The 96 Team NCAA Tournament: A Plot Against America
I'm sure we all agree on a few things around here. To wit: USA #1. Love it or leave it. What makes America great, though? I think we'll all agree on this too: America derives 90% of its strength the NCAA men's basketball tournament. It's a fact. I read it on Bleacher Report. (The other ten percent comes from engineers on H1B visas.)
I was having a conversation with War Blog Eagle proprietor and NCAA tournament fanatic Jerry Hinnen yesterday in which we discussed the various and sundry ways in which expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams was an Al Qaeda plot to ruin America. In this conversation, Jerry expressed a hope that the "done deal" post Sports By Brooks threw up was a diabolical trial balloon to gauge reaction. It is then the patriotic duty of everyone with a platform via which to react to react.
Reaction:
This has been everyone's reaction. I haven't seen or heard one person, even in the depths of the contrarian internet or the murky fog of sports talk radio—where one guy suggested that Brandon Graham was a "second or third rounder" yesterday—who thinks the idea of expanding the NCAA tournament is anything other than evil. (I just found some on the Google now, which only goes to show that the Murray Chass was right about everything.) Some guy tweeted that the mere consideration of 96 teams is a harsh blow to this site's pet playoff proposal because it suggests the people in charge of things are soulless mercenaries who care about nothing but short-term dollars. It's hard to disagree.
Where are the crotchety old men? Rose Bowl curmudgeons, where are you in our hour of need? Oh. USA Today. Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott, formerly the WTA commissioner:
"In professional tennis," he says, "the temptation to increase playing opportunities and go for the short-term economic value in adding tournaments led to significant dilution of value long term and other problematic side effects for the sport. One day, you wake up and realize that, while each expansion decision sounded good at the time, you have lost what was once so special. Once you go down that route, it's exceedingly difficult to put the genie back in the bottle."
Big Ten commissioner and college football playoff bete noire Jim Delany:
"I think nobody would disagree that the 65-team, three-week event … has worked," says Delany, a former chairman of the NCAA committee that runs the men's tournament. "You have David vs. Goliath. You have all sorts of internal story lines year in and year out. It's compelling. It's one of the great sports properties in the world.
"I have no problem with looking at expansion, whether it's small or big. I only say that issue is one that must be managed openly and transparently, (and) I have concerns that it's not." …
"We know, in the first round, you have a lot of David and Goliath (matchups)," Delany says. "What happens when it becomes largely David vs. David?"
What say you now, Orson, that it's Jim Delany taking up cape and shield to defend the nation from enemies within?
Finally, the Onion:
America #1. Love it or leave it. That means get out, men pushing for 96 team tournament. Get out.
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:47 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:54 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:59 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:12 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:28 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:33 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:52 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:15 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:27 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:53 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:40 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:49 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:00 PM ^
Play-in games were used more extensively in the past. In 1991, there were three, matching the winners of the Patriot League (Fordham) against the Northeast Conference champ (St. Francis (PA)), the MEAC (Florida A&M) against the Southland (Northeast Louisiana) and the Big South (Coastal Carolina) against the Southwestern Conference (Jackson State) for the right to advance to the field of 64. All those conferences were subsequently given automatic bids.NY Times article about the Fordham/St. Francis game mentioned above From the second link: NY Times article about the Florida A&M/NE Louisiana game and Coastal Carolina/Jackson State game mentioned above From the previous link:
The contest was one of three play-in games used to determine N.C.A.A. berths this year. The games match champions of conferences that do not get automatic N.C.A.A. bids.The key is that those teams did not get automatic bids, so those games were to play their way in to the field of 64, which is why the bracket from 1991 only shows 64 teams.
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:42 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:45 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:46 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:57 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:23 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:05 PM ^
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
Comments