*I’m starting to have serious doubts about that title. But I really wanted to use the “Dr. Strangelove” subtitle, and I can’t think of anything else that fits for the actual title. Crucify me if you must.
For a long time, I mocked college basketball. To be honest, I mocked all of college sports. It was easy. You could see that it was obviously inferior to the pro game, be it basketball, football, or baseball (I didn’t actually watch college, or pro, baseball, I’m just assuming this). And in the case of college football, I still do mock them, although this has more to do with the BCS, which is another article altogether. But I learned something about college basketball last year. I still do believe it’s inferior to the pro game. But I’ve learned not to judge it so harshly.
The fact that college basketball is, at it’s core, a lesser offering then the NBA should be obvious. It has to be. Only the best of the best college basketball players actually manage to make it to the NBA, where they’re blessed with teams that have more money and resources at their disposal, solely to train these players, and the players themselves have more time to train and mature into their bodies. So it’s nothing to be ashamed of, NCAA. It’s just a fact of life. No big deal.
Notice I said that college basketball was inferior at it’s core. The reasoning for that wording is, college basketball isn’t meant to be taken as is. There’s a certain beauty to watching two .500 teams battle it out in mid-February with, in all honesty, nothing on the line. You’ve still got amazing athletes making amazing plays with regularity. The NCAA’s focus is elsewhere. It’s true, every once in a while, you’ll see athletic plays on par with the NBA, but on the whole, college basketball is theater framed as sport. A lot of it is by design. By making their postseason in a one-and-done format, college basketball officials are embracing the theatricality of their sport. If they truly cared about making sure the best team won the trophy at the end of the year, they would play series, be they best of 3 or best of 7. But they don’t. Why? Because the essence of college basketball is the upset. That is the magical word that defines March Madness for the casual fan. That is what the NCAA has embraced by making a one-and-done postseason tournament. That is why college basketball is theater, not sport. And that’s why I love it, despite myself.
For a long time, I mocked college basketball. To be honest, I mocked all of college sports. It was easy. You could see that it was obviously inferior to the pro game, be it basketball, football, or baseball (I didn’t actually watch college, or pro, baseball, I’m just assuming this). And in the case of college football, I still do mock them, although this has more to do with the BCS, which is another article altogether. But I learned something about college basketball last year. I still do believe it’s inferior to the pro game. But I’ve learned not to judge it so harshly.
The fact that college basketball is, at it’s core, a lesser offering then the NBA should be obvious. It has to be. Only the best of the best college basketball players actually manage to make it to the NBA, where they’re blessed with teams that have more money and resources at their disposal, solely to train these players, and the players themselves have more time to train and mature into their bodies. So it’s nothing to be ashamed of, NCAA. It’s just a fact of life. No big deal.
Notice I said that college basketball was inferior at it’s core. The reasoning for that wording is, college basketball isn’t meant to be taken as is. There’s a certain beauty to watching two .500 teams battle it out in mid-February with, in all honesty, nothing on the line. You’ve still got amazing athletes making amazing plays with regularity. The NCAA’s focus is elsewhere. It’s true, every once in a while, you’ll see athletic plays on par with the NBA, but on the whole, college basketball is theater framed as sport. A lot of it is by design. By making their postseason in a one-and-done format, college basketball officials are embracing the theatricality of their sport. If they truly cared about making sure the best team won the trophy at the end of the year, they would play series, be they best of 3 or best of 7. But they don’t. Why? Because the essence of college basketball is the upset. That is the magical word that defines March Madness for the casual fan. That is what the NCAA has embraced by making a one-and-done postseason tournament. That is why college basketball is theater, not sport. And that’s why I love it, despite myself.
It certainly was fun to watch but as someone who loves basketball more than drama, I am always disappointed with teams shooting 3s for the win with 25 seconds left in the game.
ReplyDeleteCant wait for the NBA Playoffs though!