C.: Hi, d.c. I think that I have thrown my tormentors off my trail for now. I just wanted to ask you a question. What is all the hoopla about “March Madness"? Is it when all the dogs are let out of their kennels?” d. No, Cal.E. “March Madness” refers to college basketball tournaments. The most important one is the NCAA tournament. Whichever team wins that tournament is the national champion.
C.: But you said tournamentS. How many are there? And what is the point of the other ones, if the team that wins the NCAA tournament is the national champion?
d.: There are three more. The most prestigious of the three is the National Invitational Tournament. It has actually been around longer than the NCAA tournament. If a team does not get an invitation to the NCAA tournament, it is usually honored to play in the N.I.T.
C.: And what are the other two called?
d.: The College Insider dot Com and the C.B.I…
C.: That’s the one I would choose to play in. I assume it stand for Cats Be Intelligent.
d.: No, Cal.E. C.B.I. stands for College basketball invitational. The big name schools don’t usually accept invitations to the last tow though…
C.: OH, you mean like Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis?
d.: No, Cal.E. I mean the large schools. Like SEC schools or Big Ten schools or Big twelve schools…
C.: So, any team from a “big” conference (hehe). Why would the large schools not want to play in the other two tournaments, if they readily accept an invitation to the N.I.T. tournament, even though the champion is not declared national champion?
d.: They don’t play in the smaller tournaments because the teams must pay the organizers of the tournament to play…
C.: And they don’t have enough money because they are supporting too many students?
d.: No, Cal.E. That’s not it. Large universities, like your dad’s alma mater, Texas A&M have plenty of money. Since it is now the largest university in the country, A&M has enough money to put into all of its sports without suffering a loss. The money mainly comes from football and men’s basketball, though, although women’s college basketball is becoming more popular now.
C.: Why accept an invitation to play in ANY tournament, though, if there is no hope of winning the national championship.
d.: I guess it is to get in extra practices, although the best players in college are usually one and done. Since there are 353 division one teams playing basketball, it would put the team in the top one-third of those teams. It is a prestige thing, as much as anything. The two newer tournaments do not have the prestige that the NCAA and NIT still carry. Also, more people will watch the NIT than the two minor tournaments, so the teams make more money…
C.: Especially since those teams do not need to “pay to play.”
d.: Now, you are getting it. The large teams don’t feel as if they need to pay someone to play. They want people to pay to watch them play.
C.: I have just one more question for you, d.c.
d.: ???
C.: What are the odds in each tournament on the favorite, and how can I get a piece of the action?
d.: You do NOT want to bet on basketball, Cal.E. The number one overall seed, Baylor, has already lost this afternoon. That shows you how hard it is to win a bet on college basketball.
C.: Speaking of betting, I hear the footsteps of “The Tuxedo.” TTYL!
d.: Yes, Cal.E. I will talk to you later (if you survive).
Comentarios