Hall of Famer Pat Dye Speaks out on Condoleezza Rice on CFB Playoff Committee
Former Auburn head coach and college football Hall of Famer Pat Dye voiced his disapproval of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice being chosen as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Matt Scalici of AL.com reported on the matter on Monday, noting that Dye went on WJOX Birmingham's "The Opening Drive" radio show to criticize Rice's addition to the select group.
While Dye praised Rice as a politician, he felt her lack of tangible football experience discredited her committee membership:
All she knows about football is what somebody told her. Or what she read in a book, or what she saw on television. To understand football, you've got to play with your hand in the dirt.
I love Condoleezza Rice and she's probably a good statesman and all of that but how in the hell does she know what it's like out there when you can't get your breath and it's 110 degrees and the coach asks you to go some more?
I love Condoleezza Rice and she's probably a good statesman and all of that but how in the hell does she know what it's like out there when you can't get your breath and it's 110 degrees and the coach asks you to go some more?
These comments seem to hint at the argument that media members have no room to opine on sports because they haven't played the game.
According to Scalici, Dye implied that Rice's lack of football knowledge would lead her to have misguided judgment and base her decisions off of personal relationships rather than the results on the gridiron.
"That goes back to politics. Which one she likes the best. Which one's the smoothest talker. The game is played on the field," said Dye.
Rice is an Alabama native, per Scalici, but even her home-state bias would not hurt her if she were on the committee at the moment. The Alabama Crimson Tide are the clear No. 1 team in college football.
The forthcoming playoff system allows for multiple opinions to be voiced and for four teams to be selected to the prestigious postseason field. Thus, the remaining 13 to 19 members on the committee would cast a hypothetical judgment by Rice aside and ultimately choose the best possible matchups.
It's no surprise that having such a prominent former U.S. politician be selected to a position of such influence in a male-dominant sport has made headlines and sparked discussion, but Rice should not cause any problems in the end result of the revamped four-team format.
the fact that this cac got the balls to say this PERIOD but especially to the press...I'm hoping the Black football coaches and athletes AND media REALLY go in him.
