“Neglect Among the Action” - College Football Edition

Spring Games have been afoot recently. I watched part of the University of Florida game featuring Tim Tebow. This is strange from a guy who used to watch Redskins pre-season scrimmages, but I’m vaguely uncomfortable with ESPN being present for a Spring Game. I know the games, which are controlled scrimmages, often draw big five-digit audiences, particularly in SEC and Big-12 country, but I have an undefined displeasure at these being made national events.

Rich Rodriguez was hired to bring a new vision for University of Michigan football. While the vision comes in to place, he has brought drama:

• The great lawsuit wars between Rodriguez and West Virginia University continues on. I really need to sit down and figure out who is suing whom and all the sordid accusations that have been leaked to the media.
• OL Justin Boren, of whom I know nothing, has announced he is transferring to Ohio State a move made only slightly less shocking by the fact he grew up in Columbus, Ohio. His official reason is that the olde tyme Maize and Blue ‘family values have eroded.’
• QB Ryan Mallett, who performed competently as a Freshman filling in while Chad Henne was hurt, has transferred, since he’s not up to running Rodriguez’s spread-option offense.
• Other Big Ten coaches, specifically Purdue’s Joe Tiller and Ohio State’s Jim Tressel have criticized Rodriguez’s recruiting ethics.
• Rather naturally, the Wolverines are getting adjusted to Rodriguez’s schemes: the spread-option on offense (from the I-formation, used for generations at UM) and a variable front defense (from the 4-3, which I think has been run at UM for 15 or so years).

Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives have asked the Department of Justice to look into whether the BCS violates anti-trust laws. The three, whose names are unworthy of mention, are likely pandering to their respective constituencies as victims of the BCS, those being Hawaii (University of Hawaii), Georgia (University of Georgia) and Idaho (Boise State University ). Good thing there isn’t a war on or anything. I immensely dislike the BCS, but this is stupid. It reminds me of the time a couple of years ago a legislator in the R.O.C. Taiwan proposed a bill asking the New York Yankees not to send Chen-Ming Wang back to AAA. These politicians either do not, or choose not to understand big money sports.

Georgia was angry at being hosed out of the Rose Bowl and/or the National Championship Game, so they destroyed Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Hawaii fans spent much of the season grousing about not being ranked higher in the BCS rankings, but the abuse they took from Georgia would seem to indicate they’re only BCS worthy by statute. Their probably also bitter about being humiliated on national broadcast television by Georgia. I’m not sure what BSU would be crabby about, their 2007 BCS victory in the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma was memorable and historical. The Broncos were not BCS quality this year.

The usual number of players were kicked off of their teams for the usual range of arrests: robbery, domestic violence (attention college football players! Do not hit your women, do not move in with them), drug and weapons possession, sexual assault, various fighting related charges.