Gov. Otter against congressional action on BCS
Brian Murphy
bmurphy@idahostatesman.com
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter said Thursday that he does not favor congressional action to change the Bowl Championship Series. Otter, who played football at Boise Junior College, attended Boise State's Fiesta Bowl 17-10 victory against TCU in Glendale, Ariz. on Monday night.
Boise State finished 14-0, but will not earn a share of the national championship. Alabama and Texas meet tonight with the winner earning the title.
Otter said his experience serving in Congress with former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne influenced his thinking on the matter. Osborne, now the Nebraska athletic director, was against government action in intercollegiate athletics.
"The fans are probably going to be the best promoters of the teams that play in the national championship," Otter said."Since Monday, the shift has already been made in the national sports pages for those sportswriters that had the courage to say they were wrong or judged to early Boise State. Fans will do a much better job of getting it right than the government will."
The U.S. House held hearings on the BCS last year. Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier testified at those hearings.
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Congress has....
better things to focus on.....
But.....
On second thought, maybe ole Butch should call his buddy Tommy and get him to hook us up with a couple of Husker scheduled games??
A Nebraska deal could be cooking right now....
...something is cooking I guess. Could be Nebraska too. Now on Otter being 'friends' with Osborne? Give me a break. The two couldn't be more opposite. Otter probably saw the guy once in the hallway and decided he was his new best friend.
Typical lame response from the Gov. He thinks the fans are going to force the BCS to change? Listen Butch, all of us aren't a stupid as you seem to think. I'm not advocating Congressional action because as I said a long time ago, that will never happen. What I do look for are people in influencial positions to support the cause for a playoff. Now, having said that, I don't think this Gov is influencial. I don't know what he is. I don't see diddle from the guy. Just a whole pile of pontification.
Congress....
My god, look at what they are trying to do to health care and tell me you really want them to look into football? I can just see them really "helping" us by setting up a government oversight comittee to arrange schedules, dictate play offs and tax all the teams to death for the help.
Nobody gives a crap about universal health and we hope it dies.
Major infarction. It has cancer anyway.
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat
well but
isnt Governor Otter the government?
mwc
What they need to do is get BSU into the MWC, so they can be a more liable conference, They will have 4 top tier teams. More of an arguement to get an automatic bid in the BCS games. MWC needs BSU, matter what.
EastCoast
Are you sure they want us? I think we are like 11-2 vs them in recent years....??
Wisdomman
Pretty sure they would want to as no matter who wins the conf there is a BCS paycheck for all involved. Money drives the invite and as strange as it may sound, the MWC is trying to get an Automatic bid and I think the BCS will tell them that with BSU and maybe one or two more it would get there... In a wierd way the BCS kinda has our back I think. Like I said wierd. But if the BCS wants all the bad image to go away it needs to have no good teams left out. Since the good teams are the ones challenging the system if they could get the best nonAQ team in a AQ conf then the noise would die quickly. And how quiet would the opposition be if BSU Utah TCU BYU Nevada and Fresno were taken in. Got to admit that is tougher right there than some of the big boys' conferences.
Yes Potato
Makes some sense. I've often wondered why the MWC did not make a move to dump 3 and bring 3. It makes sense geographically too. It's not strange for conferences to shake up too. Look at the teams that jumped the WAC the last 12 years or The Big 10 changes. Big 12 etc. I'm almost thinking we could pull off an independant program as well...just make sure we get 11-12 games scheduled. I'm sure other conference opportunities would open up if we were available as an independant....
Yeah but what you miss
With an independant is money that comes with a conf. which is HUGE!!! ND can do it becasue well they are ND and they do have boosters. But BSU Never, It would be the death of colligiate athletics at BSU.... People would come to boise in hundreds of years to see the riuns of the stadium like in Rome.
Not so sure Potato
I'm no expert in the financial end of the conference aspect but it raises thes questions....
Independants get TV money, Gate receipts, guarantees, and they DONT have to share bowl money with conferences. I'd be interested to see a professional "pencil" put to that...
I agree conf $$ is huge but is it bigger? Do we know for sure?
YUP we know for sure
Outside of Notre Dame and the military schools Independant is not viable for almost any school much less BSU. You realize that the WAC got almost a million dollars Becasue TCU made it to a bowl? TCU... Again TCU. you realize that it is more than just football we are talking here. Conferences are the only way. Unless you count on going undefeated forever. Try 4 years of a losing record in an independant phase, VS 4 years of a losing record in a conference phase. I dont like it either but there may someday be a letdown, are you willing to bet an entire future football program on never having down years? Im not. Think about it, The BIg Sky is a conference, and gets BCS money, they cant ever play in the BCS, but without conference affiliation it would be gone. ESPN does not contract with BSU it contracts with the WAC. BSU just happens to be the only thing worth showing in the WAC.
