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Reasons Why the BCS Should Be Destroyed

August 22nd, 2008

What’s wrong with the BCS?

There are many reasons why the BCS is a flawed system, or in the words of many of my friends, there are many reasons why the BCS sucks.

The first, and most important reason, has to do with the fact that the BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, doesn’t feature the best football teams. Instead, the teams that typically play in the series are chosen by computers, the ill-informed USA Today Coaches’ Poll and the equally-ignorant Harris Poll.

Year after year, the flawed system chooses teams to play that are not one of the top two teams in the nation (which, arguably, should be the only teams allowed to play in a championship, right?). Hawaii, which finished the season 12-0, was nowhere to be seen, while Georgia, with two losses and no conference division title under its belt, did get included.

Fans everywhere were outraged, and many vented their frustrations to the NCAA to no avail. It seems the BCS’ ridiculous methods will continue this year as well, and people are already trying to guess which teams will be chosen.

Some of the “way-too-early” predictions from the BCS website include:

Wisconsin vs. USC for the Rose Bowl

Georgia vs. Virginia Tech for the Allstate Sugar Bowl

Missouri vs. West Virginia for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Clemson vs. Texas Tech for the FedEx Orange Bowl

Ohio State vs. Florida for the FedEx BCS National Championship

What are your top picks going into the season, and how upset will you be if the BCS messes up your team’s chance to play in a championship?

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Tags: Allstate Sugar Bowl, BCS, Bowl Championship Series, college football, Harris Poll, NCAA, Rose Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, USA Today's Coaches' Poll

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Easy ‘A’ for College Athletes?

August 22nd, 2008

Do college athletes get an easy college education?

Whether you’re an athlete or a non-athlete, we’ve all seen it (or heard about it) before: The rumor that college athletes get an easier A than everyone else. With free tutoring, permission slips to miss tons of class, and make-up tests that might not be as difficult as the real test, many students believe that college athletes have it easy when it comes to college education.

The flip-side of the argument, of course, is that college athletes work twice as hard as everyone else. They don’t have as much time to focus on class, their bodies are drained from training, and when they aren’t practicing, they are spending their time studying. And, lest we forget, college athletes are often the people responsible for bringing much-needed funding into the schools. Sports fans pay big bucks to watch their favorite athletes perform, and this is often the money that funnels back into everyone else’s classes in some way or another.

As an avid runner and college athlete, I found myself in quite a predicament when I became an adjunct professor at a reputable state university and my students began to request more and more assistance and time off for their sports endeavors. Was it difficult to help them catch up on missed work and tests? Yes. Did it take more of my time? Yes. Was it worth it to me? Absolutely. I feel that sports are an important part of college life as well as “real” life. Sports help us gain valuable life skills like goal-setting, motivation, teamwork and dedication.

However, were my non-athlete students upset by the help I gave the athletes? I’m really not sure. Looking back, I realize non-athlete students had other equally important commitments: Families, work, etc. They didn’t get signed permission forms from school officials to miss class, so they did not have it as easy as the athletes did. If they missed class, they received a “0” from me. If they missed a test, they didn’t get to make it up. (Of course, I made exceptions for students with extenuating circumstances, but it still wasn’t as easy for them as it was for athletes).

As a result of these realizations, I came up with a few tips for all of you non-athletes out there who have other important commitments that might cut into some of your classroom responsibilities.

Before your semester starts, decide what commitments you have that are so absolutely important that you can’t miss them. Make sure they can’t be rescheduled.
Set up an appointment to meet with your professor to discuss these commitments. Make sure to tell your professor why they are an important part of your life, why they can’t be rescheduled, and most importantly, how they will enhance your experience as a student (and prepare you for life after school).
Ask your professor what you can do to make up missed work beforehand to show him/her that you are really serious about taking the class and doing the work. Be willing to go above and beyond what was originally required of you in order to satisfy your professor.
Follow through with what you discussed with your professor. Failing to live up to your end of the bargain will not only result in a lower grade for you, but it will also make your professor less likely to make exceptions for anyone else in the future.
Stay in constant communication with your professor. Remind him/her of your upcoming event and when you will miss class. And of course, remember to say “thank you” for any exceptions they make…your commitment means extra work for them!

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Tags: athletics, college athletes, college education, college sports, college tests, grades, make-up tests, tutoring

Posted in Preparing for School | No Comments »

Best Places to Watch a College Game

August 8th, 2008

The best places to watch a college game are those that have enough space for everyone who wants to attend, yet at the same time are crowded enough to provide all the jostling, cheering elbow-to-elbow excitement fans expect.

They should also have a surplus of mouth-watering, cholesterol-spiking edibles like hotdogs, nachos, popcorn, pretzels, etc. And don’t forget the drinks. Beer on tap is the best way to go, especially if the venue lets you double-fist it.

Sports bars are a great place to go if you can’t attend the college game in person. Choose one with comfortable booths that give you full range of all of its televisions (and it should have plenty). Make sure the game of your choice is playing on at least one of those TVs, or request it beforehand. Invite your friends, order some burgers and fries, and prepare to cheer for your favorites.

Another great place to watch a college game is on your living room couch, surrounded by friends, with the barbeque grill working overtime on the patio. Make sure you get the right channels for the games you want to watch, double-check the times, arrange for enough seating for everyone, and divide up the grocery list among everyone who’s coming.

If you are close enough to a sports arena to attend the college game in person and you’ve already scored some tickets, make sure to arrive early enough to find a good parking spot or consider taking public transportation.

Here’s a list in USA Today on January 18, 2008, from author and sports commentator John Feinstein, about the best places to watch college games:

10. Cassell Coliseum (Virginia Tech)

9. O’Connell Center (University of Florida)

8. Mackey Arena (Purdue University)

7. Hart Recreation Center (Holy Cross)

6. University Arena (University of New Mexico)

5. Rose Hill Gym (Fordham University)

4. Pauley Pavilion (UCLA)

3. Allen Fieldhouse (University of Kansas)

2. Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke University)

1. The Palestra (University of Pennsylvania)

What are your top picks for places to watch a college game?

Palestra | Classes Online

The Palestra

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Tags: basketball, college games, college sports, football, sports arenas, sports bars

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