It’s the most sacred time of year.
Christmas? No way.
Easter? Not a chance.
March Madness? Now we’re talking.
How serious am I about the NCAA Basketball Tournament? Last March 16th, I was rushed to the hospital with a brain hemorrhage. I needed emergency surgery or I was going to die. The doctor was explaining the details of the procedure, how long it would take, etc., but I had only one question: “Will this be done by Thursday in time for the first game?”
But they’re going to ruin the best sporting event on earth. The NCAA has a disease that’s sickened every sports league that’s caught it: the wild card epidemic. The most glaring symptom is a crushing desire for money that overwhelms the ethical immune system which explains why so many pro teams get in the playoffs. It’s why pennant races in baseball don’t have the excitement they did when you actually had to win your league to get in the Series. It’s why the regular season in the pros generates so little excitement – the teams play too many games, and the owners make too much money.
Once, only 16 teams got into the NCAA tournament. In those days, the regular season really meant something because if you didn’t win your league, you didn’t play. But coaches whined about never getting in, so the draw grew to 32 and eventually 65. And even though teams like Duke and Kansas routinely breeze through their conference — mostly playing for post-season seeding — the tournament is still a thrill because you have to be damn good to get in. And there is always the possibility that a 16 seed will beat a 1.
But the Wild Card virus will lobotomize this patient. The NCAA is talking about expanding to 96 teams, watering down the regular season so it’s as meaningless as the NBA’s. They’ll make the bottom 32 teams play each other first; so the lowest seeds will never get the chance to play the top teams. The colleges will make more money, and the rest of us will just hum that B.B. King tune: “The Thrill is Gone.”
Who cares – likely, one team or another might be able to win a few games. That is good for basketball and if you respect basketball teams and their committment throughout a long season, leaves far less chance a mistake by the selection committee was made.
You said it, Phil. It’s a lousy idea that no self-respecting college basketball fan will like. It’s a plan for losers, not winners. No thanks!
-mel
Melisa,
It’s great to hear from you. And because you agreed with me, I won’t say anything bad about Kentucky. Did you like my previous piece on John Calipari?
I agree. It should never have gotten to 65. Should have been kept to 64. They should have taken away one of the at large bids when a new conference started up. A team that comes in 6th or 7th place in their league does not deserve to be in, no matter what conference they are in.
Leroy,
You’re 100% correct. Those league races used to mean something. Now, they mean nothing.
Hey Phil,
I may not understand the health care proposal the administration is offering but I’m pretty sure its not the same type as the congress has with respect to how it delivers, i.e. not needing to leave my place of employment to get care etc. My take is that making some much needed changes such as allowing buying across state lines/ not allowing companies to refuse insurance or drop someone’s coverage because of either pre-existing conditions or because they got sick while covered and tort reform would bring costs down. Government administration of anything leaves one appalled in the best of situations so why not do reform without government take over? It’s a real question not a talking point. I love the idea of caring for people visa vi Jesus ethics but unfortunetly we do not live in a theocracy as the nation of Israel did. This does not mean we cannot influence the process toward mercy but it does mean we must listen to the voices of fiscally responsible government officials. If you are telling me that Republicans are essentially holding up health care for politcal reasons I would believe but surely there are other good reasons too?
Barry
Barry,
The health care issue is a tough one because one has to balance the biblical command to heal the sick with the principle of stewardship. I think your comments about reforming health care minus the government takeover make a lot of sense. I am skeptical of the Republicans’ position because when they controlled the presidency, the house and senate for six years, they didn’t enact any of those reforms. In fact, all they did was pass a new entitlement, the Medicare drug benefit which they sold to the public for millions less than it ended up costing.
What your missing about the tournament is the fact that there are teams in this tournament that don’t belong in the first place. Many make it in simply by winning their conference tournaments, but they aren’t even as good as the 10th or 11th place teams in a conference such as the Big East.
So, the tournament doesn’t have the best 64 in the first place. Expanding the tournament would allow more GOOD teams to be able to have a chance – not the bad ones.
This would make the tournament a lot more competitive. Instead of a first round game being a formality, and meaning nothing, it would make every game count. The tournement would be a lot more fun to watch. Bring on more teams!