Idle No Longer

As the college football season trudges along to its' conclusion, it got me reminiscing about why it is my favorite sport.  It's pretty simple, and probably not much different than anyone else, but it goes back to when I was a kid.  Living in Ohio, fall was the best time of year due to weather and football.  We had high school football on Fridays, college on Saturdays and the pros on Sundays.  As a naive kid, it couldn't get any better.  I remember spending Saturday afternoons raking leaves with my dad and playing catch as we listened to the Ohio State games on the radio.  The mid 80's were a special time for us from Massillon, Ohio since Chris Spielman, our hometown hero, was leading the defense for the Buckeyes.  I was in second and third grade when Chris was playing high school football for the Tigers, and he was as close to a God as I could imagine.  Every kid in town wore their high tops with the laces undone just like Chris, that is until one kid broke an ankle and the school system required we tie our shoes(thanks Todd Fair).  Chris was a high school superstar before EsPN was making everyone a star and he even appeared on a Wheaties box while still in high school when being on a Wheaties box meant something.  So it was in these formidable years I was introduced to Script Ohio, Hail to the Victors, Chief Osceola and Howard's Rock.  I got hooked on college football and the all pageantry and tradition that came with it.  Unfortunately I had to grow up and learn some truths. 

It's 2012 now, and college football is the most corrupt sport we have this side of FIFA.  I won't go into all the details, but if you have not yet read Death to the BCS, please do so.  It does an excellent job of highlighting how we have gotten to the point we are now with the sport I, and millions of others, love.  College football is the only sport where at the beginning of the season, if you are in the MAC, Sun Belt, WAC, Mountain West or Conference USA, you CANNOT win the national championship.  No matter how good you are or by how many points you win all your games, you will not get to play for the title.  What other sport tells nearly 50% of its' participants, before ever playing a game, that you will not have an opportunity to prove you are the best team.  The entire concept of this is ridiculous.  Yet, we as college football fans continue to accept it.  Sure, we like to piss and moan about the BCS system, but every year we still tune into games, buy jerseys and support the corruption with our dollars.  Well, I plan to finally take a stand.  I realize it won't mean much in the big picture, but that will no longer deter me.  My wife has a quote on our refrigerator from Helen Keller(no relation and yes, I've heard all the jokes so feel free to stop chuckling now).  The quote goes, "I am only one, but still I am one.  I cannot do everything but still I can do something.  I will not refuse to do the something I can do."  I've read this numerous times and thought it was great, but never acted on its premise.  That ends today as I will boycott the BCS Championship this season.  I may be the only one to do it, but I will still do it.  And in the effort to not refuse to do what I can, I am also going to ask all of you to boycott as well.  The chances of that are slim, but if you love college football, and want to change the system, this needs to be done.  There is no other way the decision makers will hear us.  They only respond to money, so taking our eyes away from the televisions is the biggest statement we can make. 

Good luck, and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.