I Agree with David Pollack

[AUChizad]

This has become national news. Dye just got eviscerated on PTI.

Fox News piled on him as well.

Once again, Auburn has been singled out as the sole monstrous voice of hate and bigotry.

 

[Townhallsavoy]

And again as usual, no one will attempt to see the reasoning behind Dye's comments. They just hear a southern accent saying that women, especially black women, should be in the kitchen. 

We're just wondering why a non-football person is going to help determine the championship.

Question - are any politicians on the committee that picks the NCAA basketball tournament?

[Vandy Vol]

Question - are any politicians on the committee that picks the NCAA basketball tournament?

No...they're all former/current athletic directors, with the exception of one guy who was an assistant AD.

Some of them may have dabbled in politics at some point on some level, but they all have athletic ties at least in regard to being an AD/assistant AD.  Some of them have also held other positions at schools' athletic departments, but they've all at least been an AD/assistant AD.

[Tiger Wench]

From an SI Article:

The playoff committee is supposed to determine which four teams are most qualified to play for the national title. That is it. Rice is smart enough and diligent enough to do that. The task has nothing to do with putting your hand in the dirt.
 
Pete Rozelle, the greatest commissioner in NFL history, never played football. Mike Leach, one of the great coaching minds in college football, never played college football. Charlie Weis never ... well, OK, bad example.
 
As with most sexism, the backlash against Rice is not about a hatred of women. It's about protecting turf. It's about insiders trying to keep outsiders out.
 
I'm sure that Pollack and Dye believe they are not speaking from a sexist place. They think they are protecting the game. But why did they feel the urge to do it? Because Rice is a woman, that's why.
 
Quick: Name the members of the NCAA men's basketball tournament selection committee. You can't, can you? As my colleague Seth Davis pointed out on Twitter, Texas-San Antonio athletic director Lynn Hickey served a five-year term on that committee. She was the second woman to do so.
 
I bet Pollack and Dye don't even know who is supposed to join Rice on the football committee. One of the people is longtime sportswriter Steve Wieberg, who is built like a kicker's little brother. Where is the outrage about Wieberg? (And I'm not trying to start any -- he will be great.)
 
But then, most people have no idea who has been determining the Bowl Championship Series title-game matchup for the last decade and a half. Who did you think was behind all those computer rankings, folks? Mean Joe Greene?
 
Rice served as the provost of Stanford, she is a huge college football fan, and she has dealt with much more complicated problems than this. She is one of many people on the committee. Unlike college coaches, athletic directors or conference commissioners, she has no financial stake in the selections.
 
And if she brings the perspective of somebody who didn't have a hand in the dirt, that is actually wonderful. She can bring a more detached and reasoned perspective than the "eye test" or conventional wisdom. That's what analytics experts have brought to every sport, and they have made teams and leagues smarter.    

The college football committee needs outsiders. It should not be made up entirely of outsiders, and it won't be, but adding somebody like Rice is helpful. 

[Kaos]

From an SI Article:

longtime sportswriter Steve Wieberg

He's made a living covering the game.

She's watched games.

I've been in every place. I played (baseball).

I coached and will be the FIRST to tell you that having only played football for a year, I was behind way way way behind in terms of just seeing the game the way I needed to. I'll never forget my first year when I was on the roof and spotting tendencies and after four straight running plays coach called me on the headset and asked if the corners were creeping up.  How did I know? I'd started watching the ball. I had no idea if they'd crept or crawled. There's a VAST difference in watching a game from the stands or on TV and understanding what is really going on from play to play, game to game. 

I also covered the game briefly.  Again, there's a significant difference in what you're looking at and looking for than there is for the casual observer. 

Having never played, coached or made a living writing about the game, Condi Rice is less qualified than any high school coach I know to be on that panel.  Period.  Not because she's a woman but because she has no knowledge or understanding of the game.

If they'd suggested Erin Andrews, Jill Arrington or one of those airheads I'd choose them over Rice because they've at least been in the middle of it. 

[Vandy Vol]

If they'd suggested Erin Andrews, Jill Arrington or one of those airheads I'd choose them over Rice because they've at least been in the middle of it.

Middle of what?  An Eiffel Tower?

[Saniflush]

Middle of what?  An Eiffel Tower?

London Bridge.

[Townhallsavoy]

From an SI Article:

No one's criticizing her ability to be a commissioner. 

I don't like the sports writer being on there either. 

The BCS was an imperfect system.  The playoff was supposed to move closer to being a perfect system, but this is a bad first step.

Look at this scenario: 

1.  LSU is 12-1
2.  Baylor is undefeated.
3.  Notre Dame is 12-1
4.  Ohio State is 13-0
5.  Florida State is 13-0
6.  Oregon is 12-1 with a loss to Stanford
7.  Stanford is 12-1 with a loss to Washington 

Who goes?  And when the final playoff is set up, there will be anger.  Do you want to be able to say that 12 former players and coaches analyzed film like they did in their college/NFL careers to decide which four teams are the best?  Or would you rather Condi Rice help choose the four teams because she can pacify the angry fans when they speak out against the committee's lack of knowledge and experience to make such decisions?

[Saniflush]

No one's criticizing her ability to be a commissioner. 

I don't like the sports writer being on there either. 

The BCS was an imperfect system.  The playoff was supposed to move closer to being a perfect system, but this is a bad first step.

