The NCAA men's basketball tournament is now history, fortunately. There were no buzzer beaters or cinderellas during Final Four weekend. There were tough hardcourt battles, as the refs did let them play again. Sportstalk radio hosts were confounded by Rick Pitino's absence from the Hall of Fame: how amusing! True, Pitino is a great basketball coach and a decent recruiter on the college level (proven once again last weekend), but his rocky experiences in the NBA and the fact he's a horrible human being do work against him.
Not surprisingly, Kentucky's superior talent crushed Louisville and Kansas. Surprisingly, the less-talented Jayhawks of Kansas inched by Ohio State in the other semi, 64-62. How big of an upset was it? The officiating crew and the network were pulling for the Buckeyes. How do I know this? Kansas may be basketball royalty, but the school doesn't pull the same numbers as the massive Ohio State fan base. Also, Clark Kellogg, CBS Final Four game analyst, is not only a highly-decorated former Buckeye, but he sits on the school's board of trustees! Although a Houston alum, polished pro broadcaster Jim Nantz resides in Connecticut, loves his TV partner Kellogg, and loves golf. Jack Nicklaus is from Ohio State. Need I say more? The network's third man in the booth, Steve Kerr, provided the broadcast's only balance.
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