dick and jay

The jawing on the selection show last night between dick vitale and jay bilas was interesting and revealing. The two, for those who did not see it, were arguing-less than amicably--about whether St. Mary's or Arizona should have been selected to play in the tournament. Neither of these broadcasters have a vested interest in which team gets to go, yet the force of their arguments would make one think so. Their particular conversation reached a greater audience because of the espn platform, but throughout the country among basketball enthusiasts similar debates took place albeit with fewer observers. More people argued over St. Mary's last night than about foreign policy. The NCAA tournament has a pervasive effect on discourse, advertisements, and business. A cable company has sent out an ad urging me to "catch hd madness". In Sunday's circulars, Best Buy presented an ad that looks like a bracket urging readers to buy a gizmo that will allow them to "connect to the madness."