Football and Politics as Usual in America

It’s football season sure, but not far beyond the bone-rattling hits of our nation’s most favored and dangerous sport lies a far more grotesque battle for dominance.

It’s election season and as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney continuously engage in the time-honored American tradition of lying and manipulating half-truths, it’s important to take a step back and marvel at the ghastly machinery of our political system at work.

Someone has to do it and the national media certainly aren’t the ones for the job.

The major news networks gamely tip toe around the parapets of actual journalism, but few are asking hard questions or taking anyone to task over the senseless nature of what has become an endless cycle of campaigning.

There are two things this has done to the way we are governed in this country.

First, politicians are less likely to attempt to make difficult, sweeping changes for fear of backlash come the next election. I’ve heard pundits discussing the idea that if re-elected the President can finally attempt to try and accomplish some big controversial things. 

However, the hyper-partisan politicians of our day have created the “lame duck” President, someone who can’t be trusted because he won’t be held accountable for his actions since he doesn’t have to run for re-election. 

President Obama wondering why he's doing this again.

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell famously said with no touch of irony that “Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term.”

Which brings me to my second point. The election cycle has become so accelerated that a four-year term in office has really been shrunk down to two years before you have to begin running for re-election.

Coupled with the countless representatives jockeying for position as challengers for the White House who should instead be busy governing, we see a “lame duck” government as a whole and not just a President.

Just as professional football players live out their lives as hired assassins playing with an eye towards their next contract, our politicians are primarily motivated by how they best position themselves for the next election.

Governor Romney realizing what he's gotten himself into.

In addition to the unnecessarily accelerated campaign cycle, there are the record-setting gobs of money being thrust at politicians busy stumping about our nations financial struggles.

In August alone President Obama and the Democrats raised $114 million while governor Romney and the Republicans raked in $111 million.

According to this nifty chart from the New York Times, that puts the total money raised at just over $1.1 billion, more than $900 million of which has been spent already.

Now that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money the United States owes, but it could certainly be used for much better purposes than political attack ads.

Could you imagine for example politicians traveling the country and holding rallies to fund our educational system or putting on a $25,000 a plate dinner to help families displaced by natural disasters?

That’s pandering we could all get behind.

Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. Politicians as a whole are little more than generally incompetent grifters with an insatiable lust for power and a taste for the flesh of young dogs.

Politicians will say just about anything they think we want to hear to get in our good graces, and we capitulate because there’s some special connection we’ve created in our minds.

These are dangerous people and they will stop at nothing to get to you. They’ll keep calling and sending letters and bombarding you with unwanted advertisements during commercial breaks of your beloved football games.

So while you’re watching oversized humans bash their heads into one another, keep in mind the delightful irony that it’s the exact same thing our politicians are doing with much higher stakes.

Be wary of the real beasts this football season.

More Than ACCeptable: ND to ACC

For the past several years, the only constant in collegiate athletics has been change. Teams have been moving conferences, some have said they would move ultimately to change their minds, and surprisingly enough some have stayed put.

Without question, football has been the primary driver of the changing landscape. After all, it is the primary revenue generator by a wide margin. Basketball has played a small part and even to some extent hockey, but that is essentially it when it comes to revenue generators. Perhaps some ACC institutions would consider baseball to be in the black but the majority of the country would disagree.

Speaking of the ACC, groundbreaking news was shared earlier today when the University of Notre Dame announced it accepted an invitation to join the ACC in all sports except football, which will remain independent, and hockey, which will join Hockey East in 2013. Hear firsthand from Notre Dame's Athletics Director Jack Swarbrick in the following interview about today's historic announcement.

Many are quick to display their disgust and resentment of the Irish for retaining its independence in football, wondering why on earth the ACC, its commissioner John Swofford, and each instutition's athletic directors would permit such an atrocity. If partisanship for the Irish, whether in favor of or against, is removed from the equation, the carefully trained eye uncovers that while the Irish certainly benefit from the move, members of the ACC benefit as well.

To get the sticking points of the football side of the deal out of the way, Notre Dame will play five ACC schools each season - three at home and two on the road - with the qualification that each ACC member must be scheduled at least once every three seasons. 

Notre Dame will in turn be able to retain games against traditional rivals such as USC, Navy, and Stanford among others. There is also likely to be a rotation of traditional Big Ten rivals Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue.

