Hail (Mary) to the Chief: Nixon

Obama is taking criticism for many things at the moment, the least of which is probably his proposed meddling into college football. Doesn’t the leader of the free world have more important things to think about?

Perhaps, but he’s working off a historical precedent. Though I should a) not kick off another series while in the middle of another and b) write about the new series in a chronological fashion, I just learned about this incident today, so it’s what I want to write about.

1969. France’s president got ousted, man landed on the moon, and Penn State was desperate to be #1 in the polls. In those days, the bowl system was incredibly loosey-goosey, and #3 Penn State opted for the Orange Bowl before the season ended because it provided a superior vacation destination than the Cotton Bowl, where they would have faced Texas or Arkansas. Unfortunately for them, #1 Ohio State was upset by Michigan, thrusting a final game match-up of now #1 Texas against #2 Arkansas into the national spotlight. The game was so big, President Richard Nixon flew in to Arkansas specifically to see the game. In perhaps the only prescient move of his career, he brought with him a plaque to give the victors, declaring them, technically prematurely, national champions (he presented to the Longhorns, by the way).

Penn State’s coach Joe Paterno pitched a hissy fit, so Nixon offered to give them a ‘really impressive winning streak’ plaque, which Paterno refused, resulting in Penn State receiving no accolades that season. Though they beat Missouri down in Miami, Texas beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl and were voted national champions.

Forty years later, Charles de Gaulle is just an airport and the moon landing is old hat compared to the photographs we regularly take of Mars. But Joe Pa is still on the sidelines of Happy Valley, and still bitter about Nixon’s intervention.

(Oh, right. Citing sources: Lion in Autumn by Frank Fitzpatrick. He's no Clay Travis, but it's fun to read about other programs that are almost as passionate as the SEC.)