Government Shutdown Threatens College Football

[James Madison]

Cancel the things people use and enjoy, while the corporate gravy-train keeps on rolling. It's like we're being punished.

Vindictive government is vindictive.

----------------------------------
Two college football games on Saturday -- Air Force at Navy and Army at Boston College -- are in danger of being canceled due to the government shutdown caused when Congress did not pass a spending bill to fund the government.

The Defense Department announced Tuesday that is has suspended travel for intercollegiate athletic competitions at the nation's service academies due to the impasse, which put 800,000 federal workers on furlough.

The Air Force Academy announced that: "At this time, travel for all intercollegiate athletics is cancelled -- this includes the Air Force-Navy game on Saturday, 5 Oct."

A spokesman for Navy said that a decision about its game against Air Force would be made by noon ET on Thursday.

"We have been in close communication with Army athletics officials regarding the potential impact of the government shutdown on this Saturday's football game," Boston College athletic director Brad Bates said in a statement. "Obviously our intention is to exhaust all possibilities to play the game and we will communicate the information promptly as soon as we have resolution."

The Air Force Academy said it would try to play home games, but that it was working with Mountain West Conference officials and other schools to reschedule games away from the school. But the department of defense said no games will be played as long as Congress fails to fund the government, which happened when the House and Senate couldn't agree on a spending bill by midnight on Oct. 1.


http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9754777/government-shutdown-threatens-cancellation-college-football-games-involving-service-academies

[phill4paul]

Good. Why the hell are federal tax dollars paying for the transportation of football teams?

[James Madison]

Good. Why the hell are federal tax dollars paying for the transportation of football teams?

I agree that tax dollars shouldn't be used for transportation, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to total defense budget. The only programs being cut are the ones people use and enjoy. Programs that don't benefit Americans are continuing unabated. It's a psyop.

[GregSarnowski]

I agree that tax dollars shouldn't be used for transportation, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to total defense budget. The only programs being cut are the ones people use and enjoy. Programs that don't benefit Americans are continuing unabated. It's a psyop.

Hopefully most Americans who aren't blind Team Blue partisans can see through the obvious charade, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[phill4paul]

I agree that tax dollars shouldn't be used for transportation, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to total defense budget. The only programs being cut are the ones people use and enjoy. Programs that don't benefit Americans are continuing unabated. It's a psyop.

While I agree with you that the programs being shut down are the ones people use and enjoy I don't subscribe to the "drop in the bucket" mindset. Every penny matters. Football is an extra curricular activity and should be paid for through booster clubs and car washes.

[Occam's Banana]

Good. Why the hell are federal tax dollars paying for the transportation of football teams?

It's for the children.


I agree that tax dollars shouldn't be used for transportation, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to total defense budget. The only programs being cut are the ones people use and enjoy. Programs that don't benefit Americans are continuing unabated. It's a psyop.

They are putting great effort into engineering ways to maximize public inconveniences that they can then blame on the alleged "shutdown."

And that's a good thing. Sure, there'll be plenty of sheep bleating in helpless outrage over cancelled football games, closed national parks, etc., etc.

But the sheer ridiculousness of those inconveniences is just going to "wake up" more and more thinking people, too. Every time the Feds play these ass-hatted "shutdown showdown" games, they undermine by just a little bit more the foundations upon which their house of cards is erected ...

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

No Boston College? Does Flutie still play for them?

[shane77m]

I hope it doesn't threaten Alabama or Auburn football. There sure enough would be a riot in Alabama. The national guard might get put on duty.

[phill4paul]

It's for the children.

Of course! Teh chillins...........

http://urbangrounds.com/wp-content/uploads/US_Army_football_camo.jpg

[donnay]

Shut down the bread and circuses might be to our benefit and to their misfortune. Of course they are banking on chaos so they can bring order out of chaos!

[Cutlerzzz]

I thought that college football teams generally made lots of money. I wouldn't have thought that they would be dependent on the Federal government for this funding,

[brandon]

Tweets from the first lady are being rationed in these bleak times

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360094/flotus-announced-her-twitter-account-limited-due-shutdown-andrew-johnson

[samforpaul]

Does this mean that every athletic event won't have a Color Guard out there before the games too?
What about the military soldiers who are now home on furlough that are introduced between innings of MLB baseball games that have been abroard because they are "fighting for our freedom"? Oh no.

