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Michael Wilbon goes nuts on the BCS bias

I

ifarania

New member
On PTI this afternoon, Michael Wilbon railed against the selection process that has prevented quality midmajors from entering the field. As we all know all too well, fewer and fewer at large bids have been given to midmajors since it was discovered that we could really make noise in the dance and since we figured out how to get good RPIs (here I'm thinking of San Diego St). He went as far as to say that we should take it to Congress and claim that there is interstate fraud taking place.

So what do you think? I say Bradley somehow encourages the MVC to start a class action lawsuit of all the midmajors against the NCAA. Foolish idea of Wilbon to take it to Congress or pure gold? I mean, they do take the time to talk baseball... If not, I say at least legal action.
 
ifarania said:
On PTI this afternoon, Michael Wilbon railed against the selection process that has prevented quality midmajors from entering the field. As we all know all too well, fewer and fewer at large bids have been given to midmajors since it was discovered that we could really make noise in the dance and since we figured out how to get good RPIs (here I'm thinking of San Diego St). He went as far as to say that we should take it to Congress and claim that there is interstate fraud taking place.

So what do you think? I say Bradley somehow encourages the MVC to start a class action lawsuit of all the midmajors against the NCAA. Foolish idea of Wilbon to take it to Congress or pure gold? I mean, they do take the time to talk baseball... If not, I say at least legal action.
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In an earlier thread I said as much but it would have to be done with every mid-major school in lock stock barrel otherwise the schools heading it will get hammered! There though has to be some greasing of Congress from the middies.
 
Michael Wilbon is as genuine as they come. I was fortunate enough to chat a bit with him at the Northwestern-Illini football game this year, and he is the real deal. He hasn't forgotten his midwestern or Chicago roots (he bleeds Cubbie blue like some of us other poor souls), and can call a spade a spade. He's a Big 10 guy...and he's going to bat for the mids. I mean seriously, how bad is it when BCS shills like Vitale and Gottlieb, and now Wilbon go against the company line and call it like it is? A class-action suit is too much of a pipe dream for me to believe right now, but some folks at 'the network' taking this stance gives me a little hope...but only a little. They're still Disney employees.
 
interstate fraud is actually plausible. if it is proven that cbs and the ncaa share funds for the tourney, which more than likely they do. and if it could be proven that committee is discriminating against the smaller teams for the purpose of making more money by including bigger schools.

Good luck proving that though. Unless there is a written code that says "take the BCS schools before the smaller schools," it is **** near impossible to prove.
 
tornado said:
a lawsuit would only reflect badly on the teams bringing it...

But this is exactly what we need...more high profile guys who take the mid-major side of this argument to point out how much of a tool Digger or Nantz are
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We'll see if it pays off next year. I think not.
 
tornado said:
a lawsuit would only reflect badly on the teams bringing it...

But this is exactly what we need...more high profile guys who take the mid-major side of this argument to point out how much of a tool Digger or Nantz are
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I disagree. While there probably isn't enough money between the mids to compete with the NCAA's deep pockets, the NCAA has never had to open their books for anyone. An anti-trust lawsuit would force them to do just that, something I hear that they would never, ever want to do unless forced. There's no 'playin ball' with these jerks, so it's time to play rough. What's the worst they can do, keep us out of their tournament? Not let us host 'home NCAA tournament games'? What a joke. We already can't play in their tournament, and our only revenue sport plays in postseason tournaments that have nothing to do with the NCAA. Scr-w 'em.
 
shaunguth said:
We'll see if it pays off next year. I think not.
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As long as there is nothing in their way to prevent them from generating greater revenue the current system will not change. Where is the incentive?

It will take at this time a monumental PR fight!
 
SFP said:
As long as there is nothing in their way to prevent them from generating greater revenue the current system will not change. Where is the incentive?

It will take at this time a monumental PR fight!
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The incentive could come from a lot of places.. A government or legal injunction, for instance.. Or some sort of revenue distribution plan that disregarded school size.. I'd have to see precisely how the current one works to know how to revamp/scrap/improve it.
 
The NIT sued the NCAA and was going to win, so the NCAA used it's deep pockets and bought the tournament out. The University of North Dakota took the NCAA to task on their mascot, and the NCAA has all of the sudden forgotten about their name. The NCAA knows it has no leg to stand on with their ridiculous practices, it just has money. Hopefully the Utah class-action suit against the BCS falls the right way, as I think the dominoes start to fall after that. When that will be, we'll never know. They may just buy Utah out and tell them to shut up.
 
I think it'd be easy to show that there is some sort of big school collusion that is preventing mid major entry into the tournament.. Perhaps some sort of correlation that could show improving rpis of mid majors being ignored (as in the rpi becoming irrelevant) in relation to mid major bids over the last few years.. Perhaps it's even more blatant; the number of big school guys on the selection committee is disproportionately high! They represent few schools in reality, but they make judgments for all 340+ DI programs regardless of size. I think it's pretty clear that there is discriminatory and fraudulent activity going on that is cheapening the integrity of a cherished American institution.
 
ifarania said:
The incentive could come from a lot of places.. A government or legal injunction, for instance.. Or some sort of revenue distribution plan that disregarded school size.. I'd have to see precisely how the current one works to know how to revamp/scrap/improve it.
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Great, who has the power or will to change this? The BCS? They like the current situation! The only way it can change if the TV folks tell them that they need to be a bit more inclusive because if not they can not pay them as much for the rights because there is a drop in viewers. That would mean that the mid-majors would have had to boycott the dance. Are you ready to not tune into a game?

If you think there is political will for congress to step into this I'd be shoked. I believe there is way to much on their plate right now to add anything remotley like this.

