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March 31, 2011 |1 Comment College Football Playoff

2011 Final Four Proves BCS is BS

by Brad Sullivan

It’s been an incredible NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament this season, and the Final Four should be no exception. When you look at this year’s remaining teams, there are two teams that very few had advancing to this stage.

VCU and Butler have punched their ticket to Houston by taking down some of the highest-ranked, talent-flush teams in college basketball. The strong play of these underdogs proves once again that a playoff system is the best way to determine a champion. It is the most equitable method to determine who should take home the trophy.

In college football, the opportunity to win a national championship is only available to those who run in the same circles. A school must belong to a BCS conference to even be considered. Meanwhile, NCAA basketball shares the same equitable method to determine a champion as Division II Football, Division III Football, women’s field hockey, squash, and every other NCAA sport. You can get hot at the right time, make a run, and win a title. It’s the American way!

Unfortunately college football is more of a mafia cartel. The teams without the name will never have a chance to get hot and make a run due to the BCS. You’d think John Gotti himself set it up.

With the NFL in a lockout, College Football has a great opportunity to make some headway increasing their fan base, and what better way to grab more fans then by creating a playoff system?

We all know this won’t happen without pressure from the fans, but it would be epic. You would see some smaller programs get hot at the right time and run the table.

The fans will continue to be forced to watch lopsided routes and terrible teams play each other in terrible tradition-less bowl games rather than experience all the excitement and fairness of a single elimination playoffs system.

Michael Bradley Sullivan serves as an SFC Sportswriter Fellow. He is a senior broadcast journalism major at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. He was born and Raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is a fan of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Dallas Cowboys, and the San Antonio Spurs. Follow him on twitter here.

March 31, 2011 |No Comments Blog, College Football Playoff, Issues, Uncategorized

It’s Not Just the Fiesta Bowl – It’s the BCS

“Second to none.”

That’s how Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe described in 2009 the Fiesta Bowl and the “customer care” from Fiesta officials. Maybe Beebe was referring to the customer care given him by Fiesta CEO John Junker, who was personally reimbursed for $4.85 million in expenses over the last decade.

On Tuesday, the Fiesta Bowl fired Junker after an internal investigation revealed that the BCS bowl used its charitable funds to unlawfully reimburse employees’ political contributions and pay for top executives’ weddings, four-day junkets to Pebble Beach, and personal country club memberships, among other things. The investigation followed months of pressure by Playoff PAC, a political action committee founded by supporters of a college football playoff.

(If you want to know more of the grizzly details, check out this Arizona Republic report. My favorite – “In March 2010, the bowl paid for $75 worth of flowers sent to an admissions official at University of Texas-Austin where Junker’s daughter was accepted into the honors program.”)

But now, in the wake of Junker’s firing, the question is whether the extent of the Fiesta Bowl’s corruption is also “second to none.”

Don’t count on it.

From the Orange Bowl’s four-day cruise to the Bahamas for executives and college athletics directors to the $700,000 the Sugar Bowl spent in 2007 and 2008 on “special appropriations,” the spending at these nonprofit “charities” is out of control and Playoff PAC has meticulously documented these improprieties.

Not to mention the executive salaries.

At the time he was fired, Fiesta CEO John Junker was making over $700,000 per year for running a non-profit charity that claimed $15.8 million in expenses in fiscal 2008. By contrast, during that same year, the average salary for the CEO of a nonprofit that had between $13.5 million and $25 million in expenses the same year was $212,000.

And since you’re wondering, in 2008, Orange Bowl CEO Eric Poms received over $300,000 and Rose Bowl CEO John Dorger received around $275,000.
As for Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan, according to Playoff PAC, in 2008, he received over $600,000 and in 2009, he received $645,000. Keep in mind that the Sugar Bowl lost money in 2009 despite receiving a $1.4 million government grant. And, as Playoff PAC points out, Hoolahan collected $25,000 more than the Rose Bowl’s top three executives combined.

Clearly, there is an atmosphere of entitlement in these bowl organizations. And it’s undoubtedly going on at the smaller bowls as well. (Think the wannabe-BCS Cotton and Gator bowls act any different?)

The problem isn’t one bowl. It’s the BCS system. A system that encourages such absurd entitlement.

The BCS immediately put distance between itself and the Fiesta Bowl – one of the four bowls that make up the BCS. The BCS initiated its own investigation and has asked the Fiesta Bowl to explain why it still belongs in the BCS, which is a little like Lex Luthor asking the Riddler why he still belongs in the Legion of Doom.

