Senator Hatch says the BCS violates antitrust laws

[NewsCopy]

  WASHINGTON - Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch urged the Justice Department on Tuesday to investigate college football's Bowl Championship Series for what he views as violations of antitrust laws.


Hatch made the comment after conducting a standing-room-only hearing in the Senate subcommittee with antitrust oversight, where he serves as the top Republican.

"Frankly, there's an arrogance about the BCS that just drives me nuts," he told reporters.

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[HoustonCajun]

_ _

I, for one, hope Hatch pursues this. To state that a playoff would undermine the academic efforts of the BCS schools is absurd. Why does the NCAA allow this one and only sport to NOT compete in a playoff? The BCS has a monopoly and it needs to be broken up. If they won't police themselves, and it is clear that they won't, then let Congress do it. Major college football is big business and needs to be under a level playing field.

[CajunSaint]

_ I, for one, hope Hatch pursues this. To state that a playoff would undermine the academic efforts of the BCS schools is absurd. Why does the NCAA allow this one and only sport to NOT compete in a playoff? The BCS has a monopoly and it needs to be broken up. If they won't police themselves, and it is clear that they won't, then let Congress do it. Major college football is big business and needs to be under a level playing field. _

i absolutely agree with you on this. i love the hypocrisy of the academic argument, even as the ncaa _____s its games out to tv on tuesdays, wednesdays, and thursdays. this is, and has been from the beginning, a power move by the large conferences to horde the tv money. it's their ball, and if they don't want you playing with it, then you won't. i say fine. keep your phony nat'l champ. game, but if you want to keep it exclusive, there will be a price to pay. can you say tv revenue sharing? and let's drop the argument that the gov't. should stay out of college football. that's a red herring. all i want the gov't. to do is declare that this is a trust--and then bust the hell out of it.

[RCAJUN90]

_ i absolutely agree with you on this. i love the hypocrisy of the academic argument, even as the ncaa _____s its games out to tv on tuesdays, wednesdays, and thursdays. this is, and has been from the beginning, a power move by the large conferences to horde the tv money. it's their ball, and if they don't want you playing with it, then you won't. i say fine. keep your phony nat'l champ. game, but if you want to keep it exclusive, there will be a price to pay. can you say tv revenue sharing? and let's drop the argument that the gov't. should stay out of college football. that's a red herring. all i want the gov't. to do is declare that this is a trust--and then bust the hell out of it. _

I agree totally with both of you guys. I would love to see the BCS broken up and a playoff system. It aint going to happen anytime soon because of the power, money and political influence of the BCS schools. In NOLA Tulane is fighting to get a hold of the new hospital (The old Charity Hospital ) but LSU is doing everything they can to get it and in the end the local school Tulane I feel will lose out to LSU. For the admin and teachers that don't think sports are important should pay attention. Why does LSU have so much stroke in NOLA? It is their success in sports and getting the guys in the wife beater shirts to become fans instead of pulling for the local school Tulane.

[MissingMandy]

Welcome to our world Senator Hatch....

[CajunCharlie]

_ Welcome to our world Senator Hatch.... _

Well said MM. How's the family doing? The Krewe is gearing up for the coming season. We are having a planning session in August. We are raring to go. I hope we see you often at the Krewe site this season.

[MissingMandy]

_ Well said MM. How's the family doing? The Krewe is gearing up for the coming season. We are having a planning session in August. We are raring to go. I hope we see you often at the Krewe site this season. _

Hi Charlie...I responded to you in the other thread but I was excited to see your response. We are so looking forward to seeing you this September. It's nice to have a break but I am ready for football season. We will be there if you will have us!!!! Miss you. Charlie please let me know if I can bring a dish or anything to help out.

[Rebel02]

I'm all for a fair playoff in I-A football, however, our representatives in Washington, D.C. have farrrrrr more important things that they need to worry about than intervening in college football postseason. This is not the time to try and fix postseason in college football. They need to fix our economy (and for political reasons and to keep this from turning into a political thread, I'll keep my mouth shut on how they can fix it).

[CharlieK]

_ I'm all for a fair playoff in I-A football, however, our representatives in Washington, D.C. have farrrrrr more important things that they need to worry about than intervening in college football postseason. This is not the time to try and fix postseason in college football. They need to fix our economy (and for political reasons and to keep this from turning into a political thread, I'll keep my mouth shut on how they can fix it). _

On the contrary, if they spent more time on the bcs issue, that's less time they have to further screw up the economy. The less these jackholes do to the economy the better.

[locoguano]

_ I agree totally with both of you guys. I would love to see the BCS broken up and a playoff system. It aint going to happen anytime soon because of the power, money and political influence of the BCS schools. In NOLA Tulane is fighting to get a hold of the new hospital (The old Charity Hospital ) but LSU is doing everything they can to get it and in the end the local school Tulane I feel will lose out to LSU. For the admin and teachers that don't think sports are important should pay attention. Why does LSU have so much stroke in NOLA? It is their success in sports and getting the guys in the wife beater shirts to become fans instead of pulling for the local school Tulane. _

Only a bitter UL fan would work an LSU shot into this thread... Personally I would rather see a PUBLIC school running it...

The only real issue here is that politicians from states that lose out on the BCS throw fits each year... Hatch of Utah is just the latest example (the year before it was Georgia (the same jerks that this year refused to vote to commend UF for winning the BCSNC)...

A playoff rewards the team who is hot at the end of the year... Teams with cupcake schedules (like Utah) will reach the end of the season in alot better shape than teams with more grueling schedule (like SEC and BigXII teams)... the bowl system allows for a resting period which allows teams to even out and be at the best (for the most part) they can be...

This is my opinion... state yours, attack mine.. I don't really care...