Rob Long: Everybody Likes Cinderellas Until They Play One Another
You know the drill. When you look at the NCAA Men's Tournament bracket, you're always looking for this year's Cinderella. Often, you're blessed with more than one mid-major team that comes from nowhere to the Sweet 16 and beyond.
The only problem with the "Cinderella" stories is when they play one another. That often makes for a boring match-up. For instance, how much were you anticipating the great South Florida/Ohio match-up? BORING... That is if you're not a college basketball nut. That match-up takes away from the sports bar crowd who only watches this time of the year.
Hey, the Lehigh/Xavier game was the one that all who filled out an office bracket for was waiting for. Everyone saw that coming. Parity at it's finest.
The worse is when a team like the Florida Gators takes on the 15th seed Norfolk State team and blows them out. You're sitting there thinking, "Yeah, Missouri would have been a MUCH better game than this."
While the David slaying Goliath story is great, it doesn't always make for a good match-up down the stretch. So here's to Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and Syracuse. Not that we don't love the small schools, it's just that your really don't know what to expect.
Rob Long
