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The NCAA


GP1

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Everything that is wrong with the thinking in the NCAA is on display with the basketball tournament. Look at the games closely. What is the glaring problem with the creativity of the NCAA? What do you see? Why has it turned a great sport like college basketball into vanilla ice cream?

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It's not about one game. It's about how everything looks. I'll just answer it because you guys won't figure it out.

Not that long ago, NCAA games were played mostly at on campus arenas. It was awesome because everything looked different. From the arenas themselves to the courts (Anyone old enough to remember watching NC State win on New Mexico's home court?). Before ESPN had so many channels, fans didn't get to see what arenas and floors at other schools looked like very often so seeing that was part of the charm of the NCAA Tournament.

How have the brilliant minds that run the NCAA changed how we actually see the game? Two ways:

1. Playing in generic arenas that all look the same.

2. Even worse than the arenas...The Soviet Era courts they play on now. Black out of bounds with a blue jumpball circle at center court and the blue half moons above the foul stripe. The courts themselves are the perfect example of everything that is wrong with the NCAA. Some bureaucrat believed this was going to be a good idea and a source of creativity for the Tournament. It's stupidity on display for all of America to see and nobody comments on it. How many of these courts did they have to buy and transport around the country and at what cost (I know a guy who sells basketball courts and could probably ask)? I'm sure that bureaucrat has a line on his resume somewhere stating he changed the look of the Tournament courts. Even worse, a Soviet style committee decided it was a good idea. I'm sure they have some lame excuse like they were concerned about any existing ads on the campus courts, which is nonsense because they were already making money hand over fist years ago.

For those of you who think the NCAA will be the organization to save itself and college athletics, take note of these courts. They wouldn't know how or even where to start. The sooner they go away, the better...before every team has to wear blue and black uniforms.

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This is one of the greatest days in the college basketball season. Slow? Must not be a fan. Granted, the Zips aren't a part of it, but I'm used to that. I usually get past my jealousy to enjoy 12 hours of college basketball. If the Consol is hosting next year, I might have to do it no matter who is there. Looking forward to this one.

For those of you that have and iPad, the CBS March Madness is worth the $3.99.

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Slow day for anyone who would start a thread over imagining that black out of bounds lines with a blue jumpball circle at center court and the blue half moons above the foul stripe translates to Soviet Era courts which translates to what is wrong with the NCAA. :)

Only part of what is wrong... ;)

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@GP1, I get it. Your position on the NCAA as a flawed organization is clear, and you've made a number of good points on that subject over the years. I just get a little concerned for you when it reaches the point of the colors and shapes of lines on NCAA basketball courts triggering images of the Soviet Era. :)

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@GP1, I get it. Your position on the NCAA as a flawed organization is clear, and you've made a number of good points on that subject over the years. I just get a little concerned for you when it reaches the point of the colors and shapes of lines on NCAA basketball courts triggering images of the Soviet Era. :)

The ncaa regulates whether or not a school can serve salmon on bagels. The leaders of the former Soviet Union have nothing on the ncaa's leaders. There are three games on right now with the exact same court in each. Am I the only one that finds this fact at least a little strange?

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Scared of originality?

I have to admit, I didn't notice.

I did think to myself, for everybody telling how awesome the Consol Energy center was, the floor looked boring!

I still have to get to that place, hopefully for a game 7 championship final this year.

mattcourt.jpg

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@GP1, when watching NCAA tournament games on TV, I'm pretty focused on the play. The only thing I'm looking for from court graphics is that they don't distract me from the play.

Going to NCAA football for a second, I do find myself visually distracted by, for example, the blue turf Boise State uses. I find it a little harder to follow the action. I prefer plain old green turf in football.

Since the plain old NCAA tournament court graphics hadn't drawn my attention away from game play until you pointed this out, I actually consider it to be a good thing rather than a bad thing.

But I agree there are other things about the NCAA not to like.

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Add to the above:

#15 seed Lehigh 75, #2 seed Duke 70.