Look at this scenario: 

1.  LSU is 12-1
2.  Baylor is undefeated.
3.  Notre Dame is 12-1
4.  Ohio State is 13-0
5.  Florida State is 13-0
6.  Oregon is 12-1 with a loss to Stanford
7.  Stanford is 12-1 with a loss to Washington 

Who goes?  And when the final playoff is set up, there will be anger.  Do you want to be able to say that 12 former players and coaches analyzed film like they did in their college/NFL careers to decide which four teams are the best?  Or would you rather Condi Rice help choose the four teams because she can pacify the angry fans when they speak out against the committee's lack of knowledge and experience to make such decisions?

This.  All of it!

[noxin]

I know more about EVERYTHING than 95% of all ya'll.  And I wouldn't put myself on that committee.

Its' tough being over here in the 5%, but I also heard Gene Stallings and Fran Tarkenton agree with Dye.  And Fran at least has the ability to say it in non-drunken English that people can understand.

People are starting to come around and see Dye isn't just a sexist old man.  He is a football-savvy sexist old man.

[Buzz Killington]

The only problem I have with this is that they are really trying to play up the fact that she is a Stanford fan...all the while showing pictures of her hugging bammer players on the sidelines of the MNC game in Pasadena.  I suppose they assume the general masses won't realize that it's not a Stanford player she's hugging in the pics.

[CCTAU]

I coached and will be the FIRST to tell you that having only played football for a year, I was behind way way way behind in terms of just seeing the game the way I needed to. I'll never forget my first year when I was on the roof and spotting tendencies and after four straight running plays coach called me on the headset and asked if the corners were creeping up.  How did I know? I'd started watching the ball. I had no idea if they'd crept or crawled. There's a VAST difference in watching a game from the stands or on TV and understanding what is really going on from play to play, game to game. 

Having coached a bit and sitting in the box calling plays, it was very difficult to train yourself to witch off-the -call during the play. The success of the play you just called does not carry over ot the next play all of the time. You have to watch key personnel on the other team every play to get tendencies. I would have guys on the sidelines watching different positions. I would call down and ask, "hey. What is the DE doing on the lead play?". And the response form little Johnny's dad would be silence. He was watching the game, not the position.

So to your point, there is a huge difference in how one views the game. Sometimes I think just to be a drunken fan would be more fun, but I cannot help myself. My DVR will be the death of me. I constantly back up the play to see if what I thought I saw on the edge of the play is what I did see. The trick is to do this without TiVo. And those are the people you want on the committee.

[Snaggletiger]

Why do you people have a problem with a strong, black woman? 

Too many people over thinking this.  They'll have enough people on the committee with enough football knowledge to make rational decisions on who gets in.  It doesn't matter if you select the greatest college football minds out there, #5 or #6 will be pissed.  It will eventually expand to 8 and #9 and #10 will have sand in their vaginas.

I think the BCS system sucks and there's no possible way to pick the top 2 with absolute certainty.  But with regards to 4 teams, the troof is it usually all works itself out and by season's end and I feel much better about getting the match ups that will result in a true champion. 

[Townhallsavoy]

Why do you people have a problem with a strong, black woman? 

Too many people over thinking this.  They'll have enough people on the committee with enough football knowledge to make rational decisions on who gets in.  It doesn't matter if you select the greatest college football minds out there, #5 or #6 will be pissed.  It will eventually expand to 8 and #9 and #10 will have sand in their vaginas.

I think the BCS system sucks and there's no possible way to pick the top 2 with absolute certainty.  But with regards to 4 teams, the troof is it usually all works itself out and by season's end and I feel much better about getting the match ups that will result in a true champion.

If they have enough people on the committee with enough football knowledge, then why do they need Condeleeza Rice? 

[AUChizad]

I'm only recently learning that they're doing away with the computers. The only part of the formula that can be relied on to be 100% free from bias. To not consider who diddy rooted for. To actually use statistical analysis based on SOS, and how teams fared against said competition.

I'm more pissed about that than anything.

[Snaggletiger]

If they have enough people on the committee with enough football knowledge, then why do they need Condeleeza Rice?

Heard an interview with the head of the BCS Tuesday and the one mainly responsible for the people on this committee.  He said the #1 criteria for someone to be on the panel was integrity.  Know matter who they put on it, they'll always be able to point to her and say you can't question our motives.

[Saniflush]

Why do you people have a problem with a strong, black woman? 

Too many people over thinking this.  They'll have enough people on the committee with enough football knowledge to make rational decisions on who gets in.  It doesn't matter if you select the greatest college football minds out there, #5 or #6 will be pissed.  It will eventually expand to 8 and #9 and #10 will have sand in their vaginas.

I think the BCS system sucks and there's no possible way to pick the top 2 with absolute certainty.  But with regards to 4 teams, the troof is it usually all works itself out and by season's end and I feel much better about getting the match ups that will result in a true champion.

At the end of the day the only way this becomes an issue in my mind is if there are 5 or more teams undefeated at the end of the year.  How many times has that happened?  And you know what if you are number 5 and have the same record as number 2-4 (let's say one loss) then fuck you!  You had the ability to be there by doing your job and not losing the first place.  You take the decision out of other people's hands.

[Townhallsavoy]

Heard an interview with the head of the BCS Tuesday and the one mainly responsible for the people on this committee.  He said the #1 criteria for someone to be on the panel was integrity.  Know matter who they put on it, they'll always be able to point to her and say you can't question our motives.

If he really meant that, he wouldn't feel the need to state it so that everyone hears it. 

Condi will be great at the politics, and that's what this is about.  If this year needed the playoff committee, I guarantee Louisville would get in.  She would be there with a nice smile to tell ESPN why Louisville was a good choice. 

That's why she's there.