With the 2023 Men’s Final Four decided, only one team heading to Houston has made it to the event before. UConn will be making their 6th Final Four appearance. The others – San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, and Miami have never been to the prestigious event.
I guess gone are the days of North Carolina, UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas making their regular appearances.
I must admit, I’m not a college basketball fan as I once was in my younger days. There was a time when I followed collage basketball the entire season – not just March Madness. Those days are long gone. Hell, I didn’t even watch a full game this March Madness season. My flipper was always in hand.
So…what has changed for me?
First and foremost, lack of talent. Ever since the NBA allowed 19 year-olds eligible for the draft, there are no great players to follow. Gone are the days of some of my favorites: Bill Bradley (Princeton), Lew Alcindor (UCLA), Pete Maravich (LSU), Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati), Larry Bird (Indiana), Bill Walton (UCLA), or Artis Gilmore (Jacksonville). The days of following players through their college career are long gone. The great players head to the NBA after their first year.
Secondly, parity in college basketball is ruining the sport, as it does in all sports.
I hear many sports ‘talking heads’ discuss how great it is to have parity in sports. RUSM? I guess that’s the politically correct thing to say these days, but does anyone REALLY like parity?
Having great teams is good for all sports. I can’t tell you how many times I watched Kentucky or Duke games just to, hopefully, see them lose. Sports hate is an important part of sports. Other than hating your team’s chief rival, we love to hate great teams. Nobody hates losers. Why do you think most sports fans hate the Yankees, Patriots, Celtics, Lakers or Canadians? They were all great winners and dynasties.
With parity, there will no longer be Cinderella teams. We like cheering for underdog teams, but only for so long. In the end, we want to see great teams in the Final Four and Championship games. I guarantee, if this parity crap continues in the NCAA, March Madness will lose in the ratings.
The same is true in professional sports. Do you really want to see bad teams win in the playoffs? Certainly not – unless it’s your home team. Neutral fans want to see the iconic teams plays…if for nothing else, to watch them get beat.
Can you really ‘hate’ any of the Final Four teams this year? The only reason most will be rooting for or against a specific team is because they have a bet on the game. However, sports betting is a blog for another time.
So, get your popcorn and beer – or maybe your coffee to stay awake – as the Final Four is here.
For me, I think I’ll be watching a rerun of the UCLA vs Jacksonville University championship game in 1970. You know…when a REAL Cinderella team played against an iconic college giant. It also showcased great players who are actually juniors and seniors who went on to also be great NBA players…with 18 and 19-year-old kids coming off the bench!
Here’s a hint for the betterment of the game…keep your parity in youth sports and leave college and pro sports filled with legendary schools and organizations.
The truth is…passionate sports fans want to continue indulging in sports hate. It’s more interesting and certainly much more fun.
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