Saturday Commentary: Congress to take on the BCS?

"Lawmakers want probe of college football bowl system"

Happy NFL Draft Day. To all of those people that are going to watch the all day coverage of the draft, I think you are crazy. I will let you in on a little secret. Your favorite team is still going to draft the same people whether you watch it or not. I also promise that at some point during the draft they will draft someone that you do not want them to. So, do something else with your day, like watch hockey. NBC is showing Colorado at Detroit at 3:00.

Now, this entry is not entirely about the NFL Draft. Instead, it is going to discuss a resolution being brought up in Congress about the BCS. Three members of the House of Representatives have decided that they want the Justice Department's antitrust division to investigate the BCS, to see if it violates federal law. Those members of the house include Neil Abercrombie (D-HA), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), and Mike Simpson (R-ID). The rest of this entry will look at why this resolution is pointless, and nothing will come from it.

First, where the creators of this resolution are from weakens their argument. All 3 are from a state that has a team with a fairly recent complaint against the BCS. In 2004, Boise State and Utah both went undefeated, but Utah went to a BCS game, in which they beat Pitt. Boise State however, went to the Liberty Bowl, losing to Louisville. In the 2007 season, University of Hawaii was the only team to make it through the regular season undefeated, and while they did play in a BCS game, they did not have a chance to win the championship. Also in 2007, the University of Georgia believed that they were better than the two teams that did play for the championship. In order for any resolution to even be considered in a situation such as this, it should come from a neutral party, not a disgruntled fan.

Secondly, while the majority of fans do want to see a playoff system implented, most of the major conference schools are actually against it. Why are many schools in the major conferences against a playoff? The same reason smaller schools in the minor conferences are for it. Money. Major conferences have control of the money in the bowl games, and the minor conferences want a bigger share of it. After the 2005 season, another game was added to the BCS, and the ranking a non-BCS conference team needed to achieve was lowered, making it easier for a smaller school to play in a BCS game. While some may think that Congress could force this system to change, that is not the case, which brings us to my third point.

Thirdly, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is a voluntary organization. Schools choose to be a part of it. With that in mind, the NCAA does not actually manage the BCS. If a school does not like the system, then they do not have to participate in it. This volunteer membership will make it difficult to enforce any anti-trust laws.

There are other issues involved in this as well, but these are the major issues. I will bring you updates should this issue progress. However, I do not see that happening.

Countdown to 600

Last night, in a loss to the Astros, Griffey hit his 4th home run of the season, 597th of his career.

3 to go.

Reds vs. Brewers 4/18 - 4/20

Game 1 - 4/18
Brewers 5
Reds 2

WP: B. Sheets (3-0)
LP: B. Arroyo (0-2)
SV: E. Gagne (5)

Game 2 - 4/19
Brewers 5
Reds 3

WP: G. Mota (1-0)
LP: D. Weathers (0-2)
SV: E. Gagne (6)

Game 3 - 4/20
Brewers 3
Reds 4

WP: J. Burton (1-1)
LP: E. Gagne (1-1)

Thoughts
The Reds need to start scoring first. Granted, they need to start scoring more runs period, it is important that they start getting some leads for their pitchers. Even in the game 3 win, they had to come back twice. The Reds have only scored first in the game 5 times, winning 4 of those games. Whereas, they've scored second 14 times, having a recored of 4-10. If this trend continues of scoring second 3 times as much as scoring first, it is going to be a long season, and a lot of quality starting pitching is going to be wasted.

Encarnacion continues to be a frustrating player to watch. He will look like he has the potential to be a good player one moment, then the next moment, look like he should not be playing higher than double-A ball. In game 3 for example, he made a great defensive play, and had a home run to tie the game at 1. Then in the 10th inning, he had an error on a relatively easy ground ball that allowed, then came back in the bottom of the inning to hit the first of back-to-back home runs to tie the game. He also has 6 of the teams 11 errors.

Up next: 2 game series against Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles. First meeting of the year. Matt Belisle makes his return from rehabbing in Louisville, on Monday.

