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A couple of weeks ago I told everyone not to pick all four No. 1 seeds to reach the final four in the NCAA tournament. I might have even called you a moron for doing so.
OK, not that there’s any debate with this, but I’m obviously the moron. All four seeds reached the Final Four.
I must again reiterate that never before have all four top dogs reached the Final Four during the same season. Which is why I instructed each fellow bracketologist not to do so. That’s so me.
The first year I have a sports column and people can actually read my theories, it seems like everything comes back to bite me.
Even though my bracket is ruined, I’m damn excited for the Final Four, which begins Saturday.
I’ll go out on another limb and predict this to be the greatest Final Four ever, in terms of team’s competition. Certainly it won’t be another “Magic vs. Bird ’79 showdown,” it should, however, give fans exciting basketball for all three games.
Seriously, North Carolina versus Kansas and Memphis versus UCLA. C’mon now, you don’t even have to be a geek to enjoy those games.
There won’t be a single debate as to who the actual champion is. The kind of debate that usually surrounds the NCAA Bowl Championship Series football champion each season.
The Final Four this season is the dream we all want out of college sports — the best teams competing against each other and actually having to earn the title of “champion.” The four participants in this season’s Final Four were all tested during the national tournament four times and each passed test after test in order to get to the championship round. This is not like football in which we have a system of computer rankings and sports writers deciding the top teams and national championship participants.
If college football would adopt the 16 team tournament as I often suggest on the radio, we would never have any problems deciding which teams should be playing. Sure, the NCAA is not going to listen to me, but if not me, someone else please.
College basketball has it just right with the NCAA Tournament because teams must earn the right to play in front of millions, not hope their computer rankings and pollster romance is high.
These factors are again why I think the 2008 NCAA Final Four may be the greatest of all time. There isn’t any debating as to which teams got jobbed and undeservedly reached this height. All four teams were tested and passed accordingly.
Another factor that adds to the splendor of the Final Four is the storied basketball programs competing. UNC, UCLA and Kansas? Throw in Memphis and you may have the best final four in terms of program prestige, too. A national championship game between UCLA versus either UNC or Kansas would be watched by millions Monday night.
It’s going to be a great weekend of hoops, that’s for sure. I just wish college football would get the picture, too.
Listen to North Idaho’s top sports radio program, the Johnny Ballgame Show, each Monday at 3:30 on KUOI 89.3 FM or www.kuoi.org.
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