Realizations

No Sympathy For the Little Guy

I have often had a problem with inferior people, places and things who think it is their right to be treated equally. Before I get loads of hate mail, I would like to clarify. Women should be given equal wages to men, they should have the right to vote, and every person should be treated equally as a human being. What I mean by my opening statement is purely in the context of competition. Please do not tell me that Candace Parker could make an NBA roster, I don’t want to hear it. Kurt Rambis would have his way with her in a game of one-on-one. Michelle Wie should not be commended for playing PGA Tour events, she should try to win an LPGA event first.

This same pet peeve of mine is never more evident than in the Monday after the brackets are announced for the Men’s NCAA Tournament. Every single year we have to listen to Dick Vitale “represent the little guy” and cry as to why they got jobbed into not getting a chance to get demolished in the first round. This year is no different.

Contrary to my hip-hop nature, I am of the nonviolent sort. I prefer snooty comebacks and laughs to any sort of physical confrontation. However, last night, it took everything I had to not hurl the closest object within my reach at my television. My cat Sam is extremely thankful I was able to hold back.

It was Dicky V’s opinion that Saint Mary’s deserved a spot in this year’s tournament, instead of the Arizona Wildcats. His argument was based on the fact that unlike their big conference opponents, Saint Mary’s did not have the opportunity to play the big name schools in order to get those ever precious “key wins”. He also highlighted their road wins against Kent State and San Diego State, along with their biggest win of the year… a home victory against Providence. Really? Does Marquette get to say the same thing? Does Louisville get to list Providence as a key victory? It’s a joke. You cannot change the standard and give these smaller schools a helping hand.

Gonzaga, a team in the same conference, went out and played teams like Maryland, Oklahoma State, Tennessee and Connecticut in their non-conference schedule. And your big win is against Providence? You also play in a conference where, if you take out Gonzaga, the rest of the teams went a combined 1-18 vs. teams in the RPI top 50.

But, I have nothing personal against Saint Mary’s. If Patty Mills stays healthy, they are an easy selection to make the tournament, but he didn’t. No, my problem is this notion that we must give the little guys a chance. They do get a chance, just like everyone else. If Saint Mary’s were worthy of a tournament selection then they would not have dropped games against UTEP, Portland and Santa Clara. Meanwhile, the team that has evidentially replaced them with controversy, Arizona, has wins against Gonzaga (who beat Saint Mary’s three times), at Kansas, Washington, USC and UCLA.

I would much rather see a team like Arizona who has been battle tested against very good teams, than a team like Saint Mary’s who hasn’t played anyone. Yes, they can go out and schedule the big boy schools. They instead choose to play Kent State. If you play against lesser competition, you do not earn the right to get the benefit of the doubt.

There will be plenty of upsets, hoops fans. Do not worry your pretty little heads. But it is the job of the tournament selection committee to include the best 34 teams after the automatic bids. If you put Arizona and Saint Mary’s on a neutral floor… well… let’s just say Saint Mary’s would look more like Candace Parker than Kurt Rambis.