[James Madison]

Tweets from the first lady are being rationed in these bleak times

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360094/flotus-announced-her-twitter-account-limited-due-shutdown-andrew-johnson

From this I can gather we're paying someone to tweet for her? She does realize Twitter is free, right?

[Occam's Banana]

Tweets from the first lady are being rationed in these bleak times

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360094/flotus-announced-her-twitter-account-limited-due-shutdown-andrew-johnson

385085480275939328
A more perfect example of what I was talking about earlier could not found.


[T]he sheer ridiculousness of those inconveniences is just going to "wake up" more and more thinking people, too. Every time the Feds play these ass-hatted "shutdown showdown" games, they undermine by just a little bit more the foundations upon which their house of cards is erected ...

[shane77m]

385085480275939328
A more perfect example of what I was talking about earlier could not found.

@flatus would be more appropriate.

fla·tus
/ˈflātəs/
noun
formal
noun: flatus
1. gas in or from the stomach or intestines, produced by swallowing air or by bacterial fermentation.

[brandon]

From this I can gather we're paying someone to tweet for her? She does realize Twitter is free, right?

She has a staff of 24 personal assistants but I'd be absolutely shocked to find out any of their hours are being cut back, even a little bit.

[mad cow]

Did they lay off the six figure dog walker at the white house,is Bo gonna have to walk himself?
What about the 24 hour a day white house projectionist,no more midnight movies?

[KEEF]

385085480275939328
A more perfect example of what I was talking about earlier could not found.
Her Twitter name sounds like what a qweef and fart would sound like at the same time.... Uhg, ugh, FLOTUS... Ahhh! .... excuse me... Tee Hee Hee!

[ObiRandKenobi]

maybe if alabama was shutdown. nobody cares about airforce, navy.

[heavenlyboy34]

As long as judo continues at college and pro levels, all is well with The Force. Judo FTW.

[CPUd]

I thought that college football teams generally made lots of money. I wouldn't have thought that they would be dependent on the Federal government for this funding,

Service academies don't charge tuition (or rather, have an elaborate system to bill themelves). The cadets are required to participate in competitive sports.

[anaconda]

Cancel the things people use and enjoy, while the corporate gravy-train keeps on rolling. It's like we're being punished.


I remember what Rand said many months ago: "The first thing they do is turn out the lights at the little league park."

[kathy88]

I hope it doesn't threaten Alabama or Auburn football. There sure enough would be a riot in Alabama. The national guard might get put on duty.

Actually you're on to something. Might be just the thing to get Alabamans motivated!

[KurtBoyer25L]

As a Navy football fan, I would rather not we play any more games until Keenan Reynolds can recover from his concussion.

[Slutter McGee]

Good. Why the hell are federal tax dollars paying for the transportation of football teams?

For the most part they are not. At least in the aggregate. These academies make more than enough money providing a freemarket function to pay for themselves. It all has to do with how the government money gets funneled into the programs.

Out of all the things to get ticked off about this is one of the least.

Slutter McGee

[BlackTerrel]

I thought that college football teams generally made lots of money. I wouldn't have thought that they would be dependent on the Federal government for this funding,

They do. Bit of a misleading headline. It's threatening Army/Navy football etc... - not exactly BCS caliber.

[angelatc]

Good. Why the hell are federal tax dollars paying for the transportation of football teams?


The games are sold out. Between that and the TV contracts they should not need a dime of tax money. They certainly don't have monsterous salaries to cover.

[phill4paul]

Out of all the things to get ticked off about this is one of the least.

Slutter McGee

People need to lose this mindset of "least." Every penny counts when it is not constitutional spending. There is no way in hell that you would have heard any of the founders exclaim...

"Varily I say unto you, fellow representatives, we forgeth this mighty document that coinage may be taxed of our citizens so that men of sports should be transported among the various states."

[Christian Liberty]

I hope it doesn't threaten Alabama or Auburn football. There sure enough would be a riot in Alabama. The national guard might get put on duty.

I'm a (mild) Auburn fan. That may be our biggest disagreement:p

[HOLLYWOOD]

She has a staff of 24 personal assistants but I'd be absolutely shocked to find out any of their hours are being cut back, even a little bit.

http://www.westernjournalism.com/how-big-is-michelle-obamas-staffs-budget/

How Big Is Michelle Obama’s Staff’s Budget?