Ok Potato Thanks
And do you know how the MWC TV money compares with the WAC's ESPN? (w/o a bunch a research, top of the cuff izzz cool)
That is the rub
MWC has one of the worst TV contracts in america. Most the country didn't see TCU until monday. But that contract as all contracts comes to an end soon.
I think you MWC cats are just tired of whupping this conference.
You have no vision or idea or anything. Please go do something else for awhile, it's annoying.
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat
13-1
The Broncos have played 5 of the current MWC members since moving up to Div 1-A (FBS), and have accumulated a 13-1 record in that time. They have played Wyoming 4 times, TCU 3 times, Utah 3 times, BYU twice, and New Mexico twice. Here's how those teams finished in conference play the years the Broncos played them (the record in parentheses is their overall record excluding the outcome with BSU):
2009 TCU finished 1st in the MWC at 8-0 (12-0)
1999 Utah finished 1st in MWC at 5-2 (9-2)
2003 TCU finished 2nd in CUSA at 7-1 (11-1)
2008 TCU finished 2nd in MWC at 7-1 (10-2) ----> this is BSU's lone loss
2004 BYU finished 3rd in MWC at 4-3 (5-5)
2006 Utah finished T3rd in MWC at 5-3 (8-4)
2006 Wyoming finished T3rd in MWC at 5-3 (6-5)
2004 Wyoming finished 4th in the MWC at 3-4 (7-4)
2003 BYU finished 4th in MWC at 3-4 (4-7)
1998 Utah finished 5th (out of 16) in the WAC at 5-3 (7-3)
2000 UNM finished 5th in MWC at 3-4 (5-6)
1999 UNM finished 5th in MWC at 3-4 (4-6)
2007 Wyoming finished 7th in MWC at 2-6 (5-6)
2005 Wyoming finished 8th in MWC at 2-6 (4-6)
So BSU's games against current MWC teams include two 1st place teams, two 2nd place teams, three 3rd place teams, and two fourth place teams. The combined conference records of all the MWC teams the Broncos have played is 62-44 (58.5%), or a significantly better than average. Note that this is far better than the average competition that a top MWC team sees in conference. The combined record of the teams overall (excluding the games with BSU, since that is standard practice in SoS calcs) is 97-57 (63%). Even if you add in the games with BSU, their overall record is 98-70 (58%), So nobody can say they built that record against weak MWC teams.
Nice Marsculf...
Thanks for the research...
Any knowledge if the MWC is unhappy with any of their schools?
The MWC
could drop a school but most likely would add BSU OR add BSU and others and split the conf and have a title game. Ultimately it is Air force that really doesn't want us because if BSU joins it takes away from AF non conf schedule because of already contracted games with Navy and Army So if they play the academies already and BSU is added then they lose a precious non conference game.
Definitely not.
Every team in the MWC is there for a specific reason:
Six teams are there from a tradition and geography standpoint. BYU, Utah, Colorado State, and Wyoming all played together in the Old Rocky Mountain Conference (founded in 1909), and later they all moved out as charter members of the old Skyline Conference in 1938. New Mexico joined them in the Skyline conference in 1951. All but Colorado State became charter members of the WAC in 1962, and they rejoined them in 1967. Air Force didn't join the WAC until 1980, but they immediately formed strong bonds with the other core members primarily for geographical reasons. This core of six programs is viewed as pretty much inseperable.
All three of the other MWC programs were included solely for the TV markets, recruting grounds, and bowl affiliation, with geography being a secondary concern. Two were included as charter members of the MWC -- San Diego State (WAC 1978, #28 TV market, prime California recruiting grounds, Poinsettia bowl) and UNLV (WAC 1996, #42 TV market, Las Vegas bowl). TCU was added in the only MWC expansion to date in 2004 (#5 TV market, prime Texas recruiting grounds, Armed Forces bowl).
I don't see the MWC wanting to ditch any of these programs, and even if they did, their bylaws make it extremely difficult.
He HAS an idea, Tater.
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat
Butchy can't fix anything...
A haircut and a handshake is what you get with our state leader. By the way, they're just kids playing a game. Tougher school schedules, computer results, coaches polls all BS? Maybe what it really is, is Otter knows he can't upset organized crime, that is the BCS, and the billions of tax free dollars that colleges get and don't pay taxes on. Blame somebody else and don't do anything you pathetic political dingle berry.
I agree Major!
Well written. The guy has shown me nothing for years now. What has the guy actually accomplished beside getting a drag line out and rearranging the Boise River by his estate? Oh..geez. I forgot. Sorry. He did get the DUI too didn't he.
Truth is in a Coma - or was that Comma?
Truth:
Don't you be pay'n no 'tention, chil' - I toll u bout them Blue haired wemens gettin' wet and all? You needz to readz faster and keepsz up.
