It’s been a busy past 24 hours at the Kansas City Star. Yesterday, the Star reported that the Insight Bowl was seriously considering taking a 6-6 Iowa State team over Missouri, who is 8-4 and beat the Cyclones in November.
“This isn’t over. I know (Missouri athletic director) Mike Alden and the Missouri folks have made a tremendous case to all the bowls they might be selected to,” Beebe said. “I don’t know that Missouri could do a better job than they are doing.”
Chris’ Take
The first opinion I am about to give might not be popular. That is that if I were a Missouri fan, I’d be livid. Put the shoe on the other foot here for a minute Fanatics. If the Clones were in Missouri’s situation, things would be ugly on our CF forums.
I know that most of you out there can admit that. A lot of you already have.
Here’s my point though. I just don’t think that the conference should be making these comments publicly. It’s simply not their place. The commissioner of a league is supposed to be down the middle. Am I wrong? Shouldn’t the commish support every school in a perspective conference equally. I don’t think that the comments are anti-Iowa State by any means. But it just doesn’t read well to Cyclone fans. It’s more of a PR thing in my mind.
The league could feel this way about the scenario. I’m fine with that. Everybody has an opinion. But if those are the Big 12’s thoughts, which we now know they are, Beebe should be pulling strings behind the scenes.
Not in major newspapers!
If I could talk to Mr.Beebe right now, this issue has given me a few questions that I’d like to ask.
Question number one: Are you in favor of a playoff in college football?
I do not know the Big 12’s official stance on this. But if the league isn’t, then why shouldn’t the bowls get to decide who plays in their game? The bowls are the ones who lose if Missouri, or Baylor, or Nebraska, or whoever, only brings 5,000 fans to a perspective area. The conference doesn’t lose out on that. If the bowls have to eat it, then they should get to decide who is in their game. Let’s be realistic here. The economy stinks right now. Making paper is a big deal to everyone in every form of business. If the bowls don’t have the right to decide how much money they’ll make, then eliminate them and go to a playoff.
(For the record, I am not one of those “GIVE ME A PLAYOFF” guys in the media. That’s a whole other column for another day. )
Question two: Why is this all of the sudden such a big deal?
If this is a big enough issue that Beebe feels the need to comment publicly, then it is time for the Big 12 to change their policy regarding bowl games. Right now, under the current system, it is perfectly legal for the Insight Bowl to take a 6-6 Iowa State over an 8-4 Missouri. So why blame them for doing so? Why call the Insight Bowl out in a major newspaper? They’re working within the rules to make more money for their event. That’s not a crime. That’s capitalism people. They believe they’ll make more money with Iowa State.
Isn’t that what bowl games are about? The money? If the Insight wants Iowa State, they should get Iowa State. If the Big 12 doesn’t like that, then change the rules.
What the Fanatics are saying…
Cycloneworld writes: Wow. You have the commissioner of the league lobbying for one school over another when they are in the same conference? That is an outrage. People should be angry at this. My guess is that if you replaced a Texas school with Missouri, people would scream bloody murder…but this is almost as bad.
4429 mcc writes: It would be interesting to see what Mr. Beebe would say if it was a 6-6 Texas team over a Missouri team.
