Reporter Scott MacFarlane sends these blog entries about a Congressional hearing about college football playoffs.

Blog at 8:47 a.m.:
The arguments are beginning to go 'round in circles. No surprise - that's usually what happens on sports talk radio about the BCS. That's usually what happens in sports bars about the BCS. Goodness: that's usually what happens in Congress about everything! The two sides are intractable.

Congress is proposing more hearings, more oversight, more questions of this BCS system in the coming months. Several members still want an official Justice Department antitrust investigation ordered.

It's clear no firm action will be taken today -- but it's also clear that Congress isn't done probing into the BCS.

So many cameras; so many reporters show each time the BCS is debated. That alone will likely lure Congressional leaders into tackling the issue more frequently in the future.

But what do fans think of this? Should this really be the domain of our elected representatives? Or is this *precisely* the issue in which we'd like to see government intervene, considering how stubbornly resilient the BCS seems to its critics?

Watch for fan reaction and my full report on today's Congressional probe later tonight, beginning at 5pm on our newscasts.

Have a great day ---

Blog at 8:23 a.m.:
Rep. Joe Barton, the Texas Republican, is laying into the witnesses now.

Barton just asked, "Why don't you drop the C in `BCS' and call it the `BS' system?" (hypothetically - no one really was supposed to respond to that)

Wow, this is incredible bi-partisanship. Republicans and Democrats alike hate the BCS here today. Nice. We can't unify on issues of war and peace. But we *can* unify the two parties over at least one issue: Should Boise St. have a chance to play Utah in a championship game next year?

Barton asked Swofford, the ACC Commissioner, "Before the 1st game of the season, half of the teams in college football don't have a chance of winning a national championship, how do you address that?"

Swofford said, "The polls reflect what's happening on the field and people's views of what's happening on the field." (Yeah, Barton didn't understand that answer either -- and cut Swofford off)

Barton brought up the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. How could Boise St. go undefeated, beat Oklahoma in a BCS bowl and have no chance at a national championship. Barton asked if the problem was the fact that Boise sits in a low population state.

Swofford tried again, "As I said, the polls are agreed upon by all 11 conferences. I don't think anybody would argue this point: college football has the best regular season in all of sports. *That's* our playoff."

Blog at 8:40 a.m.:
Still three members of Congress here in this House Energy and Commerce hearing over the BCS.

Three House members who clearly have a strong football IQ.

Gene Green, the 2nd of two Democrats to speak here today, is about to jump in the Q-and-A fray.

Green, the guy with the big `University of Houston' helmet in front of him began his questioning by chatting about his hometown school's performance in conference play. (We call these types of officials: `Homers')

Green just asked Swofford, "Why should the ACC get so much money compared to (smaller conferences) the Mountain West Conference and the Western Athletic Conference?"

Swofford, the ACC commish, responded, "It's the marketplace. You can always take one year in the standings (and make an argument) There are three schools in our league who've played in the championship game in multiple years."

Green questioned the argument that football has the best regular season of all sports, because of the BCS. His question was kind of jumbled. Not well articulated. The college administrators, with furrowed brows, talked about TV ratings.

Green tried again, saying, NFL ratings are great in the regular season, despite having a firm 12-team playoff system.

Swofford (who has *clearly* taken the lead on answering questions here today, perhaps he knows he's the target) said the college regular season is particularly great for the fans. He said in a submitted response, "No matter how the post-season is structured now or in the future, each school will derive the lion's share of its football revenue from the regular season."

Blog at 8:15 a.m.:
Question and answer time.

Throwing the bomb - the Chairman, Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush. Trying to deflect the pass - John Swofford, the ACC Commissioner.

Rush just asked, "How is this a fair way to distribute revenue?"

Swofford, "I think it's fair. It represents the marketplace."

In a written statement, Swofford argued, "For the 15 years before the BCS, attendance at all regular season college football games remained flat at approximately 25 million fans per year. Since the formation of the BCS, that number has grown each year, with a record 37.4 million fans attending games in 2008."

