tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post1269269200682041814..comments2023-11-02T03:56:06.817-04:00Comments on FeinsteinOnTheBrink: Play-in game starts the tournament; History of the game and what it SHOULD beJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10418812412651310398noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-44058759171679352012010-03-17T09:43:58.848-04:002010-03-17T09:43:58.848-04:00The NCAA tournament selection process makes the BC...The NCAA tournament selection process makes the BCS look good by comparison. At least with the BCS we have computer rankings based on known criteria and polls by a wide variety of known voters, none of whom can apply undue individual influence on the the outcome. For all the faults of the BCS which, in the opinion of its detractors, denies the opportunity to determine a true champion, at least it isn't 10 athletic directors in a smoke-filled room as with the NCAA selection committee.<br /><br />What about the negative effect on conference tournaments? The ACC tournament used to be the best event in college sports -- even better than the NCAA event. But now with half the league being "in" and more concerned about fatigue and injuries that might affect their play in the NCAA event, we get four of the top five ACC seeds losing in their first game. Give credit to Duke for being the notable exception year after year.<br /><br />Why not just go back to some version of having to win either the regular season conference title or post-season tournament in order to advance to the NCAA field? This way every team has a chance through their conference tournament to play a the next level. Put independents into their own tournament, etc. Have the NCAA negotiate this set-up as a TV deal (since we can assume that they won't consider it unless they get their cut). They could still get an extra weekend of regional and national TV coverage without cheapening the main event.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-32290116894300149302010-03-16T23:38:47.977-04:002010-03-16T23:38:47.977-04:00Although I hoped the field would not expand next y...Although I hoped the field would not expand next year and it looks like it will, I would suggest that teams winning their conference tournaments be given a first round bye. This would give smaller conferences a boost and would add much more to the conference tournaments which are becoming more and more meaningless. This would add a lot to the major conference tournaments. Even if the final has 2 top 10 teams, there is a reason to win the conference tournament and get a first round bye....just a thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-13311808154101151602010-03-16T15:37:23.295-04:002010-03-16T15:37:23.295-04:00John, could you fill us in on the current payout f...John, could you fill us in on the current payout for this event. I've heard that each team gets 1 million upon selection, and another million for every victory. Then each team keeps half their "earned" amount, with the other half going into a conference pool, with the pool being evenly divided by all conference schools - thus the push for as many teams in the tournament from each conference as possible.<br /><br />I'm assuming this is not a "Masters" situation where discussion of prize money is taboo for media types, but you sure don't see any details on the payouts for this event. Thanks in advance......ARCstatsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-83483217313878750672010-03-16T14:27:50.921-04:002010-03-16T14:27:50.921-04:00I, too, have always thought that the play-in game ...I, too, have always thought that the play-in game should go to the last two at-large bids.<br /><br />Winthrop and Arkansas Pine Bluffs earned their way into the tournament. And losing on Tuesday isn't really being in the tournament. <br /><br />UTEP and Utah State had their chances to win an automatic bid and failed. <br /><br />You're idea to go to 68 is a good idea and would be a decent compromise to the absurd idea of moving to 96 teams.Jason Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17175819084700690464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-36935228199549504552010-03-16T14:23:15.490-04:002010-03-16T14:23:15.490-04:00Greed...pretty much explains everything wrong with...Greed...pretty much explains everything wrong with sports: PEDs, tournament expansion, keeping the BCS and Tiger's return.Shaun E in PChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13351053352998677712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-47475292973469493732010-03-16T14:16:43.249-04:002010-03-16T14:16:43.249-04:00Hi, Mr. Feinstein. It seems to me that there'...Hi, Mr. Feinstein. It seems to me that there's a logistical problem with your proposal for a 68-team field: Where would the winners of those four play-in games be seeded? The last four at-large teams are (if I'm looking at the bracket right) seeded 12th, 12th, 11th, and 10th. Would those seeds hold if those four teams had to play the first four out on Tuesday night? Because then the tournament would feature, for instance, two five seeds playing twelve seeds who aren't as well rested as the other twelve seeds. Which I think most people would consider an arbitrary (and thus unfair) advantage for those four teams who, pretty much based on nothing that they had done, play first-round games against presumably more tired teams. And if, on the other hand, it's determined beforehand that the play-in winners would all be given the same seed, that obviously would be completely arbitrary and thus also unfair. It seems to me that most teams would rather be a five seed playing a twelfth-seeded play-in winner than a four seed playing a well rested thirteen, right?<br /><br />And if the counter is that, well, these are young men and great athletes, and they shouldn't be that tired; or any advantage a team gets by playing a moderately tired play-in winner is mitigated by the fact that said team has less time to know who they're playing and thus less time to prepare, I'll counter by saying that one of the beauties of a 64-team tournament is that everyone's starting on equal footing: there are no byes; within the actual brackets, there are no teams playing at some sort of structural advantage or disadvantage.<br /><br />If power-conference greed is the reason for the play-in game and will be the reason for expansion to ninety-six teams, it would be the reason for expansion to sixty-eight teams, too. I don't want to say that I don't feel sorry for, especially, the Mississippi State players who came within a few tenths of a second of winning the SEC, but that doesn't change the fact the a sixty-four team field is perfect, should never have been corrupted with the play-in game, and certainly shouldn't be expanded any further.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Steve in RenoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-11502349867291872852010-03-16T13:18:08.813-04:002010-03-16T13:18:08.813-04:00The 68 team format is a great idea. I think the p...The 68 team format is a great idea. I think the play-in for automatic qualifiers/conference champs is unfair. It should involve the final at-large teams selected.Gunnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-42780154586590330982010-03-16T12:50:00.507-04:002010-03-16T12:50:00.507-04:00So as punishment for his "transgressions,&quo...So as punishment for his "transgressions," Tiger will sacrifice ... not even one attempt to win a major. My kids get stricter consequences for acting out at dinner.Now we knownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-73204784969902592602010-03-16T12:49:58.382-04:002010-03-16T12:49:58.382-04:00John:
"They're a bunch of hypocrites,&quo...John:<br />"They're a bunch of hypocrites," seems a bit over the top! But your suggestion is a good one especially since increasing the field appears inevitable. A four team increase seems reasonable rather than the nightmare of a 96 team field.<br />I have never read a breakdown of tournament revenues by team and how advancing in the tournament impacts an athletic dept.'s bottom line. I realize that teams share money with their conference schools. How much money did North Carolina earn from their 2009 championship? This information is probably not made public by the NCAA, the conferences or the individual schools but it certainly would make for some interesting reading and give some texture to the often cryptic NCAA statements and policies.Ed - Bethesdanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-2472292892734296762010-03-16T12:33:30.340-04:002010-03-16T12:33:30.340-04:00Hey, if one day of four games is great, why not tw...Hey, if one day of four games is great, why not two days with four games? Why not two days with eight games? And so on. For the NCAA, more is more. Unfortunately for the rest of us, more is less. They are going to wreck the greatest event in American sport.<br /><br />Rich, DenverRich Cainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00441497332988371959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-18952500061937750332010-03-16T11:41:45.853-04:002010-03-16T11:41:45.853-04:00I always found it pretty bad that the 'play-in...I always found it pretty bad that the 'play-in' game has automatic qualifiers.....but this writing brought up a question -- how much is each 'unit' worth? In college football, we know the payouts. In basketball, the average fan knows nothing on this. <br /><br />Is it 100k per win, 1mm per win? I have no idea that earnings...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com