Orrin Hatch: Taking On The Big Boys

All our problems must be gone.  At least, all our big corporate anti-trust and competition problems.   

Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ranking Member on the Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced yesterday that he will hold hearings on why the NCAA’s Bowl Championship Series shafted the undefeated University of Utah football team by excluding them from a chance to compete for college football’s national championship.

Throughout the land, people will sleep soundly knowing Senator Hatch is on the watch.

Did he urge hearings on how our anti-trust regulations allowed AIG, Citigroup and Bank of America to become TOO BIG TO FAIL?  Nope.  Will he urge hearings on whether its a good idea for GM to own a bank and insurance company?  Apparently not.  What about GE owning a huge credit corporation AND a national media conglomerate that runs the leading business news broadcaster?  Orrin will punt on that one.

But the Utah Utes (Yes, Utes–it’s a Native American reference, not a My Cousin Vinny reference) getting screwed out of the national fuhutbawul title?  That’s worthy of Senate hearings, you betcha!

Hatch said in a statement that the BCS system “has proven itself to be inadequate, not only for those of us who are fans of college football, but for anyone who believes that competition and fair play should have a role in collegiate sports.”

Now, we have no fondness for the big conference money game that is the BCS football farce.  The president and this blog have favored a playoff system.

But, SENATE HEARINGS?  Have we really solved all the problems of competition and fairness in the larger economy?  We have spare time to go after college athletics?

There is something we’d like Senator Hatch to investigate while he’s got the Utes under oath.  He could ask them how in the world Utah’s basketball team, a #5 seed with a 24-9 record, lost to a #12 seed, the 19-13 Arizona team most experts didn’t think should be in the tournament to begin with, in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, thereby blowing a hole in our bracket sheet.  Now that’s worthy of a Senate investigation!