National College Football Championship: 2017

   Here we go again:  Alabama vs. Clemson.   On January 9th, football fanatics will get to watch a reprise of last year's contest.   It could be worth the effort-or not.   With some players refusing to take part in post season play for financial reasons, the NCAA is deep in discussion about the future of their franchise and all its financial arrangements.  Players at the college level have been exploited forever, but now, thanks to more information and more efforts to challenge the NCAA, the "game" might be changing.
       Christian McCaffrey of Stanford University, decided to forego post season play.  He has decided to enter the draft of the NFL and expressed his concern about possible injuries prior to drafting rounds.   This explanation does not really concern the entire debate, much of which centers on the use of images in video gaming scenarios.   The NCAA is making furious attempts to continue their monopoly at the expense of players and schools.  Some conferences have now established their own TV networks in an attempt to eliminate the middlemen: the TV conglomerants who gain most of the advertising fees.  Finally, they might just be making inroads into another monopoly supported by Congress and others for all these many years.
     So, sports fans, enjoy this contest.  It will probably be the last of the breed.  The Rose Bowl, the ancient bowl of bowls, provided an entertaining melee between the local favorite- Univ. of Southern California and Pennsylvania's Nittany Lions.  A seesaw battle saw a late 4th quarter comeback by USC after improbable turnovers.  Tied at 49, the teams battled for field position to squeeze a possible victory from a game that seemed to lack any respect for defense.  With no time on the clock, USC put a kick through the uprights to claim the title of Rose Bowl victor: 52-49.   Too bad for you, Penn State.