Moreover, and this is likely the biggest feather in the cap for the Irish, Notre Dame will gain access to the ACC's post-season bowl tie-ins. In possible scenarios, Notre Dame could actually play in the Orange Bowl as an at-large against the ACC Champion. No, the Irish will not be permitted to play in the ACC championship game since they will not be a full time football member.

Additionally, a Notre Dame team within one win of an ACC school would be eligible for selection over that ACC school, though. In other words, a 7-5 Notre Dame team could be selected to take an 8-4 ACC school's spot in one of their bowl tie-ins.

Where do the benefits for the ACC start kicking in, you ask? It's simple - exposure. Like them or not, the Irish draw attention wherever and whomever they play. Unlike most schools, Notre Dame has a national fan base that will naturally allow ACC schools, who by definition reside along the Atlantic Coast in eastern cities, exposure in markets they would not normally have an opportunity to take advantage of. 

After all, there were two big announcements today: Notre Dame's conference move and the iPhone 5. Depending on your news outlet, it is difficult to discern which communication received more press.

Going back to the point on exposure, it is likely that the ACC will experience ratings boosts in games featuring the Irish, which will only help in future television contract negotiations with networks. To be sure, the ACC will only have broadcasting rights to games featuring the Irish on the road against its full member schools, but something is certainly better than nothing.

This point on exposure is not based on pompous attitudes that Notre Dame football is better than everyone else. As it is, the product on the field has been quite mediocre as of late so that argument is out of the question. Where Note Dame arguably does a better job of any other institution, though, is in terms of its fan base.

Most schools have established fans in very specific geographic regions within close proximity to campus. Florida, for example has a strong base within Florida, USC has a strong base on the west coast, and Michigan has a strong base in the midwest. Notre Dame has a tremendous fan base everywhere, not just in the US but also abroad.

What the move also does for the ACC is create excitement within each school's respective fan bases. After all, anti-ND fans look forward to beating the Irish. Of course, schools want to beat every team on their schedule, but given Notre Dame's illustrious history and boastful fan base, victories over the Irish are relished more so than usual.

Traditional rivalry games, such as Virginia Tech versus Virginia and Duke versus North Carolina, will rein supreme for each respective fan base, but games against the Irish will also hold special meaning.

Aside from football, other sports should benefit for all parties involved as well. Notre Dame's soccer programs, perennial national championship threats, will fit in nicely with the ACC's rich tradition in the sport. Lacrosse will also benefit as the Irish have quickly ascended the national ranks and are now one of the nation's top programs with trips to the final four in two of the last three seasons. In fact, one of their title losses came to ACC power Duke. Track and Field has been a strength of Notre Dame's as well as the ACC's so there is mutual benefit there as well. Golf and baseball in the ACC were probably better off without Notre Dame, but the addition will not hurt.

John Swofford and the ACC athletics director's clearly must have seen such benefits, else they would have had no reason to extend an invitation to Notre Dame in the first place. Let it be clear, Jack Swarbrick and Notre Dame did not force the ACC into offering an invitation. A mutual agreement was reached between all parties due to the realization that each had something to gain from the deal.

Case in point, while Notre Dame retains its exclusive NBC contract for broadcast of its home games, the Irish will not share in the ACC's contract with ESPN. It's a give-take relationship and all parties benefit.

All in all, Notre Dame and the ACC are better off today than they were yesterday. At the very least, ACC fans can take solace in the fact that the conference raised its exit fee charge to $50MM. Suffice to say, the ACC will look like this for years to come. It is undoubtedly stable and perhaps now immune from future conference expansion threats and opportunities.

Notre Dame Joins ACC...Sort Of

In typical Notre Dame fashion, they've finally elected to join the ACC solely for football reasons and managed to not actually join the conference fully for football.

It's classic hypocrisy as only the Irish can muster. They'll play five games a season against ACC competition meaning they can have their cake and eat it too.

They'll get to pick and choose which rivalries they keep and which become rarer than an ND bowl win.

They'll no doubt get special treatment and not have to paint the ACC logo on their historic and soon to be synthetic field. Perhaps the Irish will have gold-embossed portable logos for the weeks they're part of the conference that can be easily removed the rest of the time.

I'm certain there will be equal revenue sharing amongst all 15 (yikes!) ACC programs even though Notre Dame will continue to hold onto their unique television deal with NBC without sharing.

The only thing ACC commissioner John Swofford managed to leverage in favor of the existing conference members is that the Irish won't be eligible for the ACC Championship game.

