THERE WAS BIG NEWS THIS WEEK.
NO, NOT THE SUPREME COURT RULING ON HEALTH CARE.
IN SPORTS IT WAS THE NEWS THAT COLLEGE PRESIDENTS, AT LONG LAST, KILLED THE B-C-S SYSTEM AND WILL GO TO A FULL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AND CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OF GAMES.
EVERY COLLEGE SPORT FROM BASKETBALL TO ROWING HAD A TITLE SERIES BUT NOT FOOTBALL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
LIKE OBAMACARE THINGS START HAPPENING IN 2014.
THE B-C-S IS DECLARED DEAD AND AT LONG LAST FOOTBALL FANS HAVE WHAT THEY REALLY WANT.
THE PAIRINGS WILL CREATE A PAIR OF NATIONAL SEMI FINALS TO BE FOLLOWED BY A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
NUMBER 1 WILL PLAY NUMBER 4 AND NUMBER 2 WILL PLAY NUMBER 3 EITHER DECEMBER 31ST OR JANUARY FIRST.
YES, THERE WILL BE BOWL GAMES.
THE GAMES ROTATE AMONG THE ROSE, ORANGE, FIESTA AND SUGAR AND TWO MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED...THE TEAMS TO BE SELECTED BY A COMMITTEE JUST LIKE BASKETBALL DOES.
SO WHY, AFTER YEARS OF FRUSTRATION, ARE THE PRESIDENTS WILLING TO MAKE THE CHANGE AND EXTEND THE SEASON?
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER AND SO DO I.
THERE IS A HUGE MONEY POOL JUST WAITING TO BE SPLIT UP BY THE N-C-A-A.
NO ONE CAN ACCURATELY PREDICT JUST HOW MUCH BUT ESTIMATES ARE RUNNING TO A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN TELEVISION RIGHTS.
BUT THE NEW PLAYOFF SYSTEM HAS SPARKED A NEW SET OF QUESTIONS.
SOME COACHES, INCLUDING TEXAS HEAD MAN MACK BROWN, ARE ASKING WILL SOME OF THAT HUGE PIE BE SENT TOWARD THE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD?
IN BROWN'S WORDS "IT'S THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE."
IT'S NOT A NEW ARGUMENT BUT ONE THAT THE COLLEGE PRESIDENTS AND THE N-C-A-A WILL HEAR MORE OF IN THE COMING MONTHS.
RIGHT NOW MAJOR COLLEGES SPLIT THE 155-MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE CURRENT T-V CONTRACT.
PAYING PLAYERS LIKE THE PROS IS NOT LIKELY TO GO FAR BUT SOME CHANGES MAY HAPPEN.
THERE WAS A PLAN LAST YEAR THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED SCHOOLS TO OFFER A $2,000 STIPEND, IN ADDITION TO SCHOLARSHIPS, TO WHAT THE N-C-A-A CALLS THE FULL COST-OF-ATTENDANCE.
AT THE MOMENT THAT PLAN IS IN LIMBO SINCE SOME SCHOOLS, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, OBJECTED.
RIGHT NOW NO ONE IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY IS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO SPEND THE EXPECTED WINDFALL.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE GROUP THAT IS MAKING SOME SENSIBLE NOISE.
THE NATIONAL COLLEGE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION, AN ADVOCACY GROUP OF 17,000 FORMER DIVISION ONE PLAYERS WANTS SOME OF THE MONEY SPENT ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO MAKE THE PLAYERS SAFER ON THE FIELD OF PLAY.
THEY POINT OUT THAT THE PLAYOFF SEASON WILL ADD EXTRA GAMES AND PRACTICES AND EXPOSE THE STUDENT ATHLETES TO GREATER RISKS.
HEAD TRAUMA HAS, AND SHOULD BE, HIGH ON THE LIST OF THINGS SCHOOLS SHOULD BE WORKING TO IMPROVE.
RECENTLY FORMER SEVERAL THOUSAND FORMER N-F-L PLAYERS FILED A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THE LEAGUE OVER THE ISSUE.
FOOTBALL CAMPS ARE NOT THAT FAR AWAY.
WE WILL AGAIN WORRY ABOUT HEAT AND HYDRATION AS THE PLAYERS RETURN IN THE SUMMER TO PREPARE FOR THE FALL .
IT SEEMS REASONABLE TO ASK THE N-C-A-A TO SET ASIDE SOME OF THEIR NEW FOUND RICHES TO MAKE THE SPORT EVEN SAFER FOR THOSE WHO MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE.
THIS IS GEORGE HALE WITH MY PERSPECTIVE ON SPORTS.
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