Now we turn to the BYU women’s rugby team.  They were forced to play on Sunday and elected to forfeit instead.  I admire their decision.  I am not sure I agree totally with their viewpoint but it must be admitted the Commandment does say do not work on the Sabbath (see Exodus 20;8-11).  One of my favorite movies is Chariots of Fire, where Eric Liddell refused to run on Sunday.  Actually God was a better Olympic coach than the British Olympic coach.  BYU also got hosed (if this story is true) by the organizers of the event.  I cannot endorse Mormon doctrine but I admire those who make a real sacrifice for their faith.  There is too little of this today.

Finally, I saw the headline in AOL news – something to the effect that honesty costs golfer a terrible price.  Here’s the Real Clear Sports take on it.  I did not realize that first place is over a million dollars!  Makes me want to get a set of clubs.  But the headline is all wrong:  It’s cheating that’s costly.  It hurts your conscience, your witness for Christ and your walk with God.  I don’t know the faith of Brian Davis, but I know something of his integrity and moral compass.  Any chance for politics after golf?

“It is something we’ll look at,” Goodell said Sunday. “We heard the fans loud and clear. It’s something our competition committee has looked at in the past, but we’re going to ask our competition committee to look at it again in the future. We want every game to be competitive.”

Now NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, a man I admire very much for cleaning up the league, will review this issue.  I do think he did not quite get it yet.  The simple solution is to treat an undefeated season as reason not to rest your starters unless it is a blow out or there is a compelling reason approved in advance by the Commissioner.

PS:  Ask the Houston Texans if the Colts-Jets game affected the playoff picture and thus the integrity of the game.

“This is an issue that we have reviewed in the past. The position of the competition committee, and affirmed by the clubs, when it was reviewed in 2005 was that ‘a team that has clinched its division title has earned the right to rest its starters for the postseason, and that preparing for the postseason is just as important as protecting some other team’s playoff opportunity.’ That is the current policy,” league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

I still contend that there needs to be better, clearer rules in place.  But this is a start.  Readers who are concerned may certainly in a polite and respectful manner approach the NFL about this.  The league has changed it mind based on public outrage before when it banned and then allowed churches to show the Super Bowl so long as no one pays for it.

This affects the integrity of the game:  The Jets are in a tight fight  for two playoff berths left in the AFC with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, Denver, and Miami.  For a team to in effect lay down affects the other teams seeking that playoff spot.  Hence, this cannot be tolarated.  The Commissioner must act to prevent this from a recurrence.  The Jets were sanctioned for a misleading injury report to protect the integrity of the game.  This is no different.

This insults the efforts of the players.  The Colts played well to get to that stage.  They were being acclaimed as potentially the team of the decade.  This insults that effort.  It may hurt them in the playoffs because it introduced a major conflict factor.  In future years, this will affect the play of the Colts or anyone associated with this decision at any team they serve at. 

It hurts the league.  The fans have an interest in the NFL, especially if they pay to see a game.  There are television and radio contracts as well as cable and pay-per-view revenue.  This sort of shenanigan costs the NFL in credibility and standing.  The fans of the teams seeking those playoff spots have been robbed of their chance to see their team prevail fairly. 

Since the issue of undefeated seasons has now seriously come up twice since 2007, there must be rules in place for this situation.  No resting of players without a legitimate reason (running up the score, for example) and how it is done must be approved by the Commissioner in advance.  This also applies for meaningless games whether the team is undefeated or not.  Hence, there must be action taken by the league against the Colts and whoever is responsible for the decision last Sunday to “rest” these players.

Why not spread it around.  Keep the Lions at home.  Cowboys, too.  But let the other four spots for turkey day games be scattered throughout the teams.  The Saints have never (that I know of) been to a Thanksgiving game.  There would be two NFC and two AFC teams every holiday.  No team other than the Lions and Cowboys would play again until all the other teams have played – about eight years apart. 

Meanwhile, we’re waiting for the Alabama and Saints games!  Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

From Jindal’s office:

This is a huge win for New Orleans, but also the entire state of Louisiana. There’s no doubt that the spirit of our people who persevered through four storms in just over three years played a critical role in securing the Super Bowl.

This win shows that New Orleans is a premier host for major sports and entertainment events – and will be a perfect backdrop when the eyes of the world are upon us.

Indeed, Louisiana is committed to making sure the 2013 Super Bowl is unparalleled. That’s why it was critical for the state to come together with the New Orleans Saints and the Louisiana Superdome to establish a long-term agreement that will save taxpayers money, significantly improve the playing venue and dramatically revitalize the stadium area and the surrounding neighborhood.

From the Senate President’s office:

This is terrific news for New Orleans and Louisiana. New Orleans has long been a natural host city for events big and small, and the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans will undoubtedly be the best game yet. Our city has built back stronger than before and thanks to the hard work and dedication of our people, we are competing with cities all across the country to host nationally important events like the Super Bowl.

The new agreement we have proposed to make investments in the Superdome is a critical part of making this event a success and I applaud the legislators who continue to work tirelessly to finalize this legislation.

This is significant because Senate President Chiasson is a Democrat.

If you need more information, try this analysis by John DeShazier of the Times-Picayune from April 29, 2009 (Proposal a Win-Win for Louisiana, New Orleans Saints):

But when you add in the deal is structured so the state’s financial obligation to the Saints considerably is lessened, down from the current $23.5 million the state owes this year under terms of the current agreement, to no more than $6 million per year under the proposed agreement, then it becomes that much more attractive.

And that $6 million could shrink, depending on whether the team can increase its revenue.

The state will pay at least $85 million in Superdome improvements, including added seating and suites, to help provide an avenue for the increase. And Saints owner Tom Benson will buy New Orleans Centre and Dominion Tower, and will lease to the state 320,000 square feet at Dominion Tower for state agencies.

DeShazier’s conclusion is favorable (especially for a public rightly skeptical of stadium deals):

But this ought to be bought because, really, it appears to be a good deal for the state and for the franchise.

This is another example of the new way of thinking that Governor Jindal is bringing to Louisiana.

The problem is that New Orleans is a small market for a professional franchise and it is difficult to build the fan (that’s paying fan) base to keep a quality operation in town. The Green Bay Packers had the same problem – but they are publicly traded and could not easily move. The Saints are several moving vans away from being a former Louisiana resident. What to do? Most localities beg with tax dollars the teams to stay. Libertarians and many others disagree. I side with the libertarians. Enter Governor Jindal…

The Associated Press however reported recently that the Saints and the state signed a deal to keep the team in the Big Easy until 2025 and that the Saints’ owner, Tom Benson, will take over two other nearby buildings. Governor Jindal also reported that this deal would save Louisiana over the next 17 years the sum of $280,000,000. While not a huge sum, that is great compared to the usual sweetheart deals most governments make to keep pro teams in town. Jindal also asserted that no new tax dollars were spent to keep the team in New Orleans nor will there be a new stadium.

Maybe Governor Jindal should wait after all until 2016 to run for President! He is a great governor now. I applaud his vision to keep the team in town without giving away the store. Now if he could make the Saints a consistent winner, that would be an accomplishment…

photo by JaseMan