It's outrageous that the ACC cowed to the demands of a prospective member like this. It shows once again that greedheads like Swofford care nothing about "student-athletes" or the integrity of their organization and only about the almighty dollar.

As Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John I. Jenkins said of the ACC's arrangement, "I don't think there's out there a better situation than the one we have."

Yeah, no crap.

As my dear friend Eric succinctly put it earlier, "I wish we weren't humoring their [Notre Dame] laughably pompous and misguided exceptionalism."

Indeed.

Here come the Irish...to the Atlantic Coast.

It's not all bad of course. People are talking about ACC football in a slightly less sarcastic way than normal which has always been a problem.

It will open ACC football to a Notre Dame fan base that is only intimately familiar with the bottom-dwellers of the league.

Most importantly, Notre Dame will finally have to take on opponents like Virginia Tech, Florida State, Clemson and Miami without being able to dictate the terms of when and where they play.

The Irish are notoriously difficult to schedule because of their insistence to make non-rival opponents play multiple games in South Bend in exchange for only one game on their own campus.

That will now only be an issue for the "non-conference" opponents, whatever that means to the Irish.

Now Notre Dame will dig into their bottomless pockets to pay what is sure to be a hefty exit fee from the Big East. They will join their new conference members on unequal footing, but what else is new?

Oh yeah, welcome to the ACC.

Hokies Wideout D.J. Coles to Miss Rest of Season

Virginia Tech head athletic trainer Mike Goforth announced Thursday that senior wide receiver D.J. Coles will miss the remainder of the season following an knee injury in the opening victory over Georgia Tech.

Coles will undergo an MRI on the same knee that was recovering from off-season PCL surgery. He will be eligible to apply for a medical hardship waiver which, if granted, will allow him to return for a fifth season similar to fellow receiver Dyrell Roberts.

The Hokies had several other receivers step up in Coles' absence.

Marcus Davis and Corey Fuller each had 82 yards receiving and redshirt-freshman Demitri Knowles had his first career catch on a beautiful 42-yard touchdown pass from Logan Thomas.

Tech returns to action Saturday in Blacksburg against Austin Peay at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN3.

2012 College Football Predictions

The college football season is once again under way meaning I breathe a little easier while somehow also stressing out more.

While Brian is off gallivanting about Europe on his way to Notre Dame's match up with Navy in Ireland, I've been tasked with informing everyone of our picks for this year's editions of Virginia Tech and Notre Dame football.

On a brief side note, if I don't see web hits from ISPs in Ireland this week someone is due for a beating.

First Brian's picks:

Brian is a bit bullish on ND, which isn't shocking, but I was a little surprised he picked both squads to finish with an 8-4 record. In this scenario, Tech would still likely qualify for the ACC Championship game giving them a shot at another win before the bowls. 

I can't wait for the Irish to get some kind of bizarre exemption into our championship game despite not actually playing in the conference. Clearly, I'm not still bitter about the Big East's stupid bowl arrangement from years past.

Now for my picks:

Again, these aren't shocking picks. I pegged the Irish at 7-5, but I think that would be an outstanding season. I was very close to predicting 6-6 with a loss to Navy. Coming from a fellow fan whose team opens against the crazed triple-option attack, there's plenty of reason to be nervous. 

I clearly have more confidence in my alma mater than some, predicting just one loss to the Clemson Tigers. Until Tech proves they can outdo Dabo (who is a gum-flapping idiot) that game gives me apoplectic fits of rage just envisioning it.

One interesting note, Brian seems to think far more highly of Miami than I do. I think both teams should defeat the Hurricanes because I just don't think they're very good. 

Of course that won't stop all 17 'Canes fans from "packing" whatever the Dolphins call their stadium now when Tech rolls into town. 

There will be no Miami fans at Notre Dame's game in Chicago because no such people live there. 

Anyone seen with 'Canes swag will probably have an ibis hat from 1985 to go with a Bears Ditka-style sweater they dug out of their closet. Those folks are the worst kind of bandwagon cast-offs from the last time both teams were simultaneously relevant and they are bad people.      

I hate Miami.

2012 Virginia Tech Football: Death, Taxes and 10-win Seasons

There are few certainties in life (and 10-win seasons aren't really one of them) but Virginia Tech football's winning tradition has become about as steady as it gets.

Gush about Clemson and Florida State all you want, but the road to the ACC Championship still runs through Blacksburg. 

Even during Clemson's resurgence last season, they still had to beat the Hokies twice to claim the title. Expect more of the same this time around. 

