Monday, March 14, 2005

I stand corrected. That was a dumb question.

I never get tired of that Miller Lite commercial. I wish I could say the same thing about Miller Lite.

-I can't tell you how excited I am that I won't have to hear about the "bubble" for the next 350 days. Actually, I can but it isn't really all that interesting so I'll just save all of us the trouble.

-I hate Notre Dame with a totally irrational fervor but I, too, agree that they got screwed pretty good by the selection committee. 9-7 in the Big East against that schedule is pretty damn good.

-The Pit looks like an Auto Parts store from the outside, seriously. I know its all underground but damn, spice the entrance up a little bit. You are hosting a regional final there fellas.

-Louisville deserved better than a #4 seed, much better. I thought they had a real shot at a #2 and maybe even a #1 seed, how they only garnered a #4 is beyond me. Am I the only person who wished they could have heard Francisco Garcia yell out "Dios Mio!!" when the bracket was unveiled? I didn't think so.

-I would love to talk about the Florida Gators but my own rules for this blog prevent that in any manner. This is what I will say: Congrats on the SEC title, you guys deserved it. What you didn't deserve however was to get stuck in the same bracket as UNC, UCONN, Kansas, and Villanova. Is that suppossed to be some kind of reward for winnng the SEC tourney while beating Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky (twice) in an eight day span? Gee, thanks committee guys...maybe you'd like to kick Billy Donovan's dog while you're at it.

- I haven't watched a ton of Washington games but I refuse to believe them as a #1 seed, its obviously my blantant East Coast bias. The only reason they even were considered for that spot in the first palce is that the PAC-10 was the #2 rated conference in the RPI which I don't understand in the least but still feel comfortable calling a total sham. I have no journalistic integrity and it feels quite good.

-Cincy-UK in the second round has the potential to be the ugliest game in recorded human history. If the over under on that game is anywhere in the 90s...I'm putting my kidneys up for the collateral on my bet. Then again, Sean Elliot's brother is my bookie so we operate on a slightly different system than your standard betting service.

-I really, really like New Mexico to beat Villanova. Danny Granger should be too much for anybody on that Wildcat frontline to handle.

- What's the over/under for the number of technical fouls in that Charlotte vs. NC State game? 6? 7? Ok, it might not be that chippy but you've got to believe Charlotte comes into that game with a huge chip on their shoulder...you know since ACC coaches would rather eat glass
than play a home and home against the 49ers.

-I refuse to believe that the Missouri Valley Conference deserved three teams in this tournament. If you ask me (and you didn't) that is nothing more than blatant pandering to the mid-major masses by the committee. I know its a good conference with very underrated players but in no way should a ten loss team that lost in the conference tourney quarterfinals of the MVC be receiving a bid.

-I guess I'm just not that smart but I don't understand how Illinois is the #1 overall seed in the eintire tournament but they're not playing against the winner of the play-in game. Can anybody explain this to me? If you can, please feel free to insult my intelligence (or lack thereof) all throughout your explanation as I clearly deserve to be aired out for my lack of bracket acumen.

-The tournament starting and St. Patrick's Day falling on the same day has legitimate potential to be the end of my current career. How do you explain getting fired because you left work for lunch and returned four hours later with a healthy buzz and a "Fuck me! I'm Irish" Button when you're going through the process of finding a new job? Whose to say that I would even seek a new job. Being unemployed is extremely underrated...believe me.

3 comments:

Geoff said...

Because of scheduling, Illinois could not play the play-in game winner and still be in Chicago for rounds 1 and 2 (The play-in winner would have had Wednesday and Thursday games back to back, which is an unbearable kick in the pants, even more so than the play-in itself). So the team ranked 65th plays the Illini and 64 plays 63 to see who gets to play UNC. The moral of the story: It pays to suck.

Jerry, of the eponymous "Wheelhouse" blog, has asserted that the last two teams to get AT LARGE births should be forced to play the play-in game. It makes more sense, doesn't penalize a team for winning their own conference tourney and it would give you better match ups.

Jerry said...

East Coast Bias is awesome. I've seen Washington play a few times and they're pretty good. For some reason I think they'd have been better off as a 2 or a 3 seed. I thought they were a Final 4 contender, but I don't like them as a #1 seed at all. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it's as good as anything Dick Vitale has to say.

Mark said...

Thanks for clearing up the play-in game stuff, like I've said many times before...I'm not so smart.

Interesting that you mention Jerry's theory on the last two at large teams being placed in the play-in game. A co-worker of mine named Joe floated the very same idea earlier this morning and it was met with almost universal approval by all within earshot. Then again, all of these same people (myself included) just finished pulling tarp about 30 minutes ago so we clearly aren't capable of making better decisions than say the AD of Iowa. Did you hear that guy yesterday? He must've said "thats how it all shook out" five times in three minutes. Even Ron Zook was embarrassed by the man's public speaking.

It really would be a much better system, as it would create actual interest in the play-in game as opposed to the "there's nothing else on, so I might as well watch this crap" malaise that resides over the play-in game these days. Plus, all the conference tourney winners can play in REAL NCAA tournamnet games and not some dog and pony show in fucking Dayton of all places.

I agree that Washington is pretty damn good but I just don't see them as dominat enough for that #1 seed out west. I do ,however, think that Lorenzo Romar's eyebrows are dominant and deserving of a #1 seed.