Sunday, March 25, 2018

CBS's Slow and Painful Death to March Madness

I love March Madness, so much that when I was working during the 1st and second round games on the opening Thursday and Friday I was upset. There is something about the special feeling of attachment you get to the team you picked in your bracket to go all the way.

However, I'll have to admit, Turner Sports has ruined it for me. CBS is dying a slow and painful death that seems to be getting worse by the year. In fact, the games yesterday weren't even on CBS. They were on TBS.

In my childhood, CBS had the whole tournament. Most of the games regionally but like look ins were common which created less commercial action. At the end of the day, CBS did a great job getting to the amazing finishes that captivated the tournament.

I'm Canadian so I don't have a answer to my next thought but how many households in America have all four channels and a standard cable package? If you break down other playoff TV deals in North America, the majority or all are held by a major TV network The Super Bowl rotates between NBC, CBS and FOX. NBA Finals are on ABC, the World Series is on FOX and the College Football Playoff is on ESPN. The only one that is borderline is the Stanley Cup Finals that is on NBCSN with the odd game on NBC.

So why is Turner Monopolizing this tournament. Money talks, I completely get that but to me they are leaving the average to low income household in the dark if they don't get TruTV or TBS.

I would like to know what the future holds. Will CBS always have a piece of the pie of March Madness? On my side of the border in a similar compassion, CBC is losing more and more sports coverage that was wrecked by Rogers who paid Billions for NHL's last TV deal.

It's a sad reality that ia tearing apart my childhood. Stations are WGN are becoming rare and with less and less young people getting cable subscriptions, the future for TV deals is going to be interesting.

Monday, March 12, 2018

The Selection Committee Failed...

I'll admit it, I have no idea what the Committee has done with their selections. Oklahoma, ASU and Syracuse, don't deserve to be in and should have been replaced by Middle Tennessee, St. Mary's and USC.

I'm defeated if there was such a thing. I feel for teams that win 25 games and don't get in. Winning 25games should trump any SOS or quality wins. How are the Mid-major teams supposed to build their resume with strong wins knowing they still have to win their conference Tournament???

Everyone knows Gonzaga is an exception, but they are able to able to schedule strong competition because of their name. The margin for error for some of these teams is so razor thin it is almost unfathomably unfair.

Its like they expect mid majors to run the table to get an At-large bid. In fact, its getting to the point where the regular season conference Tournament is becoming pointless.

I have suggested in the past that the Conference regular season winner deserves a back door game against a bubble. This would give them a chance at redemption but a tougher game. For instance, imagine if Oklahoma had to play St. Mary's tomorrow?

Yes, I realize that St. Mary's didn't win the WCC but they deserve to be in a back door game. I don't think small schools get a fair share of the pie, Oklahoma doesn't even deserve to be in but have lots of fans and therefore, a 8-10 record in the Big 12 was good enough. Same for Syracuse and ASU makes little sense as well as they went 8-10 in a conference that only got 4 teams in the tourney.

It doesn't make sense and my bones hurt because of it. I gave up on the committee in 2012 when Washington was denied a birth after winning the Pac 12 outright.

I don't understand why it has to be this unfair or this complicated of a system. March Madness should be about Cinderella's and small schools playing on a big stage. Oklahoma isn't a underdog, there a team that might do well because they have been given a second chance.

The March Madness Committee should be ashamed of themselves and it hurts deep down.  
  

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Bracketology - Final

East                                                                        Midwest

 1 Villanova 
 1 Virginia 
 16 Texas Southern / Charleston Southern  
 16  Radford / LIU Brooklyn 
Pitt 
  Detroit 
 8 Loyola Chicago 
 8 Arkansas 
 Buffalo 
 9 Creighton  
 4  Michigan 
 4 Rhode Island 
 13 UNC Greensboro  
 13 Davidson  
Detroit 
San Diego 
 5 Miami 
 5 Arizona 
 12 Penn 
 12 Stephan F. Austin 
 3  Cincinnati 
 3 Auburn  
 14 UMBC 
 14 CS Fullerton  
 Nashville 
 Charlotte 
 6 Texas A&M
 6 Texas Tech 
 11 Syracuse / Texas 
 11  St. Mary's  / Louisville
 7 Florida 
 7 Nevada 
 10 St. Bona  
 10 Butler 
Detroit  
Dallas 
 2  Purdue 
 2 Michigan State  
 15 Georgia State 
15 Marshall 
   West 
South 
 1 Kansas 
 1 Duke 
 16 Wright State 
 16 UNC Central 
Charlotte  
Pitt 
 8 Kansas State 
8 USC 
 9 UCLA
9 Missouri  
 4  Clemson 
 4 Kentucky  
 13 Lipscomb 
13 Iona  
 Boise 
 Boise 
 5 Gonzaga 
 5 Ohio State  
 12 New Mexico State 
 12 South Dakota State   
 3 Tennessee 
 3 Wichita State 
 14 Montana 
 14 San Diego State 
Pitt 
Wichita 
 6 Houston 
 6 West Virginia  
 11 Va Tech 
 11 Florida State 
 7 Seton Hall 
 7 TCU
 10 Providence 
 10 Alabama 
Dallas 
 Charlotte 
 2  Xavier 
 2 UNC
 15 Bucknell 
 15 Murray State  










































