Things I forget that I hate about the NCAA Tourney

UpAndUnder43

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I feel bad for the kids who lose, especially the seniors who played their final game. And their fans. Fans aren't on the same level but I remember the Final Four Loss That Never Happened when I was a kid and it sucked.

I feel bad when an underdog loses late or when a heavy favorite goes down on round 1. (But I root for upsets a lot of the time)

I remember being home from elementary school on spring break and living and dying with EVERY game and I still do.

What do you hate about the tourney?
 


I don't totally understand why 11 seeds have to do a play in game. Shouldn't all the 16 seeds have to play in to make the tourney? I read the reasoning why, but it still doesn't seem fair to me.
 

I think this has been addressed with the various ways to stream and watch games, but I would hate that on Thursdays and Fridays of opening weekend that the late afternoon game would never be televised; they would sign off on the afternoon coverage with a score about 10 minutes into the game and pre-Internet, you would wait until they started things back up again at 7:00 pm you would discover the result of the game.

I would hate when the early games on opening weekend would be a blowout and there wasn't another game to switch over to, because the other regional action would start later.

I would hate the Monday after opening weekend, when the immersion into college basketball for four days would be faced with the harsh reality of the work/school week and no basketball to comfort you. Withdrawal symptoms like a heroin addict, I imagine (no hyperbole whatsoever in that statement)

As much as I would love seeing the double digit seeds upset the brackets and advance past the first weekend, it was tempered by the letdown when those Sweet Sixteen match-ups turned out to be blowouts.
 

I don't totally understand why 11 seeds have to do a play in game. Shouldn't all the 16 seeds have to play in to make the tourney? I read the reasoning why, but it still doesn't seem fair to me.

IMO it should be the Last 4 in (or last 8 in) that have to play in to the tourney. No one wants to watch Mt. St. Mary's vs. New Orleans. But I think Iowa vs. Syracuse or something like that would be really entertaining. Bubble teams battling to grab the last spot in the tourney. If you win an automatic bid, you shouldn't have to "play-in" to the tournament.
 


The thing i dislike is when a team loses their first game and tons of fans act like the season was a failure. Or a team wins their conference but loses in the sweet 16 and people get down on their team. That was what was so cool about having to win your conference to get in and if you finished 2nd and won 23 or 24 games you were really something. It is really all about the tourney and the fans now where as players your still bound to your teammates forever if you win your conference. Those players at PURDUE have something you can never take away. The media has sold something very well and i love it as well but it should not diminish in any way so many wonderful seasons. I do love the format and the way they copied the old Indiana high school tourney and their final 4.
 

The thing i dislike is when a team loses their first game and tons of fans act like the season was a failure. Or a team wins their conference but loses in the sweet 16 and people get down on their team. That was what was so cool about having to win your conference to get in and if you finished 2nd and won 23 or 24 games you were really something. It is really all about the tourney and the fans now where as players your still bound to your teammates forever if you win your conference. Those players at PURDUE have something you can never take away. The media has sold something very well and i love it as well but it should not diminish in any way so many wonderful seasons. I do love the format and the way they copied the old Indiana high school tourney and their final 4.

This is very true.

My great uncle played football, basketball and baseball at Purdue. He coached Baseball and Basketball at Purdue as a head coach (assistant for football) and won a conference title as a basketball player. Stowed away 80ish years later I have a gold bracelet remembering this title. I never met the man but I cherish it. What it must have meant to him. And his coaches/teammates.
 

The thing i dislike is when a team loses their first game and tons of fans act like the season was a failure. Or a team wins their conference but loses in the sweet 16 and people get down on their team. That was what was so cool about having to win your conference to get in and if you finished 2nd and won 23 or 24 games you were really something. It is really all about the tourney and the fans now where as players your still bound to your teammates forever if you win your conference. Those players at PURDUE have something you can never take away. The media has sold something very well and i love it as well but it should not diminish in any way so many wonderful seasons. I do love the format and the way they copied the old Indiana high school tourney and their final 4.

Along those lines, I dislike how so much emphasis is put on the tourney from day one of the season. Quality wins. Strength of schedule. Talking about RPI in November (sorry SS). LOVE. LOVE. LOVE the tourney, but to echo others, there are other elements to the season. It's like the entire regular season and conference is just practice for "the dance."
 

IMO it should be the Last 4 in (or last 8 in) that have to play in to the tourney. No one wants to watch Mt. St. Mary's vs. New Orleans. But I think Iowa vs. Syracuse or something like that would be really entertaining. Bubble teams battling to grab the last spot in the tourney. If you win an automatic bid, you shouldn't have to "play-in" to the tournament.

