Enough of them must think there is risk in walking away from what they have — which is pretty good.
— How come ratings keep soaring and television revenue pours in?
The Big Ten Network is printing so much money it is now annually paying $20 million per school. The Southeastern Conference just signed a $3-billion deal with ESPN and CBS.
CBS issued a news release Tuesday saying its average rating for SEC football games for the first four weeks of the season is its highest in 11 years.
You can reasonably argue a playoff would be more lucrative, and that ratings would be even higher, but that's different than saying the BCS is like communism — as Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas) suggested.
Barton, portrayed in the book as the critical thinker in the argument, once convened a congressional hearing on the BCS with a Texas A&M (his alma mater) football helmet on his desk as he yukked it up with Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), who had a University of Houston helmet on his desk.
— Why isn't ESPN pushing for a playoff?
The network just took over the full BCS bowl package for the next four years but has been Switzerland in this debate. When has ESPN been neutral on anything?
Part of the reason ESPN may not be pushing: It owns several of the bowl games that playoff proponents swear won't be harmed.
"Death to the BCS" is a lightning-rod read, yet overreaches in trying to demonize people who, in general, are not pond scum.
The book might also require an addendum to the chapter detailing how the BCS cartel is designed to exclude schools such as Boise State from earning their way into the BCS title game.
The first BCS standings come out Sunday.
If the standings were released Wednesday, according to ESPN numbers-cruncher Brad Edwards, the No. 1 team would be … Boise State.
chris.dufresne@latimes.com
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