AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > March > 29 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNothing better than Final Four Saturday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
The championship game has a trophy presentation and ‘One Shining Moment’ on the big screen, but Final Four Saturday has twice as many games, twice as many teams, 10 times the color and pageantry. And isn’t college sports all about color and pageantry?
The championship game offers finality, but Final Four Saturday offers possibility. How many times has the least likely team wound up winning on Saturday and then again come Monday night? (Think Villanova in 1985. Think Kansas in 1988. Think Arizona in 1997. Heck, think Syracuse in 2003.)
The championship game gets the big TV rating, but Final Four Saturday is the place to be. Two teams play, then another two. Will Bynum twists for the layup then beats Oklahoma State, and then Emeka Okafor snares the loose ball and makes the basket that sinks Duke. (I was sitting with some Georgia Tech staffers at the end of the UConn-Duke semifinal in 2004, and it was hard to know what part made them happier — that their team was going to the title game or that the Dookies weren’t.)
The championship game ends the season and crowns a titlist, but Final Four Saturday is why we keep coming back to this event with such anticipation. After all, CBS doesn’t hype ‘The Road to the Title Game’ all season; it’s ‘The Road To The Final Four.’ It’s why this event is different from — and better than — the Super Bowl and the World Series and the NBA Finals.
The championship game is one massive game, but Final Four Saturday is a big fat doubleheader. There aren’t many of those in sports anymore, not even in baseball, and double features at the movies died with drive-in theaters. (I know, I know. There’s this ‘Grindhouse’ twin bill coming up, but the hype it’s getting shows how novel the concept is in a squeeze-every-dollar marketplace.)
The championship game is a great event, but Final Four Saturday is a great day. It’s the best day in American sports. And this year it’s here.
Comments
By Keith
March 29, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this
The best day in American sports is, without a doubt, the first day of the NCAA tournament. From noon until after midnight, NCAA fans watch what are mostly great and exciting games, keep track of their brackets, and get excited about games that would otherwise mean nothing to them. The second best day is the second day of the tournament. The third best day is this Monday, and no, not because of the title game. It’s because of Opening Day.
By Ugaj
March 29, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
What a joke of a blog or whatever you want to call it. the best days of sporst is the fall when the southeastern conf plays football. the beautiful women in the south grace the largest stadiums in america, well most of them (stadiums) and the boys play ball. the ncaa tourney is fun but it will always play 2nd fiddle to the gridiron, good try though.
By Joshua Barlowe
March 29, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
I’d have to agree that anything associated with basketball being “the greatest day in American sports” is ridiculous. Football in the fall, opening day of baseball, the World Series, the Super Bowl, Sunday at the Masters all rank above the Final Four.
Sorry Mark, Basketball is way down the list.
By Luke
March 29, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
WORST.COLUMN.EVER.
1. Super Bowl Sunday 2. New Years Day (Bowl Games) which the BCS has ruined 3. October Baseball 4. March madness as a whole, not Final Four Saturday, these games are overhyped and the teams always play tight. The opening rounds is the best by far.By WhitePowerDawg
March 29, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this
THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR IS WHEN THE DAWGS OPEN UP THE SEASON AT SANFORD STADIUM BETWEEN THE HEDGES. BASKETBALL IS FOR NERDS LIKE THE TECHIES. WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF GOOOOOOO DAWGS! WHITE POWER!
By Mutthater
March 29, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this
WhitePowerDawg you just make me smile. You prove that all of the sterotypes placed on mutt fans are in fact 100% correct. Go back to your doublewide.
By Gordon
March 29, 2007 8:51 PM | Link to this
The best day of the year in sports is Masters Sunday. The most tension filled day in sports is Selection Sunday. The most peaceful and quiet day in sports is the Sunday after the first UGA gridiron loss.