Well, at least we
still have the Trolley in the works. Awesome Butch.
Ummm...
... the Trolley to Nowhere is Bieter's baby. Otter has nothing to do with it.
Butch has The Mansion On The Hill, K?
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat
You dont hear much whinning
When BSU is a Natnl Title contender next year. If BSu had not been selected this year then you would have heard it from both barrels. But ultimately MWC with an automatic bu=id is the future. And I think the future is this year or next for the invite.
Build the WAC
First, congratulations to the Broncos on a great season, and a great win on Monday. Second, I'm getting tired of BSU fans always wanting to jump to a new conference. This has been happening for years now. Lets face it, the MWC has 3 excellent programs and 6 dogs. Up until 2007, the WAC seemed about equal to the MWC. Instead of always thinking it's greener on the other side, lets start to support the WAC and make it stronger. The only way the MWC takes BSU is if it gets some vibes from the BCS that this makes them an AQ conference. Otherwise, they have to spread existing revenues amongst 10 schools instead of 9.
It seems to me that BSU has a better path to the BCS from the WAC as a non-AQ conference that it does from the MWC as a non-AQ conference. They would have to beat Utah, BYU, and TCU to make it. This is tougher than they have in the WAC. However, the six dregs in the MWC are really no better than the 8 dregs in the WAC. In other words the BSU SOS isn't going to improve much. Just look at TCU with a SOS of 75 vs. BSU SOS at 92. The SOS for BSU will not improve much in the MWC. Instead, lets work inside our conference to build up some of the other schools. Idaho, Utah State, and La. Tech are improving. Fresno and Hawaii need to get back to where they were, and Nevada needs a defense. If this happens, the WAC suddenly becomes a decent conference again. Let's stop the whining and build the WAC!!!
I would hardly call...
... Air Force a "dreg". They finished 8-5, and mopped the floor with Houston in their bowl game. In case you missed it, Houston finished 2nd in CUSA, with a 10-4 record, and are the only team in the country to defeat three BCS AQ teams in OoC games this season (Texas Tech, Oklahoma St, and Miss St).
Heck, the 5th place team in the MWC -- Wyoming -- beat Fresno State (WAC #3) this year, and the team that finished dead last in the MWC this year -- Colorado St -- beat Nevada (WAC #2). I think there is no question that even the bottom half of the MWC is superior to most of the WAC.
Would agre w/ most
of that, but the thought of having any part of the current MWC T.V. deal makes me sick. I know it will come to an end, but listen to the fans of the teams who have to try and watch that. That is one sorry situation, and I hope Bronco Nation never has to deal w/ that nonsense. Let's stick w/ ESPN if we can.
You right Blue!
The TV deal with the MWC is the worst in college sports. I would think that ESPN would follow the Broncos to the MWC and ditch the WAC after BSU goes to the MWC.
Vote Otter Out Of Office
What has he done for Idaho lately (or ever for that matter)?
My God Man - His Accomplishments are Legendary
He won a tight jeans contest once, and made a couple of Idaho blue haired ladies kinda moist.
Bout the only thing, I could think of.
Thank God
...somebody is willing to stand up for that guy. Gettin tired of people saying he is inept....wait..never mind.
23JAN officially "The University of Idaho Vandals Football Day"
Bluemonster:
Thank you for thanking me for standing up for 'that guy' as you put it (I know you meant it in jest, as did I - we both agree on his real track record, I believe). It was about the only thing I could think of that he had accomplished, up to that point in time. However, tomorrow he is going to accomplish another great thing. And, before you get all pissy about it - and get all hemoroidal - this is not meant in any way to make you peevish - or to poke a stick in your eye - just providing another FACT. I just copied it from another place, is all. So don't be getting all crappy. Keep your sense of humor, okay?
====================================================
Governor in Moscow to Honor Vandal Humanitarian Bowl Victory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHO: Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, University of Idaho President Duane Nellis, Vandal head football Coach Robb Akey
WHAT: The governor will visit with the Vandal football team, 2009 Roady's Humanitarian Bowl champions, and will issue a proclamation for a statewide Vandals Football Day.
DETAILS: In his State of the State address on Monday, Gov. Otter extended his congratulations to the Vandals as an outstanding football team that has "made all of us in Idaho proud." He will visit with the team in Moscow and will sign a proclamation designating Saturday, Jan. 23, as "The University of Idaho Vandals Football Day." Joining the governor will be President Duane Nellis, Coach Robb Akey, the university Marching Band, Spirit Squad and mascot Joe Vandal.
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 15, 3:15 p.m.
WHERE: University of Idaho, Idaho Commons, Atrium, Lower Level
=======================================================
So there you have it. Another accomplishment by Governor Otter.
PS - Okay, Bluemonster, you can go outside and scream now, and tell your whole neighborhood how much you hate VANDALS.
