Is a Mark Cuban football playoff in the works? And will it mean death to the Bowl Championship Series? According to reports, the Dallas Mavericks owner has offered to fund a college football tournament in hopes of ending the controversial BCS once and for all.
The BCS is hated by just about everyone outside of college presidents and athletic directors, who line their pockets with money from little-watched, funky named Bowl games. It's only a matter of time before the public is viewing the Depends Adult Diapers Bowl.
Cuban's pockets are already lined, and he's trying to create the playoff system the intelligent sports fan has been clamoring for for years. According to an AP story in the Chicago Tribune, a Mark Cuban football playoff won't come cheap: He's offered to spend as much as $500 million on a tournament, putting 12 or 16 teams together for a chance at all the marbles.
The BCS, in a typical response, has claimed it won't be defeated by Cuban's money. But Cuban sounds serious. According to the AP story, he intends to contact university presidents and athletic directors, even state senators, to garner support.
And here's hoping it works for Cuban. The BCS is a frustrating system that leads to never-ending arguments and refuses to settle things on the field. It remains a massive cash cow, which makes it difficult to topple, but it doesn't satisfy the most simple tenet of sports: Determine a winner, fair and square. There's no way to do that if everyone doesn't have the opportunity to play everyone.
Cuban's quest is far-fetched an unlikely to be the ultimate answer. But perhaps it's the push needed to grease the skids and get the ball rolling toward some sort of solution. Most everyone outside of university president offices would prefer a playoff; perhaps if Cuban pushes hard enough, the rolling stone will gain enough moss to end the silliness.
The BCS is most definitely broken. And perhaps a Mark Cuban football playoff is the answer.
It's at least a step in the right direction.
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