It's taken me a day or two to come to the realization of just what exactly happened over the weekend, creating a Final Four that no one would have expected. It's the weirdest ever.
I heard on the Dan Patrick show Monday morning, a $100 Vegas parley bet on Florida Atlantic, UCONN, San Diego St and Miami reaching the Final Four would have paid out $9 Million. Of all the friendly bracket busters I entered, not one and I repeat not one entry had any of the current Final Four as a winner. Effectively, all these brackets ended somewhere around the Sweet 16 or earlier. It's on to next year.
My impression having watched these games are centered around rooster construction. I was taken back time and time again to to hear the announcers comment how entire teams were built around the transfer portal. The NCAA has given players not only the freedom to seek new schools but also the ability to cash in of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness). It's in my very humble opinion taken the word College out of what I deemed to be student-athletes.
Charles Barkley, Sunday on 60 Minutes called out the NCAA and the new transfer and NIL rules, stating in a few short years only a handful of institutions will be able to afford players, while the rest basically go away.
The action on the court was dramatic, with games being decided in the final seconds. It was pure March Madness except something for me was missing. The quality of play was substandard. The college game has digressed. Poor shooting, turnovers, lack of game management and truly pathetic officiating need to be addressed.
I'm a self diagnosed Basketball snob. Give me the UCLA teams that won all those championships or Duke or Kansas. I want to see quality on the court and not excitement for the sake of excitement. Where's the Wizard of Westwood or Coach K?
The Final Four will go on and I'm sure to tune in just so I can bitch and complain.
I like UCONN to cut down the nets Monday - just don't bet on it!!
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