MITCH BLATT

The bowl game played in Washington, DC and originally known as the Congressional Bowl (in planning stages) is now the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman. In its inaugural season, it was the Eagle Bank Bowl. While I wouldn’t argue with the relevance of using either “contractors” or “banks” as reference for “Congress,” I do think the issue at least warrants some discussion in that these tax-funded contractors are advertising with the intent of getting more tax dollars for purposes which they will ultimately benefit from if America goes into another war.

The “battlefield” references take on real meaning. The football warriors will go to battle on the gridiron, the soldiers in uniform will go to battle in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the lobbyists go to battle on Capitol Hill. Northrop Grumman spent $12 million lobbying in 2010. Their PAC spent $1.7 million on 2010 campaign contributions. Bell Helicopter also contributed to candidates, of course, though on a much smaller level.

Proceeds to the Military Bowl will go to support the USO, but the real proceeds are coming from Northrop’s military contracts, not from the advertisement/bowl game profits. ITT Defense and Information Systems is also one of the Military Bowl’s sponsors. Humana Military (healthcare) is a supporting sponsor of the Armed Forced Bowl.

It’s a truism: Contractors like to be on Congress’ good side, and Congress members like to have contractors’ money.

Northrop has to bring their guns out after getting beaten back by Boeing in long-standing battle for a tanker contract this spring. Boeing originally had a deal to provide the tankers as far back as 2003, but the deal was withdrawn after an Air Force procurement officer and the chief financial officer of Boeing were found guilty of corruption in 2004. Northrop (partnered with the European EADS/Airbus) won the contract in 2007, but Boeing protested, and many Congressmen made statements supporting Boeing, being that Boeing is an American company, and Northrop was partnered with EADS. Northrop dropped out in March, 2010, claiming that the odds were intentionally staked against them, but EADS stayed to fight for the contract on their own, and is surprisingly poised to win, according to an accidental leak of Department of Defense documents. Naturally, Boeing is protesting the leak and already has some Congress members on their side.

The bowl games are just the same thing that happens every day inside Congressional halls or on Boeing’s Tanker Lobbying Website or sometimes on TV ads or perhaps even news shows. It’s just on a much larger and much more shameless level when its happening at a bowl game.

Bowl games have become jokes these days. (Let’s just remember the “Come on down to Beef’s!” Beef O’Brady’s Bowl that kicked off the bowl season.) JSB blogger Scott Jacobs interviewed one of the promoters of the Eagle Bank Bowl in 2008 asking who would care about such an irrelevant new bowl game. The founders claimed to care in good PR fashion, but the importance of the game to them is well established now that they aren’t sponsoring it anymore.

Every bowl game is an advertisement, but when contractors get involved, not only is the sponsorship supported by taxpayer dollars and encouraging the growth of such funding, but, in the case of defense contractors, you also have the potential for American and civilian lives to be at stake in what President Eisenhower called “the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” Is this an example of what Eisenhower warned of in his farewell address? I’m not providing an answer–I’m just asking questions–but clearly its something we need to watch out for.

SCOTT JACOBS

If you can believe it, we’re now half way to the end of bowl season.  Half way folks!

With 34 bowl games, 68 bowl teams, and other random warm and cold weather cities lining up each and every year your guess is as good as mine when it will end.  If my interview with the EagleBank Bowl back in the fall was any indication, bowl games aren’t so much about wins and losses as they are with tourism, charities, and rewarding teams with another game (because everyone likes an extra game).

The bowl field, once a prestigious one, is now such a long list that it takes time and dedication just to slug through it.  Bowl games, once strictly played at warm weather sites, like the first Rose Bowl game played in 1916 and always played on New Years Day are becoming few and far between.  There is no consistency with the bowl schedule.  It’s become a free for all, and thus every year the date of bowl games seem to– and do change.

But how did this happen?  When did the sacred bowl system become a mediocrity plate shoved down our throat?  How I ask, how!

In 1930 the Rose Bowl was the only major college bowl game played.  With its success came other warm weather New Year’s day bowls like the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Sun Bowl. By 1940 there were five major bowl games.  In 1950 three more were added.  A decade later there will 11 bowl games on the docket.  In 1980, 19.  In 1990, the number was 25.  And from there bowl games sprouted up seemingly overnight.

Now we have 34 games, 68 teams, and most traditions have been shot dead.  Sponsors have deals with just about every bowl, and games are played from sea to shining sea and even… Canada.  There’s the International Bowl, the Humanitarian Bowl, the Texas Bowl, the PapaJohns.com bowl, heck now there’s a St. Petersburg bowl.

The dates have been rendered meaningless. 6-6 Kentucky plays East Carolina on January 2nd at 5pm.  Three hours later two top 10 teams play in the old tried and true Sugar Bowl.  On January 3rd the International Bowl in Toronto serves as a prelude to the Fiesta Bowl two days later.  On January 6th the all important GMAC Bowl gets its time in the spotlight, before they play the BCS National title game the two days later.

Really?

There are almost as many bowls that have been discontinued, 32 as are played.

Listen to some of these names: Cherry Bowl, Gotham Bowl, Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, and my favorite, the Oil Bowl.

And the beat goes on.

It seems like college football’s grandest time has become dictated by a globe.  Remember when Eddie Murphy in Coming to America spins a globe and it lands on New York.  Is that what bowl games do today?

Spin.
Hey what’d we land on?
Um, Tampa.
Okay, let’s give ‘em a game!
How about one more?
Yeah, couldn’t hurt.
What’d we land on this time?
Let’s see, Washington, D.C.
Cool!

Maybe next year it will land on Green Bay.  Then we can play the Frosted Flakes FrostBite Bowl.  I’m sure fans will flock to that one!

O joy.  O joy.