Clearly, hard work of Playoff PAC, the Arizona Republic and other media outlets is starting to make a difference. Problem is, there is a long way to go.

It’s truly sad that college football’s postseason is so rife with corruption. A sport that starts with such hope and innocence in early September ends in IRS and ethics investigations in March.

The absurdity of the BCS system continues to be “second to none.”

–
Brian Frederick is the Executive Director of Sports Fans Coalition. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication and lives in Washington, D.C. Email him at brian@sportsfans.org and follow him on Twitter here.

March 31, 2011 |1 Comment Blog, NFL

Morning Medley: March 31st, 2011

It's Opening Day, Baseball Fans!

by John Morse

A Change in Business Amidst NFL Lockout

This time last year, it was considered routine for NFL team employees to engage in conversation with agents representing its players and the prospective NFL players during pro days and other workouts. Yet, this offseason is a complete 180. There are strict procedures and guidelines for team employees and agents while co-existing in the same location.

This exchange between agent Chuck Price and Green Bay Packers G.M. Ted Thompson should sum it up:

“I saw Ted and said, ‘We’re not supposed to talk, are we?’ ” Price said. “He said, ‘Well, you can talk, but I have to turn around and walk away.’

This exchange took place at UCLA’s pro day, where various team’s representatives and agents were in attendance. The league specifically instructed team officials to avoid speaking at all about current players or any prospective NFL players with agents.

Read about how business is now conducted (or not conducted) in the NFL here.

MLB Introduces New Ticket Deals for Fans in 2011

Opening Day 2011 begins today in MLB and with that you can find teams pitching new ticket deals to fill the seats for the season. Attendance has been down, so teams are looking for any way they can to get more people to come out to the ballpark. The average ticket price for a baseball game was $27, which is considerably lower than the $47 average in the NBA and $76 in the NFL.

Various teams are offering new and improved packages for fans at lower rates, which this article highlights across the league. The Detroit Tigers reduced prices on 4,300 seats making 12,000 seats in the ballpark now available for $19 or less.

Another featured deal that was first started by the San Francisco Giants is being offered in 2011 by the St. Louis Cardinals. The ticket deal referred to as “dynamic-pricing” will allow fans to get last minute available tickets for as low as $5.

Check out the other deals lined up for your team in 2011 here.

New Stadium Coming to Minnesota?

The Vikings recently began construction on their damaged Metrodome roof, but this week could yield even more productive results. Minnesota legislature is expected to walk through the new stadium proposal. However, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, provided his vote of confidence for the people of Minnesota to get a new stadium, referring to it as the “people’s stadium” during a rally that promoted the creation of more jobs to the area.

The Vikings need to reach a deal for a new stadium as soon as possible for a number of reasons. As previously mentioned this week, Los Angeles has a proposal for a new football stadium in the downtown area and one of the team’s the proposal is singling out for a possible move is the Vikings. The lease on the Metrodome stadium also expires after the 2011 season and the team has contended that the building is not a viable option for the future of the franchise.

SportsFans.org maintains that Vikings fans should not be manipulated to pay for the stadium based on Los Angeles’ preemptive construction, and a new stadium should not be tax-funded or tax-subsidized unless the team gives back to the community in tangible ways.

Get the extensive look at the Vikings stadium situation here.

Sports Fan Pic of the Day:

Sports Blog of the Day: Pensblog

Sidney Crosby, the Penguins captain, received clearance to skate with the team. He has been out since January 5^th from a concussion. This is making for some big headlines with the “Pensblog.”

This Day in Sports History: On March 31, 1995, Major League Baseball players agreed to end the on-going strike, which was the longest in MLB history.

John Morse is serving as an SFC Sportswriter Fellow based in New Hampshire. He is finshing up a degree in Print Journalism at Hofstra University. John is a very passionate sports fan and the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins are his favorite teams.

March 30, 2011 |No Comments NFL

Lockout News: Bud Adams’ Guarantee, Joe Gibbs’ Warning

by Jeremiah Tittle

Today in lockout news, we are provided two different, but not necessarily conflicting perspectives on the future of NFL labor negotiations. We at SportsFans.org are indeed encouraged by Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams’ guarantee: “We’ll be playing football this year. I’ll tell you that for sure.” It is great to hear and it’s what we’ve been asking for, but another member of the old guard has presented a disturbing warning that prevents us from planning the celebratory parade just yet.

