Deseret News | Reader comments: Hatch labels BCS system 'elitism' at its core

Reader comments
Hatch labels BCS system 'elitism' at its core

Hey Orrin, | 9:59 p.m. March 30, 2009

Nice tie. Whatever it takes to get rid of the BCS. Down with the BCS!!!!!!!!!

ELITISM | 10:21 p.m. March 30, 2009

Hatch should know elitism.

ELITISM is the HALLMARK of the RE-PUBLICAN PLATFORM!

Really? Well | 11:04 p.m. March 30, 2009

HYPERBOLE is the HALLMARK of the NEVER-TAKEN-SERIOUSLY PLATFORM!

I don't care what anybody says, this is a good cause and worth the time of our congress and justice department, given the million dollars in play. Litigate or legislate, whatever it takes, lets bring this travesty to an end.

Like the senator said, things like the BCS are exactly what our antitrust laws are in place to prevent, for pete's sake.

Comments continue below

aja rizona | 8:44 a.m. March 31, 2009

It's about time. This system is illegal from the get go. But, I hope Hatch keeps his eye on the ball here.

It's not aobut a playoff system. That's what the Godfathers have always wanted you to believe. This is the diversion. A playoff is almost irrellveant.

The main issue is the collusion and cornering of the market on the money. The automatic payouts to teams like UCONN a D-2 school just a few years ago, Lousiville, Vanderbilt, Baylor etc. is what is illegal.

You don't have to kill the bowls to crown a Champion. It's mythical anyway. This is about money money money.

You simply cannot lock out one half of a group from the money by contracts and collusion. The only entity exempt from this is major league baseball.

This would be settled in one day if just one school filed a federal lawsuit. Until that happens, the mafia will continue to call the shots.

Very few programs will ever play in a BCS bowl game.
But this issue is not about that, it's about 6 conferences controlling all the money and all the bowls.

Time to settle the score!

Allen | 9:01 a.m. March 31, 2009

Senator Hatch is right on this issue. As a member of the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, he does have a legitimate role and reason to look into the BCS, which is a travesty and a blight on the college football landscape.

More important? | 11:47 a.m. March 31, 2009

This is what I want my tax money going to. I really want congress to sit down and discuss sports rather than try to fix more important issues. Besides, the system isn't really that broke. The good teams get rewarded. Utah had a great year and they were rewarded. Yeah, maybe they could have played for the NC, but finishing #2 isn't too bad. If Utah is consistently good like that they will get the respect in the polls to allow them to be in a position in the future, but now it is premature. As sports fans in Utah we just need to realize that our teams don't have the caliber of athlete that others schools have and coaching and effort can only take us so far. It's a feel good story that Hatch is doing this, but I think that is the only realistic result we could get from it, to feel good that someone is pleading our case. But, let's be realistic and understand we just aren't that good year in and year out!

elitist-NOT | 12:24 p.m. March 31, 2009

More power to Hatch. And YES, government SHOULD get involved in elitist behavior, even if it's something "not so important" as college football. Bet that poster is a far-left-winger.

The BCS money-grab DOES affect more than just a few people--it affects the bottom dollar line of over half of the universities in the U.S. If THAT's "unimportant" then you need your head examined.

Elitism, no matter where it surfaces, should be beaten down. Elitism is the basis of communism's leadership--only THEY can be the elite--EVERYONE ELSE is "equal."

Left-wingers better be wary of their bent towards socialism--not much difference between that and communism.

Re: elitist-NOT | 12:40 p.m. March 31, 2009

I am actually NOT a far-left-winger. I am a conservative football coach IN the state of Utah. I just happen to have an open mind when it comes to local sports and don't fall into the trap of thinking local teams are the best in the WORLD!

If the MWC is so bent on the "bottom dollar line" why the heck did they ever leave ESPN and get on with the mtn.?

Then with the bowl payout, after factoring in the bowl expenses; travel, hotel, gifts, etc., then the cut to each team in the conference, it isn't THAT much money.

