Mock NCAA selection show...

[The Backyardigan]

Anyone involved/know anything about this?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16994889/

Story says there will be a selection show televised at 12:15 a.m. tonight....Doesn't appear to be ESPN though...

Not that I care too much, but I cover a mid-major team that is leading its conference, and its seeding in this could be a notebook item or something....

Thanks for the help...

 

[GB-Hack]

It sounds to me like this isn't going to be broadcast, but that he's using the term "broadcast" as the deadline for all the work to be done. Hence the follow-up column to say what happened and what it was like to be part of the process.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

This sounds dangerously close to selected reporters being part of the process to me. Or being set up so that their criticism of the inevitable botch in March becomes muted.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I mock the NCAA Selection Show every year. When do we start?

 

[expendable]

I mock the NCAA Selection Show every year. When do we start?

Damn. Beat me to that one. Well played.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

A full half-hour to prove Jim Nantz can read.

 

[slappy4428]

A full half-hour to prove Jim Nantz can read.

And a full-half hour to prove Billy P-acc-ker can't.

 

[lone star scribe]

I was talking to one of the hoops writers selected for this gig the other day. He was pretty pumped up about it. The NCAA picked a bunch of national writers and (maybe) a couple of TV analysts to play the roles of the selection committee. They will actually represent a school or conference and have to step out when their teams are discussed. I think the idea was to demonstrate 1) how hard and 2) how fair the process is

I expect some decent post-pick columns out of it. Stay tuned.

 

[BYH]

I was talking to one of the hoops writers selected for this gig the other day. He was pretty pumped up about it. The NCAA picked a bunch of national writers and (maybe) a couple of TV analysts to play the roles of the selection committee. They will actually represent a school or conference and have to step out when their teams are discussed. I think the idea was to demonstrate 1) how hard and 2) how fair the process is

Uh huh. I'm sure Tom O'Connor left the room when Mason was discussed last year.

"Hey guys. I'm outta here. *wink wink* Don't do me any favors. *wink wink* I won't be listening and will have no impact on this decision. *wink wink*"

**** him and **** Craig Littlepage. ****ing frauds.

 

[GB-Hack]

Forde was part of the process. He has a new apprecitation for how tough it is.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2758770&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Which is exactly what the committee, which will screw up as it always does, wanted them all to write.
So some of the biggest names on the beat are now going to defend the process against the folks who weren't there. Lovely.

 

[GB-Hack]

I think that may be the case a little, but I don't think they'll pull punches if someone they don't think should be in gets there. There's too much inchage to be written about snubs and riled up coaches.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

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.

 

[GB-Hack]

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

 

[WazzuGrad00]

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

 

[Garner]

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

 

[Central-KY-Kid]

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

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

"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.

 

[JBHawkEye]

Marlen's a she.

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

 

[Twoback]

This sounds dangerously close to selected reporters being part of the process to me. Or being set up so that their criticism of the inevitable botch in March becomes muted.

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