[Captain Kangaroo]

As a fan, how can you like less Zips basketball and no Thursday afternoon games? I'm sitting at my desk at lunchtime when, for the past 11 years, I've been drinking a beer in Cleveland watching college hoops.

Beyond that, the new format rewards the best overall teams, but penalizes those who may have been the best at the end of the regular season.

As a coach, I guess I'd like the automatic bump to a Friday night game, rather than risking a Wednesday/Thursday loss to someone like Toledo. But as a fan, I like more basketball for my Zips.

Column

[scottditzen]

Yeah I'm with you CK. I already miss seeing all the MAC schools repping in Cleveland. There was a lot more people around creating a better atmosphere.

[Zip_ME87]

Am I missing something in the following? I don't think Livingston got this right.

Ohio's upset of Georgetown in 2010 the league's lone NCAA Tournament victory since 2003. The Bobcats were seeded ninth for the tournament that year, although they had the league's third-highest RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), meaning aficionados knew Ohio was a dangerous team. Such a team would have to play three more MAC Tournament games to reach the semis under the new format.

This year a team seeded lower than #4 has to win 5 games to win the MAC Tournament. Previously, such a team had to win 4 games. That's only a 1 game difference. Where does he get 3 additional games just to reach the semi-finals?

[GP1]

But as a fan, I like more basketball for my Zips.

I agree. In fact, I believe the players themselves would love to play another game. They came to this school to play the game they love. Give them as many chances in four years to experiece the game.

[xu9697]

New format sucks!!! My cousins and I have gone to the Thursday afternoon games for at least the last 3-4 years. Now...29 minutes until the end of my work day. :-(

[johnnyzip84]

Makes me wonder if this whole change was nothing but a cost-cutting move disguised as a decision to place more emphasis on the regular season?

[Dave in Green]

Am I missing something in the following? I don't think Livingston got this right.

Ohio's upset of Georgetown in 2010 the league's lone NCAA Tournament victory since 2003. The Bobcats were seeded ninth for the tournament that year, although they had the league's third-highest RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), meaning aficionados knew Ohio was a dangerous team. Such a team would have to play three more MAC Tournament games to reach the semis under the new format.

This year a team seeded lower than #4 has to win 5 games to win the MAC Tournament. Previously, such a team had to win 4 games. That's only a 1 game difference. Where does he get 3 additional games just to reach the semi-finals?

That's not the only mistake in this story. How about this one:

The MAC says the new format enhances the value of the regular season and better positions its best teams for the post-season. It really is nothing but an attempt to finagle a second NCAA bid, however.

The new format does absolutely nothing to increase the MAC's odds of a second NCAA bid. The only thing it does is try to make it a little easier for the teams with the best regular season records to avoid being upset by virtue of playing fewer MAC tournament games.

Either the writer doesn't understand what's really going on or one of his editors doesn't.

True story: I had a long conversation with an SI writer one time. He told me that after he finished writing his story, he e-mailed it to an SI editor. When that editor finished editing, he e-mailed it to a higher-up editor. When that editor finished editing it, he e-mailed it to a higher-up editor. Each succeeding editor only saw what the previous editor submitted, not the original story. Bottom line was that by the time the final editor got it, he was mostly editing edits. The SI writer told me there were times when he picked up the magazine and didn't even recognize his own story. So screwed up stories should not automatically be blamed on the writer.

[1981grad]

I thought the reason for the new format was to give the best teams in the league the best opportunity to get to the NCAA and then have fresh legs when they got there and then advance in the tournament. A MAC win in the NCAA tournament would look good for the league and we need every advantage we can get.

[skip-zip]

I thought the reason for the new format was to give the best teams in the league the best opportunity to get to the NCAA and then have fresh legs when they got there and then advance in the tournament. A MAC win in the NCAA tournament would look good for the league and we need every advantage we can get.

That's what I'm thinking. It's the ultimate reward that matters. If Akron only has to play two games, and can get to next Thursday's NCAA tourney matchup without being totally exhausted, is anyone really going to complain?

Plus, do I need to remind anyone of some of our poor performances in recent years in the quarterfinals? Less games equals a better chance of winning the MAC tourney title. And it gives significant meaning to the regular season again. I'm all for it.

[JSF]

Bill didn't feel the need to grace us with his presence last night.