  


Last 4 In
Syracuse 
St. Mary's 
Louisville 
Texas 

First 4 Out 
Oklahoma 
Arizona State
Baylor 
Marquette 

Next 4 Out 
NC State 
Notre Dame 
Middle Tennessee 
Miss State 

Bracketology - March 10th

East                                                                        Midwest

 1 Villanova 
 1 Virginia 
 16 Texas Southern / Charleston Southern  
 16  Georgia StateLIU Brooklyn 
Pitt 
  Detroit 
 8 Loyola Chicago 
 8 Arkansas 
 Buffalo 
 9 Creighton  
 4  Michigan 
 4 Rhode Island 
 13 UNC Greensboro  
 13 Stephan F. Austin  
Detroit 
San Diego 
 5 Miami 
 5 Arizona 
 12 Harvard
 12 Florida State  
 3  Cincinnati 
 3 Auburn  
 14 UMBC 
 14 CS Fullerton  
 Nashville 
 Charlotte 
 6 Texas A&M
 6 Nevada 
 11 Oklahoma / Syracuse 
 11  St. Mary's  / Texas 
 7 Florida 
 7 Texas Tech 
 10 St. Bona  
 10 Butler 
Detroit  
Dallas 
 2  Purdue 
 2 Michigan State  
 15 Radford 
15 Marshall 
   West 
South 
 1 Kansas 
 1 Duke 
 16 Wright State 
 16 UNC Central 
Charlotte  
Pitt 
 8 Kansas State 
8 USC 
 9 UCLA
9 Missouri  
 4  Clemson 
 4 Kentucky  
 13 Lipscomb 
13 Iona  
 Boise 
 Boise 
 5 Gonzaga 
 5 Ohio State  
 12 New Mexico State 
 12 South Dakota State   
 3 Tennessee 
 3 Wichita State 
 14 Montana 
 14 San Diego State 
Pitt 
Wichita 
 6 Houston 
 6 West Virginia  
 11 Va Tech 
 11 Louisville 
 7 Seton Hall 
 7 TCU
 10 Providence 
 10 Alabama 
Dallas 
 Charlotte 
 2  Xavier 
 2 UNC
 15 Bucknell 
 15 Murray State  











































  







On the Bubble 
Oklahoma 
St. Mary's  
Texas 
Louisville  

First four Out 
Marquette     
Middle Tennessee  
NC State 
Vermont 


Next 4 Out 
Oregon  
Baylor 
Arizona State 
Colorado 

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Bracketology - March 9th

East                                                                        Midwest

 1 Villanova 
 1 Virginia 
 16 Grambling/ Charleston Southern  
 16 Hampton  LIU Brooklyn 
Pitt 
  Detroit 
 8 Loyola Chicago 
 8 Arkansas 
 Buffalo 
 9 Creighton  
 4  Michigan 
 4 Rhode Island 
 13 UNC Greensboro  
 13 Western Kentucky  
Detroit 
San Diego 
 5 Miami 
 5 Arizona 
 12 New Mexico 
 12 Vermont 
 3  Cincinnati 
 3 Auburn  
 14 Arkansas Pine Bluff 
 14 UC Irvine  
 Nashville 
 Charlotte 
 6 Nevada 
 6 Texas A&M
 11 Oklahoma / Louisville 
 11  St. Mary's  / Texas 
 7 Florida 
 7 Texas Tech 
 10 St. Bona  
 10 Butler 
Detroit  
Dallas 
 2  Purdue 
 2 Michigan State  
 15 Montana 
15 SE Louisiana 
   West 
South 
 1 Xavier 
 1 Duke 
 16 Wright State 
 16 Radford 
Charlotte  
Pitt 
 8 Kansas State 
8 USC 
 9 UCLA
9 Missouri  
 4  Clemson 
 4 Kentucky  
 13 Lipscomb 
13 Harvard   
 Boise 
 Boise 
 5 Gonzaga 
 5 Ohio State  
 12 New Mexico State 
 12 South Dakota State   
 3 Tennessee 
 3 Wichita State 
 14 Iona  
 14 Louisiana
Pitt 
Wichita 
 6 TCU
 6 West Virginia  
 11 Va Tech 
 11 Alabama 
 7 Seton Hall 
 7 Houston 
 10 Providence 
 10 Baylor 
Dallas 
 Charlotte 
 2  Kansas 
 2 UNC
 15 Bucknell 
 15 Murray State  











































  







On the Bubble 
Oklahoma 
St. Mary's  
Texas 
Louisville  

First four Out 
Marquette     
Middle Tennessee  
NC State 
Utah 


Next 4 Out 
Oregon  
Washington 
Middle Tennessee 
Colorado