Folks will point to Clemson as the biggest game of the season, but it still starts with the battle of the Tech's Sept. 3 in Lane Stadium.

As previously mentioned in this space, the winner of the Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech match-up has represented the coastal division in the ACC championship game every season since the Hokies joined the league in 2004. 

This year will be no different as the Tigers and Seminoles battle for the top spot in the Atlantic division.

Questions surround the Tech offense as they have to replace most of the offensive line, the wide receivers and a first-round draft pick in the form of running back David Wilson.

Michael Holmes will lead Tech's rushing attack this season.

Fortunately, tailback is never a position of any real concern at Virginia Tech. Running backs coach Shane Beamer will turn to redshirt freshman Michael Holmes who is the clear leader of a talented, but unproven group of backs.

Holmes may not be as flashy as David Wilson (who is?) but it appears he will be a steady presence this season with enough sizzle to break off some big runs. 

Redshirt senior Martin Scales is a converted fullback who at 5'11", 222 pounds is a bruiser who could see plenty of goal line carries.

Also keep an eye out for true freshman J.C. Coleman. He has plenty of big play ability and enrolled early at Tech in January to play spring ball.

Despite losing two of Tech's most prolific receivers—Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin—The Hokies have a potentially explosive group of wideouts led by Marcus Davis and the return of Dyrell Roberts. 

Marcus Davis pulls away from North Carolina defenders.

The 6'4", 232-pound Davis is a physical freak who gained over 500 yards receiving last season in an offense dominated by Coale and Boykin, and still hasn't truly shown people what he can do. 

Roberts is a redshirt senior after being granted a medical hardship waiver and he's joined by fellow senior D.J. Coles who also was just shy of 500 yards receiving last season. The group gives Tech great size and speed as well as a veteran presence for Logan Thomas after losing some crucial veteran targets.

The offensive line worries are being overblown by a national media that has conveniently glossed over the fact that the majority of the "new" starters have seen significant snaps filling in during past injuries.  

This line will be no worse than any recent group, and has the potential to be quite good by the time the stretch run comes around. 

Defensively, Tech has loads of talent and as I say every season, just trust Bud Foster to whip everyone into shape. 

Kyle Fuller is the most recent in a long line great Hokie cornerbacks.

All-ACC cornerback Kyle Fuller is a serious playmaker who leads a defense filled with them. 

That doesn't mean there aren't changes as several players shuffled positions. 

Detrick Bonner was pressed into starting duty last season at cornerback and whip linebacker. This season he makes a move to free safety while safety Antone Exum moves over to cornerback. 

The defensive line looks stout and defensive end James Gayle is a stud. He totaled 12.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks a year ago and will look to improve upon those numbers. Tech hasn't had very impressive individual sack numbers in recent years, but Gayle may just be the guy to change that.

Special teams has been a problem in recent years much to the dismay of special teams guru and head coach Frank Beamer. The rest of the country caught up to the Hokies about a decade ago, and Tech hasn't really figured a way to get back on top. 

Beamer has also shifted from blocking kicks to primarily setting up returns, which to be fair has yielded fairly solid return numbers but the Hokies certainly miss the tectonic momentum shift caused by blocked field goals and punts.

As for Tech's kicking game, Cody Journell returns as the placekicker after meeting the terms of his reinstatement following an embarrassing Sugar Bowl suspension. Freshman A.J. Hughes appears likely to be the punter and sophomore Michael Branthover should handle the kickoff duties.

CONCLUSION

All in all, this is yet another talented team with a genuine superstar at quarterback and one of the more talented defenses in recent years. That's a potent mix that could yield fantastic results.

Most talking heads are touting Florida State as the likely ACC champion. FSU is certainly loaded with talent, but until they finally live up to expectations under Jimbo Fisher and prove it on the field, I'm not sure you can crown them anything but paper champions.

The rest of the conference has clearly closed the gap with the Hokies (see Clemson games). Georgia Tech may be a home game, but it's a tough test to start the season. Then there's the brutal stretch of games at Clemson, at Miami and Florida State at home. Strangely, all of those teams have a BYE in the weeks prior to facing the Hokies as do non-conference foes Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

It's a big challenge coming up for the Hokies, but with a little luck and some improved play in big games, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Hokies once again win the ACC and play in another BCS game. Hopefully this season the results are slightly better.

On a side note, Danny Coale still caught that touchdown against Michigan.