Unfavorable Topography: 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006

Friday, March 31, 2006

In a situation like this I like to exclaim "finally"! Occasionally I will come across an article that captures completely what I think of a certain event and/or fad, most often to the opposite reaction of the masses. This is what this year's NCAA tournament has brought.

In a few words; I don't like it. And it is not because my bracket was, well, destroyed by all of the upsets. It was. So was everyones. Go figure. I'm out a few Hamilton's. So what? I hardly ever win when I gamble. I am not a gambling man. Point taken. Moving on.

Basically, this year's tournament is a sham. The cinderella teams, the upsets, the "madness", they all lead nowhere.

Everyone loves a fine, fine upset, if nothing else to assert mankind's ability to triumph over odds and break the yoke of statistical determinism. Yet, while sports may thrive on a certain measure of unpredictability, to praise the Tournament for its tendency toward chaos is to render it practically meaningless and dismiss the regular season.


This would be a good time for a rant, but frankly, Bethlehem Shoals says it all in the article. I can only expound on a few ideas, but I will leave them here in a list to let you create your own ideas and perceptions.

New York Yankees

Michael Jordan

Bryce Drew

Anaheim Angels

Shaq and Kobe

Ansu Sesay

Brazil