By now you've thrown away your bracket (if you didn't do it long ago with all of the "busting" that happened this year), paid all of your tournament debts, put the basketball shoes back in the closet, erased the Tivo and tried to look ahead to a hopefully worthwhile National Championship tonight with the ladies of Texas A&M and Notre Dame...
We had hopes last night for another rendition of the magical runs of Connecticut and Butler - but it seems that the clock struck midnight for both teams...
The game last night was like watching a depressing, tear-jerker movie like the ending of Beaches or Steel Magnolias in slow motion. It was painful, heart breaking, gut wrenching and NOT the fireworks, cherry on top of the sundae tournament finale we always hope for in sports. The shots attempted by Butler (and UConn, no less) looked like those flying around in a bad YMCA league basketball game of 5th grade girls. Bodies were flying, control was absent, finesse was fleeting and Tar Heels, Jayhawks, Wildcats, Panthers, Buckeyes sat at home with smoke coming out of their ears in rage...
During the game last night I had the good vs. evil situation pictured above going round and round in my head. Yes - we all live for the madness that is March. We thrive on the drama of upsets, the thrill of buzzer beaters and the role of the Cinderella... but in the end, is the champion crowned the TRUE, honest to goodness National Champion? Were these two teams truly the two best teams in NCAA basketball for 2011? NO! No, no, no, no, no! Would the BCS ever dream of awarding a 9-4 Mississippi State football team the National Championship? How about a 7-6 BYU? NO WAY - They'd be INSANE! There would be OUTRAGE! (Sorry Dad!)
Hate on it all you'd like, but the BCS system of college football has the power to take into consideration body of work, strength of schedule and wins and losses in the regular season to determine the layout of the bowl season and championship game and 95% of the time on right on target. This past year, Auburn and Oregon continually proved themselves and followed through and deserved the title shot.
How do we incorporate the adrenaline-packed excitement of the basketball tournament with the precision and exactness of the BCS to ensure the champion is deserving? Who knows? The debate continues...
