ESPN --- Too Much Influence On

[RatFink]

I say that ESPN and probably ABC and theother TV networks have far too much influence on the NCAA tournament(S).We MAC fans are moderately excited aboutBracket Buster Saturday. In truth,what isreally happening Saturday on ESPN andits affiliates? All the prime time games onESPN will be Big Ten and Big East games.Oh, sure, Creighton is playing at midnighteast coast time. Wheeeeee.Bracket Buster is just that, a bust.Unless Akron upsets Nevada on the roadthe committee is justified in giving just onebid to the MAC. Tell me how any MAC teammerits a second bid given that your teamdoes not win the MAC tournament. At thispoint in time, an Akron win lowers their RPIto a point they have to be considered if theydo not win the MAC tourney. No one elsein the MAC is in a position to lower their RPIany where near the 45 or lower level neededto even be considered. It will not happen.ESPN shills are beginning their annual bleatabout how many teams this big name conferenceand that over rated conference should get tothe dance. Today they were discussing thePAC-10. One commentator suggested thatthe PAC-10 "deserved" FIVE bids. The other commentator suggested just four.The fourth best RPI in the PAC-10 isCalifornia at 54. The fifth is Stanford at 76.Since no non-major with an RPI greater than45 has ever received an at large bid to the dance, where is the justification?BTW, last week Stanford had a lofty RPI of 98.The jump came from LOSING to Gonzaga bytwo points on the road. Gonzaga's RPI from last week to this week slid from 10 to 12.With the NCAA now owning the NIT we canreasonably expect the situation to just get worse.A mediocre Penn State team can outdraw and winat home against a weak, hand picked opponentbetter than a decent Can't State team playing aquality, deserving mid-major opponent. Can't is a team that could easily beat Penn State in College Station and never get the opportunity.Further, we can expect the NCAA/NIT justfiyingone bid conferences by pointing to the "look wesent your regular season conference championto play on the road at Big Ten/PAC Ten mediocre,undeserving school. So, mid-majors, shut up.It is time to junk the Bracket Buster myth. It is time for Mythbusters.

[UADavid]

Can't is a team that could easily beat Penn State in College Station and never get the opportunity.

I agree with your assessment. You've hit it out of the park. The only flaw is that Penn St. is in State College while College Station is where Texas A&M is located.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Can't is a team that could easily beat Penn State in College Station and never get the opportunity.

I agree with your assessment. You've hit it out of the park. The only flaw is that Penn St. is in State College while College Station is where Texas A&M is located.

K-ent lost to Penn State in the NIT a couple years ago...at State College.

[UADavid]

K-ent lost to Penn State in the NIT a couple years ago...at State College.

So you agree with me that Penn St. is in State College. Your point then is that k ent can not win at State College?

[mrelegazna]

So is it that Bracketbusters is a well-intentioned idea that doesn't go far enough (ie., they need to put us not just on TV, but prime time), or the Bracket busters is a ruse they created to make us think they are trying to help us but only keeps us down?

[zip37]

I THINK TV HAS TOO MUCH INFLUENCE ON ALL SPORTS-- 3 HR COLLEGE BB GAMES 4 HOUR NFL DRAMAS--

[gozips19]

yeah it sucks that akron is on the u and what is on espn rigt now.... the celeb. all star game?????? but this is the mid majors weekend? give me a break!