#13 seed Ohio 65, #4 seed Michigan 60.

More examples of why it's probably not such a good time to try to build a case against the NCAA. The NCAA basketball tournament is where most people think the NCAA gets it right. A lot of little teams actually get into the tournament, and some of the little teams actually knock off some of the big teams. Americans tend to love this. Americans tend to hate it when the big guys control everything and the little guys don't have a chance.

No one really cares about the way the courts are painted right now.

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Add to the above:

#15 seed Lehigh 75, #2 seed Duke 70.

#13 seed Ohio 65, #4 seed Michigan 60.

More examples of why it's probably not such a good time to try to build a case against the NCAA. The NCAA basketball tournament is where most people think the NCAA gets it right. A lot of little teams actually get into the tournament, and some of the little teams actually knock off some of the big teams. Americans tend to love this. Americans tend to hate it when the big guys control everything and the little guys don't have a chance.

Once again, you shouldn't try to fool a really smart person with a small number (2) of data points. I'm about to provide you with 774 data points as to why the first round of the ncaa tounament is a joke. Nothing but a money grab for the ncaa and in addition to Soviet Era courts, is further evidence as to why the organization is a joke.

Going into yesterday, the following applied to the "little guys" who don't really belong in the tournament except for a few accidental wins:

#15 and #16 teams were a combined 4-216 (.0181818 winning percentage) in the tournament since 1985. If you want to round that up to 2% to make yourself feel better, be my guest.

#14 teams were 18-108

#13 teams were 27-108

Combined #13 and #14 you get 45-216 for a winning percentage of .208

#12 teams were 59-128

The bottome five seeds have a combined record of 108-668 (.162 winning percentage).

DiG...That's the big picture. The first two days fo the NCAA tournament are a waste of time and the tounament should be made meaningful again by reducing the number of teams to 32. The best four days of the Tournament are next weekend when the teams who really don't belong are out of the hunt. I'll get interested then. Until then, I'll find better things to do with my tiime other than sitting around my house on a Friday and Saturday night watching meaningless games.

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@GP1, I really appreciate you presenting those stats. They illustrate why little teams beating big teams are called "upsets." If they happened at a higher percentage rate, they wouldn't be upsets.

Most people like the current setup where there is the occasional upset of a really big team by a really small team. Thursday's results were fairly predictable while Friday's results represented the March Madness that so many people enjoy.

Really, the current setup is just about perfect. Underdog fans who love the big upsets can tune in for the early rounds, and elitist fans who think the little guys shouldn't even be given a chance to pull an upset can wait for later rounds to tune in.

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I'll admit I didn't notice the black and blue until it was mentioned, but it does look a little boring and unimaginative. Wasn't there some controversy in a recent tourney (last year's NCAAs?) regarding players slipping on mid-court logos? Could there be a connection?

With regards to the current setup, I think it's just about right (although I'm not a big fan of the play-in games). This first weekend is actually my favorite, and not just because of the potential upsets. The championship contenders certainly don't win the tourney in the opening rounds. But they most certainly can lose it. I wouldn't call yesterday's outcomes meaningless or a waste of time for Duke and Mizzou.

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I'll admit I didn't notice the black and blue until it was mentioned, but it does look a little boring and unimaginative. Wasn't there some controversy in a recent tourney (last year's NCAAs?) regarding players slipping on mid-court logos? Could there be a connection?

They used the same Soviet Era courts last year. I would bet there is more of a connection between the lack of creativity with the ncaa/tournament/courts and the horrible tv ratings they are getting.

I have an idea. It doesn't have to be either/or. Go back to playing on campus on the schools floors AND keep dangerous logos off the floor. I know this is a bit much for the leaders of the ncaa to grasp, but I firmly believe it can be done.

In closing (until tomorrow at least because I'm going to go tie one on at an Irish pub near me), I would just like to say.....Mr. Emmert, tear down this wall of stupidity you and your overpaid/over bloated bureaucracy has built.

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