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Hi! My Name is Jerry And I Am A BCS Geek!

Athens, GA (Dec 1, 2008) - Oh as the rantings about the latest BCS rankings go on and on, some people just cannot get names and facts correct. That is why Jerry Palm, who has become a sports household name with college basketball RPI rankings, became the on-air target of the ESPN Sports Reporters. Palm writes this on his site today:

At some point, Mike Lupica of the NY Daily News says, "How many of these computer geeks, who have so much power in this sport, are gonna let the numbers fall, and the season hangs in the balance for Texas and Oklahoma, it's not right."

John Saunders, the moderator of the group, then says, "Computers are only 1/3 of the equation...But what a lot of people have a beef with is the Harris Poll, where a gentleman by the name of Jerry Palm is on the list."

Lupica interjects, "who sits in his basement in (simultaneously with Bob Ryan) Indiana!"

I've never met Saunders or Lupica. I'm surprised they have even heard of me, let alone know where I live. Perhaps they are confusing me with Jeff Sagarin, who also lives in Indiana. I don't know what I did to float to the top of their minds, and especially to inspire such disdain.

To be clear, I am not a voter in the Harris poll. If nominated, I would not run. If elected, I would not serve.


It is so sad that emotion of ill-informed sports writers wrongly point a finger at someone who is not even involved in the official BCS calculations. Are they just upset that the AP Poll was made irrelevant because they refused to be transparent in their voting? Why do they not point out the fact that the problem arises because of the inherent lack of balance in the Big 12 divisions? Why not get upset about the 3 non-BCS conference teams that deserve to be in one of the games, but won't because Ohio State will get the at-large bid? Why ignore the fact that the average of the 6 computer rankings had Oklahoma and Texas #1 and 2 respectively?

So who are the Harris Poll Voters? Here is a list as reported by David Fox on Rivals.com. Notice that either Jerry Palm (who has Oklahoma and Texas #2 and 3 respectively) or Jeff Sagarin of USA Today (who has Oklahoma and Texas # 1 and 2 respectively) are listed as voters on this poll.

