NCAA Tournament Thread

Got tickets for the 1981 FF through the mail lottery. Just me and 60,000 friends, most in the upper deck of the Superdome. It was just like being there.

 

You know that I am big on fairness in sports.

Back before they fucked it up and made the regionals so goddamned confusing to track until the Sweet 16, each of the eight sites got, at worst a No. 2 team on site, and a 7-10 matchup (or a No. 1 and an 8-9... to me, THAT's enough of a gift to one site over another).

This is MLB-esque.... ticket holders in Portland get two No. 4 seeds as the top teams at their site. Chrissakes.

 

The counter:

2001 Maryland, at the height of its whine-whine-whine-all-the-time-time-time renaissance, was the 3 seed in the West. Terps had to play their opening round games at Boise State's Ugly Ass Arena, then the regionals in Arrowhead Pond. Maryland almost got George Mason'd before UNC/MSU/UCONN did...but survived anyway, won the region, then offered up the biggest Final Four choke in history. But anyway, getting ahead of ourselves. Instead of doubling down on his team in the locker room because of their early round lousy play, Gary Williams decided to bitch endlessly how it was soooo unfaaaair that he was a highish seed but had to play out in Idaho. Also, something about Duke, the refs, Coach K, the refs, and the refs. NCAA brass actually took to Sweaty's yipping dog routine, and the rest is history.

I see Gary's point, but you know what? Screw it. It was mostly fine the way it was. Playing out West for two weeks didn't hurt 1999 UCONN all that much.

Also, they don't even do it well anyway. #4 Nova gets to play freaking home games this year. 2003 Duke, a #3, had to play at the Huntsman Center against Colorado State...virtually a home game for the very-lower-seeded Rams.

 

This pod shit is an abomination.

 

Like I said.... give the No. 1s that sort of pref, but that's it.

Tough shit.

Duke should be in Miami, Michigan State in Portland and Oklahoma in Boise.

Happy I didn't buy tickets.

Don't fuck the people who pay your freight.

 

When is the last time that all the top 3 seeds were from the Central or Eastern time zones?

Probably last year, but it seems unlikely.

 

I'm with you.

 

Actually one of the reasons they went to the pod system was that the first-second round hosts were complaining about low ticket sales due to not having enough "local" teams.

Many of the hosts would rather have lower seeded local teams who will put butts in seats than higher-seeded teams from two time zones away that won't.

Of course that doesn't explain why neither KU or MU are playing In Kansas City or why three Mountain/Pacific time zone schools are in Miami.

 

OK, so alma mammy goes to Boise to play Utah State and then (probably) Mizzou.

1) What do I need to know about USU? Haven't seen them this year.
2) This makes me really sad that James is hurt. If he were healthy, Marquette-Missouri would have been a helluva track meet.

 

Utah State's best player is a 26-year-old Mormon man, Gary Wilkinson (I think). They're not the most athletic of teams, but they've got a bunch of pretty good shooters.

 

You'll also be playing on this masterpiece:



(Actually, not really. They recently toned it down...a smidge. It's still horrible.)

 

Well, maybe our youth will trump their experience.
And that is one fine court there.