So i found this article on the deseret news website. I found it to be truly entertaining, and hope you get a good laugh from it. Somebody deserves some credit for it, but like they said in the article, the author is unknown. Here it is just in case the link doesn’t work:

BCS DECLARES GERMANY WINNER OF WORLD WAR II… US Finishes Ranked 4th

After determining the Big-12 championship game participants the BCS computers were put to work on other major contests and today the BCS declared Germany to be the winner of World War II.

“Germany put together an incredible number of victories beginning with the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland and continuing on into conference play with defeats of Poland, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,Belgium and the Netherlands. Their only losses came against the US and Russia; however considering their entire body of work–including an incredibly tough Strength of Schedule–our computers deemed them worthy of the #1 ranking.”

Questioned about the #4 ranking of the United States the BCS commissioner stated “The US only had two major victories–Japan and Germany. The computer models, unlike humans, aren’t influenced by head-to-head contests–they consider each contest to be only a single, equally-weighted event.”

German Chancellor Adolph Hitler said “Yes, we lost to the US; but we defeated #2 ranked France in only 6 weeks.” Herr Hitler has been criticized for seeking dramatic victories to earn ’style points’ to enhance Germany’s rankings. Hitler protested “Our contest with Poland was in doubt until the final day and the conditions in Norway were incredibly challenging and demanded the application of additional
forces.”

The French ranking has also come under scrutiny. The BCS commented “France had a single loss against Germany and following a preseason #1 ranking they only fell to #2.”

Japan was ranked #3 with victories including Manchuria, Borneo and the Philippines.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the hiring of new coaches and the process that is gone through, or not gone through, in some cases. It is pathetic how much people whine about the process when the teams, or schools, have every right to interview whoever they want, and hire whoever they want.

The dumbest thing I hear people complain about is race when it comes to hiring. I absolutely believe that there are some school administrations that are totally racist, and I completely agree that that is wrong, and has no place anywhere in the world. However, I believe that most schools and teams are looking for nothing more than a coach that will win.

There are the other areas of being a good face for the university or team, and keeping the players out of trouble, but number one on almost everyone’s list is winning. Now there is no reason to believe that a person of any particular race is more likely to win ballgames than another. The reality is that certain sports are more attractive to certain ethnicities for whatever reason.

Basketball is largely dominated by black players, and also has many black coaches. Baseball is arguably the most ethnically diverse and the managers follow suit. The sport that really is the biggest issue is football, and then it is largely at the college level that there is tremendous criticism.

The simple answer to me is that if you want more coaches of other races they need to prove they can do it. I do agree that they could certainly use more opportunities, but if you look at the numbers, there just aren’t as many coaches of other races period when you look at coordinators and other specialty coaches.

I don’t kow that there is a certain reason for that. Maybe it is because more of the players of other races go on to successful professional careers and have no interest in coaching. Maybe it is because it falls more in line with the mentality of white players to pursue coaching because they know their chances are lower to be successful pros, and maybe it is just the random nature of life.

Everyone should be given a fair shot at any job that they are qualified for and have interest in. However, the current trend of universities to name successors before the incumbent even retires really eliminates any chance of a fair search occuring. But should that really matter? Shouldn’t a business, which is what college sports are, be allowed to hire whoever they think will be the most successful? It is not for us to force something upon a business that they don’t see as being in their best interest.

As much as I want to rant again about how much the BCS sucks and that I want a playoff, I will simply leave it alone, for now.

The debate at this point is who deserves to go to the national title game. The short version: Texas and Oklahoma, but we all know that won’t happen. Realistically I would have to say it will end up being Oklahoma and Florida, but I don’t think it should be.

Lets just go through the tope few teams and plead their case.

Alabama: Their only loss came to Florida, who was ranked number two at the time, though I don’t think they deserved that ranking. As much as I would like to say Alabama deserves a shot, they don’t. They didn’t deserve to be number one either. There are multiple one loss teams that are far better and deserve the shot.

Florida: Their one loss came to an unranked Ole Miss team, AT HOME. There is simply no excuse for that, and you do not deserve a shot at the national championship if you can’t even defend your home turf against a much lesser opponent.

USC: Much along the same lines as Florida, they lost to an unranked team. While it was not at home, it was pathetic. If you want to be a national championship contender you can’t have an off week. While their loss was not as bad as Florida’s, they play in a weaker conference and don’t deserve it.

Boise St: They play in the WAC, need I say more?

