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JockStocks: A look at the Madness of March

Ah yes ladies and gents, it is what some will call the most wonderful time of the year ... March Madness brought to you by CBS brought to you by Coca-Cola's(NYSE:KO) PowerAde brought to you by General Motors (NYSE:GM) brought to you by New Balance brought to you by AT & T's Cingular(NYSE:T) -- perhaps you catch my drift.

Yesterday was the first time I was home for the opening day of the tournament in five years. Know how many games I watched? Zero. Now how much of it I missed? Zero. Maybe it is because my Cincinnati Bearcats choked royally down the stretch and were left out of the NCAA and NIT, or maybe it is because I find college basketball a bit boring. Whatever the reason, I didn't watch and I didn't miss. Actually, let me couch that statement, I saw snippets of the Butler/LSU game as I waited for the FightBus to get its oil change at the dealership. Thing is, while I was glancing at the TV I saw in-game ads for VitaminWater and General Motors ... what happened to letting the game play? It reminded me of Wednesday night when I was watching my BlueJackets play. Fox Sports was showing the sponsored save of the game, and missed a goal by the Jackets!



Really, I'm not bitter - and I like college basketball. I remember sitting with my father when the N.C. State Cardiac Attack Pack topped Houston's Phi Slamma Jamma on a desperation heave and dunk at the buzzer. I remember Keith Smart hitting "the shot" against Syracuse to win the championship. I remember a fresh-faced Michael Jordan hitting the game winner against Georgetown. And my personal favorite, Christian Laettner breaking the hearts of "Big Blue" with his game winner against Kentucky. I don't hate college basketball, but I think the time has come to call the NCAA tournament what it really is - a money grab.

Please understand, I have nothing against free enterprise and making a buck. But articles like this one make it seem like the NCAA is full of lawyers waiting to add to the number of useless litigation in the United States. Loosen up NCAA, there is a reason that some football fans call the NFL the No Fun League - they have taken the joy out of watching the game. Again, I respect the NCAA and what it has done, but enough is enough.

Now, let me heap some praise on the tournament. It is exciting, the fact that you can have a Cinderella come out of nowhere and win the tournament is awesome. In fact, it makes me imagine what this setup would be like for college football. Imagine the excitement a tournament of 12 teams would generate, and the revenue that ESPN and the NCAA could reap. Furthermore, such a tournament would settle the argument that teams like Utah have (they went undefeated and weren't named the national champs). Unfortunately, this scenario won't happen because the antiquated bowl system makes too much money in sponsorships.

So, there you have my thoughts on March Madness (can I say that?). It is good for the colleges, it is good for most college basketball fans, it is definitely good for the NCAA and its sponsors. One of the only groups that the tournament isn't good for is employers. Now, get back to work.
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Last updated: November 25, 2009: 10:01 AM

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