The fact is, after seeing local teams up close and personal, and taking out the emotion, local athletes just aren't as good. just face it, athletes here aren't as big and fast as big schools.

You're kidding | 12:49 p.m. March 31, 2009

Hey Orrin welcome to the club. The BCS is elitism at its core? You don't say? Gee everyone else has known that since about oh let's see when was the original Bowl Alliance formed? 1995 or so? What's going to be your next big discovery? MLB players have been using steroids?

Anonymous | 3:42 p.m. March 31, 2009

You sound like Obama. Pandering to voters. Liberal or Conservative. Politicians. None of you serve the people. You serve yourselves. This political system stinks because of all the rotten apples.

Corruption | 4:57 p.m. March 31, 2009

The reason the government needs to get involved is that the BcS is a corrupt system that has shown over time that it has no intention of fixing itself. So just because the government is trying to fix the economy, does that mean they should let blatant corruption stand? Of course not. That is why they need to go after it. If the government is so focused on corruption in the economy that they ignore other obvious corruption, then still other corrupt groups will be enboldened. It sets a very bad precedent.

Re: More Important? | 7:18 p.m. March 31, 2009

Most people are missing the main reason why law makers ought to be interested in the BCS. Billions of dollars over the years have gone to certain schools simply because they have athletics programs associated with other schools' athletic programs. These non-BCS schools are diverting thousands and millions of dollars away from their primary focus (education) in order to field athletic programs. Yes, these programs generate revenue for the schools, but in order for the school to get the most money (e.g. by playing for a national championship) out of their investment, non-BCS schools need to dump more money into the athletic budget from the academic budget than do BCS schools.

In short, congress has a legitimate interest in regulating spending at (especially public) universities because tax money is going to these schools.

Re: 7:18pm | 7:57 p.m. March 31, 2009

I would like to see your numbers. From what I have seen most athletic programs are self-sustaining financially. Give me some hard facts!

Athletics does not take away from education, but I would beg to say they do just the opposite.

Who's to say that athletics can't be educational?

Takes one to know one | 7:27 a.m. April 1, 2009

If the BCS is "elite" then what is the U.S. Senate?

ajarizona | 9:44 a.m. April 1, 2009

Some of the posters here are too stupid to know the questions, let alone the answers, to this issue.

There are Federal Anti-trust laws for a reason. The morons posting here, who think this is a waste of time, have the IQ of a 5th grader.

Everyone has known since the Bowl-Alliance, this violates federal law. Try this in any other business and people are going to jail.

You can't corner the markets, you cannnot collude to gain advantage over your competitors. This is not about which conference has the best teams.

If 118 teams are Division 1 then the opportunites must be accesable to all evenly and fairly.

If you want to argue worthiness of one conference or another, then explain how Duke, Baylor, Vanderbilt, UConn, Iowa State, Northwestern etc.. get a check for two million dollars every year (minimum) by virtue of belonging to a particular conference and great tradtion schools who draw more, put more in the NFL, have higher rankings etc.. like BYU, Utah, TCU, are left out.

It's illegal you ignorant fools. Nothing can happen until it is put in the courts. Know the issues or get of my internet.

observer | 10:59 a.m. April 1, 2009

Nothing like a true politician trying to distract us from the things that really need fixing.

re:observer | 1:04 p.m. April 1, 2009

Just another jealous cougars who wishes BYU was the cause of this whole mess. But Wait a Minute! They are the ones directly responsible for the creation of the BCS. No wonder BYU doesn't want this thing fixed.

Vote em out! | 1:59 p.m. April 1, 2009

I'm so over Orrin Hatch - especially when he referred to Utah as, "his Utes." No self-respecting BYU grad would do that. You should be ashamed.

Anonymous | 2:00 p.m. April 1, 2009

Obama is a Ute

aloysiusmiller | 6:58 a.m. April 3, 2009

A 3.5 trillion dollar budget and the Senator is worked up over this? Aren't we tired of this guy yet?

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