Overall record: 8-11
Series recored: 2-3-1

Danica Patrick Wins A Race

Danica Patrick won the IndyCar Japan 300 to become the first female to win an IndyCar race. While this race was won at the end on fuel mileage, that should not lessen her victory. She is not the first driver to win playing the fuel game, and she will not be the last. It is just a part of racing, getting the most out of your equipment.

And while this win is historical, it also gets the proverbial monkey off her back. One announcer made the comment that she is no longer the Anna Kournikova of racing. It is not like Danica had not been successful in her career, gaining many top 5 and top 10 finishes. However, this is the elusive win that she needed to cement her place in racing.

NBA Playoffs vs. NHL Playoffs

Well, the NBA playoffs have begun today, and this being a blog about sports, I thought I should comment on them. So, here's my comment on them. I wish the NHL playoffs were more widely televised instead. Even though game 1 of the Cleveland/Washington series is on my T.V. right now, that is more a product that it is currently 12:54 on a Saturday afternoon, and there is nothing else on.

I simply do not like NBA basketball. Give me college basketball any day. However, this entry is not meant to go into the differences of the two brands of basketball. Instead, I will talk about why I would rather be watching the NHL playoffs instead.

First, the NHL playoffs are more exciting than the NBA playoffs. There are many reasons for this, a couple of which will be discussed in the next two points, but simply put, the NHL is more exciting. The complaint that there is not enough scoring in hockey is hogwash. Yes, I said hogwash. The amount of scoring in the game has no relation to the quality or excitement of the game. In fact, I believe that the infrequency of goals is what adds to the excitement of hockey.

Secondly, NHL players are more passionate about the game. I know that NBA players talk a lot talk before, during and after the games, and will show emotion during the games, but that does not compare to NHL players. I have watched a lot of games in my life, and I cannot think of any sport other than hockey where the team plays harder for the entire game.

Finally, NHL players have less of an ego than NBA players. How often do you see stories on Sportscenter about an NHL player running their mouth about how great they are? Very rarely, if ever. How often do you see stories about an NBA player expressing their greatness? Quite often. Sometimes, I believe that many NBA players want to win to simply to prove to everyone else of how great they are. In contrast, in hockey, they want to win to become part of the tradition of the Stanely Cup.

These were just a few reasons I wish the NHL playoffs were shown more frequently on stations that I actually get. If you agree or disagree, let your opinion be known.

Reds vs. Cubs 4/15 - 4/17

Game 1 - 4/15
Reds 5
Cubs 9

WP: R. Dempster (2-0)
LP: A. Harang (1-2)

Game 2 - 4/16
Reds 3
Cubs 12

WP: C. Zambrano (2-1)
LP: J. Fogg (1-2)

Game 3 - 4/17
Reds 9
Cubs 2

WP: E. Volquez (2-0)
LP: T. Lilly (0-3)

Countdown to 600

Tonight, in a win over the Cubs, Griffey hit his 3rd home run of the season, bringing him 596 for his career.

4 to go.

Countdown to 600

Griffey hit home run #595 last night in a loss to the Cubs.

5 to go.

Reds vs. Pirates 4/11 - 4/13

Game 1 - 4/11
Reds 0
Pirates 1

WP: J. Grabow (1-0)
LP: J. Burton (0-1)
SV: M. Capps (2)

Game 2 - 4/12
Reds 3
Pirates 4

WP: I. Snell (2-0)
LP: M. Lincoln (0-1)
SV: M. Capps (3)

Game 3 - 4/13
Reds 1
Pirates 9

WP: T. Gorzelanny (1-1)
LP: J. Cueto (1-1)

Reds vs. Brewers 4/8 - 4/10

Game 1 - 4/8
Reds 2
Brewers 3

WP: S. Torres (1-0)
LP: D. Weathers (0-1)

Game 2 - 4/9
Reds 12
Brewers 4

WP: J. Fogg (1-1)
LP: D. Bush (0-2)

Game 3 - 4/10
Reds 4
Brewers 1

WP: A. Harang (1-1)
LP: C. Villanueva (1-1)
SV: F. Cordero (2)

Reds vs. Phillies 4/4 - 4/7

Game 1 - 4/4
Phillies 8
Reds 4

WP: W. Kendrick (1-0)
LP: J. Fogg (0-1)

