The Doc, Holly Anderson and Doug Gillett wrap up the week with our written equivalent of tossing a beach ball around the office. This week's topic: How much money would you accept to forfeit a meaningful game in order to play another game you will definitely lose?

Holly: Today on our bully pulpit agenda: Delaware State, a I-AA program, is forfeiting a conference game to North Carolina A&T because Delaware State wants to play Michigan instead. And by "wants," I mean they have the opportunity to cash in for a bodybag appearance in Ann Arbor in mid-October. All anyone's saying is the two MEAC schools "could not agree" on a date to reschedule the game, and now NCA&T is 1-0. In May.

What say you, gents? Is a big payday worth it if you're being paid to fall down in front of a powerhouse team? (Or in front of Michigan?)

Doug: Well, you know, that's what everybody thought about Appalachian State, too...

Holly: I was gonna say.

Doc: The ghost of Appalachian State will never die! But I'm not sure it's worth actually forfeiting a win to chase a ghost. Or a gazillion dollars. Or whatever it is.

If this was an AP story, the payday would go right at the top. But this is a diatribe about the deterioration of The Competitive Spirit. So if the question is, is there any amount of money that justifies serving as a Homecoming piñata instead of fulfilling your most basic obligation of showing up for a previously scheduled league date?, then obviously, I say no. Unless the entire athletic department is about to go under.

Doug: Especially since Delaware State actually went to the I-AA playoffs a couple years ago.

Doc: You mean conference games are meaningful to I-AA teams, too?

Holly: Bailing on a conference game. How is that even allowed?

Doc: Even EA Sports would not allow this in a hypothetical video game season.

Doug: I was just going to ask if the MEAC can take any kind of sanctions against them. But presumably the forfeiture of a game in the standings would be some kind of tangible punishment, would it not? Whether or not the conference administration sees it as being punishment enough, though, you'd think they'd have to man up and lay down the law here.

Holly: According to the Detroit News, Delaware State stands to make "$500,000 or more," which is no help ("or more?"), and which doesn't seem like a lot to just forfeit one of the key games of your season.

Doug: For a historically black college like DSU, though, it might be. These are programs that, by and large, still lag a good ways behind even their fellow I-AAs in terms of funding and facilities and what have you.

Doc: To me, the players are getting the short end, because it puts the screws to their chances of going to the playoffs or winning a conference championship. It saddles them with two losses where there may have been none. I hope the coach is reminding the athletic director of this daily.

Holly: Assuming they don't knock off Michigan, an event for which we all will be cheering lustily.

Doc: That's the only way the forfeit can possibly be remotely justified. Delaware State must beat Michigan.

No pressure or anything.

Holly: I crown us all boosters of Delaware State.

Doug: I don't know, though -- if the coaches/administrators are willing to be this mercenary, maybe they deserve to get embarrassed.

Doc: Embarrassed all the way to the bank.

Doug: If DSU actually WINS, who knows, a lot more D-IAAs might try pulling this. I mean, if other teams look at this situation and say, "Wait, you mean I can tell my conference to screw off, make a ton of money, AND beat a I-A opponent," couldn't that kind of lead to complete anarchy? Anarchy in the I-AA (with apologies to the Sex Pistols)?

Holly: Michigan benefits here too, don't forget. They'll really need a breather after Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, and Indiana.

Doug: Given the ravenous appetite of some D-IAs for cakey OOC opponents, though, is it possible other teams (Kansas State, I'm looking at you) might follow Michigan's lead and try to lure D-IAAs out of their conference schedule if they really need a schedule-filler?

Doc: The finger is still pointed at the team that would rather fill its coffers than meet its first competitive obligation. Thou art greedy.

Holly: He knows. He's a doctor.

Doug: So I guess the question here is whether the shame of what DSU is doing would be enough to deter anyone from following their lead.

Doc: I doubt it would. Money > Soul, almost always. But I don't think many teams are going to be asked to make that decision in such an extreme way. At least not in this particular extreme way.

Doug: Let's hope not. And what's weird is I can remember how just a few years ago, Michigan fans were priding themselves on never having scheduled a D-IAA. Now they've gone from "I don't want no scrubs" to "Screw your conference slate, come play us!! PLEASE!!!!"

Doc: I-A and I-AA teams won't stop playing each other until someone steps in and separates them, which isn't going to happen, so every now and then, I guess, someone will choose cash over competition. We'll just heap shame upon them, forget it and they'll cash the check.

Doug: That makes me sad. But as long as it doesn't become an epidemic, I guess I can live with "scold and move on."

Doc: I think "sad" is an appropriate response.

Holly: I'm going with "predatory anticipation." S'go, Hornets!