Hypocrisy rules
Hell hath no fury like a sports writer scorned (from that book deal following his team's appearance and/or winning the national football title).
In today's Detroit Free Press, columnist Mitch Albom is outraged, outraged I tell you, that Michigan got bypassed by Florida in the final BCS standings.
"Did Michigan get jobbed?'' Albom writes. "Sure it did.''
Boy, that's one more homer the Detroit Tigers could have used in the World Series.
I have been Googling this afternoon for Albom's outrage at the BCS in 2004 when an undefeated Auburn team got left out. Or back in 2003 when No. 1-ranked USC didn't even play in the BCS title game. Or in 2001 when Nebraska made the game despite not winning its own division.
Nope, still can't find those stories.
I guess you're outraged only when it affects teams in your own region, teams you cover and, of course, those book deals.
Albom isn't alone. Another Detroit sports writer complained that CBS' Gary Danielson campaigned for Florida during the SEC Championship Game.
OK, let's say Danielson did. Will Michigan then send that 1997 Heisman Trophy to Peyton Manning that ESPN campaigned for TWO MONTHS for Charles Woodson?
I'd call that one even.
As for Florida coach Urban Meyer, he has been called shameless and rude by the folks up north.
I'm no Urban Meyer fan - I think his offense is pure high school - but he did what every fan in the country wants their coach to do. He fought for his team. Maybe if Lloyd Carr had done the same they would be in the game.
In the end, I don't think all of this makes much difference. I've thought all along Ohio State was the best team.
I do find it funny each year when a new region realizes how much of a joke the BCS is.
In today's Detroit Free Press, columnist Mitch Albom is outraged, outraged I tell you, that Michigan got bypassed by Florida in the final BCS standings.
"Did Michigan get jobbed?'' Albom writes. "Sure it did.''
Boy, that's one more homer the Detroit Tigers could have used in the World Series.
I have been Googling this afternoon for Albom's outrage at the BCS in 2004 when an undefeated Auburn team got left out. Or back in 2003 when No. 1-ranked USC didn't even play in the BCS title game. Or in 2001 when Nebraska made the game despite not winning its own division.
Nope, still can't find those stories.
I guess you're outraged only when it affects teams in your own region, teams you cover and, of course, those book deals.
Albom isn't alone. Another Detroit sports writer complained that CBS' Gary Danielson campaigned for Florida during the SEC Championship Game.
OK, let's say Danielson did. Will Michigan then send that 1997 Heisman Trophy to Peyton Manning that ESPN campaigned for TWO MONTHS for Charles Woodson?
I'd call that one even.
As for Florida coach Urban Meyer, he has been called shameless and rude by the folks up north.
I'm no Urban Meyer fan - I think his offense is pure high school - but he did what every fan in the country wants their coach to do. He fought for his team. Maybe if Lloyd Carr had done the same they would be in the game.
In the end, I don't think all of this makes much difference. I've thought all along Ohio State was the best team.
I do find it funny each year when a new region realizes how much of a joke the BCS is.
posted by Scott Ferrell at 1:24 PM
2 Comments:
Albom probably wasn't even there when he wrote the column...
It needs no repeating here, but yes, the BCS is a joke.
The system asked coaches, analysts, and sportswriters to do something that really wasn't possible: divine who was the best of the nation's one-loss teams.
No one really knows if Florida is better than Michigan, or vice versa, without figuring it out on the field.
Maybe a tournament doesn't always crown the best team (no one really thought Florida was No. 1 in hoops going into March Madness, for instance) but at least there's no dispute about who earned their way into the title game.
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