No Team Left Behind Would Appease Dance Critics
Random thoughts while wondering what ever happened to Bill Simas:
Bigger Dance Dept.: Coaches from the Big 12 say it may be time for the NCAA to look at expanding the men's basketball tournament. The tournament has not been expanded since 1985 (when it went to 64 teams) and more slots would allow some of the mid-majors and a few of the majors that got ignored (Syracuse) from having to participate in the NIT.
I have a solutions to this problem, knowing full well that someone is always going to be left out and that the format won't change unless CBS decides that it needs to. Right now, it is as perfect for TV as it could be.
The first solution is to create an NCAA basketball division for all of the smaller, non-D1 football playing schools. If you do not have football at the D1 level, then you aren't eligible for the Big Dance, but rather the newly defined D1A championship.
I fully realize that schools like Southern Illinois, George Mason, Davidson, Butler and the like would not get in, but the playing field at the D1AA level would be much more balanced and the play would be that more exciting. At the D1 level, your number 16 seed would now be a bigger school and the possibility of a 16-1 upset could exist.
The best thing about the D1AA, is it eliminates smaller schools going to the D1A level simply to reap the financial rewards of participation. There are 199 schools that play D1 football yet 336 schools who play D1 basketball. Something is very wrong with this picture. The smaller schools have no chance to win the tournament, maybe a round or two, but generally your Belmont's, Davidsons and Florida A&Ms eventually wind up being cannon fodder for Florida or Kansas. Why not make Syracuse and Air Force 16 seeds and see what happens?
I know that many people have barked at me over the years for this plan saying that eliminates the "Cinderella Factor." Outside of Georgetown in 1985, can you name a "Cinderella" that's won? Are we really that excited when our bracket gets busted by Richmond? Nah, I didn't think so.
So, take the schools from the Mid-Majors and give them their own 64 team tournament. This way, the Missouri Valley will get four teams in and the smaller leagues, like the Horizon, the OVC, the Colonial, the Southland, the Sunbelt and the Atlantic Sun will all get multiple teams in the dance every year.
I call this plan "no team left behind."
Drowning Dept.: The White Sox still are struggling in spring training. Although second baseman Tadahito Iguchi is having some real issues, no seems nervous. The truth is, despite the pop in his bat, Iguchi is a much better two hole hitter and responds favorably when he hits there. Ozzie needs to end this experiment now and put Iguchi back in the two hole.
Another guy who is really blowing it is David Ardesma, acquired from the Cubs in the off season. Since Neil Cotts isn't lighting it up either, this may have been an even trade. It certainly won't turn into Sammy Sosa for George Bell or Jon Garland for Matt Karchner.
Fair Practices Dept.: The Arizona Cardinals have fired assistant coach Richie Anderson after he was arrested for soliciting a female prostitute who was an under cover police officer.
If Anderson were a player, would the Cards have released him? Odds are, no. Did Anderson, once he was busted, resist arrest, posses drugs, blow into a breathalyser at .22 or have a loaded weapon in his car? No.
What assistant coaches around the league should learn from this is that Ken Whisenhunt will take out an assistant for questionable behavior to avoid distractions to his team and to get the media focused on something else. In other words, screw up and he will not show you any loyalty.
I don't believe that Anderson's actions, although illegal, warranted him getting canned. Fined, suspended, whatever, but not canned. If Tank Johnson can still have a job, Richie Anderson should too.
South of the Border Dept.: I'm all for doing anything to clean up illegal immigration. I agree the system is broken and we need to fix it. The easier we make it for people to come in through the front door and the more severe we make it for people who sneak in under the fence, the better. I am not, as some would suggest, opposed to people coming to this country for a better life. I am opposed to people sneaking into the country and working below the radar.
The only message Felipe Calderon should have for GW is "we will cooperate with your government fully and if our citizens are caught sneaking into your country, we will effectively deal with it." However, many in Latin America feel that our tightening of border security is an affront.
