November 24, 2009 12:05 PM
- Text
College Football's BCS Hires Ari Fleischer
(CBS)
The much-debated BCS is facing organized opposition in the form of a federal political action committee "dedicated to discarding the Bowl Championship Series and instituting a competitive post-season championship for college football."
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) have backed the PAC effort, calling the BCS ranking system "arbitrary and anti-competitive," "fundamentally unfair" and "a farce."
Opponents want the BCS ranking system, which relies in part on polls and complicated data calculations to determine the top teams in the country, replaced with a more traditional playoff system. They say the current system effectively freezes out teams that do not come from the bigger conferences.
Politico, which first reported Fleischer's hire, quotes the former press secretary saying, "Playoff advocates have had an easy ride where they have never been called on to explain exactly how they would create an alternative."
"While the BCS has its share of critics, once people see both sides of the issue, they will see why the system has its great support," he said.
Fleischer currently oversees a firm that trains athletes and sports organizations, including Major Leage Baseball, on media relations.
Matthew Sanderson, the spokesman and co-founder of the PAC trying to bring down the BCS, told Politico "the BCS needs a hired mercenary to sell" what he characterizes as an "arbitrary system" opposed by most college football fans.
-
Brian Montopoli Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »
Popular Now in Politics
- Eastwood: No political spin to my Chrysler ad
- Santorum sweeps Missouri, Minnesota, Colorado
- Clint Eastwood gives America a pep talk
- Contraception issue heats up as Santorum gains
- After Tues. sweep, Santorum seeks to gain speed
- Obama campaign blurs the line with super PAC
- GOP contests under way in Minn., Mo. & Colo.
- Romney attacks Obama over "religious liberty"
- Fallon vs. Obama in fitness challenge
- Romney: Komen shouldn't fund Planned Parenthood
- Romney ties Obama to Carter
- Romney, Gingrich blast Prop 8 ruling
- Hoekstra defends racially-charged Super Bowl ad
- Was Chrysler's Super Bowl ad political?
- Obama campaign throws support to Obama super PAC
- Republican congressman falls for Onion article
- What Does 'GOP' Stand For?
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Polycom hires Electronic Arts CFO Eric Brown
- Repsol YPF ups Argentine shale deposit potential
- Final Glance: Managed Care companies
- Final Glance: Oil companies
on Facebook
- Calif. surfer runs fastest-growing camera company
- Americans getting too much sodium, but not from salty snacks
- Mo. teen gets life in prison for murder of 9-year-old girl
on CBS News