IMO the only way there can be change is to start a lobbying group that goes to bat for the small guys. Again good luck! The SMB market our economic engine, where the majority of Americans work in, has a very small voice because they cannot collectively influence the political process. Big corporate America has found a way just like the BCS has.

There are ways but it will take someone or an organization to ruffle a lot of feathers to have a chance and I'm not sure there is an AD or school that is willing to take that chance.
 
If the NCAA committee is smart they will include at least 6 midmajors next year and possible 8 just for the sake of it....to shut us up by saying "see look it's up a bit from last year"...then it will go back down to 4 maybe 2 on some stupid argument, there will be uproar again and the next season after that it will be 4,5, or 6 then "see look it's up a bit from last year"...they'll prolong it by increasing it a little every other year to keep us quiet and we'll use the wait and see approach but there won't be another year where over 9 mids get into the tourney via at large...unless serious action takes place...it's done...the honest wholesome days of basketball are long gone and it is starting to show more clearly than ever...

I feel sorry for the teams who have those "miracle" years and they may lose one game and be left out for a BCS team who can have it 9 times out of 10 whereas that school has never been before and may never have the chance again..it's ridiculous. Tie should ALWAYS go to the midmajor just for the shear lack of chances some may get.

Arizona will deserve to be in the NCAA the next couple of years more than likely...so what if they are left out this year for a deserving team...that team may not have many chances
 
My brother is taking a course in law school on the NCAA, his teacher is a lawyer who worked for the NCAA for 15 years. I asked my brother to find out the feasablity of a lawsuit against the NCAA and he said its not winnable as long as the NAIA is in existance. The NAIA offers schools an alternative to being memebers of the NCAA which is the saftey against an anti trust lawsuit.

The world revolves around money, if you didnt know that already you havent been in the real world and college basketball is real world big business worth billions of dollars, its sucks but its probably not going to change unless they start to lose money from thier choices.
 
If money is the answer, how about putting pressure on the advertisers who advertise during the NCAA? If you get enough people writing to the advertisers or calling them and telling them you will boycott their products if they continue supporting the NCAA bias towards the BCS schools by advertising, you might be able to create enough of a campaign to get some things changed. Granted, a lot of people would have to get involved for it to make a difference, but if there is enough outrage from the public towards the advertisers, advertisers will have to reassess their part in the whole situation. As far as I know, protesting against the advertisers isn't illegal and has been used successfully in the past on other issues.
 
Redwhite09 said:
If money is the answer, how about putting pressure on the advertisers who advertise during the NCAA? If you get enough people writing to the advertisers or calling them and telling them you will boycott their products if they continue supporting the NCAA bias towards the BCS schools by advertising, you might be able to create enough of a campaign to get some things changed. Granted, a lot of people would have to get involved for it to make a difference, but if there is enough outrage from the public towards the advertisers, advertisers will have to reassess their part in the whole situation. As far as I know, protesting against the advertisers isn't illegal and has been used successfully in the past on other issues.
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Here is the problem, who has more alumni, Michigan and Arizona or Creighton and St. Marys? Its not even close, for every angry Creighton fan there are 5 happy Michigan fans so it doesnt really matter how angry Creighton gets.
 
Lakeview Brave said:
Here is the problem, who has more alumni, Michigan and Arizona or Creighton and St. Marys? Its not even close, for every angry Creighton fan there are 5 happy Michigan fans so it doesnt really matter how angry Creighton gets.
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It's not just the Creighton plus St. Mary's fans against the BCS schools but add the BU, Valpo, etc.. Then we are talking a large percentage of the market. I wonder what percent of the market does the mid-majors' fan make up? Take out a good chunk of the ratings out from a 12 rating to a 9 and you will see how fast sonsors pull out or not put as much money into it. It will take a conserted effort by all the mid-major fans to really make an effect because the BCS boys will not just stay pack, they'll have their PR machine running faster the Rush Limbaugh's mouth.
 
I really don't follow the BCS schools for basketball, and I wanted to vomit this morning watching sportscenter when they asked about some of the best games in the first round and they highlighted Michigan and Clemson. I could really care less about this game. I'd much rather root for Western Kentucky, or North Dakota State than either of those two mediocre schools.
 
Lakeview Brave said:
The world revolves around money, if you didnt know that already you havent been in the real world and college basketball is real world big business worth billions of dollars, its sucks but its probably not going to change unless they start to lose money from thier choices.
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Therein lies the hope. Ratings have been consistently trending down the past few years, and the highest rated game of the tournament last year I believe was Davidson-Kansas (I am not sure if that included the Final Four, but Davidson-KU was by far the highest rated game for the first 4 rounds). If the NCAA is going to try and only appease the alums of the BCS, they're going to end up losing sponsors as ratings continue to drop.

Just like every sport, the key to success isn't the hardcore fan and their money - they're always going to be there. It's the casual fan and their money that eventually will decide success or failure. The casual fan wants drama, the casual fan wants a story, the casual fan wants a reason to watch. The same BCS teams every year isn't dramatic, and doesn't capture the hearts or minds of the casual fan, especially crappy ones like Arizona and Michigan. Ratings will continue to go down if there's no story, no drama, and nothing to draw the casual fan. When ratings go, sponsors go, and money goes. It has happened with every major sport, and to think that the NCAA is immune to this is being very naive.

Listen, there are years the mid-major drum should be beaten loudly. This year really isn't that year. Which, to me, is why I am so pissed off. The committee could have easily let in Creighton and I doubt heard one complaint from Arizona, Michigan, the Pac-10 or the Big 10. They certainly wouldn't have heard complaints from CBS or ESPN, who all had Creighton in easily and without much debate - which is why it makes this all the more infuriating.
 
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