duncan228
03-05-2009, 12:06 AM
Food for Thought: Futile pursuits (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Food_for_Thought_Futile_pursuits.html)
Mike Finger
Used to be, people thought of Saint Jude when they thought of lost causes. Someday, Joe Borgia and Craig Thompson might be viewed the same way.
Borgia, the NBA’s vice president of referee operations, is trying to rewrite the league’s traveling rule, according to ESPN.com. Thompson, the commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, is trying to convince the Bowl Championship Series to institute an eight-team playoff.
Neither man is inspiring much confidence from the public. Here’s a look at how their seemingly doomed quests stack up:
THE RATIONALE
Borgia: For at least two decades, and perhaps since its inception, the NBA has been plagued by the murkiness of one of its most basic rules. Clarifying what constitutes traveling and what doesn't, once and for all, would not only make the game easier to appreciate, but also do wonders for the integrity of the sport.
Thompson: For not only the bulk of this decade, but in fact since the inception of the game, college football has been plagued by the murkiness of its championship process. The NCAA crowns no official champion, and despite its good intentions, the BCS has proven to be a shoddy, often-embarrassing solution. Adopting a playoff, even in a limited form, would not only make the postseason easier to appreciate, but also do wonders for the integrity of the sport.
THE CATCH
Borgia: The people with the power to enforce the change are the same ones who don't want to implement it. One criticism of the NBA's official traveling rule is that it sounds too much like legal mumbo jumbo. To lawyer-turned-commissioner David Stern, there's nothing better than a loophole, especially when guys with star power like LeBron James can shuffle through it.
Thompson: The people with the power to enforce the change are the same ones who don't want to implement it. In the current system, the bulk of the revenue from the BCS goes to the conference commissioners, and thereby the school presidents. Any playoff would send the revenue to the NCAA. So even though coaches, players and fans are overwhelmingly in favor of a playoff, the powers that be don't want any loopholes for Utah and company to shuffle through.
THE HOPE
Borgia: Borgia, who told ESPN.com he just wants to write "the rule that makes sense," is as close as anyone has ever been to getting things done. And sooner or later, common sense and the spirit of fair play have to prevail, right?
Thompson: Thompson, who presented his playoff proposal after one of the most controversial college postseasons in recent memory, has picked an ideal time to make his point. And sooner or later, common sense and the spirit of fair play have to prevail, right?
THE REALITY
Borgia: Despite Borgia's admirable efforts, traveling is doomed to remain one of the NBA's eternal mysteries, like Drew Gooden's hair style and Mike Dunleavy's continued employment.
Thompson: Despite Thompson's admirable efforts, major college football will remain about as far away from hosting a playoff game as the Dallas Cowboys are from winning one.
Mike Finger
Used to be, people thought of Saint Jude when they thought of lost causes. Someday, Joe Borgia and Craig Thompson might be viewed the same way.
Borgia, the NBA’s vice president of referee operations, is trying to rewrite the league’s traveling rule, according to ESPN.com. Thompson, the commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, is trying to convince the Bowl Championship Series to institute an eight-team playoff.
Neither man is inspiring much confidence from the public. Here’s a look at how their seemingly doomed quests stack up:
THE RATIONALE
Borgia: For at least two decades, and perhaps since its inception, the NBA has been plagued by the murkiness of one of its most basic rules. Clarifying what constitutes traveling and what doesn't, once and for all, would not only make the game easier to appreciate, but also do wonders for the integrity of the sport.
Thompson: For not only the bulk of this decade, but in fact since the inception of the game, college football has been plagued by the murkiness of its championship process. The NCAA crowns no official champion, and despite its good intentions, the BCS has proven to be a shoddy, often-embarrassing solution. Adopting a playoff, even in a limited form, would not only make the postseason easier to appreciate, but also do wonders for the integrity of the sport.
THE CATCH
Borgia: The people with the power to enforce the change are the same ones who don't want to implement it. One criticism of the NBA's official traveling rule is that it sounds too much like legal mumbo jumbo. To lawyer-turned-commissioner David Stern, there's nothing better than a loophole, especially when guys with star power like LeBron James can shuffle through it.
Thompson: The people with the power to enforce the change are the same ones who don't want to implement it. In the current system, the bulk of the revenue from the BCS goes to the conference commissioners, and thereby the school presidents. Any playoff would send the revenue to the NCAA. So even though coaches, players and fans are overwhelmingly in favor of a playoff, the powers that be don't want any loopholes for Utah and company to shuffle through.
THE HOPE
Borgia: Borgia, who told ESPN.com he just wants to write "the rule that makes sense," is as close as anyone has ever been to getting things done. And sooner or later, common sense and the spirit of fair play have to prevail, right?
Thompson: Thompson, who presented his playoff proposal after one of the most controversial college postseasons in recent memory, has picked an ideal time to make his point. And sooner or later, common sense and the spirit of fair play have to prevail, right?
THE REALITY
Borgia: Despite Borgia's admirable efforts, traveling is doomed to remain one of the NBA's eternal mysteries, like Drew Gooden's hair style and Mike Dunleavy's continued employment.
Thompson: Despite Thompson's admirable efforts, major college football will remain about as far away from hosting a playoff game as the Dallas Cowboys are from winning one.