I, for one, don't give a damn what they think they are entitled to.
This is the Army Mr. Liberace Dept.: The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Peter Pace blasted gays in the military yesterday, going as far as calling gays, "immoral." How exactly does this differ from the attitude in WW2 when blacks were referred to as "inferior?"
Look, if a citizen, who happens to be gay, wants to pick up a gun and defend our country, no one has the right to say that they aren't welcome to do so. With the way the war is going, General, I think excluding anyone would be a bad idea. Besides, you are a general, not a judge
Rap Your Knuckles Dept.: Among the bands admitted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yesterday was Grandmaster Flash.
Maybe it's time to consider a Rap or Hip Hop Hall of Fame. Rap is not rock and rock is not rap. What's next? Putting Beethoven in? Garth Brooks? Or, just cal it the "Music Hall of Fame."
I'm sorry, but if we were taking an ACT test, one of the questions might be "Which does not belong in this group: Rolling Stones, Beatles, Buddy Holly, REM, Dave Matthews Band, Ton Loc." Yeah, you see my point.
It's Almost Dead Jim Dept.: Over exposure and poor casting have led Law & Order Classic to a point where it may be walking the TV plank soon. Creator Dick Wolf has always said he wanted to tie Gunsmoke for longest running series, but it looks like the series won't last one more year let alone three more years.
For me, the series jumped the shark when the late Jerry Orbach left and when they killed off Annie Parisse.
Late Show Dept.: A South Carolina high school student turned her biology project in late and failed the assignment, this hurting her perfect 4.5 GPA. Instead of taking accountability for handing the project in late, Mommy and Daddy are suing the school corporation.
Great life lesson for the kid, don't you think?
Separate Lives Dept.: Many American homes will now be designed with his and her master bedrooms to help prolong American marriages.
My advice is if your marriage is that bad, do what I did with my first wife and live in separate states.
Fat of the Land Dept.: Researchers have discovered a link between people who have had gastric bypass surgery and memory loss.
Of course, you don't want them to remember what they used to look like, do you?
Bigger Dance Dept.: Coaches from the Big 12 say it may be time for the NCAA to look at expanding the men's basketball tournament. The tournament has not been expanded since 1985 (when it went to 64 teams) and more slots would allow some of the mid-majors and a few of the majors that got ignored (Syracuse) from having to participate in the NIT.
I have a solutions to this problem, knowing full well that someone is always going to be left out and that the format won't change unless CBS decides that it needs to. Right now, it is as perfect for TV as it could be.
The first solution is to create an NCAA basketball division for all of the smaller, non-D1 football playing schools. If you do not have football at the D1 level, then you aren't eligible for the Big Dance, but rather the newly defined D1A championship.
I fully realize that schools like Southern Illinois, George Mason, Davidson, Butler and the like would not get in, but the playing field at the D1AA level would be much more balanced and the play would be that more exciting. At the D1 level, your number 16 seed would now be a bigger school and the possibility of a 16-1 upset could exist.
The best thing about the D1AA, is it eliminates smaller schools going to the D1A level simply to reap the financial rewards of participation. There are 199 schools that play D1 football yet 336 schools who play D1 basketball. Something is very wrong with this picture. The smaller schools have no chance to win the tournament, maybe a round or two, but generally your Belmont's, Davidsons and Florida A&Ms eventually wind up being cannon fodder for Florida or Kansas. Why not make Syracuse and Air Force 16 seeds and see what happens?
I know that many people have barked at me over the years for this plan saying that eliminates the "Cinderella Factor." Outside of Georgetown in 1985, can you name a "Cinderella" that's won? Are we really that excited when our bracket gets busted by Richmond? Nah, I didn't think so.
So, take the schools from the Mid-Majors and give them their own 64 team tournament. This way, the Missouri Valley will get four teams in and the smaller leagues, like the Horizon, the OVC, the Colonial, the Southland, the Sunbelt and the Atlantic Sun will all get multiple teams in the dance every year.