March 27, 2012 by George Spelvin (http://www.westernjournalism.com/author/george-spelvin/) 4 Comments (http://www.westernjournalism.com/how-big-is-michelle-obamas-staffs-budget/#comments)


http://www.westernjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/448px-Michelle_Obama_.jpg (http://www.westernjournalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/448px-Michelle_Obama_.jpg)

A credit card receipt which Michelle Obama allegedly signed right before the 2008 election for a $450 room service snack is just showing up.


She ordered 2 whole steamed lobsters costing $100, 2 lobster hors d’oeuvres at $50, and one serving of delicate Iranian Osetra caviar at $150. She also washed down her snack in her suite #29m, allegedly at NY’s Waldorf-Astoria (http://blog.pumapac.org/) on Park Ave. with one Bollinger Champagne service costing $44. This brings her total bill to $447.39 after paying a $68 service charge and $34.59 in NY taxes.


Word coming out of a Canadian press outlet is revealing that American taxpayers are shelling out a staggering total of $1,591,200 annually for the First Lady’s 22 member personal staff. She has deputy assistants to the President and Policy and Projects; a press corps; deputies for chief of staff social secretaries; and associate directors of scheduling, traveling aides, and correspondence people who help full time directors of these divisions. This figure doesn’t include her make- up artist or First Hairstylist who rode with her aboard Air Force One on one trip to Europe.

[KurtBoyer25L]

They do. Bit of a misleading headline. It's threatening Army/Navy football etc... - not exactly BCS caliber.

Navy has beaten more BCS conference teams than any mid-major over the last 5 years. More than Boise State, more than Nevada, more than Utah. I have no idea what they do with their ticket receipts, but a good idea would be to spend them on publicity so that less people would carelessly assume they suck.

[James Madison]

They do. Bit of a misleading headline. It's threatening Army/Navy football etc... - not exactly BCS caliber.

It's threatening Army/Navy/Air Force football and the two dozen or so BCS teams they play.

[MelissaWV]

It's threatening Army/Navy/Air Force football and the two dozen or so BCS teams they play.

It still is a misleading headline, as it makes it sound like NCAA Football in general is threatened. It isn't.

[tod evans]

Never really enjoyed watching men in tights on TV.

I suppose those who like to bet on the "games" are bumming though..

[thoughtomator]

This is called Washington Monument Syndrome and it's the first (and often main) tactic of every bureaucracy when faced with budget cuts.

[Occam's Banana]

[...] and one serving of delicate Iranian Osetra caviar at $150.

Well, I guess Iran must be doing something other than building nukes & plotting for Total World Domination, after all ...

[seraphson]

Good. Higher education doesn't have jack to do with shit about throwing a god damn ball. Want to relive your childhood past times? Play on your on damned time and dime. I don't want to even fathom the amount of higher education spending in the athletics departments.

[shane77m]

Good. Higher education doesn't have jack to do with shit about throwing a god damn ball. Want to relive your childhood past times? Play on your on damned time and dime. I don't want to even fathom the amount of higher education spending in the athletics departments.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/14/forbes-argues-nick-saban-is-underpaid/


At just under $5.5 million a year, it’s hard to consider Saban’s salary “modest”, but Van Riper tries anyway:

[surf]

Does this mean that every athletic event won't have a Color Guard out there before the games too?
What about the military soldiers who are now home on furlough that are introduced between innings of MLB baseball games that have been abroard because they are "fighting for our freedom"? Oh no.
they already blamed it on that sequestration thing - no flyovers.

and boy have these been missed. everyone at the games I go to tends to be unable to focus on the game w/o noisy jets flying overhead prior to kickoff

[BlackTerrel]

It's threatening Army/Navy/Air Force football and the two dozen or so BCS teams they play.

If college football was really being threatened I know a lot of people who would legitimately be upset.

I haven't heard about this anywhere other than RPF.

[MelissaWV]

If college football was really being threatened I know a lot of people who would legitimately be upset.

I haven't heard about this anywhere other than RPF.

It's interesting because I had been thinking the same thing... until this morning. I heard them UNDOING this threat on the radio, then I backtracked just now and found references to the original threat on ESPN.


The Air Force-Navy and Army-Boston College football games will be played Saturday after receiving the approval of the Department of Defense.

The DOD suspended sports competition at the service academies on Tuesday due to a partial government shutdown stemming from the budget impasse in Congress. But funding for the game on Navy's home field is provided by non-government funding. All other varsity and club sports are suspended.

Saturday's game is a sellout and Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk said the cancellation of the game would have cost the academy roughly $4 million.

The bolded part is nauseating.