It turns out that getting a patch merged into the Linux kernel is more about who you know than the quality of your code. Con Kolivas had his well tested and functioning Staircase Deadline Scheduler (SD) passed over for merging into the Linux kernel for the relatively new and still buggy Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS). CFS turns out to be a quick n dirty reimplementation of SD.
The reason for this lunacy is attribution. The current scheduler is attributed to Igno Molnar. He very much doesn’t want to lose this attribution so he quickly implemented a SD knockoff (CFS), and even though its still full of bugs has used his political influence to have it merged into the Linux Kernel instead of SD.
Check out the Kernel Trap article.