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The good and the not so good side of college sports |
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Friday, May 02 2008 |
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Thoughts off the field By Rusty Berry Last weekend in the pacific northwest, the softball teams of Central Washington and Western Oregon showed that there is still such a thing as sportsmanship in athletics.
In a crucial series between the two schools, with only one game separating the two for first play in their conference, a small five foot two inch senior Sara Tucholsky came up to bat for Western Oregon.
With her never of having hit a home run in her softball career, Tucholsky took the pitch and hit it out of the park for what looked to be a three run home run but while going around the bases Tucholsky missed first base and when she turned to head back to touch the bag she blew out her knee.
Being in pain, Tucholsky was in no shape in being able to continue to go around the bases and looked like she was only going to be able to be credited for a two run single due to NCCA rules that included her not being able to get help from her teammates.
In what probably looked like a good break in getting back one run, Central Washington could of done nothing and just gave up the single but instead a couple of the Central Washington players picked up Tucholsky to carry her around the bases so she could be credited with the home run she deserved.
In a world where, even at kids level, we sometimes put so much importance in sports it is a good thing stories like this come along to remind us that they are still just good competitions and games.
Outside of Washington and Oregon, none of use probably in the rest of the country would of taken notice of the game between schools, even though it was important, but the act shown by Central Washington will be more valuable in putting a positive view for their softball team for many years to come than if they had won the conference title this season.
In a less heart warming story out of the college ranks, the commissioners of the major division one college conferences met this week in Florida an unanimously voted against a plus one playoff that would essentially formed a final four for football to keep the system the same until 2014.
What gets me is Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany said that he has been perfectly fine with the BCS system over the last ten years and nothing needed to be fixed with it.
I guess Delany forgot Nebraska making the title game after coming in third in their conference a few years back, Auburn going undefeated a few years back but having no piece the national title, or even how his own conference team Ohio St. has been blown out in the title game the last two years with people saying Boise St. last year or Georgia or even USC were better teams and should of been playing for the title.
I love college football, even more than professional, and I like the bowl games for the most part but to say that the system is fine and that a playoff does not make sense just shows that all the commissioners have in their minds is the dollar signs flying around that the BCS makes for them and not the reality that something needs to be done to make things better.
I understand that these commissioners represent school presidents that do not want to give up the hundreds of thousands of dollars their schools get for making the smaller bowls.
But do not lie to us and say the system is perfect and you do not want to extend the season because of the students the same year the NCAA decides teams can play 12 regular season games. Just be up front and tell us there is too much money involved in the bowl system and losing that money is not worth a playoff system.
Would I like it that answer, probably not, but at least I know I had been told the truth.
But on the bright side the commissioners approved two more bowls, one in Washington D.C. and one in Tampa, to bring the bowl total to 34 games.
So if your favorite team is one of the 68 best in the country you should be able to enjoy watching them in post season action. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, May 09 2008 )
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