I call this plan "no team left behind."
Drowning Dept.: The White Sox still are struggling in spring training. Although second baseman Tadahito Iguchi is having some real issues, no seems nervous. The truth is, despite the pop in his bat, Iguchi is a much better two hole hitter and responds favorably when he hits there. Ozzie needs to end this experiment now and put Iguchi back in the two hole.
Another guy who is really blowing it is David Ardesma, acquired from the Cubs in the off season. Since Neil Cotts isn't lighting it up either, this may have been an even trade. It certainly won't turn into Sammy Sosa for George Bell or Jon Garland for Matt Karchner.
Fair Practices Dept.: The Arizona Cardinals have fired assistant coach Richie Anderson after he was arrested for soliciting a female prostitute who was an under cover police officer.
If Anderson were a player, would the Cards have released him? Odds are, no. Did Anderson, once he was busted, resist arrest, posses drugs, blow into a breathalyser at .22 or have a loaded weapon in his car? No.
What assistant coaches around the league should learn from this is that Ken Whisenhunt will take out an assistant for questionable behavior to avoid distractions to his team and to get the media focused on something else. In other words, screw up and he will not show you any loyalty.
I don't believe that Anderson's actions, although illegal, warranted him getting canned. Fined, suspended, whatever, but not canned. If Tank Johnson can still have a job, Richie Anderson should too.
South of the Border Dept.: I'm all for doing anything to clean up illegal immigration. I agree the system is broken and we need to fix it. The easier we make it for people to come in through the front door and the more severe we make it for people who sneak in under the fence, the better. I am not, as some would suggest, opposed to people coming to this country for a better life. I am opposed to people sneaking into the country and working below the radar.
The only message Felipe Calderon should have for GW is "we will cooperate with your government fully and if our citizens are caught sneaking into your country, we will effectively deal with it." However, many in Latin America feel that our tightening of border security is an affront.
I, for one, don't give a damn what they think they are entitled to.
This is the Army Mr. Liberace Dept.: The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Peter Pace blasted gays in the military yesterday, going as far as calling gays, "immoral." How exactly does this differ from the attitude in WW2 when blacks were referred to as "inferior?"
Look, if a citizen, who happens to be gay, wants to pick up a gun and defend our country, no one has the right to say that they aren't welcome to do so. With the way the war is going, General, I think excluding anyone would be a bad idea. Besides, you are a general, not a judge
Rap Your Knuckles Dept.: Among the bands admitted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yesterday was Grandmaster Flash.
Maybe it's time to consider a Rap or Hip Hop Hall of Fame. Rap is not rock and rock is not rap. What's next? Putting Beethoven in? Garth Brooks? Or, just cal it the "Music Hall of Fame."
I'm sorry, but if we were taking an ACT test, one of the questions might be "Which does not belong in this group: Rolling Stones, Beatles, Buddy Holly, REM, Dave Matthews Band, Ton Loc." Yeah, you see my point.
It's Almost Dead Jim Dept.: Over exposure and poor casting have led Law & Order Classic to a point where it may be walking the TV plank soon. Creator Dick Wolf has always said he wanted to tie Gunsmoke for longest running series, but it looks like the series won't last one more year let alone three more years.
For me, the series jumped the shark when the late Jerry Orbach left and when they killed off Annie Parisse.
Late Show Dept.: A South Carolina high school student turned her biology project in late and failed the assignment, this hurting her perfect 4.5 GPA. Instead of taking accountability for handing the project in late, Mommy and Daddy are suing the school corporation.
Great life lesson for the kid, don't you think?
Separate Lives Dept.: Many American homes will now be designed with his and her master bedrooms to help prolong American marriages.
My advice is if your marriage is that bad, do what I did with my first wife and live in separate states.
Fat of the Land Dept.: Researchers have discovered a link between people who have had gastric bypass surgery and memory loss.
Of course, you don't want them to remember what they used to look like, do you?
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