Game 2 - 4/5
Phillies 3
Reds 4

WP: F. Cordero (1-0)
LP: C. Durbin (0-1)

Game 3 - 4/6
Phillies 2
Reds 8

WP: E. Volquez (1-0)
LP: B. Myers (0-1)

Game 4 - 4/7
Phillies 5
Reds 3

WP: C. Hamels (1-1)
LP: B. Arroyo (0-1)
SV: B. Lidge (1)

Good Series
Ken Griffey, Jr. - Went 4 of 10, with his first home run of the season in game 3. FYI, a countdown to 600 will start after he hits one more to reach 595.

Jarred Burton - Over 2 games, pitched 2.1 innings of relief, striking out 4, walking one, and allowed no earned runs.

Jeff Keppinger - Went 6 of 16, with 4 RBI.

Bad Series
Josh Fogg - Started game 1, going 4 innings, giving up 6 earned runs and 3 walks.

Adam Dunn - Went 2 of 13, striking out 3 times in game 4.

Bronson Arroyo - Started game 4, giving up 5 earned runs in 5.2 innings, giving up 4 home runs.

Thoughts
Volquez had a good debut. Fogg did not. Even though it is still early, Fogg is the starting pitcher that is on the hot seat. Belisle has started his rehab, and when he returns to the line up, someone is most likely going to be sent down to Louisville. A bullpen spot would be possible, but so far, the bullpen has been solid.

Overal record: 4-3
Series record: 1-0-1

Next up: 3 games at Milwaukee

Olympic Torch Protests

I am going to make what I say perfectly clear, even though I know the message will never reach anyone it should. LEAVE THE TORCH ALONE!

What China is doing in Tibet is vile and deserves to be punished. However, the Olympics do not deserve to be punished for the actions of the host country. The Olympics are not responsible for those actions. When someone tries to interrupt an Olympic event, in this case the running of the torch, they are not impacting the host country, but rather the participants.

These participants have earned the honor of carrying the torch, or in the athletes case, have spent their entire lives training for something that happens once every four years. It is wrong to take from them the enjoyment of their moment. Specifically, what I am referring to are the events that happened in London. Here's the story on MSNBC.com. It is unfortunate that some people are so focused on something, that they cannot see the bigger picture of the consequences of their actions.

Reds vs. Diamondbacks 3/31 - 4/3

Game 1
Arizona 4 WP: B. Webb (1-0)
Cincinnati 2 LP: A. Harang (0-1)
S: B. Lyon (1)

Game 2
Arizona 5 WP: J. Affeldt (1-0)
Cincinnati 6 LP: B. Lyon (0-1)


Game 3
Arizona 2 WP: J. Cueto (1-0)
Cincinnati 3 LP: D. Davis (0-1)
S: F. Cordero (1)

Good Series
Johnny Cueto - Making his major league debut, he struck out 10 in 7 innings, had 0 walks and only allowed 1 home run, a solo shot in the 6th inning. Until that home run, he had a perfect game going.

Jeff Keppinger - Went 5 for 10, with 2 walks, a double, a solo home run, and only one strikeout.

Edwin Encarnacion - In game two, hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 9th.

Bad Series
Ken Griffey, Jr. - Went 1 for 9, with 3 strikeouts, but did manage to get 3 walks.

Brandon Phillips - Even though he went 4 for 12, he struck out 5 times.

David Weathers - Gave up 3 walks in 1.1 innings during the series.

Thoughts
It was encouraging that a couple pitchers that were brought in to improve the staff did not disappoint. Cordero did what he was brought in to do, and closed out the game, and Cueto performed well in the #3 starter spot. Harang and Arroyo did not have bad starts, but they were plagued by errors by Encarnacion. Strikeouts continue to be a problem for this team. In 88 at-bats, there were a total of 21 strikeouts, compared to 17 hits. To have a successful season, this number needs to be reversed. Phillips cannot strikeout this much if he is going to be batting fourth.

Overall record: 2-1
Series record: 1-0-0

Next up: 4 game series against Philadelphia