talking out of his backside. End of story.

Darren

October 19th, 2009
8:36 pm

Real shame Westmoreland cares more for football than the soldiers of his state who’ve been blown to bits in Iraq for nothing.

Papa

October 19th, 2009
8:37 pm

Yeah … Foggy Bottom vs. NCAA. Is that arrogant and powerful vs. powerful and arrogant or vice versa? One MORE thing Washington doesn’t know anything about, like frugality, integrity, humility … let it go and pick a battle that can be won …

playoff needed

October 19th, 2009
8:45 pm

it disgusts me every year that we have to deal with untested teams like hawaii or boise who played a cupcake schedule, have no injuries and get to play in a bs bowl. I am 100% for a playoff system that lets the best team at the end of the season play for the national championship. This is way over due. The current system is not accurate and has never definitively worked. Every state has a playoff system in football…teams are told every year: the goal is 15 games and win the last one.

The REAL GodHatesTrash, Superstar

October 19th, 2009
10:08 pm

Westmoreland is by far and away the biggest do-nothing POS moron in all of Congress.

BravesFan79

October 20th, 2009
2:05 am

The year that congress makes this happen this will be one of their biggest accomplishments of the year. College football SUCKS and its all because you dumb fans bicker like little girls so much you cant even agree to protest together.
College football is NOT one of the main sports and is not even comparable to the excitment of the NFL playoffs or March Madness! Hell even the WNBA has a REAL champion!!
Make this happen Obama! That would be REAL “change u can believe in”

findog

October 20th, 2009
8:16 am

in other words, since UGA is looking poorly this year the good congressman doesn’t want to waste his pandering time

GP Burdell

October 20th, 2009
8:46 am

How two-faced can a Congressman get? Saying that he wants the federal government involved in who plays who in college football, but not in healthcare is preposterous.

A warm welcome to the playoff lobby. Now, where’s the beef? | Sports News Images and Videos

October 20th, 2009
6:20 pm

[...] number of its targets, landing in national newspapers, major news sites, major political sites, political blogs an AP wire story that went around the country. Aside from the existence of those stories, the PAC [...]

Sean

October 21st, 2009
5:03 pm

Yes, our country is in the midst of economic meltdown, a war, and (depending on who you ask) a healthcare crisis, but BY GOD!!!!, we have to make sure bunch of jug-heads and their fat, beer guzzling fans get thier fair shake in the BIG GAME. for christ’s sake people, it is a game…not even a professional one at this level either!!! Get real people.

Producer

October 21st, 2009
6:48 pm

Who gives a flying fornication about a GD football playoff system?!! Don’t our politicians have ANYTHING better to do with their time and our taxpayer subsidized salary? How about fixing our bankrupted country for starters??

A warm welcome to the playoff lobby. Now, where’s the beef? | Florida Sports Net

October 29th, 2009
4:59 am

[...] number of its targets, landing in national newspapers, major news sites, major political sites, political blogs an AP wire story that went around the country. Aside from the existence of those stories, the PAC [...]