BCS executive director Bill Hancock, trying to defend the indefensible, told writers on Monday that ``there is no groundswell among presidents or commissioners for seismic change'' to the system.

He also said this: ``

"I try not to get to defensive about this…. but I'm disappointed by the childish rhetoric that comes from some quarters. But words like cartel and criminals and all these other "C" words … corruption, communist, they are absolutely silly and childish when referring to this arrangement. This is a group of schools doing what's best for their students. It's not sinister; there's nothing evil about it. What kind of corrupt deal would give (TCU) an opportunity to play in (the Rose Bowl)? They played in the Rose Bowl because of the BCS.''

Although I am fully in favor of the BCS ``cartel'' being termed ``corrupt,'' let me add my own ``C'' word to the list:

Comical.

The BCS and its bought-and-paid-for defenders have become comical.

Their latest attempt to damage what might be the most entertaining sport in existence occured on Monday, when the BCS, dictating that the so-called national championship game be played on Jan. 10, forced Auburn and Oregon to wait 47 games between games to play the most important game of the year, perhaps the most important game ever played by either school.

The result: Two of the most innovative and crisp offenses in memory played like this was the first day of spring practice, not the national title game.

When I covered baseball, I'd find myself waiting out a lockout or strike or negotiation in a hotel lobby somewhere, and the ball writers would turn to each other and say, ``Thank heavens this is such a great game, or it wouldn't survive this idiocy.''

That's what we should all say about college football now. It is a sport unmatched for pagentry and atmosphere, for passion and unpredictability, and yet it frequently embarrasses itself.

The BCS is the greatest embarrassment of all. It arbitrarily decides national titles, excludes worthy teams with impeccable resumes, allows cheating to be punished in ways that protects its bottom line, and delays the most important game of the season until the teams playing in it are rustier than a 1976 Dodge Dart.

Hancock is like the university presidents and bowl game officials he represents and defends: He is corrupt. He is defending an indefensible system not because it is the best or most interesting or most profitable system, but because the people whose pockets are being filled do not want to lose their Sugar (Bowl) Daddy.

TCU finished its season undefeated and handled an impressive Wisconsin team in the Rose Bowl, and yet has no way to prove it is the best team in the country.

Corrupt? It would seem so.

Comical? Absolutely.

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I'm at the Wolves game tonight. I'm frequently amazed at how interesting I find this team, and I find this to be a fascinating matchup - the talented but misguided Wolves against the aged and intelligent Spurs.

If you switched coaches tonight, which team would you pick? I might have to take Popovich and the Wolves at home against Rambis and the Bone Spurs.

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I see that basketball boss David Kahn is defending Kurt Rambis.

One question: How often in the history of sports has a GM predicted he was going to fire his coach?

I'm not saying Rambis will be fired. What I'm saying is that every coach remains safe until the team hits a tipping point of sorts.

For Brad Childress, that was getting blown out at home against Green Bay while his players bickered on the sideline.

I'm sure Rambis is safe for the moment. But what if his team quit on him, and lost 10 straight by an average of 15 points?

I don't expect that to happen. I'm just saying I don't lend Kahn's words any weight on this matter.

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You don't need to know much about Trevor Mbakwe's case to know this: Contacting in any way a woman who has sought a restraining order against you when you are not even far removed of felony assault charges is not a bright way to conduct oneself or one's career.

He deserves to be suspended for stupidity alone.

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Upcoming: I'll be on 1500espn on Thursday, from 3-6 p.m., spending an hour with Mr. Reusse, then running Garage Logic for Joe Soucheray.

Working on guests for Sunday Morning Sports Talk, 10-noon.

My twitter name is Souhanstrib, and I'm also on 1500espn at 2:40 every weekday afternoon.