Utah: Coming from just down the street, I have to give them some credit. While I would not be opposed to them playing in the national championship, I don’t feel they deserve it this year even though they are undefeated. They simply are not as good as a few other teams. Could they win? Sure, anyone can win on any given day, but I don’t think they deserve a shot.

Texas Tech: YOu have to give them some love for what they accomplished this year, and like Utah, I would not be opposed to it, but I don’t think they deserve it. When you get beat that bad, you don’t deserve a shot.

Oklahoma: Their one loss came on a neutral field to their biggest rival, and it was a great game. There was very little separating them, and it could have gone either way. They are playing some of the best period we have seen all year, and they deserve a shot.

Texas: This one to me is a no brainer. Their one loss came against a good Tech team in Lubbock. If that game is played in Austin we aren’t having this discussion because Texas is in the big game. Nonetheless they lost, but it is not enough to knock them out as I see it. They too are playing some great ball, and are the victims of unfortunate scheduling. They finished with a weaker schedule than Oklahoma and thus got robbed of their spot in the Big-12 Championship because of a stupid tie breaker rule. They definitely deserve a shot.

The BCS can say that this conflict is good for the sport and creates interest, but it really just leaves people unsatisfied and provides no closure. It only generates more ifs, ands, and buts, however this is the system in place and we must deal with it until they see the light and fix it.

So I must admit, this time of year is somewhat bitter sweet for me. There are so many great sports going on, and yet college football, one of my favorites, is almost over. Not that I get to watch very much, unless I am at work and it is slow, but I just love knowing that they are all going on.

Today alone I watched all or parts of 8 college football games, tried(unsuccessfully) to watch the MLS Western conference final (sorry RSL), and read about 4 different basketball games, college and pro. On top of that, the NFL is in full swing, and NHL is going as well. There are almost too many sports to cover right now.

Thank heavens for the internet. It is amazing how quickly you can find out results, stats, injuries, and a million other little facts. It also makes it possible to watch even more games, though most of the time the quality sucks. I just love sports so much.

The end of the college football season is nearing, and it is exciting as ever. I can hardly wait to see how it all pans out, especially which non-BCS team (or two?) will be crashing the party and prove once again how stupid the current system is. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Congrats to the Tamp Bay Rays for making it to the World Series for the first time in their history. What an amazing season. They went from dead last last season to the World Series, and the thing I like most is they did it the way the game should be played: solid pitching, consistent offense, and good defense.

I am all about the small market teams winning. I know everyone says it hurts the league as a whole, but I think that is stupid, and just shows how it has all become about money. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought it was about winning, not about ratings. Also, being a fan of a small market team, I like to see them succeed.

It should be a good series too. Tampa Bay definitely has the momentum going in, but nobody expected either of these teams to get this far so I guess we will see what happens. Go Rays!

Being an alumnus of Highland High School in Salt Lake City, UT I would not consider myself worthy if I did not make at least a small plug for this great movie. I went and saw it and enjoyed every minute of it. It does not have the big budget glamour of Remember the Titans but it was every bit as good. The story was well done, and the rugby was excellent. I highly recommend this movie to anyone that enjoys a good sports movie, and even to anyone that just enjoys a good movie. If you would like to watch the trailer, or read more about it go to their website.

So I hate to sound repetitve in my dislike of the ranking system, but this week was just another kicker for me. I didn’t think Texas had to get the number one ranking, but it is acceptable. I also thinking Oklahoma only dropping a little is understandable because they got beat by the now number one team in the country. LSU deserved to drop as far as they did because they got totally beat down. And while Missouri dropped a little farther than I may have expected, it was not totally crazy. There are however two aspects of the polls that didn’t sit well with me.

First of all, the obvious one: how on earth can ANYONE still vote for Notre Dame as a top 25 team. While they did not make it in they did receive votes. Is someone paying those voters or something. I have the utmost respect for the history and tradition of the school, but let’s be honest, right now they suck. They barely beat a pathetic Michigan team that handed them the game. They squeaked past a San Diego State team that is not exactly exceptional, and Purdue and Stanford are not exactly at the top of their conferences. I love the movie Rudy as much or more than the next guy, but some people need to get a grip on reality.

The other unsettling ranking was how far Oklahome State jumped. They are having a great year, and won a huge game against a highly ranked opponent, but most people will agree Missouri is not playing as good as they did last year. A nine spot jump is just a little insane after one game. Lets just hope that when the visit Austin and other Big 12 towns they get beat and drop back down to a more realistic ranking.

