Is There a Media Bias??

For the second straight year a contraversial BCS Championship game involved a team from the SEC. The South, and particularly the SEC, have been very active in the National Title hunt. Some people complain that there is a bias in the media against the SEC, the South, or certain teams. Yet with these facts, some find it hard to find one.

But I still say that to some degree or another, there is a bias. When a team such as Ohio St. or USC get into the NC game it is considered hands down and no-two-ways-about-it that they will get in. People still complained when Florida got in, and some people do not think LSU should have got in this year. Of course, if LSU did not get in, then UGA from the SEC would have had a good argument (I think that they do anyway). UAT was given tough player restrictions when the players were found to have false use of textbooks, and the media talks much more about Big 12 or Pac 10 than they do the SEC. Of course, it was a given AU would be left out of the championship game in '04. The media rejects a playoff system to give perhaps up to three SEC teams a year a chance at the Big Show. Although the SEC has been present in the NC game now three years out of the past five, and all three of these years were contraversial, we should consider the strength of the SEC, and the negatives the media gives them compared to the positives the media gives other schools.

AU was left out in '04, and the media did not feel bad for AU. When USC was left out in '03, the media declared them the AP NC's, and rode them on #1 all through '04. When UF went in the NC game contraverisaly last year, the media complained it was not Michigan (even though they already lost to Ohio St., who was definetely in the game). UF wound up beating Ohio St. real bad. This year, it was a given Ohio St. would be in, and it was a toss-up between about six other teams, of which the SEC had two. LSU went in with Ohio St., and UGA got a no-win situation with a Hawaii team.

I also recently saw a TV special with the fifty greatest plays in college football. The only AU play was Punt Bama Punt. But I saw plenty of plays listed that were not as good as other AU plays. What about Bye Bye Bo, Go Crazy Cadallac, Kenny Irons breaking through ten players again LSU, the contraversial tip play against LSU in 06, Nix to Saners - '93 version or '94 version, etc. I wouldn't expect all of those on there, but I do believe that AU was deservant of more than one play, especially after seeing other plays they had on.

And so I won't be hypocritical, I admit that yes, I am biased too. But not many people see this blog, and those who do are probably SEC junkies anyway. And besides, I am not getting paid a living for writing these. It's just fun : )

What do you think?

War Eagle

December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas!!!

Ryan Hampton