Sports Greatest Rivalries

Once again the selection committee has been proven right. The magic of the tournament is not the final four or elite eight. That is where the sport is. But the magic is always found in the first or second round when almost anything can happen.

I applaud the committee, their process, and especially their outcomes. Low seed championship miracles do not come around often. Hoping to find a 12 seed that just might go all the way is that path to ruining this tournament, not improving it. Choosing a 12 seed that might just stun the world, if given the chance, now that is what makes this tournament like no other.

You can always count on drop your jock shock somewhere in the first two rounds. Can’t predict them, can’t plan for them, can’t RPI analyze your way to them. All you can do is create an environment where they can happen. That means you have to invite some teams that could become a Cinderella.

This year’s annual complaining about too many mid-major at-large selections is ridiculous. Billy Packer and a host of other CBS analysts should know better. 8 of 34 at-large slots for mid-majors is a good mix for the tournament, and essential to keeping March the raving Mad wonder that it always is.

You can complaint about Cincy’s snub, but look to why Seton Hall was chosen rather than complain that Air Force was undeserving. And the reason the committee doesn’t explain why Air Force was more deserving than Cincy is because they probably can’t; and shouldn’t. Some Big East low life beating Illinois is pedestrian, but give Air Force a shot and a miracle may materialize before our eyes.

Want proof. Billy Packer’s way of packing the tourney full of power conference players would be like re-running the conference tournaments, just inter-major conference. But look at the rating difference between conference tournaments that the big dance. And it is due to the chance to see Cinderella every year. We know we will see her. She shows up every year because she was invited. We just don’t know her name yet.

So Billy, the bottom of the at-large list is not about the deserving, it is about inviting two fists full of possible Cinderella’s so that America can watch a few teams every year somehow find a way to make the slipper fit.

Iris Blake led by 4.5 points after the first round. This was expaned to 17 for rounds 2 and 3, dropping only a half point for round 4. She now takes a 12 point lead into the final game. A Florida win gives her the victory. A win by UCLA will vault Neil Hammer into a tie for first place awaiting the point total tie-breaker. Helen Craft, the only poolster to select Florida as the NCAA Champion is hoping a Gator victory will give her a seventh place finish. Congratulations to the following folks for a top ten finish:

Helen Craft and Chris Kendall are awaiting Monday’s game to see who joins the other nine.

All the hub-bub around the selection committee seems to have died down after the first weekend bracket destruction at the hands of the mid-majors. While I continue to desire more visibility into the selection committee decisions, I commend them on putting together a great group of teams and the teams for not disappointing. What are folks saying about this now?

It’s not selection committee with egg spread across face by Rick Maese of The Baltimore Sun

Mid-Major Commissioners Came of Age Together, and So Have Their Conferences By John Feinstein of The Wahington Post

Eddie Mohr moves 19 spots on the backs of Florida and UCLA selections to 7th place. Joining the top 10 moving from a 12th place tie to a 10th place tie are Neil Hammer and Greer Zang. Dropping out of the top 10 were Kellen Summers (from 2nd to 13th), Carl Atwater (from 6th to 15th), Earl Forrester (from 10th to 18th). The rest of the top 10 remains largely unchanged.

Iris Blake, leading since day one and with yes a George Mason Final Four selection (actually a runner-up choice) continues to lead holding a 15.5 point lead over Leslie Paine. Glenda Corley, also a George Mason Final Four selector, in third and Neil Hammer in a tie for tenth join Iris and Leslie as the only four who can win the tournament. With eight possible outcomes, Iris wins under 5 outcomes, tying Neil in one of these. Glenda takes the title in three scenarios and if LSU tops Florida in an SEC shootout for the title, Leslie Paine holds the Sports Crossfire Challenge Title. Each of the Final Four teams was selected by 1.6% of the pool.

In the Sweet 16 Challenge Pool, seven participants are still in the hunt including Tara Blakemore and Ben Hawk currently tied for first and third place uber bracketeer, Iris Blake. Iris, tell us your secret!

I would have taken practically any wager against two SEC teams making it to Indy to compete for the National Title. The SEC was in a rebuilding year, or so I thought. Remember the highly questionable Tennessee Two Seed. Similarly, a suggested bet that the Final Four would not include a Big East, ACC or Big Ten team would have been greeted with a Cheshire Cat smile and the offer to buy another round. Throw in a Mid-major and you could have taken me for a bundle, or at least dinner.

What gives?

Bottom line: It’s great for the fan and the sport, even the selection committee can be seen smiling.

Moving week! Chris Kendall moves 16 spots and Glenda Corley 13 to join in the top 5. Iris Blake continues to hold the lead by 17. Earl Forrester moves 21 spots and Mitch Wenger moves 12 into a tie for 10th. Unfortunately for Chris and Earl, selecting Duke and Tennessee, respectively, as the champion allows them to finish no higher than 2nd.

I’m not claiming a conspiracy. I’m not saying an unfair advantage is consciously being given to the Number 1 seeds. I am saying no one wants to make a call that will be declared questionable and send a Number 1 seed home. Take another look at the last 3 minutes of the Villanova-BC game. BC, a physical team, simply did not get the calls down the stretch.

Now look at the UConn-Washington game. UConn gets a 2:1 advantage from the charity stripe (47 vs. 23) resulting in a 16 point advantage for the East Coast Huskies. Why then did Coach Calhoun receive a technical for passing the ball over the head of one official to the hands of another? I suggest the official let his frustration get to him. It should have been a no call. Alternatively, it is often suggested the coaches of the “Big Name” teams get away with too much and no one wants to say they allowed that in the NCAA Tournament.

Riding the “coat” tails of the LSU tigers several polsters made some big moves Thursday. Gonzaga’s meltdown left a few in the wings. What will Friday hold?

Biggest jump in standings from round 2 to round 3
- Earl Forrester: + 20 (from 31st to 11th)
- Tara Heel: + 16 (from 53rd to 37th)
- Mitch Wenger: + 11 (from 22nd to 11th)
- Allison Smith: + 10 (from 19th to 9th)
- Tim Stans: + 10 (from 42nd to 32nd)

The Sports Crossfire Sweet Sixteen Brackets are locked with some interesting predictions. Duke and UConn are each predicted to cut the nets in Indianapolis by 27% of the pool. Duke is expected to play in the final game by 37% and UConn is expected to compete for the trophy by 60% of participants. Obviously those picking Duke to make it to the final game pick them to win it at a higher rate than UConn. In head to head matchups between the two, Duke wins 79% of the pools.

Next most likely teams to play for the championship in a three way tie are Florida, Memphis and Villanova. Florida and Memphis are selected to win round one by 84% of pools. That is ahead of UConn at 72% and Duke at 58%. However, only 26% of pools select Florida in the Final Four. UConn (69%), Duke (48%), Memphis (42%), Villanova (29%) and UCLA (29%) are all picked higher than Florida to win games played Saturday and Sunday.

Iris Blake took advantage of the first and second round upsets to collect 27 bonus points in route to a 17 point lead over the field. The next 20 places have only a 12 point spread indicating what on outstanding job Ms. Blake did during the first weekend. With only 5 of her Elite 8 remaining and 3 of the Final Four, it will come down to the play of George Mason (her runner-up selection and West Va (her pick to win it all) for her to remain in front.
With another 64 points available this week, there stands to be a lot of shifting atop the Sports Crossfire Bracket Challenge.
And don’t forget about the Sweet Sixteen Pool. Sign-up today.