Waiting for more bowl scandals
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I see where the BCS oversight committee has agreed to keep the Fiesta Bowl on board, but in light of the recent scandal, it is also fining the bowl $1 million.
Really? The Fiesta Bowl has that much money in its change purse. This is a bowl that pays $17 million to each of the participating teams. And it gets fined $1 million?
In its tax filings this year, the bowl listed $15 in net assets.
I know it would have been a logistical and financial headache, but I would have put the bowl on standby for a year and given the BCS berth to the Cotton Bowl or maybe the Holiday Bowl, to make sure everything was cleaned up. That would exert some real pressure to keep things honest.
In case you hadn’t heard, the bowl recently fired its CEO, John Junker, after it was learned that under his watch the bowl reimbursed employees for political donations, thew him a $33,000 birthday bash, paid $13,000 for an aide’s wedding and $1,200 so Junker and two others could visit a strip club.
All in the name of business expenses. People do dumb things when they’re “promoting” their product.
So Junker is gone and now the fine has been imposed. BCS president Bill Hancock says there is no indication other bowls have acted unethically. I’ll believe that when I see it. It’s human nature to keep up with the Joneses.
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