Knucklehead of the Week Award

This week's Knucklehead of the Week Award goes to Joe Barton.

If you're currently going "Who?", you're probably not alone, and you shouldn't be alone. Sports fans shouldn't know this guy's name. He's a Texas Congressman, and he's in the sports news today because he plans to introduce legislation to force a college football playoff. That, coupled with President-elect Obama's not so subtle hints that he intends to push for a playoff, probably has a number of pro-playoff types exceedingly excited that they might finally get what they want. I, however, am not among them.

Look, I want a playoff just as much as the next guy, but this isn't the way to go about it. I've been readily disgusted with each forary the government has taken into regulating sports, and this is no different. I understand the interstate commerce line that Congress uses to claim jurisdiction over this kind of thing, but it's just ridiculous for the government to constantly be stepping in and telling sporting organizations how to run things, especially now, given that there are significantly larger issues going on in the country. Granted, meddling in college football would only stand about 4th or 5th on my list of most infuriating things coming out of Congress at the moment, but still. If a playoff is forced by government intervention, I'm sorry, but the ends will not justify the means.


With the steroids issue, it at least kind of made sense. Steroids are illegal, and while I'd prefer that the government just use the Justice Department to enforce its laws on steroids (you want to see sports crack down on this stuff like never before, send a couple guys to the poke for drug offenses) rather than having a dog and pony show to strong arm them into taking a bigger look for themselves, I can at least see the angle. It was still pandering, but at least it was only a misguided attempt to deal with a deeper societal issues.



This, this is just stupid. So college football doesn't have the most inclusive, clear-cut or widely accepted method for choosing a champion. There's nothing criminal going on, and you'd have to really stretch to find anyone who is being wronged in any way.

The schools? The NCAA is a democratic organization, the rules are what the majority say they are. You might make a case for the non-BCS schools, but that's a significant block of schools that would have a ton of power if they really wanted to wield it. And virtually all of the schools are raking in off the current system in some way or another, though some obviously do better.

The coaches? Yeah, I'm really feeling for a bunch of guys who become millionaires by coaching guys who are playing for a free education that they may or may not be availing themselves of.

The players? Well, you could probably make some argument here, but if we're going to start working on exploitation of players in major college athletics, I'd like to think we could find something bigger than some members of deserving teams that don't get to play for the national championship to start with.

The fans? For all of our "outrage" with the current system, we still willingly shell out our money for tickets, watch the games on TV, buy our favorite team's gear, and in general enable the continuation of the status quo.

In addition to all of that, the thing that makes this clearly Knucklehead territory is that Barton is a Texas rep, making this announcement only days after the Texas Longhorns were made this year's poster child for BCS unfairness. Could the motivations be any more transparent? Is this really any different than Georgia's president calling for a playoff last year after the Bulldogs were left out in the cold, or any other case of BCS sour grapes? Not really, except that now my tax dollars could be involved.

So, congrats, Mr. Barton. Here's hoping (but doubting) that this "Knucklehead of the Week" award is the last we'll ever hear of you and your fun little proposal.