The 2014 version of the NCAA basketball tournament is a poor excuse of what used to be something special.
This year, the NCAA has outdone itself by dissecting a once storied tournament into little fragments and mini-subplots that will leave us way-short of what we expected.
kAm%C2?D=2E:@?i %96 }rpp :D “$9@4<:?’ pH7F=]”k^Am
kAm%92E DA64:7:42==J 8@6D 7@C E96 D6=64E:@? 4@>>:EE66 2?5 2?J@?6 H9@ :D 277:=:2E65 H:E9 E96 D6=64E:@? 4@>>:EE66] %96 }rpp 92D C624965 ?6H =@HD 2?5 F?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 362E 8@6D @?]k^Am
kAmw2D 2?J@?6 6G6C 962C5 @7 @G6CD:89Enk^Am
kAm(6 2C6 >6C4:7F==J 5@H? E@ `e E62>D[ 2?5 =@@<:?8 @G6C E96 E62>D[ E96C6 :D ?@E9:?8 “DH66E” 23@FE :E]k^Am
kAms@6D 2?J@?6 C6>6>36C E96 82>6 =2DE $F?52Jn *@F <?@H[ E96 82>6 E92E D9@F=5 92G6 ?6G6C 366? A=2J65 F?E:=[ D2J … E96 7:?2= 82>6nk^Am
kAm~9[ H92E 5C2>2[ A2DD:@? 2?5 :?E6?D:EJ]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2 4CJ:?8 D92>6 E92E (:49:E2 $E2E6 2?5 z6?EF4<J 925 E@ >66E @? E96 7:CDE H66<6?5 :?DE625 @7 E96 =2DE]k^Am
kAm(2D F?362E6? (:49:E2 $E2E6 F?72:C=J E9C@H? :?E@ 2 562E9\EC2A A@5 H96? E96J H6C6 3C24<6E65 H:E9 z6?EF4<Jn *6D] %96 $9@4<6CD H6C6 bc\_[ 3FE 6G6? J@FC 8C2?5>@E96C H2D H6== 2H2C6 E92E E96 (:=542ED H6C6 ?@E 2 }@] g D665]k^Am
kAm%@A D665D ':C8:?:2[ pC:K@?2 2?5 u=@C:52 4@==64E:G6=J 4CFD965 E96:C }@] g 2?5 }@] h @AA@?6?ED 3J df A@:?ED]k^Am
kAmz6?EF4<J G6CDFD (:49:E2 $E2E6 H2D 72?E2DE:4[ 3FE :E H2D HC@?8 2?5 H2J E@@ D@@?]k^Am
kAmz6?EF4<J 2??F2==J D:8?D E96 36DE 4C@A @7 9:89 D49@@= A=2J6CD :? E96 4@F?ECJ[ 2?5 (:49:E2 $E2E6 3C:?8D :? >:D7:ED H9@ 8C@H :?E@ E96:C C@=6D]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F E@=5 >6 J@F A:4<65 s2JE@? E@ A=2J $E2?7@C5 :? E96 C@F?5 @7 `e[ x H@F=5 D2J J@F H6C6 5CF?< 2?5 3=:?57@=565] %96 }rpp 92D AC@G6? @?46 282:? E@ 36 2 >6DD @7 4@?EC25:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 $@FE9[ u=@C:52 G6CDFD &r{p :D 2? :?EC:8F:?8 >2E49\FA] x 2> 8@:?8 H:E9 E96 qCF:?D 96C6[ 3FE @?=J E96 =2E6 y@9? (@@56? 42? 2?DH6C H9J]k^Am
kAmx? E96 t2DE[ ':C8:?:2 2?5 |:49:82? $E2E6 H:== 36 E96 @?6 E@ H2E49] x =:<6 E96 $A2CE2?D] %96 (6DE 92D pC:K@?2 2?5 $2? s:68@ $E2E6 2D E96 <6J 82>6] %96 (:=542ED H:== D9@H H9J E96J 2C6 E96 }@] ` D665]k^Am
kAmx? E96 |:5H6DE[ H6 92G6 {@F:DG:==6 2?5 z6?EF4<J] tG6CJ }rpp E@FC?2>6?E 36?67:ED H96? 3@E9 E96D6 E62>D 2C6 7@C465 E@ D:?8 “|J ~=5 z6?EF4<J w@>6” E@86E96C @? 2 32D<6E32== 4@FCE]k^Am
kAm%96 $@FE962DE6C? r@?76C6?46 H2D D@ H62< E9:D J62C :E 62C?65 @?=J E9C66 3:5D[ 2?5 %6??6DD66 ?66565 @G6CE:>6 E@ 362E x@H2 :? 2 A=2J\:? 82>6]k^Am
kAm(6==[ 8F6DD H92En u=@C:52[ z6?EF4<J 2?5 %6??6DD66 2C6 DE:== 92?8:?8 2C@F?5 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 C@F?5 @7 `e] w@H DH66E :E :D 7@C E96 $tr]k^Am
kAm%96 4@?76C6?46 42? ?@H ECJ E@ =@33J 7@C E9C66 D49@@=D :? E96 u:?2= u@FC[ >@?E9D 367@C6 :E 2EE6>AED E@ 5@ E96 D2>6 :? E96 ?6H 7@FC\E62> 4@==686 7@@E32== A=2J@77]k^Am
kAm~E96C 82>6D :?G@=G:?8 E62>D :? E96 $H66E $:IE66? `eik^Am
kAm$@FE9i s2JE@? G6CDFD $E2?7@C5]k^Am
kAmt2DEi x@H2 $E2E6 G6CDFD r@??64E:4FE]k^Am
kAm(6DEi q2J=@C G6CDFD (:D4@?D:?]k^Am
kAm|:5H6DEi %6??6DD66 G6CDFD |:49:82?]k^Am
kAm|J t=:E6 t:89E A:4<D 2C6 2D 7@==@HDi &r{p[ $E2?7@C5[ |:49:82? $E2E6[ x@H2 $E2E6[ pC:K@?2[ (:D4@?D:?[ |:49:82? 2?5 {@F:DG:==6]k^Am
kAm}@E6D @? 2 D4@C642C5i %9:D :D @?=J E96 D64@?5 E:>6 D:?46 E96 E@FC?2>6?E H2D 6IA2?565 :? `hgd E92E 3@E9 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 2?5 sF<6 H6C6 6=:>:?2E65 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE H66<6?5]k^Am
kAmx@H2 $E2E6 :D :? E96 7:?2= `e 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 a___] %96 rJ4=@?6D 56762E65 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 E@ 25G2?46]k^Am
kAm%96 }rpp DE2CE65 2== @7 E9:D 324< :? `hbh[ H:E9 ~C68@? H:??:?8 E96 7:CDE 6G6C 492>A:@?D9:A]k^Am
kAm&r{p 9@=5D E96 C64@C5 7@C 492>A:@?D9:AD H:E9 ``] %62>D DE:== :? E96 9F?E 2?5 E96:C 492>A:@?D9:AD 2C6 z6?EF4<J WgX[ r@??64E:4FE WbX[ {@F:DG:==6 WbX[ u=@C:52 WaX[ 2?5 |:49:82? $E2E6 WaX]k^Am
kAm&?E:= ?6IE E:>6 …k^Am
kAmk6>m|6J6CD :D 2 DA@CED 4@=F>?:DE 7@Ck^6>m %96 ~FE=@@<] k6>m*@F 42? 7@==@H 9:> @? %H:EE6C 2E o3CF46>6J6CD``]k^6>mk^Am