Totally agree with this. I know they want to make the field of 64 more competitive overall, but having to play in as a 16 seed is such a slap in the face. These teams earned their spot in the tourney, let them get the full experience. Playing another 16 seed in Dayton on Tuesday or Wednesday is not the full experience. Even if there is next to no chance they win, I feel bad that the players, coaches, and fans of New Orleans don't get to just dream for a few days about being the first team to upset a 1 seed or get the experience of taking the floor against a team like Nova, NC, Kansas, etc.
 



Up and Under, your very fortunate to have something so special. Your great uncle probably knew John Wooden. Ask former players what it meant to win a conference championship. Bill Walton talks openly about the pride that he has over 10 weeks of excellence. Thanks for your wonderful story, to a time when coaches taught two sports !
 

Totally agree with this. I know they want to make the field of 64 more competitive overall, but having to play in as a 16 seed is such a slap in the face. These teams earned their spot in the tourney, let them get the full experience. Playing another 16 seed in Dayton on Tuesday or Wednesday is not the full experience. Even if there is next to no chance they win, I feel bad that the players, coaches, and fans of New Orleans don't get to just dream for a few days about being the first team to upset a 1 seed or get the experience of taking the floor against a team like Nova, NC, Kansas, etc.

I totally agree with this. A conference tournament winner should not have to play a play-in game. They earned their right to play in the real tournament. This needs to be changed.


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I hate that they went to 4 separate channels. My favorite two days of the year - while still great - are not what they were when it was one channel. Literally sometimes alternating between two or three games coming down to the wire. When I don't have a strong interest in any particular game, I don't want to do the switching back-and-forth. I want it done for me, like the old days! Do I like the separate channels sometimes? Of course. Solution: A 5th channel that is like the pre-TBS/TruTV days. The mix. Only needed on the first weekend. I want it back!!
 

I hate that they went to 4 separate channels. My favorite two days of the year - while still great - are not what they were when it was one channel. Literally sometimes alternating between two or three games coming down to the wire. When I don't have a strong interest in any particular game, I don't want to do the switching back-and-forth. I want it done for me, like the old days! Do I like the separate channels sometimes? Of course. Solution: A 5th channel that is like the pre-TBS/TruTV days. The mix. Only needed on the first weekend. I want it back!!
I'd rather be able to switch to each game and be able to watch whichever game is most interesting, but to each their own. Don't really see the downside of having different channels outside of hitting a couple buttons on your remote.

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I hate that they went to 4 separate channels. My favorite two days of the year - while still great - are not what they were when it was one channel. Literally sometimes alternating between two or three games coming down to the wire. When I don't have a strong interest in any particular game, I don't want to do the switching back-and-forth. I want it done for me, like the old days! Do I like the separate channels sometimes? Of course. Solution: A 5th channel that is like the pre-TBS/TruTV days. The mix. Only needed on the first weekend. I want it back!!
So.....you want less game options? What I do is.....go to all four channels and make a favorite list. That way you can cycle through without needing the channel number entered. I'm hoping that they put out an app as well. Have another game going on the second tv.
 

I hate that they went to 4 separate channels. My favorite two days of the year - while still great - are not what they were when it was one channel. Literally sometimes alternating between two or three games coming down to the wire. When I don't have a strong interest in any particular game, I don't want to do the switching back-and-forth. I want it done for me, like the old days! Do I like the separate channels sometimes? Of course. Solution: A 5th channel that is like the pre-TBS/TruTV days. The mix. Only needed on the first weekend. I want it back!!

Wow. That is definitely the first time I've ever heard anyone complain about the 4 channel format.
 

I hate that they went to 4 separate channels. My favorite two days of the year - while still great - are not what they were when it was one channel. Literally sometimes alternating between two or three games coming down to the wire. When I don't have a strong interest in any particular game, I don't want to do the switching back-and-forth. I want it done for me, like the old days! Do I like the separate channels sometimes? Of course. Solution: A 5th channel that is like the pre-TBS/TruTV days. The mix. Only needed on the first weekend. I want it back!!

Not a problem at my house. Move 4 TVs into one room for 4 days and watch every game. Best 4 days every year.


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So.....you want less game options? What I do is.....go to all four channels and make a favorite list. That way you can cycle through without needing the channel number entered. I'm hoping that they put out an app as well. Have another game going on the second tv.

