southsider2k5 Posted March 19, 2007 Author Share Posted March 19, 2007 QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 03:06 PM) If it weren't for gambling, the NFL would be FAR less popular than MLB. The only sport in this country whose popularity isn't based on gambling is baseball, and professional ball to be specific, which is why I still say baseball is THE great American game even today. The reason the Super Bowl is the most popular thing going is because of square pools and the odd proposition betting. I agree with you 100%. Fantasy football is also a huge driver of the NFL, who has embraced it, unlike MLB who has fought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 If I don't have at least a passing interest in the teams participating, probably every major sporting event at one time or another (or always if I don't follow the sport) has been boring as hell for me. Depends on whether my team is in it or if the matchup is interesting to me. Shouldn't have to like it more or less based on popularity; watch what you enjoy. And yeah, less upsets does make the Tournament a bit less interesting, in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChWRoCk2 Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 (edited) My take on this years tournament is that it hasnt changed since last year. ESPN makes it seem like a downyear because they love when a cinderella team upsets higher seeded teams, this lets them make more predicitons and go off on tangent stories on these cinderella wonders like George Mason. Kind of puts alot of pressure on the cinderellas you could say. This year the top seeds are FINALLY playing to their potential unlike other years where Kansas usually gets knocked out early or a 5 seed goes down in round one. Biggest change maybe that has altered this is the talented high school players who instead of going to an NBA team have gone to a top NCAA school, Ohio St gets Oden and Texas Durant. Where would these teams be without these three, these athletes have improved the top NCAA teams in the league leaving mid majors in the dust recruiting wise. IMO it has made better teams more competitive and heck if all the top seeds make it to final 4 technically we should see some close games no? Like said earlier Saturday ws an example of what happens when high seeded teams face off. With exception of VCU who was an 11, and is irrelevant to what I said. Edited March 19, 2007 by ChWRoCk2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 QUOTE(ChWRoCk2 @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 03:20 PM) Biggest change maybe that has altered this is the talented high school players who instead of going to an NBA team have gone to a top NCAA school, take Duke for example, they get local phenom Scheyer, Ohio St gets Oden and Texas Durant. Where would these teams be without these three, these athletes have improved the top NCAA teams in the league leaving mid majors in the dust recruiting wise. I can't see sheyer getting drafted out of high school... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChWRoCk2 Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 03:22 PM) I can't see sheyer getting drafted out of high school... Well that might have been a bad example lol. But Oden and Durant certainly werent, and im sure there were others who could have gone into the NBA but didnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 04:08 PM) Fantasy football is also a huge driver of the NFL, who has embraced it, unlike MLB who has fought it. Why the hell is MLB fighting Fantasy Football? See, that just makes zero sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aboz56 Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 10:44 AM) You missed out big time if you watched something else other than the tourney on Saturday. I didn't miss out, I got to see the best High school player in the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 QUOTE(aboz56 @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 05:27 PM) I didn't miss out, I got to see the best High school player in the country. michael beasley or oj mayo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 (edited) QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 08:04 AM) Is it just me, or has this years Big Dance been incredibly boring? There have been no real big upsets, and there isn't a single double digit seed in the Sweet Sixteen. Besides the VCU game and the couple of OT games, there really wasn't even many close games. I don't know if it was the fact that only 6 mid majors made the tournament, or what, but this year has been way too predictable for the high seeds, and that really has my interest at about zero. At one point Saturday I was watching the Bulls instead of the tourney. Anyone else feel the same way? So I skipped three pages. Shoot me if this has already been said. There were many more than six mid-majors in the tournament. Only six were given at-large bids, but there were more than six overall. Compounding the issue is that some of the mid-majors (SIU, Butler, Nevada) were higher seeds than normal, lessening the chances of early round upsets. Add to that, Butler was matched up against Old Dominion, and Nevada against Creighton, pitting 4 teams that in normal years may have had a shot at upsetting one of the big boys. Saturday was a really fun day, until of course the Indiana-UCLA game started. Then all semblance of quality basketball stopped. It has lacked the excitement of some years, but I think a lot of that has been the way things were set up this year. I just don't think the matchups favored a lot of upsets early on. I have still enjoyed it, however. Edited March 20, 2007 by Rex Hudler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxrd5 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Not at all...Of course the talent isn't what it was in the 80's or early 90's, but I think the games have been great, entertaining basketbal. IMO, there is room for years where the cream rises to the top and for the year of the upset. Both have their positives and negatives. Saturday was a phenomenal day of basketball and next weekend should be the same. This tournament is the only sporting event I get excited about even if my team isn't participating. I don't understand the outcry to change this tournament's structure by added more teams, but yet we continue on with the BCS system in football. How ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerfan Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 IMO if they added more teams the tourney would jump the shark. The phrase: If it ain't broke don't fix it applies here. As for this year's tournament, Thursday's games were a bit underwhelming quality wise, but Saturday's games made up for that. I mean it doesn't get much better then 3 overtime games in one day (1 going to double overtime) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan101 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 04:56 PM) michael beasley or oj mayo? Rose and Gordon are so much better than those 2 it's not enough funny. Rose is better than Gordon though, I've seen them both in person twice and although Gordon is going to be a top 5 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, I'd bet Rose goes #1. I've never seen a point guard like him or even close before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkey Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 The SIU-Holy Cross first round game had some of the best defense I have ever seen. The players on both teams had to have collapsed when they got back to their rooms after that. And it was defense without all the cheap shots, and groans at the refs when you actually get called for a foul. I haven't seen all the games, but the ones I did see were all pretty good. And the end of the OSU game, wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 19, 2007 -> 03:08 PM) The reason the Super Bowl is the most popular thing going is because of square pools and the odd proposition betting. I agree with you 100%. Fantasy football is also a huge driver of the NFL, who has embraced it, unlike MLB who has fought it. The reason the Super Bowl is the most popular thing is the show. The show that starts 6 hours before the game. The show that happens in between the game (commercials) and the halftime show. Yes, squares and betting do help, but it's an event more than it's a game, now. The NCAA Tourney is an 18 day event that, for the most part, people like to watch no matter if their team is in it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkBomber Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Theres a lot of casual fans that only watch the tournament because of their pools. The Super Bowl is like someone said, more of an event and a show that almost the whole nation is watching that Sunday and its relatively become a national holiday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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