(Maybe newer, larger stadiums contributed to that too? Maybe the increase in televised games - and college football popularity - contributed to crowd interest? Is it all really BCS related?)

Rush takes the snap and fires again. Concerned about the financial inequities in the system, Rush asked, "Since states are imposing deep cuts to state universities, is there a roll for Congress to intervene in this matter?"

On defense again, Swofford, powering through the offensive line to "rush" Rep. Rush, defends the financial benefits of the BCS. Something of an: everyone's making more money than they used to argument. (I was typing so quickly, I missed the exact quote)

Derrick Fox, Swofford's teammate in the backfield, the CEO of the Alamo Bowl added his two cents from the witness table. Fox argued, "There are additional opportunities for teams." He added, each year revenues goes up -- and he said the "money goes back to the schools."

Blog at 7:54 a.m.:
Craig Thompson, who represents the Mountain West Conference, just asked Congress to help bury the BCS. The Mountain West (deep with teams that perennially get hosed by the BCS - Utah, BYU, etc.) has a postseason plan of its own.

Thompson just laid it out in a submitted statement to the committee. Here's how it'd work:

Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl and a "5th Bowl" during New Year's Week.

Semi-Final 1 (Rose Bowl Winner v. Sugar Bowl Winner) - Jan. 8 Semi-Final 2 (Fiesta Winner v. Orange Bowl Winner) - Jan. 11 and 12

Championship Game (Semi-finals winners) - January 18-19.

Yeah, that pushes football deep into January. MLK weekend likely would championship weekend.

But lemme tell ya -- Members of this House Committee sat up in their chairs and listened attentively (a rarity at Congressional hearings!) as Craig Thompson spoke.

Blog at 7:48 a.m.:
John Swofford, the ACC commissioner, just defended the BCS, by telling the committee the BCS maintains the importance of college football's regular season. The BCS, Swofford said, has increased the football season's, "stature, attendance and television ratings."

Other bowl games, he said, have been maintained too. Bowl games, which have no influence on the national championship, nonetheless boost the economy of host cities. (Swofford just cited the millions earned by New Orleans during the Sugar Bowl)

Blog at 7:37 a.m.:
Congress just "swore-in" the witnesses, asking all to pledge to tell "the whole truth" during testimony today.

(Quick aside: Maybe they oughta start making referees swear such an oath before they take the field at games! No more sketchy calls and penalty flags, if refs faced contempt of Congress chargees. Better yet, maybe Congress oughta hold official hearings and inquiries into some of the controversial referee calls we see in big games. i.e. Did Santonio Holmes really get his feet down in the endzone in the Super Bowl?!?)

Up first, ACC Commish John Swofford. Swofford began making his case for the BCS (of which the ACC is a key member!) by saying, the BCS upholds the tradition of the bowl system, while also ensuring the #1 and #2 teams play each other each year. (eye rolling has already begun in the crowd) Swofford just said, "The BCS has been successful in reaching these goals. During the BCS' 11 year span, college football has flourished. BCS television ratings outrate the NBA playoff finals and the World Series."

By the way, before Swofford began to speak, Rep. Gene Green felt obliged to defend the decision to hold a formal Congressional hearing on college football, at a time war and recession. Green just said, "We can walk and chew gum at the same time."

Blog at 7:29 a.m.:
Rep. Barton is questioning the sincerity of college administrators who oppose a playoff system for "academic reasons."

Barton just asked, "Why then are we playing regular season games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays?" And, "Why did we just add an additional regular season game for colleges? I don't buy the argument that you can't change. I don't buy the argument that this will destroy the bowl system."

Meantime, here's who we have sitting at the witness table. (they'll be allowed to start talking soon)

ACC Commissioner John Swofford Mountain West Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson Boise St. Univ. Athletic Dir. Gene Bleymaier Alamo Bowl President Derrick Fox

Rep. Green, the one with the big football helmet next to him, is about to issue his opening remarks. Green positioned the helmet in "the line of fire" of TV cameras. Oh, he must be dying for a great "TV image" for the folks at home, watching on CSPAN right now.