There is an app. Get the Ncaa march madness app. You can watch on your iPad or tablet.




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I don't totally understand why 11 seeds have to do a play in game. Shouldn't all the 16 seeds have to play in to make the tourney? I read the reasoning why, but it still doesn't seem fair to me.

I actually think all of the 16 seeds should get into the round of 64. The field was extended for those bubble teams, make the last four in and the last four byes play the four games in Dayton. As it is half of those teams would have been in the NIT in the old format, make them earn it. A team that wins their conference deserves the real experience. I feel bad for those New Orleans kids because when they dreamed about winning their conference, I don't thing going to Dayton Ohio to play "The Mount" was part of the scenario.
 

I hate when they schedule 3 Big 10 games at the same time.

I hate that a #16 has never beaten a #1. I LOVE when major programs lose early. Schools like Duke, NC, Kentucky, etc, their fans are spoiled by constant success, so I'm not going to shed any tears when the same teams are sure to be back year after year.
 

I hate that they went to 4 separate channels. My favorite two days of the year - while still great - are not what they were when it was one channel. Literally sometimes alternating between two or three games coming down to the wire. When I don't have a strong interest in any particular game, I don't want to do the switching back-and-forth. I want it done for me, like the old days! Do I like the separate channels sometimes? Of course. Solution: A 5th channel that is like the pre-TBS/TruTV days. The mix. Only needed on the first weekend. I want it back!!

Although I love having the ability to watch all the games, I do get what you're saying. I did enjoy the old days where the work was done for you, as far as which game was the best to watch at the end. The downside now is that you that have to keep tabs on it yourself and know when to switch.
 

Along those lines, I dislike how so much emphasis is put on the tourney from day one of the season. Quality wins. Strength of schedule. Talking about RPI in November (sorry SS). LOVE. LOVE. LOVE the tourney, but to echo others, there are other elements to the season. It's like the entire regular season and conference is just practice for "the dance."

Agree with this. They feel like they need to build storylines throughout the season to keep people interested or something. Maybe this is true for the more casual fan, but I would watch regardless. It's the same thing in football with the Heisman Trophy.
 

I hate that they went to 4 separate channels. My favorite two days of the year - while still great - are not what they were when it was one channel. Literally sometimes alternating between two or three games coming down to the wire. When I don't have a strong interest in any particular game, I don't want to do the switching back-and-forth. I want it done for me, like the old days! Do I like the separate channels sometimes? Of course. Solution: A 5th channel that is like the pre-TBS/TruTV days. The mix. Only needed on the first weekend. I want it back!!

Totally agree! That was the best part of 10-15 years ago... it was better than BREAKING NEWS!!

"AND WE TAKE YOU TO CHARLOTTE..."
 

Along those lines, I dislike how so much emphasis is put on the tourney from day one of the season. Quality wins. Strength of schedule. Talking about RPI in November (sorry SS). LOVE. LOVE. LOVE the tourney, but to echo others, there are other elements to the season. It's like the entire regular season and conference is just practice for "the dance."

But what else are you playing for? 'The Dance' is the playoffs and arguably the best postseason of any sport. If you miss the dance, then the season was mostly a failure. How is the entire regular season just practice? If you don't win enough games, you're not making the dance. This just places more importance on earlier games, similar to college football.
 


I am most displeased with the horrifically long Sunday on the first weekend. It seems like the last games are getting over about 10:00 on Sunday night. Too long. Run a few more concurrently and allow the people at the games to get home and get back to work.

Pretty small potatoes as far as issues go. It's a great event and by and large well run, despite the incessant whining by the media on behalf of teams who got "shafted" by seeding, etc.
 


The same commercials for the next 3 weeks. Jim Nance. Cute camera angles. Rarely showing player introductions. Camera following player who just scored, a coach, cheerleaders, while game action is taking place. North Carolina being allowed in.
 


I hate how it becomes about the coaches and not the players. I've already heard reference about our team not being as "talented" as others, and how Pitino overachieved. I don't need to mention all of the honors our players have received. Obviously Pitino did a great job, but c'mon.

It sucks to constantly hear how great Izzo, Williams, Self, Coach K (seriously I'm not going to look up the spelling of that corpses name), and Calipari are. Clearly they're good coaches, but considering it's the players who have to actually defend and make plays, I wish the conversation centered more around them (and not just the players from the blue bloods).

It's a minor gripe, but it's exhausting being subjected to the constant celebrating of these coaches.
 





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