3-time Super Bowl winning head coach Joe Gibbs took a few moments out of his hectic NASCAR schedule at Joe Gibbs Racing to weigh in on the impact a prolonged lockout would have on the sport. The 70 year-old hall of famer knows the business of the NFL depends on the fans’ trust, and at this moment, the relationship is in real jeopardy.

“There’s too much at stake…They may miss a few preseason games, but I think they’ll get this done…”

It’s one of those moments where you feel like there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, but underneath any optimism there is that persistent realistic sense that despite what these older, amiable figures in the sport might say, sports fans can’t believe it until we see it.

Read the full story here.

Don’t let those who have benefitted from our overwhelming generosity over the years lull us into a false sense of comfort.

We need to take action to see this through. Sign the petition now and let’s Save Next Season!

Jeremiah Tittle is the Managing Editor of SportsFans.org. He graduated from the University of Maryland. He is a fan of the Terps, the football team in the Washington, D.C. area, the Wizards, Manchester United, and Napoli.

Follow him at www.twitter.com/WWWJT.

Email him at Jeremiah@SportsFans.org.

March 30, 2011 |No Comments NFL

Lockout After-Math

by Brad Duff

I’m going to take you back to fifth grade math and ask what doesn’t go into $9 billion?

Answer?

The cost of thousands of jobs and people’s well being.

In Nashville, Tennessee, Titans owner Bud Adams finally took SportsFans.org’s challenge head on and amiably guaranteed that the team would play the entire 2011 NFL season. Adams said, “It’s going to be a few months here, but we’ll be playing this year. I guarantee we’ll be playing,”

It is a positive indicator amidst a very gloomy economic outlook for locals if Adams is wrong. LP Field, which serves as the home stadium for the Titans as well as the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, would be rendered almost useless if Titans games were cancelled. The next biggest moneymaker for LP Field would come from hosting no more than four or five Tennessee Tech games, as well as other smaller events, which yields pennies compared to the lost revenue from Titans games.

If the stadium suffers, so do all of the tiny parts that make the stadium work: ticket and food vendors, parking attendants, concessions, security guards and others.

How does this affect the fans? They form the backbone of NFL communities, especially in small-markets like Nashville, and they are some of the main suppliers of the aforementioned jobs. Not only that, fans are the beneficiaries of game-day activities, such as owners of small-businesses, restaurants, alcohol vendors and so on.

The bottom line is that the NFL lockout affects fans beyond their television sets on Sunday afternoons, it’s affecting their pocketbooks as well.

Do your part and Save Next Season now!

Brad Duff is an SFC Sportswriter Fellow out of Houston, Texas. He holds an English degree from Texas Tech University and is a life-long fan of all Texas Tech and Houston sports. Email him at jbduff00@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter here.

March 30, 2011 |No Comments NFL

QUICK KICK: April 6th Hearing Key in NFL Labor Dispute

by Scott Weiss

The results of the April 6^th hearing before Judge Susan Nelson will greatly influence how the NFL work stoppage plays out. “The players will score a major victory if Nelson grants their request for a preliminary injunction to lift the lockout. They could return to work while the owners, who would almost surely appeal, would confront the possibility of more grim anti-trust rulings from her. The owners’ position, meantime, would be strengthened by an extended lockout, which could destroy players’ morale as their wallets grow lighter. The lockout would remain in place if Nelson decides in favor of the owners or abides by an NFL request to defer to the National Labor Relations Board.”

It is hard to believe that it will take court rulings to resolve the differences between the NFL and NFLPA. Remember that we are talking about two sides that had the task of trying to figure out how to split up $9 billion in revenue. The unfortunate way that this labor negotiation is playing out points to the importance of the fans being the third player at the bargaining table.

Read the complete story here.

March 30, 2011 |No Comments Blog

Morning Medley: March 30th, 2011

by John Morse

Cinderella or not, Butler returns to the Final Four

Gambling on March Madness

March Madness presents a slippery slope for sports fans. Just filling out your brackets and competing against the millions of other fans online requires some effort, but to put your money on the line during the NCAA tournament is an even taller task. Yet, it doesn’t stop the fans across the country from doing it, and among them are Louisiana State University students.

