THE POWER OF X

A game for the ages. Sure to show up on ESPN Classic as soon as today. That was last nights double overtime slugfest between Xavier and Kansas St. March Madness was invented for moments like last night.

A small Jesuit school taking on a large conference foe. David versus Goliath. Let's face it, the tag Mid Major fits any school not associated with a football related BCS conference. But it is totally these so called mid majors that have provided and will continue to provide all the drama years after years that give March Madness its ultimate madness.

We didn't come out on top last night and those morons at ESPN, Dukie V, Digger and Bilas will always look at us as that nice little basketball school in Cincinnati but we know we are so much more than what they will ever give us credit for. And that is alright by me. I know the real score. Go X.

CYO Final Four

How's this for a  Final Four?

Three from the Big East. And a mid-major! Looks like a CYO pickup game.  

Click on the brackets to see a larger image.

March Madness is Here

1. I don't want to hear any bitching from any #1 seeds that they have a tough road to the Final Four in Indy. You have a #1 seed for a reason...you're supposed to be better than everyone else in the field. Play up to your seed or go home.
   
2. Duke, Duke Duke... There is no way they deserve to once again get the benefit of the draw. First, their body of work within a weaker than usual ACC doesn't compare to take your pick, Syracuse or West Virginia of the Big East. Second, they are slotted to play in the South Regional, closer to home than Syracuse, sent to Salt Lake City. Lastly, they draw the weakest possible ever #4 seed in Purdue. A team who lost their best post player and now a top guard.
   

March Madness...Hardly

The college basketball season came to a close last night in a yawner of a game. I actually turned the channel within the first ten minutes of the opening half. My wife of 34 years was astonished to think she'd see me turn off a national championship game. It has never happened in all the years I can remember. So why, last night?. March Madness has turned into March Badness. Last year all four # 1 seeds made it to the Final Four. This year, two #1's. a #2 and a #3. Cinderella has been only a fairy tale. You can count on one hand the exciting games of the entire tournament. Not one last second shot. Hardly an upset. March Madness has gone stale.
Or maybe the college game itself is what's failing us. Unless you have a astronomical budget(money, money money) and belong to major BCS conference, your dreams of cutting down the nets is the fairy tale. You have "NC" and that doesn't stand for North Carolina. The yucks on ESPN think college basketball starts and end with UNC, Duke, UCLA, Indiana, UConn...etc. No other schools should dare join the elite. My Alma mater, Xavier, who's crafted quite a winning tradition for a small Jesuit university just had their head coach bought by the University of Arizona, for the tune of 2.2 Million reasons per year. And it's not the first time that has happened.
So here's my solution, at least for next year. Send all the top four seeds as far away from playing at home as possible, no home court advantages. They have enough already. Limit the number of selections from the major conferences. No .500 or lower in conference record teams allowed. Finally, let's accommodate them at the local Motel 6 and feed them McDonald's. That should be good for a couple of thrilling upsets for next year.