Up Your Nose With...

Let me preempt the following with this: I am not a conspiracy theorist. Not at all.

I don't go around looking for strange coincidences and patterns that lead me to the conclusion that "the fix is in". Or that, for instance "somebody is out to get me." Or, if you prefer, that "this is all the work of a vast, complex, shadowy organization, (read: NCAA) that just absolutely has it in for my alma mater's basketball program."

That's not me.

I like my explanations simple. Maybe that's all my brain can handle. I don't know.

So when the brackets came out last night, I wasn't ripping off my shirt, screaming through the house, raving, and ticked off. Not worth it.

Kentucky got a #4 seed.

That sucks.

They deserved better.

UK beat Florida yesterday like they were Charlie Sheen on a ....Charlie Sheen on a....never mind. The Cats just, well, they looked awesome. They seriously did. And that's two wins over Florida, plus a win over Notre Dame, plus Louisville at Louisville, plus oh my gosh I'm not going to go through the entire resume right here in this spot since you probably know it by heart anyway.

But the fact is, Kentucky got HOSED by the selection committee.

Cause if you're seriously evaluating the last 10 games, like the committee says they do, and looking at RPI, like they also say they do, and strength of schedule, and wins over the top 50' and jeez, pick whatever criteria you want to look at-- then I just can't believe that there are 15 teams in the country playing better than the Commonwealth's team right now.

If anything, I think these jokers in Indy have demonstrated themselves to be clueless. Did you see that CBS interview? Did you hear the contorted logic? Does anybody really even understand the black magic juju that goes into making these brackets every year?

My gosh, it's like me trying to pick a thoroughbred at Keeneland back in the day. I figure a few of these dudes are playing rock-paper-scissors as a tie-breaker. "Sorry, Coach Cal, I went scissors, so you're stuck with a 4. My bad".

However, having said all that, and while it makes me upset that UK got slotted where they did, and they may face big, bad Ohio State in the Sweet 16....well, I say bring it on. Because first-round mismatches aside, there aren't any truly easy games in the Big Dance.

Heck, the Cats should be so lucky to be able to see the Buckeyes at all. At least that would mean that our grown-up freshmen survived that wacky, upset-riddled first weekend. I just don't want to take anything for granted in March. All of those victories are special.

Who's to say that Ohio State is going to be there anyway? They're pretty young too. They don't have a huge bench. What's Thad Matta really ever won? (I'm talking you into it aren't I?!)

So no, I don't think there's any conspiracy afoot. There were several other strange seedings, omissions, and downright funky explanations of the committee's decision-making being discussed all over the sports world today. But one of the other things you often hear as the fun begins this week, is that you've got to win 6 games to get yourself a title, and you're probably going to have to beat some good ones along the way.

Beat the best to be the best, right?

Let's start by kicking some Ivy League, hm?