Even before the game Saturday night, I heard calls from several readers that the Jays should opt out of BracketBusters. Among the commonly cited reasons is this gem: the game is a lose/lose situation. If they win, well, they were supposed to win. And if they lose -- even to a solid team -- many fans will immediately head for the ledge to proclaim the team is "horrible".
"We have nothing to gain by playing Drexel, and everything to lose. They're a good team that can legitimately beat us, but try explaining that to our fans if we lose."
P: Que pasa, pot!
K: Hey, what's up kettle?
P: Did you know you're black?
K: I am? Shit. I always thought I was a dark shade of navy blue.
A few months back, Creighton fans were lamenting how teams from the so-called BCS leagues wouldn't play them. The excuse most often given by BCSissies?
"We have nothing to gain by playing Creighton, and everything to lose. They're a good team that can legitimately beat us, but try explaining that to our fans if we lose."
That's why the "CU needs out of the BracketBuster" argument holds no water for me. Its hypocritical to give BCSissies the riot act for refusing to play, and then turning around and using the same argument against playing Kent State, Fresno State or Drexel. Its a good competitive game against a team facing the same BCSissy scheduling headaches, and you get a return game with them the next year -- its a home-and-home series, just like we always preach about.
I can see where its disappointing if you're having a down season and draw a non-TV game against a lackluster opponent. When CU was in that situation and drew UT-Chattanooga, I wasn't real thrilled, but I also understood the forest for the trees. Other Valley teams that were worthy of a test against great teams needed the entire conference to participate for that to happen. That's the only way to ensure an upstart team that no one expects to be great in August can participate in the marquee games.
BracketBusters is a scheduling alliance, at its essence, with matchups set by TV, in the same vein as the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. You think Iowa's fans care if perennial basketball powerhouse Clemson gets sent to Iowa City for a game relegated to ESPNU? Probably not. In fact, the school was so thrilled that they opted out of the event to play a game with Texas Tech instead two years ago.
I think part of the issue is that people's expectations for the event are just too high. Lets say, hypothetically, that this exact same weekend of games took place in mid-December with no national exposure (like, well, basically every weekend). SIU travelled to Butler, UNI travelled to Nevada, Bradley went to VCU, App State came to Missouri State and Drexel came to Creighton. I think we could all agree that's a pretty damn good slate of games for the Valley, couldn't we? Hell, message boards would be lighting up about the "big weekend" of games, about how the league's RPI could really get a boost, etc.
But when it happens in mid-February under the umbrella of a made-for-TV event, suddenly those exact same games are a bad deal? I guess I don't understand that, and never will. I like BracketBusters. Just because the Valley is now the big guy, The Hunted -- the biggest of the mids -- doesn't mean you run away. Stand and give the challenger a chance, and if you're as good as you claim you are, you'll win AND the challenger can't complain about not getting a crack at you.
That's all we've ever asked of the BCSissies, and that's all the CAA, Horizon and others are asking the MVC.
Furthermore, I don't honestly believe the NCAA Tournament committee looks at BracketBusters as some kind of referendum on the MVC or any specific team. In that committee room, its a non-conference game -- important, but no more so than the rest of your non-conference slate. The morons at ESPN might try to spin it as proof that "Conference X is not as good as Conference Y", but that's why I have to read scholarly journals after watching any of their studio shows. Reading smartypants books is the only way to replace the IQ points you lose by listening their idiocy.
"Mr. Digger, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
Are there problems with it? Sure. It would be better in mid-January instead of in the middle of the final swing of the conference race in late-February. It would be better if ESPN would actually treat it as a big deal and not relegate it to ESPN2 and ESPNU -- why wasn't the Gameday crew at Hinkle Fieldhouse for SIU vs Butler? But I digress.
Its time to get back to the Valley race and take care of business. Beat the Redbirds and the Shockers, and relax in the knowledge that we won't have to have the BracketBusters argument for another 10 months.
You bet.
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