March Sadness

It's March and time for college "March Madness".  (that phrase actually started as a description for Illinois high school basketball)  This year 68 teams recieved the honor of competing.  Some teams are automatic qualifiers others are invited.  Every year (except this year) I watch who gets to "go to the dance" and then get to hear which teams should have gotten in and who should not have.  The committee uses strength of schedule and rpi to deterimine this.  And this is where I have problem.

We get pre-season rankings and ranking during the season. But what are these rankings based on.  Who is to say who is better and who is best.  That can only be determined by playing the games.  This year we get a semi-final game of #8 Butler and #11 VCU( a team most said did not belong there.) Michigan State was preseason number 2 an lost in the first round.  So much for those rankings.

Major colleges won't play the so called  mid majors because if they win, well they are suppose to win but if they lose they could hurt there chances to dance.   And they need to dance because the schools they represent want more enrollment for more cash.

With corporations,  I know the stockholders get the profits.  But with colleges, who gets it.  It seems that the faculity's salaries continues to increase. (Chancellors, professors, coaches etc.)  I wish I knew what the percentage for salaries is as it relates to college cost.  Regardless,  all of this money earned through "March Madness" and the college football "BS", er I mean "BCS" is earmarked for the major universites.  The rich get richer.  Does it funnel into the scholastic arena?  I suppose some does.  You always see new buildings being erected.  Do those buildings make us smarter?

The point is GREED.  A topic I will cover A LOT!  The greed in this country sickens me and it just gets worse.  Look at pro sports and what NFL(No Football Left) have done with their greed.  I feel that the aforementioned faculty look to get richer in their bank accounts and not in their students academia.  A side note to that point:  The graduation rates of these student athletes should be important as well.  I mean, it is college and they should be learning something besides their sport.

The title of this blog is "March Sadness." Hooray for the little schools.  But the coaches for these teams are young and the big schools will come with their Brinks trucks filled and lure them away. The field is not level and probably never will be.  Big schools keep the little schools down.  Look at SIU-C.  They lost 2 coaches in consecutive years to Big Ten schools.  The rich get richer.

Greed greed greed makes March sad.  Maybe VCU or Butler can best the big schools for once.

This was what was on my mind today.  (and every other day)