Idiots Write About Sports

Today the Associated Press did the ethical thing and forbade the BCS from using its College Football poll in determining postseason seedings, calling the BCS’ use of the poll unauthorized in a cease-and-desist letter.

I’ve written once or twice or thrice about this issue, but bravo to the AP for seeing just how unethical it was for journalists to become part of the story rather than just reporting on it. (As I’ve said before, if I was running a newsroom I would refuse to let my sportswriters vote in any poll that had implications in any playoff selections.)

Instead, it appears that the BCS will create a selection committee to pick the teams that play in the national championship game. Will the committee be subject to criticism? Of course it will. But at least the wacky combo of polls and computers is a thing of the past.

So at least some good has come of USC’s screwing last year and Cal’s screwing this year. It turned out to be a one-two punch that will eliminate the folly of the BCS as we know it.

Bring on the new folly!

(Update: BCS maven Jerry Palm opines, “They could just stick to the current formula, without the AP, and go half coaches, half computers. They could bag the coaches too and just go with the computers. They could also adopt my idea and create their own open and accountable computer formula to decide things.” I can’t personally see a composite computer ranking doing it. I think a selection committee with some specific rules for “eligible” teams is probably the way to go.)

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