College basketball is played all over this land, but it is a truth that there are simply more schools in the east. This doesn't mean the "leaders" don't acknowledge good teams out west. They'd simply have to play earlier, such as when UCLA played some Saturday games beginning at 10AM. The "leaders" would never dream of forcing anyone near them to do that, but how else can they try to watch west coast schools? By the late afternoon in the east, they're in the kitchen trying to figure out how to wrap bacon around the burger. So, the "leaders" include western schools in their tournament, but only because they have to. What they don't have to do is place them all in the west. Sure, UCLA was left in California last year on the road to another Final Four. But these sites were already chosen in advance. And, according to the "leaders," Anaheim is in Los Angeles.
This year, the "leaders" righted themselves and made sure the only home court love for the tournament came from the east. To wit:
#8 Ohio State, playing first and possibly second round games in Dayton. 70 miles from campus.
This would mean something more if OSU was a solid home team. Despite the Dayton Arena being smaller than OSU's home, it shouldn't be a surprise if their fans urge on a victory over a better team. It also shouldn't be a surprise that we're playing in Dayton - the "leaders" put games here 3 times this decade, and the intellectually challenged play-in game is here every year.
#2 Duke, #1 North Carolina, playing first and certainly second round games in Greensboro. 55 miles from campus.
Hoo wee, do the leaders love the ACC! And they love them so much, they make sure there's always a venue right by a majority of the schools. Sure, the conference has expanded up and down the eastern seaboard, but who cares? Most of the schools are still in the Carolinas, and they'll get in (no matter what, they'll let them in). The state of North Carolina hosted games nine out of the 10 years...of course, some states did 10 times but NOT every year. (Remember, the city of Los Angeles scares the shit out of the "leaders"). Ironically, the last time the University of Minnesota made it to the tournament, they were placed in East Region in Charlotte. Wow, who was the top seed in the region? NORTH CAROLINA. And how about that "pod system" the "leaders" discovered? It placed Duke, in the South region, in Charlotte for their first two games.
And now, the bullshit winner...
#3 Villanova, playing first and second round games in Philadelphia, 16 MILES FROM CAMPUS.
There used to be a rule that a campus had to be a certain amount of miles away from the site. Erase that rule, since the "leaders" could give a shit about what other schools think.
Let's make a new rule:
There are much more serious crimes that the NCAA and its "leaders" have committed over the years. (And to suggest giving one school home games when to have a rule which states they can't and then they do it anyway...well, that is smaller potatoes and more how the NBA works. And that's a whole different ball of poo.) Whether it was their TV contracts for football (forcing schools to go court to show how it broke anti-trust laws, which was true), or not overseeing college football playoffs or placing "sanctions" on schools for violations and yet letting them field competitive teams. Hell, last year's national champion, Kansas, is still under probation!
- As long as a school makes the NCAA a lot of money, they will adjust penalties accordingly.
- The NCAA will accord said schools an easier shot at more money, and politely ignore others.
- My favorite example - Florida International has 13 sports on probation. Shouldn't the athletic department be shut down for a few years?!
Therefore, the rule is
The NCAA and its "leaders" are pretty much bullshit.
1 comment:
I was waiting for this post. Top notch, as always.
NCAA basketball is a weird monster, because the people in charge of it are so horribly dickless that they bow down to any and all "powerful" schools (see: K, Coach). Yet, they have an absolute cash cow on their hands, so they kind of flaunt it like "What the fuck are you going to do about it, it's the tournament and everyone loves it so shut up". It's not like other sports that strong-arm their way into the mainstream.... they are an "amateur" league and that includes leadership. See, the BCS and NCAA football realized that was bullshit, and reacted accordingly. Look at their sponsorships and TV deals... it's insane. They don't give a fuck about schools or students, it's all a ratings and cash grab, and at least they're GOOD at it. NCAA basketball is just ham-handed.... selling 50% of the tickets in Greensboro will always seem better to them than selling out venues in truly "neutral" sites.
I do think it comes back to big time coaches... guys like Coach K and Roy-Boy, Calhoun, guys like that. They fucking run the leadership. They go into offices and everyone just grabs their junk instinctively. And all in the name of getting higher seeds and home games. Because, honestly, that's the way they stay on top. They get ushered into the sweet 16 without a difficult game, while everyone else busts their ass just to get out of the first round. So when upsets happen, the fans love it, but don't connect the dots.
Look at 2005... Duke gets a 1 seed, naturally. And they play their first two games in Charlotte. They beat Delaware Fuck State by ELEVEN, and then Mississippi State by 8. Ok, at this point, any reasonable gambler just loads up against them in the next round. So what happens? They go to AUSTIN, to play Michigan State (the 5 seed). You can see where this is going. The Spartans wax their ass and eventually go to the Final Four.
Christ, 2006: Duke starts in Greensboro, gets by Southern and George Washington... but then it's on to Atlanta! Hey, here comes LSU!
This could turn into a full post of Duke-hate, but you get the point. We've discussed this at length, so I won't sully your post anymore. Anyway, good work.
Post a Comment