I don't care about the politics of the government shutdown. In another forum, another blog or in a conversation, I might share my opinion. For purposes of this blog: I don't give a $hit. What I do care about is BC Football and how the status for our game with Army remains up in the air. Army wants this game to happen. BC wants this game to happen. So it will probably happen and happen this weekend and all the fretting and grandstanding will be quickly forgotten. But I am a BC fan and old enough to know to expect the unexpected. If Army doesn't show up, what is Brad Bates to do...
His first goal would be to get the Army game back on schedule. This minimizes ticket refund issues and complaints about donations and parking spots. The most likely day to play this game would be December 7. However, he would have to have a wink-wink, contract in pencil agreement with Army that if BC somehow won our division and made it to the ACC Championship, we would get out of the Army game altogether. I don't think we are going to make the ACCCG, so if we don't play this weekend, this is probably what will happen.
He needs a contingency though if the shutdown lingers. Who knows how this will play out and if the service academies will even play football once they start missing multiple games. If that happens, multiple schools will be looking to makeup for lost games. I am guessing that BC would try to arrange a last minute game for December 7 with one of those teams. The most logical replacement would probably be Temple. Their October 19 game against Army is in jeopardy. We are a relatively inexpensive trip and there is enough familiarity among the staff and teams that it wouldn't be too daunting to prepare. The only issue might be bad blood over BC poaching Addazio, but Temple could probably be talked into it. And if they won't play, Bates just needs to work the phones to find another team out a game.
If a game cannot be found, BC needs to push hard for a bowl waiver. A forfeit might be more official, but who wants a fake W due to a shutdown? The high road would be BC not taking a win and just asking the NCAA to allow us to attend a bowl game if we get to five wins. We wouldn't be the first exception. And as 13-point favorites, I think we could successfully argue that we lost a very likely qualifying win.
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13 comments:
Park's closed folks, the moose out front should've told you...
I'm a young alumni, and thoroughly enjoyed the reference.
So, in what bowl game would a 5 win BC play? The toilet bowl has already been flushed. The defense looked lots better. The running game looks good. The passing game stinks. The question is what is wrong with Rettig and why isn't Spiffy at wide receiver? They need some speed. Amadon is a Wesley Welker type and should be thrown to as such. Sending him long is like sending for help at the Little Big Horn.
BC should ask Army how much it costs them to bring the team to Boston. Send them a check for that amount ( less than twenty grand). No government funds are needed. Army could reimburse BC in the future. Even if they didn't no real loss. If the DOD doesn't go for this they expose themselves as a dishonest, selfish political enterprise only interested in their funding and indifferent to the impact on the athletes and fans at both schools.
ATL, as my BC Prof Ron Tacelli, SJ, taught "What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence" (L. Wittgenstein).
I understand your silence of how horrible the clown(s) in the [pick one: a) White House b) Senate or c) House] are and how this/these A**holes from the [pick one: a) White House b) Senate or c) House] are totally out of touch with America
There is ample precedent for the host school to pay for the visit of a service academy.
Both Air Force (1964) and Army (1967) were paid to bring their cadet corps to the Heights in the '60's.
I well remember the reports of the money spent on paying to entertain the Cadet Corps with dances, parties, mixers, etc...even so far as bussing in young ladies from high tone colleges in the area. The popular refrain was that BC admin never did that for its own...we male undergrads were astonished at the money being spent and not a little green with envy. Of course, the times were different then; but BC paid for the complete package for the Cadets.
Ronnie McAda still haunts my memories. Have him pay for it.
Let's just say that it's all politics and political theater.
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