Posters' Poll

[Flying Dutch Fan]

So I gotta believe that the majority of true DIII fans are major supporters of George Mason at this point.  Sure, they have scholarship players and all, but in the eyes of the the big DI shcools, they're a little nothing school (like the way they see DIII).  Any thoughts?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Well, at 35,000 students, they are the largest public university in Virginia.  So they really just stink at sports, but yes, you would have to be nuts not rooting for an LSU-GMU final.

[Knightstalker]

They may be the largest but they are also mainly a commuter school, at least from what I have heard anyway.  I like seeing UCLA in the final four though.  It brings back childhood memories.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Especially if Coach Wooden makes the trip to Indianapolis.  He was at the regional with Bill Walton for the Gonzaga game.

[Gregory Sager]

They may be the largest but they are also mainly a commuter school, at least from what I have heard anyway.

Exactly -- and most commuter schools, no matter how large, don't tend to excel in sports. Nor do they tend to draw well; I haven't looked at the GMU website, but I read somewhere online that the Patriots only draw between 4,000-5,000 fans per game.

Especially if Coach Wooden makes the trip to Indianapolis.  He was at the regional with Bill Walton for the Gonzaga game.

The biggest downside to UCLA making the Final Four is that it means more opportunities for the media to stick microphones in front of Bill Walton.

[Greek Tragedy]

The biggest downside to UCLA making the Final Four is that it means more opportunities for the media to stick microphones in front of Bill Walton.

Couldn't agree with you more.  He, Vitale and Madden couldn't annoy me more.

[John Gleich]

The biggest downside to UCLA making the Final Four is that it means more opportunities for the media to stick microphones in front of Bill Walton.

You mean you don't like hearing quotes like "That's the worst shot in franchise history" and "That's the worst pass in the history of Western Civilization..."

My only question is this... when did Bill Walton become an expert historian?  And what on earth does this have to do with basketball?

[Gregory Sager]

My thing about Walton -- and I freely admit that this is strictly a visceral reaction on my part -- is that he has always struck me as someone who is profoundly in love with the sound of his own voice.

[John Gleich]

My thing about Walton -- and I freely admit that this is strictly a visceral reaction on my part -- is that he has always struck me as someone who is profoundly in love with the sound of his own voice.

That sounds about right... this tends to be the case with many (all?) of the self-proclaimed "expert" announcers... 

[Knightstalker]

Walton is ok when he actually talks basketball and leaves the opinion out of it.  He also does tell some funny Wooden stories at times.  Of course the UCLA teams that he played on are maybe the best college basketball team I have ever seen.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Bill Walton is by far my favorite basketball color man, although the team of Rafftery and Verne Lundquist this March has been awesome.  Do you think there's any chance they do the final four?

I guess I am the wierd one on Walton though, because I hate Dick Vitale; I even told him so on night at the Carrier Dome after Syracuse beat UCONN.  Walton is just fun to listen to.  He's nuts and he once let Jerry Garcia live naked in a teepee behind his house.  I love the hyperbole and the anti-establishment bent.  We need more Walton!!

I don't care that he never talks about the game; I know basketball, I don't need some windbag talking about the game.  I'm watching the game.  I want to be entertained while I'm doing it.  It's the same reason that Dennis Miller was the best voice for MNF during my lifetime.

One of the networks is airing an NBA game without any announcers this season to test it out.  To me that's better than what we have now, but even better than that would be a color guy (to throw a few stats in here or there) and a comedian making fun of the crowd, coaches and players a la Mystery Science Theatre 3000.  That's the way to watch a basketball game (if you can't be there in person, anyway).

[Ralph Turner]

Bill Walton is by far my favorite basketball color man, although the team of Rafftery and Verne Lundquist this March has been awesome.  Do you think there's any chance they do the final four?

Verne Lundquist -- Texas Lutheran grad!  Another D3 prodigy! D3 was not created for another decade after his graduation, but institutions which have moved to the D3 model pull their famous alums with them!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Verne Lundquist is a national treasure.  When I ran across the figure skating coverage at the olympics this year, I was wondering how I ever thought it was bearable, but then I remembered that CBS used to do the Winter Games and Verne did the figure skating.  He can make anything bearable.  I didn't get any of his first round games in the tourney this year and was worried he had retired.

I really like the pairing with Raftery; they are very, very enjoyable.

[Ralph Turner]

As opposed to many national-level broadcasters, any sporting event that is being broadcasted by Verne Lundquist can be summed up this way.

"It is about the _____________ (insert the event).  It is not about Verne!"

I think that I enjoy Verne doing the Masters most.

Just once, I would like for Verne to do the Stagg Bowl.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

"It is about the _____________ (insert the event).  It is not about Verne!"

Here, here, Ralph.