Just as many expected…

 

Non-traditional Final Four, stupid late tip for the NC, the writing was on the wall.

23 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Just as many expected…

 

This is what happens when you have the NIL money and the portal.  This was the changing of the so called traditional Final Four, better get use to it.

I've never been a big fan of National Championship college football and basketball being on a Monday.  It's just hard for me to justify starting me week sleep deprived.  I know they typically start them late because of the west coast, but it's unrealistic, to expect people on the east coast to stay up until midnight watching a game.

I DVR'd the game, watched the first half and then went to bed.  If the second half was amazing, I'd watch it at some point today, it wasn't.

28 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

This is what happens when you have the NIL money and the portal.  This was the changing of the so called traditional Final Four, better get use to it.

I would think as that becomes the normal the ratings may go back up but I am not sure.

Numbers for the Final Four outside the years when it is stacked with power schools have gone downhill for some time. The biggest stars are coaches - and some of the main guys have lately retired - and not many high caliber players are in the game. The best college player (potential wise) and most compelling storyline going into this tournament was of a result of said player delivering a handgun to his teammate to commit murder. Not exactly a resounding endorsement.

And yes, people act like they love the "madness," but time and again the tournament proves to be an inverted pyramid of excitement. The "madness" is generally for all the wrong reasons. It is not because a team played at a high level. It is often because a 19 year old kid is thrown into a weird gym at 11:05 a.m., gets in foul trouble, and the opposing team has some random kid make seven threes. Cinderella is cute, but we want the power players.

23 minutes ago, bugatti said:

And yes, people act like they love the "madness," but time and again the tournament proves to be an inverted pyramid of excitement. The "madness" is generally for all the wrong reasons. It is not because a team played at a high level. It is often because a 19 year old kid is thrown into a weird gym at 11:05 a.m., gets in foul trouble, and the opposing team has some random kid make seven threes. Cinderella is cute, but we want the power players.

That and it is a reason to start drinking/taking off work on a Thursday at 11am.

I also agree with inverted excitement, by the time Monday night at nearly 10pm comes the madness/excitement has worn off.

The first Thursday and Friday are always the draw for me.   I can just chill and watch basketball, non stop, for 15 hours.  That's the fun part.  The finals are always hit and miss.   I didn't watch last night, so I can't comment on that game but I have seen great games like the 2016 UNC/Villanova contest and I've seen some brick laying contests like the 2011 UCONN/Butler matchup.  Channel flipping the first weekend is the draw.

21 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

The first Thursday and Friday are always the draw for me.   I can just chill and watch basketball, non stop, for 15 hours.  That's the fun part.  The finals are always hit and miss.   I didn't watch last night, so I can't comment on that game but I have seen great games like the 2016 UNC/Villanova contest and I've seen some brick laying contests like the 2011 UCONN/Butler matchup.  Channel flipping the first weekend is the draw.

Agree on all of this.

On 4/4/2023 at 11:44 AM, 4 Quarters said:

This is what happens when you have the NIL money and the portal.  This was the changing of the so called traditional Final Four, better get use to it.

I have seen some people say this. People are acting like this is the first time we seen  mid majors make the final four or something. However, Cinderella/mid major teams making final four runs started happening over these last 15 years or so even before the transfer portal and NIL. We saw teams like Butler, George Mason, VCU, Wofford, etc all were teams to make final four runs over the last 15 years or so and that was even before the transfer portal and NIL. Then we have even seen Loyola Chicago make it, and they didn’t make it because of a transfer portal, NIL. Then same last year Saint Peters didn’t make it because that type of stuff. 
 

Now this is the first year we seen two mid major type teams make it at the same time. However, I still think that’s going to be very rare when that happens. 

On 4/4/2023 at 12:46 PM, theguru said:

That and it is a reason to start drinking/taking off work on a Thursday at 11am.

I feel seen!

2 hours ago, futurecoach said:

I have seen some people say this. People are acting like this is the first time we seen  mid majors make the final four or something. However, Cinderella/mid major teams making final four runs started happening over these last 15 years or so even before the transfer portal and NIL. We saw teams like Butler, George Mason, VCU, Wofford, etc all were teams to make final four runs over the last 15 years or so and that was even before the transfer portal and NIL. Then we have even seen Loyola Chicago make it, and they didn’t make it because of a transfer portal, NIL. Then same last year Saint Peters didn’t make it because that type of stuff. 
 

Now this is the first year we seen two mid major type teams make it at the same time. However, I still think that’s going to be very rare when that happens. 

Wofford? They lost to UK in the second round a few years back, but pretty sure that is the extent of their NCAA tournament success. I hear your point, though. Maybe you're thinking Wichita State.

5 hours ago, futurecoach said:

I have seen some people say this. People are acting like this is the first time we seen  mid majors make the final four or something. However, Cinderella/mid major teams making final four runs started happening over these last 15 years or so even before the transfer portal and NIL. We saw teams like Butler, George Mason, VCU, Wofford, etc all were teams to make final four runs over the last 15 years or so and that was even before the transfer portal and NIL. Then we have even seen Loyola Chicago make it, and they didn’t make it because of a transfer portal, NIL. Then same last year Saint Peters didn’t make it because that type of stuff. 
 

Now this is the first year we seen two mid major type teams make it at the same time. However, I still think that’s going to be very rare when that happens. 

SDSU has had a respectable team for several years.  FAU won more games this year than any other college team.  Their conference, Conference USA was well represented this year with FAU in the Final Four, N.Texas beating UAB for the NIT Championship and Charlotte winning the CBI.  Not a bad resume.  Did these teams get a boost from the portal and NIL money, my guess is most certainly.  Further more, Kansas St. was picked to finish last in the Big 12, ended up an Elite Eight team, thanks to the portal.  No way Miami makes it to the Championship game without the portal and NIL money

On 4/4/2023 at 11:47 AM, sportsfan41 said:

I've never been a big fan of National Championship college football and basketball being on a Monday.  It's just hard for me to justify starting me week sleep deprived.  I know they typically start them late because of the west coast, but it's unrealistic, to expect people on the east coast to stay up until midnight watching a game.

I DVR'd the game, watched the first half and then went to bed.  If the second half was amazing, I'd watch it at some point today, it wasn't.

Particularly odd to start that late when there are very few teams from that time zone that have played for a title in the last couple of decades.  

4 hours ago, 4 Quarters said:

SDSU has had a respectable team for several years.  FAU won more games this year than any other college team.  Their conference, Conference USA was well represented this year with FAU in the Final Four, N.Texas beating UAB for the NIT Championship and Charlotte winning the CBI.  Not a bad resume.  Did these teams get a boost from the portal and NIL money, my guess is most certainly.  Further more, Kansas St. was picked to finish last in the Big 12, ended up an Elite Eight team, thanks to the portal.  No way Miami makes it to the Championship game without the portal and NIL money

Most people could care less what happened in the NIT or what conferences was represented in the NIT. Now for the big dance Kansas State and Miami were high seeds, so wasn’t surprising seeing them go on runs. Which them making runs weren’t going to hurt rankings. Seeing two teams who aren’t even in what are considered big conferences and probably considered more Cinderella like even with their seeds is FAU and San Diego State making it. Which as I stated we have seen teams like that start making final fours over these last 15 years before this NIL and transfer portal started. 
 

Point is I don’t think NIL or the transfer portal is the reason why we have seen more smaller type schools start to make final four runs. This was starting to become a thing before NIL and the portal.