NCAA - National Cash Acquiring Association

Everyone and their brother is going to fill out a bracket this week. I get it. And many pundits will offer you their takes on each region and how it will shake out, according to their expertise. I will also do both…and share them with you. But today I need to rant about the NCAA and the Selection Committee.

First, I’d like you to watch a video. Yes, it is 20 minutes long, but it hits all of the points that are a precursor to what I am about to say. Granted, I do NOT condone the language and some of the innuendos that appear in the video. It is an HBO show; therefore you will have some salty language. Again, I don’t excuse it but I would ask you to look past it to see the bigger issues.

After viewing the rant from John Oliver I realized that I probably shouldn’t have gotten as upset as I did yesterday during the brackets reveal. However, I don’t like enduring, voluntary hypocrisy. The committee chair can come on my television and spew his rhetoric all he wants. This tournament is about one thing - $$. And they’re going to try to squeeze the most out of it as possible. Quite frankly, that ruins it for me and I LOVE this time of year.

So why do I feel this way? Here are a few reasons why:

1. First and foremost, the pod system may be the worst change to any athletic event in the history of time. The committee states they are concerned about “keeping teams close for travel reasons” when we all know that it’s about selling more tickets. This produces match ups just for that reason. Example, a possible 2nd round match up (I will not EVER call the First Four the first round) between Wichita State and Kansas. You cannot tell me that it is just a coincidence that this match up may occur…and that it takes place in Omaha, NE. 
2. The major conference teams get more “credit” than they deserve. One of the reasons we watch the tournament is for the upsets. This is when mid-major teams can make their names – like a Gonzaga or Butler. Even if an underdog only wins one game the fans love it. So how does UCLA, Oklahoma State and Indiana get in the tournament? How is Wichita State get a 7 seed and UNI get a 5 seed? Listen, the Missouri Valley is a great conference. GREAT players have come through the Valley – Larry Bird, Hersey Hawkins, Xavier McDaniel, Antoine Carr, Paul Pressey, Kyle Korver and Doug McDermott just to name a few. Don’t undersell the mid-majors. A LOT of the big boys won’t play them in the pre-conference schedule because they’re afraid they’ll lose to the “little guys”. Give them some credit. Dayton last year ring a bell?
3. Common sense goes out the window. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that ALL five teams from Indiana are in the Midwest Region. Seriously? Not a single committee member stood up and said “Guys, Indiana is a basketball-loving state. Do you think we should have all their teams in one region?” C’mon. For crying out loud, they put Dayton in a First Four game….that is played in DAYTON. If that doesn't scream ‘we’re in it for the money’ I don’t know what does. 
4. Squeezing every last drop of money possible. To sit there, with straight faces, and tell us that college athletics aren't about money but about student-athletes may be the biggest lie in society today (not withstanding and government officials). The NCAA makes a bajillion dollars off the television deals for the tournament AND people will ALWAYS follow their teams if they make it in the tournament. Why then should there be the need for changes like a ‘pod system’? The only logical reason is to make more money. That takes us back again to the hypocritical stance of the NCAA having the student-athletes best interests in mind. I refer back to the video for sources of this accusation.
5. Integrity takes a backseat. Finally, why are Athletic Director’s on the Selection Committee? Isn’t that a complete and utter conflict of interest? They are ALL AD’s with one Associate Commissioner added in. FIVE of the committee members’ schools are in the tournament. I’ve never believed that this scenario does not have an effect on the seedings and bracket placement. It’s human nature to help out friends. How ethical is this process? While I understand that these gentlemen are professionals, but with so much money at stake it becomes a slippery slope. And it’s one I do not like at all. The basketball committee needs to look at the football committee for guidance on how to create a worthy selection committee.

Whew! I feel better now that this is off my chest. Tomorrow and Wednesday I will (hopefully have time to) analyze half of the bracket and give you my picks. As always, these are for entertainment purposes only. :)

Until tomorrow (hopefully),
Shawn