“My favorite sport to bet on is March Madness, absolutely,” said Aric Dunaway, accounting junior. The student has the right major to be handling his money come March, even claiming to win $8,000 on last year’s tournament. For what it’s worth, gambling, especially on the NCAA tournament, is a flip of a coin or a roll of the dice. Look no further than VCU’s improbable run to the final four. However, this isn’t stopping those across the country from placing their bets. It was reported that on average, the NCAA tournament receives an average of $12 billion on bets, one of the highest ranking figures involving any sports event. This figure really is outrageous if you ask me.

Get the full scoop on the NCAA gambling scene here.

The Demise of City of Palms Park

I wrote an article earlier this year on the Red Sox construction of their new stadium in Fort Myers, Florida, citing the buzz about the team and not so much the team’s stadium situation. The park was founded in 1993 and was supposed to re-direct the city’s urban development, but just never materialized as the asset it was projected to be. The figures are in for the 18-year-old park and its taxable value decline. The stadium started out at $22.5 million during its first year of construction in 1991, a mark that dropped 29.2 percent, down to $15.9 million in 2010.

The park’s financial liability reached its threshold in 2003, as the city was charged for over $2.1 million in various loans, taxes, and maintenance expenses.

The facility proved to be such a financial hardship for Fort Myers that in 2003, facing a bill of more than $2.1 million in annual loan payments, taxes and operating, maintenance and improvement expenses. The city decided to transfer the stadium’s deed to Lee County, a move that signaled the beginning of the end at City of Palms Park. Since moving the deed, the city has since only been responsible for paying the yearly mortgage.

Read the full article here.

Sports Fan Pic of the Day:

Sports Blog of the Day: DC Sports Blog

It’s a busy time of year in the D.C. area for sports. Ok, so although the Wizards aren’t going to the playoffs (18-55), VCU is in the final four and the Nationals are getting ready for another season of baseball. President Obama isn’t throwing out the first pitch though. Find out who is, in Dan Steinberg’s article, “No Obama, and other details about Nats Opening Day.”

This Day in Sports History: On March 30^th, 1992, the Chicago White Sox shipped out fielder Sammy Sosa and pitcher Ken Patterson to the cross-city rival Cubs, for outfielder George Bell. So much for the White Sox receiving the better end of the deal on that one.

John Morse is serving as an SFC Sportswriter Fellow based in New Hampshire. He is finshing up a degree in Print Journalism at Hofstra University. John is a very passionate sports fan and the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins are his favorite teams.

March 29, 2011 |No Comments College Football Playoff

Fiesta Bowl Fires CEO Junker, Releases Investigation Report

by Jeremiah Tittle

Fiesta Bowl CEO and President John Junker – one of the many villains who often float behind the scenes in the white collar crime spree we call the BCS system – was fired today. Credit goes to Playoff PAC, who have spent months filing IRS complaints and working to show how the Fiesta Bowl — which is supposed to be a nonprofit — was lavishly spending, overcompensating its executives and illegally reimbursing politicians. An investigative report commissioned by the Fiesta Bowl’s Board of Directors was released today, showing these improprieties and validating Playoff PAC’s efforts. Hat tip to them.

This scandal has BCS mess written all over it, and while we’d like to celebrate in times like these, it’s in our best interest as sports fans to take everything with a grain of salt. Do we really trust the other BCS Bowls to clean up their act because one got caught?

The answer is simple. No.

As long as University presidents bank seven figure salaries and BCS conference schools rake in millions each year, there will be no change to the current system. That is unless and until we college football fans unite into one voice and strike fear into the powers that be. We need to hold their feet to the fire to correct these improprieties that continue to plague our inequitable, publicly-funded NCAA college football post-season debacle.

Read the press release here.

Join SportsFans.org today and let’s use our power wisely to fight for a playoff in NCAA Division I Football.

Jeremiah Tittle is the Managing Editor of SportsFans.org. He graduated from the University of Maryland. He is a fan of the Terps, the football team in the Washington, D.C. area, the Wizards, Manchester United, and Napoli.

Follow him at www.twitter.com/WWWJT.

Email him at Jeremiah@SportsFans.org.

[Note: An earlier version of this reported that "it was Playoff PAC and SportsFans.org’s own efforts putting pressure on this entity" that led to the revelations of the Fiesta Bowl improprieties. In fact, Playoff PAC deserves all the credit. SportsFans.org has merely reported on Playoff PAC's efforts to force today's revelations.]

