College football playoff gets a boost in the House
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Most people agree that the Bowl Championship Series got it right this year, with Alabama and Texas in the national championship game at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 7. No matter. The possibility that the BCS won’t always get it right is enough for Rep. Joe Barton of Texas.
Earlier today, a House subcommittee approved a Barton-sponsored bill that would ban the promotion of a postseason game as a national championship unless that title is the result of a playoff, the Associated Press reported.
Of course, Barton isn’t alone. President Obama has said he believes the only fair way to determine a champion is through a playoff system, and legions of college football fans believe it as well.
The measure passed by a voice vote, but the AP reported that one voice cried out ‘no’ -- Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.).
‘With all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on,’ Barrow said before the vote, though he added he didn’t like the current BCS system either.
The subcommittee chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat who co-sponsored the bill, countered, “We can walk and chew gum at the same time.”
The bill is a long shot, with a long and uncertain road before becoming law. There’s nothing similar pending in the Senate, but when December rolls around, the BCS becomes the prime topic for sports debate ... at least when there’s nothing new brewing on the Tiger Woods front.
-- Mike James
Top photo: Alabama celebrates after defeating Florida in the SEC championship game. Credit: John Amis / Associated Press.