PPS - Okay another thing for you Bluemonster - again not intended to make you mad, but rather, an olive branch of sorts, provided in a gracious spirit to promote civil discourse and congenial VANDAL-BRONCO understanding of one another. The BSU Broncos just happen to be having their honoration celebration, of their Fiesta Bowl Champs (and richly deserved, too, I might add) in the TBA, at the same exact time on 23JAN10 (3:00PM Boise Time) as the UI Vandals are having their H-Bowl Parade (23JAN10, 2:00PM Moscow time) and Massive Gathering of Vandal Nation in the Kibbie Dome, following the parade. I thought you would want to know what your Broncos are doing on our day, as decreed by the Governor, State of Idaho, per Executive Proclamation. Hope you are not mad - that was certainly not my intention, projected in the spirit of friendship.
He married the woman who actually runs the state at least.
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat
Oh my Goodword!! You don't know what the Butch has done??
..why the man was our UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN!! If you've ever met him you would know that because that's all he talks about. He's arrogance at it's very best. His ego is bigger than the his little estate out there on Star road! I'm surprised he doesn't have another state vehicle just for his ego!
He's the best photo op guy that was ever in Congress. Did he ever do one thing while in that office? I didn't expect him to do anything as a Gov. So no surprises there.
Just keep the coctails a comin and ol' Butch will pontificate all night long.
Kept an actual Democrat out? (You asked)
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat
There are some people that think Butch is the next President!
.......no kidding on that one. There are some folks here in Idaho that think Butch is headed to the White House. No....not making that up. So what's that tell you about some of the people around here? Scary, I know. If you think the guy has ever done anything please list his accomplishments! If you're looking for the list and think you've misplaced it this is what it will look like:
List of 'our man Butch' accomplishments:
1.
2.
3.
4.
No fair counting the diversion of the Boise River either. Or the 'how to get off easy' DUI.
You could have been
talking about Clinton, Would have swore Clinton would have never been elected twice....... give boys like Butch idea's......
tfunk
you still on? Got my calendar handy - we could schedule that lunch. Maybe first Wednesday in Feb - meet at 12:00 noon at the Ram in Boise - I'll wear a black Vandal hat and be sitting in the bar area until we find a table to eat?
VNDL
That would
work. I'm going to head back up sometime the last week of Jan.
Thought about making it up for your parade but I'm going to squeeze every last day out of this weather.
tfunk - I wonder which tastes better - Oak or Maple or Walnut?
Okay, penciled it in the planner - first Wednesday in Feb - meet at 12:00 noon at the Ram in Boise - I wear a black Vandal hat and sit in the bar area until you come in - OMG I just read my above posting - then we eat a table? I really need to improve my sentence structure. Gotta start my high school years all over and diagram some sentences - getting kinda rusty.
See you there.
Appointment tapped
into my I-phone. I'll be the only one in the building with a tan.......
Funny story;
One of my neighbors down here is a huge Ohio State guy. He has a OSU flag out front of his place. I have a BSU flag. Well, we have shared a beer or two, and 3 days ago my flag was missing. About noon this guys wife comes over with my flag, the guy had taken it during the night. She insisted he give my flag back, he agreed but made her bring it back. So the next night, I went and took his flag and replaced it with a Michigan flag!
It took him a day to get over that...........
tfunk
That's a great story.
Pretty smart of him to send his wife, in case there were mean dogs and such. A bull elk always sends the cows first to break trail in the snow.
You are a high tech dude with a fancy phone. I just got a stubby pencil and a little planner. Guess I gotta get one of those phruit phones.
Speaking of dogs
Going to have mine return his flag! Wonder who is going to be more angry, him or his wife?
tfunk
Was at the Ram at noon today (first Wednesday of February), wearing a black Vandal hat, and sat at first table in bar/lounge area. Apparently, I missed you somehow. Never saw anyone with a tan.
I was there from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM.
The fish and chips were outstanding (beer battered).
We can always reschedule another time.
Just let me know.
PS - Maybe you need a new I-phone? I am old fashioned I guess, but, I prefer a hard copy day planner; as they are not dependent upon battery power.
VNDL
Crap!, I did replace my phone (fell off the roof as I was replacing tiles). Didn't think that I had not synced in a while. My humble apologies! I got back to Boise last week and was actually playing a little basketball at the Y Weds. at noon. Lets reschedule. I'm out of town during the month of March other than that I am clear.
Ok you two
VNDL Where I come from we call that an old fashioned stand up. Basically what Tfunk is saying is you are a really nice guy but not really his type. It hurts for a while but you will find someone. Hooking up on the internet is looked down upon sometimes perhaps your friends or family could find someone for you. However you slice it you have to admit that "lets get together in real life" is kind of pathetic and just a tad creepy. For all youknow weisberg could be reading this and meet you there. "it rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again."