Parity arrives at Big Dance, Cinderella weeps
Posted: Monday, March 23, 2009 10:37 AM
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March Madness
It’s déjà vu all over again.
Last year featured a Sweet 16 filled with powerhouse teams who piled up wins like never before. All four 1 seeds, three 2 seeds and three 3 seeds were in the 2007 Sweet 16.
But this year’s ridiculous Sweet 16 – all four 1, 2 and 3 seeds advanced, along with two 4s and a 5 – created the predictable “The sky is falling in Cinderellas’s head!” responses. Check it out.
But the most sobering post was from Dan Shanoff on the Sporting Blog.
If this continues, the NCAA tournament risks a fate worse than parity: Predictability.
(Shudders.)
Fear not, writes John Gasaway.
The BP writer is always good for a reality check. He correctly says that even if we discount the manic 2006 tourney – you know, George Mason, Duke and UConn lose in the Sweet 16 and no top seeds in the Final Four? – we’ve seen this type of tourney behavior before. It was called the early ‘90s.
Indeed, 1993 featured three No. 1 seeds and a No. 2 in the Final Four. In ’91, all four 1s and 2s were in the Sweet 16. Same in ’95. Shoot, for good measure, all four 1s, 2s and 3 No. 3 seeds were in the ’89 Sweet 16.
Gasaway, along with SI.com’s Luke Winn, think the potential Cinderellas merely were a little unlikely. Missouri, Michigan State, Louisville, Pitt and Gonzaga were all this close to not making the Sweet 16.
Besides, no underdogs means the Sweet 16 games should be awesome. Other news outlets also took this approach, which means maybe the glass isn’t half empty.
I mean, what’s not to like about Kansas vs. Michigan State, Memphis vs. Missouri, Carolina vs. Gonzaga, Duke vs. Villanova and Syracuse vs. Oklahoma? The NBA rosters that’ll be on the floor for Louisville vs. Arizona makes me wish it were already Friday.
Sure, Midnight came a little early for Cinderella this season. And yes, I’m sure your bracket suffered a bit as a result. (Mine did.) But if you picked Arizona State or Florida State to make a deep run in the tourney, well, that’s your problem.
Me, I’m going to go enjoy the games.
