This dug up from 11W reader Todd -- Harris Interactive Poll voter Jim Walden actually voted Florida #1 over the Buckeyes on his December 3rd ballot. Words cannot describe how angry this makes me - not for the obvious reason of some clown thinking the Gators are actually better than the Buckeyes, but for the fact that he gamed the system to ensure Florida got the chance. He's from Iowa, lives in Iowa now and was the head coach of Washington State from 1978 to 1986, so I can't really see a regional bias at work here.
Evidently his page on Wikipedia is getting some good action as this was the last line of text until recently deleted:
Some coward will probably delete this again, but that will not change the FACT that Walden was the only Harris Poll voter to rank the Florida Gators first in his final ballot, in a shameless attempt to ensure that Florida would play in the BCS Championship Game. Why try to supress the truth?
Update (10:09PM)
Keith over at Buckeye Commentary is on it as well.
Comments
This was my favorite quote from Walden:
“If you look at the Big Ten conference, it is a joke, I voted my heart and I voted my strength of what I believe in. In my opinion, Florida is the No. 1 team in the nation.†- Jim Walden, December 3, 2006 as quoted in the New York Times, Monday, December 4, 2006
I don't know what he's talking about being pathetic. Illinois could beat Miss St, Vanderbilt? I mean come on "pathetic" that was uncalled for.
That guy is an idiot. Glendale and Pasadena will validate the Big11Ten.