What am I supposed to do with this blog now? The magical Davidson run is over. Pitt has long been out of the Tournament. My brackets all have gone to shit. And CBS systematically removed Dell Curry from my life. Sure...we have four #1 seeds fighting it out for a national championship, which should lead to some decent basketball, but I just can't motivate myself to get excited over the whole thing. Where is the fun in making fun of announcers or questioning the fortitude of various head coaches now? Maybe it's out there...but I'm thinking that it will be difficult to find. Unless a team I was heavily invested in reached the Final Four, I think there will always be a drop-off in the overall interest in the tournament for me. The most fun and exciting time of the NCAA Tournament will always be those opening 4 days. I think the fact that those four days are so crazy, unique, and special are exactly what make them crazy, unique, and special. The vibe from that opening weekend cannot be recaptured later in the tournament, even if the Final Four was somehow outstanding. On the other hand, I don't want to let this blog end just yet. So there has to be a few columns left in me. I should have the resolve to find a unique perspective on something related to the tournament. After all...Bill Self has (somehow) found himself in the Final Four.
1020 & 8101
I agree with everything you said. I have no rooting interest in any of the remaining four teams, and the stories are not that interesting (how many times do we have to hear that Roy Williams used to coach at Kansas).
ReplyDeleteI take solitude in the fact that these are, by no stretch, the best 4 teams in the country. There is really not another team, based on the combination of the regular season and the tournament that can say that they are even on the same realm as these guys (sorry Tennessee, Texas and Lousiville, but not happening in my mind). In theory, these are the games that are supposed to happen in the final four, the 4 best teams going at it. It has never happened before, so at least, in theory, these should be awesome games...that's what I'm hoping for.
true, these are the best remaining teams. true, the players are talented. but who cares? if i want to watch talented players, i'd care about the nba.
ReplyDeletei hate this final four. the teams are basically unlikeable. tyler hansborough is a goof (but a talented goof). john calipari is a schmuck who whines about not getting respect and he has a bunch of thugs on his team. kansas has sasha kahn, who every time i hear his name i think of chaka khan. i'm forced to pull for ucla, who at least has ben howland and darren collison.
but i'm forced to introduce phil's college basketball law: the higher the number of tatoos makes for a less enjoyable game.
I started out writing a rebuttal to all the whining that has been going on in this blog since the four best teams in the country made it to the four best spots in the NCAA tournament - the horror!
ReplyDeleteBut I was too distracted by the violin that I heard playing for Damon, who just can't get excited about anything since Washington beat Winthrop and for Phil, who is too bitter to care anymore. In Phil's words, the only players left are a bunch of goofs and schmucks. Take that!
But then I got sad too, so very sad. Damn you March Madness Gods, we were expecting entertaining players, flukes, mess-ups, and "interesting stories". We don't like it when a talented, hardworking team with a deep bench and a smart coach beats a smaller, less capable program. We wanted a show, you gave us sport. Damn you!
Phil and Damon, I suggest that you skip the last three games and order up a fine sports classic on Netflix instead. 'Mighty Ducks' perhaps or 'The Miracle'. 'The Pistol' and 'Hoosiers' are also a great time. 'Friday Night Lights' or 'Rudy' might be what you're after. Please cheer up soon.
Until then. Go Heels.
"Phil's college basketball law: the higher the number of tatoos makes for a less enjoyable game."
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that you won't be watching the Rutgers women's team?