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Michael Wilbon goes nuts on the BCS bias

BradleyBrave said:
Listen, there are years the mid-major drum should be beaten loudly. This year really isn't that year. Which, to me, is why I am so pissed off. The committee could have easily let in Creighton and I doubt heard one complaint from Arizona, Michigan, the Pac-10 or the Big 10. They certainly wouldn't have heard complaints from CBS or ESPN, who all had Creighton in easily and without much debate - which is why it makes this all the more infuriating.
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While I agree that Creighton could have easily been put in the field, here's what CBS had to say leading up to the selections...

Creighton (26-7, 14-4 Missouri Valley)
ProsAn RPI hovering around the top 40. Nine victories vs. teams in the RPI top 100. A 10-4 mark in road/neutral games. Won 11 of their final 12 games. Wins of note: vs. Dayton, vs. New Mexico.ConsAn SOS in the triple-digits. Seventeen wins vs. teams outside the RPI top 100. Three losses to teams outside the RPI top 100, including two against teams outside the RPI top 150. OutlookIf Creighton was hoping for an at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament, it left a horrible final impression. The Bluejays, who carried a 10-game win streak into the MVC tournament, narrowly avoided a huge upset at the hands of Wichita State in the quarterfinals before being blown out by Illinois State in the semifinals. There isn't much meat to their resum?© that makes them stand out aside from their overall record.

and ESPN had this to say....

Creighton [26-7 (14-4), RPI: 40, SOS: 111] The Bluejays might have lost their at-large bid when Cleveland State won the Horizon League tournament, USC won the Pac-10 and Temple won the Atlantic 10. Creighton was routed 73-49 by Illinois State in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, not the kind of impression you want to leave in March. But Creighton still has a pretty good argument for an at-large bid, with victories over RPI top-50 opponents Dayton and Illinois State. The Bluejays also have victories over New Mexico (home) and MVC champion Northern Iowa (road). They're 2-2 against RPI top-50 foes and 9-5 against the top 100. They'll also get help from their more-than-respectable 8-4 record in road games and 11-1 finish.

Both of those sites had Creighton clearly on the bubble alongside Arizona, Maryland, St. Mary's, and San Diego State. Neither had Creighton in easily.

Creighton was also dropped out of the field at Rivals and USA Today before the selections.
 
shaunguth said:
While I agree that Creighton could have easily been put in the field, here's what CBS had to say leading up to the selections...

Creighton (26-7, 14-4 Missouri Valley)
ProsAn RPI hovering around the top 40. Nine victories vs. teams in the RPI top 100. A 10-4 mark in road/neutral games. Won 11 of their final 12 games. Wins of note: vs. Dayton, vs. New Mexico.ConsAn SOS in the triple-digits. Seventeen wins vs. teams outside the RPI top 100. Three losses to teams outside the RPI top 100, including two against teams outside the RPI top 150. OutlookIf Creighton was hoping for an at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament, it left a horrible final impression. The Bluejays, who carried a 10-game win streak into the MVC tournament, narrowly avoided a huge upset at the hands of Wichita State in the quarterfinals before being blown out by Illinois State in the semifinals. There isn't much meat to their resum?© that makes them stand out aside from their overall record.

and ESPN had this to say....

Creighton [26-7 (14-4), RPI: 40, SOS: 111] The Bluejays might have lost their at-large bid when Cleveland State won the Horizon League tournament, USC won the Pac-10 and Temple won the Atlantic 10. Creighton was routed 73-49 by Illinois State in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, not the kind of impression you want to leave in March. But Creighton still has a pretty good argument for an at-large bid, with victories over RPI top-50 opponents Dayton and Illinois State. The Bluejays also have victories over New Mexico (home) and MVC champion Northern Iowa (road). They're 2-2 against RPI top-50 foes and 9-5 against the top 100. They'll also get help from their more-than-respectable 8-4 record in road games and 11-1 finish.

Both of those sites had Creighton clearly on the bubble alongside Arizona, Maryland, St. Mary's, and San Diego State. Neither had Creighton in easily.

Creighton was also dropped out of the field at Rivals and USA Today before the selections.
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Good stuff. Like I said, my beef was more of who got in instead of them rather than them not getting in. This wasn't a strong year for mids or for the MVC, there's no doubt. But if it's truly about teams not leagues, Arizona and Michigan should be nowhere near the tournament. They are both bad no matter how you slice it.
 
Lakeview Brave said:
My brother is taking a course in law school on the NCAA, his teacher is a lawyer who worked for the NCAA for 15 years. I asked my brother to find out the feasablity of a lawsuit against the NCAA and he said its not winnable as long as the NAIA is in existance. The NAIA offers schools an alternative to being memebers of the NCAA which is the saftey against an anti trust lawsuit.
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If anti-trust isn't the way, what about collusion by the BCS conferences to keep non-BCS teams out of the tournament and away from their pot of money? Utah is beating that drum right now, which I think could pave the way for more similar suits against the evil empire (not the Yankees). Obviously the NCAA has been challenged and either settled for a large sum out of court (purchasing the NIT), or backed off (North Dakota Fighting Sioux), so it is possible to take them to task.
 
It was one of our posters who organized it last year. We haven't had anyone willing to do it this year. We would be willing to put up some prizes if someone wants to be in charge of such a contest.
 
During the Morehead St/Alabama St game, Brent Musberger just said this -

"Isn't this what the NCAA Tournament is all about? The little guy getting a chance."

No wonder CBS fired him. ;)
 
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