I discovered the other day, to my surprise and by the purest of accidents, the National Invitation Tournament (the very venerable NIT), is still going on. I don't mean as in 'still playing for this season.' I mean as in they're still holding this tournament every year. What I'm not told is why.
Nothing smells quite like money and college sports, witness all the irregularities regardless of the sport, makes money for the colleges, for the conferences in which they all maneuver to be. The almighty dollar and its pursuit (in football revenues) is what almost destroyed the Big East, a marvelous basketball conference, and the sponsors and TV networks who unload this stuff on our TV's, computers, smart phones, dumb phones, hydrophones and saxophones (or would if they could) eat it with a spoon, but no pussycat.
The only people who don't make any money in or from college sports are the kids who are exploited by the suits who run the sports and the kids don't mind because they're all turning pro right after the season (except the ones who don't, which is the vast majority of them but they don't get that until it's way too late to change course). If dollars were cologne, olfactories everywhere would riot and revolt.
When I was a kid our Dad used to organize trips to Madison Square Garden to watch the NIT-at the time the premier post season men's basketball tournament. All the games were played in The Garden and we used to sit in the cheap seats that were so high I remember (but not how old I was) watching a game between the University of Dayton (the Flyers, I think, was their nickname) and the University of Wyoming (I'm assuming) Cowboys and we had a whole new definition for nosebleed seats.
How high were they? Glad you asked. So high that watching the action, you saw the point guard dribble the ball, and watched it touch the floor and return to his hand, before you heard the bounce of the ball on the court. Talk about the speed of light versus the speed of sound. Mr Physics! Pick up the white courtesy phone in the lobby. It was the first of like four games that afternoon/evening-remember all the games were played in the Cathedral of Basketball. And the games were sold out.
Now with 286 teams having reserved slots in the NC Double A tourney, or at least it feels like it, and all the at-large contenders decided by rock, paper, scissors, I have no idea who's left to play in the NIT except this year folks like Drexel, who felt they were going elsewhere and UMass who were positive they were. Like a walk through a prison exercise yard, none of the guys in shorts playing in this year's NIT feel they should have to be there-and perhaps they're right. Or Seton Hall (bad joke).
Could it be time to do away with the NIT? As long as the sponsor dollars cover the cost of TV rights and the TV rights help college athletic department bottom lines, concerns like 'is it in the best interests of the game?' will continue to be nothing more than a guffaw precipitant.
Hey, maybe we can expand the tourney and invite some junior colleges as well. After all, eventually high school players are going to be on trading cards. And we can all sing the praises of the free market, whatever that is, or maybe just sing.
-bill kenny
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