Mock NCAA selection show...

I am not being snarky when I ask this but, is "inchage," which I presume means a number of column inches, a word? It's a new one for me, is all.

 

I may have made it up, it's a colloquialism I've used in the past.

 

They ended up with Washington State as a No. 3. As an alumnus, even I recognize this as a sign of the Apocalypse.

 

No Utah?!? That's does it, I'm writing a spiteful letter.

 

Marlen Garcia, USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2007-02-09-selecting-field_x.htm

Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/EB40D79B1801867B8625727D001768A7?OpenDocument

Bryan Burwell, St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/bryanburwell/story/3F7B8FC9326271078625727D001493A1?OpenDocument

Andy Katz, ESPN.com:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2758650

Rick Bozich, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070209/COLUMNISTS01/702090521

Dana Pennett O'Neil, Philadelphia Daily News:
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/16659102.htm
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/16659097.htm

Mark Alesia, Indianapolis Star:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070209/SPORTS/702090443/1004/SPORTS

 

"Each year the selection committee inevitably faces scrutiny for some selections, omissions, seedings and geographic placement of teams.
Conspiracy theories sometimes evolve — accusations from the public and some media members — ranging from allegations of influence by network heavyweight CBS, bracket manipulation to sell tickets or to accommodate powerhouse teams or an intent by the committee to build marquee matchups.
Additionally, there is a belief the committee keeps a running total of berths various conferences receive during the selection process, thus establishing quotas.
None of those claims held true Wednesday, when USBWA members went through an abbreviated version of the process used by the selection committee. "

With all due respect to Marlen, with whose work I am not familiar, but he must've gotten the Big Gulp of Kool-Aid to write that stuff. Of course none of that stuff happened when there were a bunch of press people there. Did he expect it would?
These grafs -- and a few deeper in the USAT piece -- are why I was dubious about this little venture from the start. A full day of stories from influential basketball writers about how hard-working and honest the committee is. You can't buy pub like that.

 

Marlen's a she.

I would have liked to have been a part of this. I think it would have been interesting.

 

Indeed. God forbid that a reporter should actually know the truth about what happens on his beat.

 

Screw the selection committee. Lying sacks of shit.

Fenian is 10000% right in this case. This is the committee greasing the skids for a less contentious second Monday of March.

I'm not surprised by the dissenter here, though. I'd expect nothing less.

 

Here's a great idea.
Let's not watch the games we cover. Let's just criticize the coaches and players based on the final score.

 

Here's a better idea.

Let's not fall victim to those who obviously want to glad-hand us in an attempt to soften our coverage.

(saying "us" and "our" in general terms)

 

Taking this in a slightly different direction to critique this faux-committee's pseudo-work ...

1) I find the inclusion of only five Big East teams a little dubious. Like the real committee won't bow to power a bit more.

2) Acc. to Katz, he has Butler-Evansville in the first round. I thought regular-season rematches were disallowed in the first couple rounds?