What an enjoyable game to watch. Living in Austin people have been talking about it for more than a week now. It was on the news, in the newspapers, and the topic of everyone’s discussion, and the game didn’t dissapoint. I also enjoyed the camera shot which showed the red and orange line right down the middle of the stadium, quite a sight to see.

I was thoroughly impressed with Oklahoma’s efficiency on offense, but then I think they got a little lazy. Their defense was also phenomenal. They were so quick it was like watching a group of little leaguers going after the post game snack. Colt McCoy was honestly lucky to get off as many passes as he did.

Being a passive UT fan I have to admire their persistance. They really did not play that great of a game, but they played well enough to hang around, and then when the opprtuntity came they struck. Oklahoma was the better team, but UT definately played the better game.

People can argue all day about who should have won, or how different it would have been if this or that happened, but the reality is that Texas beat their rival, the number one team in the country, and should be rewarded accordingly. I don’t neccessarily think that means a number one ranking, though all of the results for this weekend are not in yet, but they have to get at least a few votes, and a little consideration.

In writing this post I must admit that I am a devout Yankee-hater and always will be. That being said I have the utmost respect for the history and tradition of the team and the stadium. I had the pleasure of attending a game there last year, and I can’t describe how it felt to sit in those seats and be where greatness had been. There was nothing special about the structure itself, in fact it was the most uncomfortable ballpark I have ever been to, but there was no denying the near holiness of those grounds. Yankee Stadium transcended sports. It was an icon to almost everyone for one reason or another, and with the continuing demise of most of the historic stadiums, Fenway and Wrigley are just about the only ones left, I am truly sad to see it go.

I watched the entire game last night, and while it wasn’t one for the ages, and in the long run meant nothing since neither team is going to the playoffs, it was still something I will never forget. The pregame ceremonies were very special with all of the former players present, and the interviews during the game were a rare pleasure. Normally I hate it when sportscasters talk through the whole game, but hearing the likes of Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra tell stories about their playing days made it one of the more enjoyable games I have ever watched. It was an opportunity that I am glad I didn’t miss.

One of the most surprising events for me was the newfound respect I gained for Derek Jeter after the speech he gave following the game:

If Derek Jeter played for any other team I probably wouldn’t hate him nearly as much, but having watched this speech and the ensuing walk around the field, I felt as if he was truly sad, and maybe even heartbroken, over the closing of the stadium. It is refreshing in this day and age of egos to see someone that may very well genuinely care about the fans and the game.

In contrast, his idiot teammates (read: A-Rod and company) were walking around pushing each other and cracking jokes like they were high school players on a victory lap. It showed their immaturity and their blatant disregard for the fans, and even winning. Maybe if the Yankees bought players that cared about winning more than about their paycheck they might actually win.

So once again goodbye to Yankee Stadium. The House that Ruth Built is being torn down, but the memories of those that tread there will be treasured in our minds and our hearts forever.

This year more than any before has led me to wonder what good rankings are? I think most would agree that preseason rankings are pretty much crap because you never know how teams will do with the players they lost, injuries in fall camp, etc. Even the first week or two are a little sketchy because most schools are playing weak teams to try and get off on the right foot.

But really how useful are rankings the rest of the season. A prime example is Kirk Herbstreit’s rankings. He said on national TV that Fresno State was a better team and had the best chance of “busting” into a BCS bowl game than any other non-BCS school. Yet he ranked BYU higher in his AP poll ballot. Call me crazy but if a team is “better” shouldn’t they be ranked higher?

You also have the mess at the end of the season last year with teams losing and moving up in the rankings. Shouldn’t an increase in rank be the result of a good performance on the field. For the most part I think the coaches poll is a little more accurate because they are the ones on the field seeing these teams play, and no one understands their team, and their opponents, better than a good coach. But even their ballots are biased.

I don’t know if there really is a better solution because no human can be completely objective, and no computer can factor in all of the different facets of how good a team really is. But history has shown that the system is flawed. The NCAA has done a good job with the basketball tournament, for the most part. So why is it that they refuse to do something about football? Aren’t they the ones that are supposed to be running college football, not the heads of six of the eleven conferences?

I realize a 64 team tournament is out of the question, but until there is a playoff system of some sort there will never be a legitimate national champion in college football. Unfortunately, people at the NCAA are in bed with too many “college sports lobbyists” to make an objective decision and do what is right for the sport, not just their wallets.