Bobby Aillet Former Louisiana Tech player
Trev Alberts Analyst, CBS College Sports Network, Former Nebraska player
Denn Aldridge Former college assistant, Texas player
Bill Arnsparger Florida athletic director 1986-92, LSU coach 1984-86
Mike Bartrum Former Marshall player
Sammy Batten Reporter, The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer
Dick Bestwick Georgia administrator 1986-88, South Carolina athletic director 1988,
Virginia coach 1976-81
Joe Biddle Columnist, The Tennessean
Blaine Bishop Radio analyst, Nashville, Former Ball State player
Jeff Blake Former East Carolina player
Gil Brandt NFL.com analyst, Former Cowboys director of player personnel
Earle Bruce Iowa State coach 1973-78, Ohio State coach 1979-78,
Colorado State coach 1989-92
Brenston Buckner Former Clemson player
Chris Carlin Radio host, WFAN New York
Bob Casciola National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame president 1995-2005
Charlie Cagnaro UNLV athletic director 1995-2001, Memphis athletic director 1982-95
Michael Cleary Executive director, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
Tony Collins Former East Carolina player
Jim Copeland Utah athletic director 1985-87, Virginia athletic director 1987-1995,
SMU athletic director 1995-2006
Gene Corrigan Notre Dame athletic director 1981-87, Virginia athletic director 1971-80,
ACC commissioner 1987-97
Don Criqui Television broadcaster, CBS
Fran Curci Miami coach 1971-72, Kentucky coach 1973-81
Lori Dann Reporter, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Pete Dawkins 1958 Heisman winner at Army, former CEO of Primerica Financial Services
Al Del Greco Radio broadcaster, WJOX Birmingham, Ala., Former Auburn player
Mark Dienhart Senior Vice President, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota athletic director
1995-2000
Brian Dohn Reporter, Los Angeles Daily News
Boots Donnelly Middle Tennessee State coach 1979-2000, MTSU athletic director 2001-05
John Dorsey Green Bay Packers director of college scouting, Connecticut player 1980-83
Kevin Duhe Former Louisiana-Monroe player
Bob Dunlevy Former West Virginia player
Chuck Ealey Former Toledo player
Boomer Esiason NFL analyst, CBS Sports, Former Maryland player
Rondo Fehlberg BYU athletic director 1995-99
Bob Fredrick Kansas athletic director 1987-2001
Robert Gagliardi Reporter, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
Fred Goldsmith Current Lenoir-Rhyne head coach, Rice coach 1989-93, Duke coach 1993-98
Mike Grace Founder of College Football Radio network
Bob Grim Radio Analyst, Oregon State radio network, Former Oregon State player
Lee Grosscup Former Utah player
Chad Hennings Former Air Force player
Tommy Hicks Columnist, Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register
Clarkston Hines Former Duke player
David Housel Auburn athletic director 1990-2004
J.J. Joe Radio analyst, Baylor; Former Baylor quarterback
Charley Scott New Mexico State faculty member, Former New Mexico State player
Scott Johnson Fresno State athletic director 2001-05
Robert Jones Former East Carolina player
Joe Kearney Washington athletic director 1969-76, Michigan State 1976-80,
Arizona State athletic director 1980, WAC Commisoner 1980-84
Larry Keech Former sports writer, Greensboro (NC) News & Record
Blair Kerkhoff Reporter, The Kansas City Star
Mike Kern Reporter, The Philadelphia Daily News
Roy Kramer SEC Commissioner, 1990-2002
Jesse Kurtz Reporter, KKTV Colorado Springs
Jim Lachey Radio analyst, Ohio State; Former Ohio State player
George Lapides Radio host, AM560 Memphis
David Lawrence Radio analyst, Kansas
Bobby Leach Former SMU player
James Lessig Bowling Green athletic director 1978-82, MAC Commisioner 1982-90,
Sun Belt Commissioner 1990-91
Mike Lucas Reporter, Capital Times of Madison, Wis.
Mike Lude Auburn athletic director 1992-93, Washington athletic director 1975-91
Tom Luicci Reporter, Newark Star Ledger
Cindy Luis Reporter, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
John Mallory Former West Virginia player
Jim Mandich Radio host, AM560 in Miami, former Michigan player
Loren Matthews Former ABCSports Senior Vice President
Joe McConnell Radio broadcaster, Purdue
Mike McGee Duke coach 1971-78, Cincinnati athletic director 1979-84, USC athletic
director 1984-93
Lance McIlhenny Fomer SMU player
Bill McLellan Clemson athletic director 1971-85, Southern Miss athletic director 1985-99
Ray Melick Columnist, The Birmingham (Ala.) News
John Minko Radio broadcaster, WFAN New York
Cedric Minter Former Boise State player
Darrell Moody Reporter, Nevada Appeal in Reno
Jim Morse Former Notre Dame player
Craig Morton Former Cal player
Jack Moss Former Sports Editor, Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette
Tim Neverett Radio host, UNLV/Mountain West
Denny O'Brien Reporter on East Carolina for Bonesville.net
David Paschall Reporter, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Free-Press
George Perles Michigan State trustee, Michigan State coach 1983-94; Founder Motor City Bowl
Allen Pinkett Radio analyst, Notre Dame, Former Notre Dame player
Gene Ponti Radio host, KMLB in Monroe, La.
Steve Preece Former Oregon State player
Travis Prentice Former Miami (Ohio) player
Pat Quinn Reporter, Stillwater (Okla.) News-Press
Pat Richter Wisconsin athletic director 1989-2004
Earle Robinson Radio Host, AM870 East Lansing, Mich.
Kenny Roda Radio host WKNR 850 in Cleveland
Jerry Sandusky Penn State assistant coach 1969-99
Harvey Schiller CEO of GlobalOptions Group, SEC Commissioner 1986-90, Former VP at TBS,
former CEO of YankeeNets
Dr. Terry Schmidt Former Ball State player
Paul Schneider Radio host, 670 KBOI in Boise
Jackie Sherrill Washington State coach 1976, Pittsburgh coach 1977-81, Texas A&M coach
1982-88, Mississippi State coach 1991-2003
Corky Simpson Former columnist, The Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen
Irwin Smallwood Former sports writer, Greensboro (NC) News & Record
Joe Smigiel Former Arizona player
Ron Stephenson Big Sky Conference Commissioner 1981-95
Budd Thalman Former Penn State sports information director
Dick Tharp Colorado athletic director 1995-2004
Thurman Thomas Former Oklahoma State player
Ron Thulin Radio host, Oklahoma City; TV announcer (Vs. network)
John Toner Connecticut athletic director 1969-87
Charlie Trotman Former Auburn player
Max Urick Iowa State athletic director 1983-93, Kansas State athletic director 1993-2001
Roger Valdisierri Former Notre Dame sports information director
Tommy Vardell Former Stanford player
Jim Vruggink Former Purdue sports information director
Bob Wagner Hawaii coach 1988-95
Jim Walden Iowa State coach 1987-94, Washington State coach 1978-86
Jack White Former Louisiana-Lafayette assistant coach, director PGA Tour's ShotLink
Frank Windegger TCU athletic director 1975-98
George Wine Former Iowa sports information director
Hugh Yoshida Hawaii athletic director 1992-2002


Jerry is lucky they did not say he sits in the basement with his underwear! For the record, Jerry told Eye on Sports media this morning that if he did have a vote, his top 4 would be:

1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. Florida

Why would he take OU over Texas and Texas Tech to break a 3-way tie?

"OU played the other two better than the other two, OU played better non-conference foes, and
OU is the only one with a quality road win."

And it does not take a computer algorithm to see that logic, Texas fans excepted.

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Comments :

1
Morgan Wick said...
on 
December 1, 2008 4:16 PM

I think I've seen Palm on FSN's "Official BCS Ratings Show", which might be how they got the idea.

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