Motor City Madness

The semifinals and championship game are taking place in Motown this year. Another tournament finale on a football field (Ford Field), where half of the spectators can barely see the court. If I was paying several hundred dollars to watch college basketball, I would like to be able to read the numbers on the players' jerseys, or at least be able to discern a point guard from a center.

This is not a concern for the NCAA. The standard business procedure is to find the biggest stadium in a major metropolitan area, and pack it as full as possible. Lemme see, cotton candy will be $6, and if you're lucky, you might see Jon Kitna or Mateen Cleeves in the crowd. The voice of CBS commentator Jim Nance over the loudspeakers (which can be heard from your home television) is worth half the price of admission. And don't forget about the cost of confetti these days. Shredded paper is at a premium - almost equal to gold. Excuse me if I ignore the bottom line for one second, but I would like to see the Final Four, a BASKETBALL tournament, played in a BASKETBALL arena. Fans should not have to bring binoculars in order to read the scoreboard or watch a Christian Laettner highlight at halftime.

I'm sorry. I really truly love March Madness. Maybe this is just rage carried over from the college football season, where the BCS system is flawed, but impervious to change. I just have to question how college athletics differs from professional sports (besides player endorsements and availability of beer at venues).
Let me start over. I just have to remind myself that 64 teams in a single-elimination playoff format is about as good as it gets.

"Oh My God, the Final Four is in Detroit this year!
The Detroit Lions sure have a fantastic home - an atmosphere that must inspire a spirit of winning in its players. Even if I wasn't in town for the Final Four, there's plenty to do in Wayne County! First, a trip to the decaying automotive plants. Then maybe a peek at the Diego Rivera mural at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Did I mention cars? Miles and miles of cars? Can't leave without a visit to the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, to see how the LeBaron has evolved over the years. Or why not take my tax refund check to the Detroit MGM Grand, and feed tokens into the 'Big Bass Bucks' machine? Last but not least, I could drive by the childhood home of Kid Rock or see where '8 Mile' was filmed.
Man, Motown's got it all!
If I don't get a chance to see it the Final Four this time, I'll definitely see it next year in Indianapolis or the following year in Houston! Two world class cities in their own right!"

Did that sound genuine?
Okay, I live in Tacoma. Maybe I should lay off Detroit a little.