Obama Supports A Playoff

[AUChizad]

Let's hold him to making this legislation.

Link (Video included)

Barack Obama says he'd start an eight-team playoff for college football's national championship. John McCain says he'd continue the battle against performance-enhancing substances in sports.

Both of the major presidential candidates talked to ESPN's Chris Berman via satellite during halftime of the Monday Night Football game between Pittsburgh and Washington. The interviews were aired less than eight hours before the polls opened in the eastern part of the country. The Obama interview was conducted before the announcement of his grandmother's death.

When asked what would be the one thing he'd change about sports, Obama said he'd like to see a college football playoff.

"You know, I am fed up with these computer rankings, and this and that and the other," he said. "Get eight teams. The top eight teams right at the end. You've got a playoff. Decide on a national champion."

McCain, who's been active in the Senate on the issue of performance-enhancing substances, said he'd work to prevent the spread and use of them.

"I think it's a game we're going to be in for a long time," McCain said. "What I mean by that is that there is somebody in a laboratory right now trying to develop some kind of substance that can't be detected and we've got to stay ahead of it. It's not good for the athletes. It's not good for the sports. It's very bad for those that don't do it, and I think it can attack the very integrity of all sports going all the way down to high school."

Obama also talked about his Chicago Bears (and an ankle injury to quarterback Kyle Orton) and relayed a story about scrimmaging against the North Carolina men's basketball team (which he picked in his NCAA tournament pool last year).

"Let me tell you, they are big and really fast," Obama said. "And I'm old."

McCain, an Arizona Cardinals fan, turned the tables on Berman when asked what he wanted voters to think of when they went into the voting booth on Tuesday. McCain trails in national polls on the eve of the election.

"I want them to think: 'He. Could. Go. All. The. Way ... To the White House,'" McCain said with a laugh.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Absolutely!!!!      I have a hunch it won't be high on the agenda.... but agree!!!!!

[AUChizad]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3697109

Oh well...

Chair of BCS committee not on board with Obama's playoff idea

By Joe Schad
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: November 12, 2008, 1:00 AM ET

Barack Obama's MNF Interview

One person who won't be swayed by President-elect Barack Obama's recent call for an eight-team national college football playoff is Oregon president David Frohnmayer, chair of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee.

"We deeply respect the president-elect and we are glad that he is a fan of college football," Frohnmayer said in an e-mail response to ESPN Tuesday. "We have the most compelling regular season in all of sports, and I'm sure that contributes to Senator Obama's enjoyment of our great game."

Frohnmayer opposes a playoff for the former Division I-A. Other presidents on the committee are Rev. John Jenkins (Notre Dame), Robert Khayat (Ole Miss), Mark Nordenberg (Pittsburgh), John Peters (Northern Illinois), Harvey Perlman (Nebraska), Graham Spanier (Penn State) and Charles Steger (Virginia Tech.)

"My colleagues and I on the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee have discussed the future of postseason football on many occasions and we do not believe a playoff would be in the best interest of the sport, the student-athletes or our many other constituencies," Frohnmayer said.

When asked what change he'd make in sports during last week's Monday Night Football broadcast, Obama said "I think it's about time we had playoffs in college football. I'm fed up with these computer rankings and this that and the other. Get eight teams -- the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion."

[Tarheel]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3697109

Oh well...

I started to tell you fat chance that happening before getting distracted with work...it looks like it ain't gonna happen without an Executive Order from The Obama himself...but even he's going to have trouble dealing with the almighty BCS.