March Madness comes to a screeching halt in, of all things, April.  This weekend in Indianapolis, IN four teams will take their best shot at winning the NCAA Championship.  One team will do so on what amounts to a home court.  That would be Butler University, one of the two 5th seeds to make it to the Final Four.  The other is Michigan State.  These two will go at it on Saturday.  Duke (No. 1 seed) and West Virginia (No. 2 seed) face off in the other game.  It is West Virginias first Final Four sin the great Jerry West led them their in 1959.
Sportswriters will be singing the praises of the coaches for their brilliance in having their team still in the hunt.  Or, should a team falter badly that coach might be the April Fool.
The truth is that coaches receive too much credit for winning and too much blame for losing.  After all, the coach is not going to get any playing time, not even one opportunity to score a basket.  Sometimes the players dont play their  best or their best is simply not good enough.  At any rate, it will be an unforgettable experience for every participant.
There are people at this very moment who are lobbying to expand the field from the current 65 teams to 96 teams.  32 teams would have a first round bye.  64 teams would play in the first round with 32 being eliminated after one game and the field would be down to the current 64.  One extra week.
Some say that allowing more teams to play will water-down the tournament.  I dont buy the logic.  You will still have a Final Four, the cream of the crop, no matter what.
Academicians argue too much time away from school.  You are talking about a handful of schools (four to be exact) who are involved in the experience of a lifetime.  Besides that, many of the schools will be on spring break for a week of that time.
Very few people ever have the opportunity to participate in this very special sporting event, or anything like it.  It is a great learning experience for players, coaches and even fans.
I was able to atttend the Eastern Regional this year courtesy of my long-tim client and good friend, Providence College Athletic Director, Bob Driscoll.  It was great to be able to see all the games in a perfect setting for basketball.  The 12,000 seat Dunk Center in downtown Providence was filled to capacity and you were actually close enough to see the games.
I am not a fan of basketball played in football stadiums.  One of the most exciting parts of any basketball game is the proximity of the fans to the players on the court.  The fan is really in the game.
All in all, the NCAA Basketball Tournament is the greatest sporting event on earth.  Long may it reign in whatever form it might evolve into.

March Madness comes to a screeching halt in, of all things, April.  This weekend in Indianapolis, IN four teams will take their best shot at winning the NCAA Championship.  One team will do so on what amounts to a home court.  That would be Butler University, one of the two 5th seeds to make it to the Final Four.  The other is Michigan State.  These two will go at it on Saturday.  Duke (No. 1 seed) and West Virginia (No. 2 seed) face off in the other game.  It is West Virginias first Final Four sin the great Jerry West led them their in 1959.

Sportswriters will be singing the praises of the coaches for their brilliance in having their team still in the hunt.  Or, should a team falter badly that coach might be the April Fool.

The truth is that coaches receive too much credit for winning and too much blame for losing.  After all, the coach is not going to get any playing time, not even one opportunity to score a basket.  Sometimes the players dont play their  best or their best is simply not good enough.  At any rate, it will be an unforgettable experience for every participant.

There are people at this very moment who are lobbying to expand the field from the current 65 teams to 96 teams.  32 teams would have a first round bye.  64 teams would play in the first round with 32 being eliminated after one game and the field would be down to the current 64.  One extra week.

Some say that allowing more teams to play will water-down the tournament.  I dont buy the logic.  You will still have a Final Four, the cream of the crop, no matter what.

Academicians argue too much time away from school.  You are talking about a handful of schools (four to be exact) who are involved in the experience of a lifetime.  Besides that, many of the schools will be on spring break for a week of that time.

Very few people ever have the opportunity to participate in this very special sporting event, or anything like it.  It is a great learning experience for players, coaches and even fans.

I was able to attend the Eastern Regional this year courtesy of my long-time client and good friend, Providence College Athletic Director, Bob Driscoll.  It was great to be able to see all the games in a perfect setting for basketball.  The 12,000 seat Dunk Center in downtown Providence was filled to capacity and you were actually close enough to see the games.

I am not a fan of basketball played in football stadiums.  One of the most exciting parts of any basketball game is the proximity of the fans to the players on the court.  The fan is really in the game.

All in all, the NCAA Basketball Tournament is the greatest sporting event on earth.  Long may it reign in whatever form it might evolve into.