Green just said, "There's growing frustration with the system. The most recent title game -- there was hardly an agreement over who were the best two teams." Yeah, nobody appearing here today on behalf of Congress likes the BCS.

Question is: at a time of critical problems in America, how far are they willing to reach on this issue?

Blog at 7:23 a.m.:
Texas Rep. Joe Barton just began his remarks. He too says he wants a playoff system. (Goodness! -- At this point, who doesn't?)

Barton just compared the BCS to communism -- saying you "can't fix it. It simply won't work."

Barton said his hometown team, Texas A&M, won't get a whiff of a championship next year -- regardless of what happens.

Barton called last year's championship game a "so-called Championship game", featuring teams with one loss each. (smaller, undefeated schools have been blocked from championship appearances in recent years.

The Texas Congressman just cited Joe Paterno of Penn St. Univ., saying Paterno and other major head coaches (including Urban Meyer of national champion Florida) want the playoff.

$125 million television contract for the BCS, we're told. Lots of coin. This is one reason the BCS is do remarkably resilient.

Blog at 7:18 a.m.:
Rep. Rush just asked, hypothetically, "How can we justify this (system) during such a difficult economic time?" He told the crowd that small schools are being victimized -- left out in the cold -- by allowing money to funnel disproportionately to large schools.

He said schools like Utah and Boise St. are getting shortchanged by the power schools, despite each having successful, high-powered football teams.

And -- I swear I'm not lying -- somebody placed a University of Houston (small conference school) helmet up on the Congressional dais. Big red helmet with a white "UH" on it.

Oh-- hold on -- I just figured it out. Texas Rep. Gene Green brought the helmet. Must be a hometown school. He probably wants it for a photo-op. (lots of cameras here today)

By the way -- not pertinent at all -- but Houston has a lousy college football team. Even Congress can't force them into a championship game.

Blog at 7:13 a.m.:
And the combatants take the field.

The quarterback for Congress in today's hearing is subcommittee chairman Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush. (Big 10 country!) Rush just welcomed the crowd and began his opening statements. How seriously is Congress taking this BCS issue? Rush just said, " Crowning the national champion in college football has long been controversial. This is about money. And it's about money at taxpayer funded schools. College football is big business!"

Quick piece of trivia - Barack Obama once lost a Congressional primary to Bobby Rush.

No surprise, Rush just alluded to the fact that President Obama recently called for the institution of a college playoff system.

Republicans are represented here today by Rep. Joe Barton. (Big 12 country!)

Blog at 7:06 a.m.:
Odd to watch a football battle unfold in such an inspiring arena. The players (college administrators and major football conference execs) will sit in dark leather chairs with leather binders and pitchers of water sitting on the table in front of them.

We're in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing room across the street from the Capitol. Such a soft place for football types! Plush red carpeting and mahogany tables. Everyone's wearing a suit. No one's wearing a helmet or shoulder pads.

But -- let's be clear about one thing. Some members of Congress badly want to intervene and overhaul how college football runs its show. A handful -- including Georgia Rep. Lynn Westmoreland and Hawaii Rep. Neil Abercrombie -- are already asking the Obama administration to formally review the BCS for anti-trust issues. They're hook: publicly-funded universities and colleges are getting shafted.

Blog at 6:59 a.m.:
Never mind pandemic flu. Forget about immigration and the economy. Today Congress tackles a problem the entire *country* shares an anger about. College football playoffs!

At a highly-charged hearing today, Congress investigates whether the federal government oughta intervene and scrap the B.C.S. system, which determines the champion of America's favorite -- and highest rated -- college sport.

I'll be in the front row and offer you insights all morning about how this playing out.

We know already: the commissioner of the A.C.C. is gonna square off against Athletic Directors from smaller colleges who claim they're getting left out of a lucrative payday and national fame. Members of Congress representing cities with PAC-10, Big-10, and SEC schools will likely weigh in too.

Don't make jokes -- the Congress is empowered to oversee anti-trust laws. And if they deem the BCS to be an anti-trust violator, you better believe they'll make a playoff system a reality.