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The NCAA mulls over expanding its basketball tournament to 96 teams!  Talk about redefining March Madness!

Part of the magnetism of college basketball is “making the big dance.”  If one quarter of all Division I teams will be invited, then it’s not a big dance it’s just a block party.  Might as well turn to Play Station, the action will be more genuine.

The NCAA tournament is about elitism–plain and simple.  It’s about the best teams competing against the best teams.  There’s a “Cinderella” element, yes.  But even in admitting “Cinderella” teams, we’re simply pointing to the exception that proves the rule.  Now, I pull for the Cinderallas, the upstarts, the unlikely Davids facing the basketball Goliaths.  But if the field is expanded to 96 teams, well, all my anti-elitist sentiment and passion gets spread over too wide a field.  This just destroys the entire ethos and pathos of the tourney.

I have enough hate in me to sustain vehement opposition to Carolina and Duke for about five games.  But double that, and I’m just not all that interested.

I don’t have to ask what “genius” thought of this idea.  It’s the guy counting ticket receipts.  But, apparently, he doesn’t understand how elitism and bragging rights make the tournament what it is.  Expanded to 96 teams will be to college basketball what the BCS is to college football–the one magic bullet tool that always cast doubt on whether the champion really is the champion.  It takes the gladiator out of the sport and makes Darwin king–skill and brawn get replaced by sheer survival.  I’m tired of Darwin and I don’t want him calling basketball games and choosing champions.

I’m from North Carolina, “tobacco road” baby.  We act like we invented the game, and for good reason.  It’s the home of the college tournament (ACC) and home to some of the greatest teams in modern history.  So, everyone should listen to me. (I know, that’s very spurious).  But this is a very, very bad idea.  The sky really is falling.

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