This year's Final Four is a farce according to this clown!

[Bravesfan]

I couldn't believe this hit and run piece from this elitist snob Brian Hamilton from the Chicago Tribune, dissing the Final Four for the two mid-majors that made it there!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-0401-hamilton-ncaa-tournament-20110331,0,2840972.story

Of course he states that UConn and Kentucky are close to being two of those teams that he would expect to have a shot at winning the national championship, while giving Butler and VCU absolutely NO credit at whatsoever!

Even John Calhoun gives those two teams far more respect than this Einstein does!

[theBUer]

He was on Chicago Tribune Live this week, and said he has no problems with a mid-major getting in. What he had a problem with is that all four teams currently are not indicative of how strong college basketball is. Maybe he was going for the fact there is more parity, but he expects at least the "elite" to make it all the way.

From what I remember during that interview, his ideal situation would have been at least two number 1 seeds, a mid-major (ala VCU or Butler) and another team (probably UCONN or Kentucky).

But he also did not go as far to say that it should all be number one teams like it was a couple years back.

[Dallas Brave]

I couldn't believe this hit and run piece from this elitist snob Brian Hamilton from the Chicago Tribune, dissing the Final Four for the two mid-majors that made it there!

To me, having two mid-majors in the Final Four and having a a 4th seed mid-major kick butt on the way to the NIT championship is indicative of how broken the selection process is. I'm all for limiting the field to 68, but remove the clowns and talking heads that impact the selection process.

With millions of dollars at stake for winning NCAA tournament games,which is easier to do if you get a higher seed, would mean you have to take the arbitrary human element out of the selection process. Since that can't be done, open it up to all teams to eliminate some of the bias. Let the computer do the seeding.

[Indy_BB]

how many sweet 16s is it going to take before folks stop grouping butler in the "mid major" discussion (whatever that might be). 4 in 8 years is clearly not enough. 6? 8? 10?

How about 4 consecutive Final Fours, instead of a paltry 2?

Maybe instead of being 9-2 vs the Big Ten in the last few years, 11-0 would allow them to make the cut?

[LG281]

I think its great that two, (for all we know) clean mid-major teams are in the final four with two, non-number 1 seed teams, both with coaches that cheat to get recruits.

Process is broken - need to provide 2 auto bids for each conference and take the human aspect out of it.

Tourney Winner & Regular Season Champ

[Bravesfan]

To me, having two mid-majors in the Final Four and having a a 4th seed mid-major kick butt on the way to the NIT championship is indicative of how broken the selection process is. I'm all for limiting the field to 68, but remove the clowns and talking heads that impact the selection process.

With millions of dollars at stake for winning NCAA tournament games,which is easier to do if you get a higer seed, would mean you have to take the arbitrary human element out of the selection process. Since that can't be done, open it up to all teams to eliminate some of the bias. Let the computer do the seeding.

Yeah, but remember that computers are only as smart as the people who use them!

[tornado]

with all the mid-major upsets, we sure haven't seen any drop in ratings...people DO enjoy watching teams play good basketball....
In fact he ratings are "Soaring"!!!

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/amateur_adult_sports/118823149_NCAA_notes__Ratings_soaring.html

What we have are TWO hard working "mid-majors, then two teams whose coaches have been proven to be repeated cheaters....

BTW -- UConn was 9-9 and was barely the 10th best team in the Big East (3-way tie for 10th)
Kentucky finished only one game ahead of 4th place Georgia and lost by 17 earlier in the year to UConn...
If the ratings for the Final Four are down -- you know they'll blame Butler & VCU but honestly I think there are not a lot of people who could care less to see UK/UConn

[TheAsianSensation]

UConn and Kemba will get the ratings. I think a lot of people care about UConn.

Kentucky, notsomuch.

By the way, as far as the ratings go, there's one reason they're up: The new coverage. Now since every game is on a network, the total sum of all the ratings across the 4 networks is bigger than any previous year, when there was only one network to watch. So yes it's great the ratings are up, but it's completely due to the new broadcast coverage strategy and nothing to do with the teams that are playing.

[Headless Bobcat]

Snotty attitude aside, I do agree with his point.

But the best teams in any sport rarely win a championship tournament, especially single-elimination tournaments. The Patriots were probably the best team in football last year. The Packers didn't even win their division.

Maybe soccer gets it right. No playoffs. The best team is based simply on season-long results.

[Bravesfan]

Snotty attitude aside, I do agree with his point.

But the best teams in any sport rarely win a championship tournament, especially single-elimination tournaments. The Patriots were probably the best team in football last year. The Packers didn't even win their division.

Maybe soccer gets it right. No playoffs. The best team is based simply on season-long results.

True, but he has that snotty attitude against (as one poster already stated) allowing more than one mid-major in the Final Four, as if they have no God-given right to be there! Well, both Butler AND VCU won fair and square and guess what, sometimes there are instances when it is just a year that other teams get a chance to win.

He needs to be willing to accept that the tournament format (like any playoff format) is not 100% perfect and these things happen every so often.

[ancona flash]

I don't care what any scribe says, I love that there are 2 mid majors in the final four while the Duke's, Kansas's, Florida's, and Billy Packer's of the world watch in horror.

They can stick that in their BCS pipes and smoke it.

[Bravesfan]

I don't care what any scribe says, I love that there are 2 mid majors in the final four while the Duke's, Kansas's, Florida's, and Billy Packer's of the world watch in horror.

They can stick that in their BCS pipes and smoke it.

I am hoping for a four mid-major sweep of the four postseason tournaments! Creighton up 38-36 on Oregon with a little more than 16 minutes left in the CBI championship.

Go Bluejays!