Mgoblog declares Kentucky NCAA Champions, tournament deemed redundant.

But I feel it is necesary to defend the OP here.  First, I found it funny.

I find it hard to believe that any reader of these very pages (HT: THE_KNOWLEDGE) seriously believes the ridiculous statement that you are imagining upon the OP here.

If they do, then the writers of this blog are terrible teachers.

I think, in comedy, stretching things a bit to make something more ridiculous is pretty standard.  Also, I think, the object of the joke is not supposed to take every little thing as a personal attack.

I believe all of the following to be true:

1.) Kenpom is one of the best predictors of college basketball outcomes, though this does not mean he is particularly good, just better than most.

2.) Kenpom bases his predictions on MOV.

3.) The OP knows 1 and 2 to be true.

4.) Kenpom is less accurate than Vegas, but Vegas makes its predictions based on an averaging of many, many, informed opinions.  This accounts (at least more) completely for things like gritty grits, hot streaks, and the Illini quitting on their coach.

5.) Kenpom, and the OP, know 4 to be true.

6.)  It was a joke, and the OP doesn't hate you, kenpom, or Brian.  Relax.

toward the team in general. Once drained of his old emo--which tended to lift his diaries for me--his stancetoward the bball squad gets a little tired, especially since his hoops writing is less incisive (value judgement, yes, but shared). Once you've stated that the team lacks talent/is playing with house money more than twice you are doing something more than coldly calculating, whether you claim to be basing your posts in the data or not. And cold calculation is for cold calculators, who are definitionally distinct from fans. It's a fine line, and I would assume that if you write here you want to ply both sides.

Shorter version: the OP resonated for at least some of us. I have made similar pleas to keep the players respectfully in the picture, since they are our schoolmates, including the other day when Brian maligned some kids' contribution. I get that analysis requires criticism; thankfully, as the OP points out, there is also a reason why we play the games. 

Fact-founded closing observation: if Hardaway and Lobsterycz are hitting throughout as they were at the start and beginning of the season we are there with everyone else statistically, on D AND O. MSU and OSU are both fairly one-dimensional teams, TOO, as recent lapses have shown (though Ravenel is coming on); MSU is arguably less flexible on offense than Michigan. I'll keep rooting lustily for my guys, and maybe find it harder to get so excited about the wins once the squad is full of highly ranked players.

but just think it's a really dumb argument that ignores the existence of luck and variance.  

Having a 10 year old reminds me that it is good to be a positve fan. My son is always going to root for the team, and has tons of hope. I know that Michigan is limited athletically and length wise, but they are my team, and I want to see them win.

In a way, it is actually especially nice to root for Michigan THIS year. Every game they win is a blessing. They are playing with "house money" after the first game in the Big 10 Tourney, and after the first two games in the NCAA tourney. If they win, because of superior defense, and shooting, and offensive schemes, it is a wonderful thing.

I am old enough to remember watching both the 1989 & 1992 NCAA tournaments. In 1989, we were a three seed and the underdog in three games (vs. UNC, Illinois, & Seton Hall.) In 1992, we were a six seed, and the underdog in four games (vs. Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Cincinnati, & Duke.)

Michigan will be favored in the first weekend, but after that, they have a decent likelihood of being an underdog. Anything they do will be overachieving. From next year on, with a higher level of star power, there will be greater expectations on Michigan to win. That isn't a bad thing, and I'll be happy with that too. But the fact that Michigan is here where they are, in 2012, with this team, is something. When I think of the team, I have a goofy smile on my face. It is wonderful just to enjoy, and celebrate. Beilein has alluded to this himself, how he has allowed himself to sit back and enjoy the accomplishments of the team, because they won't always happen. This is truly a magical season.

Stop making sense.  There is no room for that kind of thing here!

Having wrote the Nick Saban letter, I can handle the critique that as satire, it needed to be more funny.

What scares me about it and this post is how many people think it was real.  

Seriously people?  You do know that the news report on Saturday Night Live isn't real, don't you?  

Don't you?

But I want to give you more than +1 for this.  So, +1,000!