March 29, 2011 |No Comments NFL

Power of the Collective: Sports Fans Fight Lockout

by George Donnelly

I got a kick out of the story about a Cleveland Browns fan suing the team and the League for $25,000, claiming that they violated the contract of his personal seat license. While I’m rooting for him to win his case, the $50,000 that the Browns and NFL could potentially lose is nothing compared to the $9 Billion in revenue the league brings in every year. However, it does bring up the point: what options do fans have to push for an end to the lockout?

Obviously, we could stop going to games and watching the NFL on TV if and when the season starts. But as I wrote in an earlier article, this is exactly what we at the SFC are trying to avoid.

So in light of these realities, there are only two things we can do. First, we can sit on the sidelines and hope for a resolution. This has not worked well for fans in the past (the NHL lockout and the baseball strike that cancelled seasons). Therefore, the second and best option we have as fans is to join together and fight the injustice of potentially having an NFL season cancelled.

Today, I write this article and ask that you join SportsFans.org if you have not already, and if you are already a member, recruit your fans to join as well.

The only way we can truly have our voice be heard is through the power of the collective. Sportswriters around the country, notably Howard Bryant of ESPN, have called on fans to use their collective power to influence the players and the owners to end the lockout. But what they have all missed is that an organization already exists to accomplish said goal.

Join sports fans’ fight to Save Next Season!

George Donnelly is the Local Chapter Chair of SFC Philadelphia and an SFC Sportswriter Fellow. He is an 8th grade Math and Science teacher based in Philadelphia. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and is a lifelong fan of the Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and unfortunately the Eagles.

March 29, 2011 |No Comments Blog, Stadiums

Morning Medley: March 29th, 2011

by John Morse

NBA Ticket Policy in Case of Lockout

Similar to some of the NFL policies that various teams have implemented, the NBA has announced that season-ticket holders would receive full refunds with interest if games are cancelled in 2011-2012. As in the case of the NFL, NBA owners will be in a situation to hold out for the best deal while trying to reach a new CBA agreement with its players. Although, it’s important for the league and its teams’ success to receive money from season ticket payments, therefore the two sides will remain committed to reaching a new deal.

This is familiar territory for the NBA, who had 32 games cancelled during the 1998-1999 season and provided season-ticket owners with the same procedures that they will use if next season is cancelled.

Read the full article here.

49’ers New Stadium Plan

Last week, the Santa Clara City Council held what could turn out to be ground-breaking with getting the San Francisco 49’ers a new stadium. The council “voted to spend $4 million in redevelopment funds, money which Governor Brown wants to use to help with the estimated $26 billion budget deficit.” This decision is instrumental in giving the team and a city a legitimate shot at landing a new stadium in the San Francisco area.

Santa Clara mayor, Jamie Matthews, isn’t settling for the $4 million in redevelopment to “possibly” aid the task of finding the 49’ers a new home. Instead, he has motioned for legal actions to be taken, in order to ensure the money will go towards pre-construction costs.

Matthews worries that lawmakers will rid re-constructions agencies, but remains focused on the 49’ers’ task at hand.

Get the full scoop here.

Seahawks Fans Speak Out in Protest

Protests took place outside the Seattle Seahawks Qwest Field confines on Sunday. The group consisted of about twelve fans that weren’t hesitant to make their voices heard regarding the 2011-2012 NFL season that remains in uncertainty. Seahawks fan, Jared Gamble, re-iterated the very problems that we here at sportsfans.org have indicated; that the negotiations between the owners and players are coming at the fans’ expense.

“They’re squabbling over our money,” said Gamble, while talking to the Seattle Times about his frustrations with the on-going NFL turmoil. The Seahawks season-ticket holder is a good example of what we stand for and fight for, at sportsfans.org. It’s not a light issue, nor are we ready to ignore the implications, until we ourselves aren’t taken for granted by the owners.

Read more on the situation in Seattle here.

SPORTS FAN PIC OF THE DAY:

SPORTS BLOG OF THE DAY: SB Nation

Amidst the Cinderellas on the college hardwood, SB Nation shows some love for the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) and final four bound VCU. Learn more on the background of VCU’s leader, head coach Shaka Smart in articles by Chris Mottram and Andrew Sharp.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: Everyone knows President Obama is quite the sports fan, well now everyone knows that he bowled a poultry 37 out of a possible 300 at the Plesant Valley Bowling Lanes in Altoona, PA, on March 29th, 2008.

John Morse is serving as an SFC Sportswriter Fellow based in New Hampshire. He is finshing up a degree in Print Journalism at Hofstra University. John is a very passionate sports fan and the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins are his favorite teams.

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