Liked it... liked it alot. This is the greatest sporting event in America precisely because of what Doyel describes. What other has seared in our brains more genuine David vs. Goliath memories?
couldn't agree more. thats why games are played on the court and not on paper. at this point of the tourney, any team could beat any other team on any given night. sure, some teams would probably win in a 7 game series; but all it takes is 1 game... everyone has to bring their best to the table for 40 min.
True. For Georgetown, it doesn't make sense, Gregg is absolutely right. Davidson should not have been able to win. Georgetown was playing fairly well, had a dominant player in the post who looked like he wanted a ring and was putting a lot of its potential to good use.
But for Mason-UConn, that game was nowhere near the surprise that it appeared to be on the surface. When you consider that Connecticut should have already lost at least two and probably all three times prior to facing Mason, it wasn't a big upset. I remember thinking a few things before that game.
1. UConn has to be the worst #1 seed to reach the Elite Eight in the history of this tournament, and considering the Huskies have lucked out three times to even get here, possibly the worst #1 seed in the history of the tournament, period.
2. If you look at how these teams are playing in this tournament, not only is it possible, but Mason will probably beat Connecticut.
3. If Connecticut didn't have unbelievable luck going for it, I'd be willing to bet $50-100 that Mason is going to win this game, seeing as how the Huskies have absolutely no right to be here. (Actually, a team called the Huskies did have the right to be there, but that was Washington, who was already out.)
That was the classic example of talent not working hard. Connecticut was probably the most talented team in the field, but the Huskies just didn't care. When you get outplayed in succession by Albany, Kentucky, Washington and George Mason and you have plenty more talent, that's a classic example of a team that doesn't want to work at all. That's why Mason won that game, and why it was not as big an upset as you would think.
you got a short memory there - making it seem like no other sport has huge postseason upsets.
What about last year's Warriors and the Rockies and the NY Giants????
The Giants, I will give you. The Rockies were a great story, but not a big upset, the NL was incredibly wide open.
The Warriors were an upset in name only. Golden State swept Dallas in the regular season, and had proven itself to be a solid team. That series also flunked a litmus test of an upset. Entering the playoffs last year, I was a casual observer with no NBA team and not much reason to follow the league. Yet, when the matchups came out, I told anyone talking NBA that it was a lock, that Dallas had no chance to beat Golden State. When a casual observer calls an "upset" as a lock, it is no upset.
Agreed, pretty decent article by Doyel overall. This is why I take no more than 5 minutes to fill in my bracket...
Chances are we've all picked some of the upsets right, and also failed to pick some of them. In my case, I picked Siena, had Davidson winning 2, and have WV winning another one yet. The teams that made me look "intellectually challenged" on the other hand are uhhum, Clemson, St Joes & W Kentucky. And I didn't pick 'em, but would have loved to see Belmont pull that one out! March is Madness.
" When a casual observer calls an "upset" as a lock, it is no upset."
A casual observer would not predict an #8 over a #1 seed using any logic. That's why he is considered a casual observer.
you are no casual observer....more of a nutcase. Stick to sports you know.
