The Nation.



Descent into March Madness

By Robert Lipsyte

March 20, 2007

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  • What is he saying about UNLV?

    Why doesn't it matter if all athletes at UNLV major in the history of table tennis? Are they too stupid to be taught?

    Hey! I goed there for college!

    Rod
    Bickles

    Las Vegas, NV

    04/03/2007 @ 9:01pm


  • Great article. I was fascinated to learn about the Drake Group, an organization which is actually fighting the academic abuses by athletic departments.

    Yes, the system fails so-called "student" athletes, even the European-Americans. It is good to learn about it.

    It is appalling to note that young African-American males are far more likely to be in prison than college.

    But pop a brew and have some wings, enjoy the game. No racism here, thank you!

    Adam Burke

    Iowa City, IA

    03/23/2007 @ 3:36pm


  • As my first City Editor told me many times, "So the hell what?"

    Give me a (censored) break, Bob. Doesn't The Nation/et.al have better things to wring its hands about? Wait, what am I saying? I know the answer.

    The Upper West Side, Berkeley and Dupont Circle resent the fact that they have to pay attention to sports once in a while, so we're going to trot out the old Adolph Rupp quotes and hear about what a dark and seedy business it all is, and that there is deeply masked racism hiding inside every money-grubbing coach's heart?! Can we just hang up the white guilt for one @#$!@! month and just enjoy it?

    I'm not a sports fan by a long shot, but March Madness is still pound for pound the greatest event in contemporary athletics--take away the endorsements, the egos, the coaches, the deals and what do you have left?

    You get a month of nothing but 40 minutes at a time of the best basketball you will see all year, kids going hard or going home. Kids from places like Winthrop, Eastern Kentucky, Butler and little Texas A&M Corpus Christi get their chance to knock off the Big Guys. The Tournament is the Great Equalizer, something I thought you Limosine Collectivists would appreciate.

    I watched all three of the O.T. games last Saturday.. six hours! It felt like twenty minutes because it was that good.

    Bob, chill out, grab a High Life and some wings and enjoy the game with the rest of us. It's only once a year, after all.

    Marcos Sanchez
    Independent-minded College Basketball Fan

    Arlington, Virginia

    03/22/2007 @ 1:49pm


  • Are you kidding me? The article about March Madness was absolutely ridiculous!

    I'm sorry that a coach said the N word back in the 60s. It's really too bad. BUT it is absolutely condescending to assume that the N word is reason for a talented kid to quit playing basketball.

    I'm sorry that March Madness has turned into a corporate event, but so has about everything. The kids love the attention and excitement, and I love watching.

    Christy Fisher

    Tucson, AZ

    03/22/2007 @ 12:05pm


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