Pay For Play

Last night's (March 30, 2011) HBO "Real Sports" documentary about major college athletes receiving illegal benefits spawned an entire day's worth of discussion on every media outlet imaginable.  From Colin Cowherd to Jim Rome, Scott Van Pelt to Dan Patrick, nobody missed the opportunity to give their two cents about the issue.  That being said, I plan on doing the same, but with a little different perspective than any I've heard.

Obviously the Cam Newton controversy from this past football season pulled the curtains on something that clearly has been going on for longer than any layperson realized, even though Newton has yet to be found guilty of anything.  But the point is, college football and basketball players at the highest level are being "taken care of" by coaches, boosters and diehard fans in ways that the NCAA doesn't allow.  Before I give my opinion, let me make it clear that I did NOT watch the HBO documentary last night so these are all my authentic thoughts.

If you played a college sport at a school that is not considered to be a national powerhouse, then you already know what I'm about to say.  If you didn't, lend me your ear before you begin to loathe every college athlete you know.  As a former football player at the FCS level (formerly Division 1AA), I can assure you that I never saw a dime from anyone associated with the school I attended outside of my scholarship check.  And considering that playing a sport at that level requires more hours than a full-time job, I found myself gathering change from under my car seat to survive the last month of every semester.  I lived on gas station hot dogs, 89 cent burritos and "Olde English" 40's because I could afford nothing more.  Now I know what you're thinking:  "Oh boo hoo...at least you were on scholarship and don't have loans to pay."  And you know what? You're right and I am incredibly grateful for that.  All I'm saying is that I wasn't driving an Aston Martin and eating at Morton's every night.  I experienced college exactly as a college student should.

As far as the athletes that actually are getting paid, I don't agree with it.  But honestly, I can't sit here and say that I definitely wouldn't have taken a few extra dollars if it had been offered to me.  I'd like to believe that my conscience wouldn't have allowed me to accept the offer, but I'd be lying if I said I was 100% certain.  I loved college but it probably would have been even more enjoyable had I been able to consume something other than malt liquor occasionally.  Who are we to judge a 19-year old kid that probably doesn't know any better?  If anyone is to blame, it's the losers who are living vicariously through these athletes so much so that they have to slide them a few hundred dollars after a game with that really smooth handshake move that I stopped doing after third grade.  Seriously, like nobody can see that Benjamin in your hand.

-MB

March Madness

I will be the first to say that I am a huge contrarian, but like anything else there is a method to my madness. I am only a fan of things that make sense. We all agree that the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is not a fair system (whatever fair means) but the BCS is a much better system then what we currently have in NCAA Men’s Basketball. I’ll save my BCS rant for a later date. Today’s post is about my disgust with the NCAA Basketball system.  Every year we complain about the teams that get in and the teams that are left out of the tournament. That is not my argument; my solution to that problem is win more games, period. My problem with this system is we almost eliminate four months of basketball in one weekend of play.

In the world of football, we always hear the cries and complaints for the Boise State and TCU’s of the world, but what about the cries of the Ohio State and Kansas’ (basketball) who have to endure a hard and grueling season in which they performed as a well-oiled machine to have it derailed one night in March by a team that did nothing to merit an invitation to the party. My problem is not the tournament, the tournament is pure bliss. My problem is what little amount of stock we put in the regular season.

Out of the four teams we have left competing for a National Championship, NONE wore the crown at the end of their regular season.  It is baffling that after 30 games consisting of out of conference opponents, invitational tournaments and conference play, your season is defined in a three game weekend tournament at the beginning of March. UConn, currently the public’s favorite to winning the National Championship, finished an embarrassing 9^th place in the Big East. Butler had to win their conference tournament for a birth to this year’s field of sixty-eight that erased a very disappointing 20-9 season. VCU had a better record last year (2009-2010) and played in the CBI.  Not the losers bracket we refer to as the NIT, they played in the “everybody gets an award” CBI, where your competition is *Roast Beef Tech,* literally. Since when do we reward mediocrity? VCU’s 23-11 record in the CAA was just that, mediocre.  

The system that is in place is not accounting for a whole season of work, only the month of March. This display of fairness is far worse than the BCS. The BCS has a playoff; it’s called the regular season. You lose, you’re out. It’s simple. The BCS at least rewards excellence not mediocrity. I would rather see a team that was dominant the entire season in a major conference against other top notch opponents in a fight to be called National Champions week in and week out rather than a subpar, mediocre, middle of the pack coaster fighting for their lives in a three weekend tournament that is based on match ups and seeding. The top three teams in this NCAA tournament bracket combined for fewer losses than all four of the teams in the final four, in a power conference for an entire season, not just in the month of March. Where’s the sympathy for them?

As the tournament continues to grow we are putting less emphasis on the bulk of the season and more on just the month of March. Can we honestly say that is the best team of the 2010-2011 season?

-Jae Pierce

Roast Beef Tech: The Beginning

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages:  The moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived.  "Roast Beef Tech" is a blog that will chronicle the current hot topics in pop culture, primarily the athletic world.  If you've heard of the fine establishment known as "Roast Beef Tech" before, then you are an avid listener to the ESPN radio program "The Herd."  If that's the case, I predict you will become an avid reader of this blog.  In the case that you are NOT a Colin Cowherd fan (chances are you don't know who he is, otherwise you would be a fan), "Roast Beef Tech" is the school name that he likes to use when referring to low-level, less than competitive colleges in an effort to make a joke.

That being said, you can expect similar references, language and sense of humor from yours truly.  If you enjoy the constant use of sarcasm and humor while simultaneously being entertained and informed, then you've found the blog that will satisfy that part of your everyday life.  From VCU's appearance in the Final Four to the BCS to the auditory filth that is played on the radio these days, myself and my co-author will address all things worthy of discussion.  Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your life.  Let the games begin...