http://www.fbnewsleader.com/articles/2009/01/29/sports/02john.txt
A dozen members of the House of Representatives reportedly cast “no” or “present” votes on a resolution intended to commend the University of Florida for winning the BCS Championship earlier this month. Among the nay sayers, as one would expect, were representatives from Utah and Texas, whose teams many felt should have been given a shot at the title over Florida and Oklahoma.
“A fine school with a great team deserves better than a national championship that was decided inside somebody’s computer,” said Texas Rep. Joe Barton about Florida’s championship.
I couldn’t agree more with the premise of the argument. I’ve used this very space on several occasions over the last 10 years to blast the BCS computer nerds and the need for a playoff system. With that said, the dissenters to the BCS could have picked a better forum to voice their displeasure. After all, the Florida players weren’t responsible for the computers placing them in Miami on Jan. 8. They were responsible, however, for stymieing Oklahoma’s offense, which, prior to the game, was portrayed as the most prolific offense in modern-day college football history. For that, a commendation of the Gators was certainly in order. Unless, of course, your name is Bobby Bright, a representative from Alabama, who reportedly said he just couldn’t bring himself to praise a team that is such a bitter rival of his in-state schools. Still smarting over that SEC Championship game, are we Bob? …
If there is one positive in a NFL team not making the playoffs, it might be the extra time invested in preparation for the next draft. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio and his staff were afforded the opportunity to take that preparation a step further when they were selected to coach the South team, which came out on top of the North 35-18 in Saturday’s Senior Bowl. Not only is the win likely to leave the Jags coaches with a better taste in their mouths after a train wreck of a 2008 season, the pages of personnel notes they undoubtedly compiled should give them a leg up this April. And, considering that Jacksonville doesn’t currently have any player considered to be “Pro Bowl” caliber, boy do they need a great draft. I’ll go a step further and proclaim this year’s draft as the second most important in franchise history, taking a back seat only to the 1995 draft when then-head coach Tom Coughlin used the second pick on OT Tony Boselli, who is arguably Jacksonville’s best player ever …
fbnewleader.com
1/30/09
Magnolia Tribune
