Hats off to the media clowns — to the folks at CBS and ESPN — for making this NCAA tournament such an enjoyable experience. Thank you Bobby Knight for picking Pittsburgh to win it all.

tThank you Hubert Davis for one day picking Western Kentucky to upset UCLA in the round of 16, the next day saying that “Western Kentucky will give UCLA a tough game but the Bruins will go to the Final Four” and 24 hours later declaring that “UCLA will have a very tough time with Western Kentucky and then will lose to Xavier in the Elite 8.” Bases seem to be covered. Davis must be one of those guys that fills out 12 brackets and then brags excessively when he picks one improbable upset. I hate those guys. And by the way, Davis was 0-for-3.

Thank you Andy Katz for suggesting that Butler didn’t deserve a seven seed because of their membership in the Horizon League. In case you didn’t know, every Division I coach participates in a conference lottery prior to each season. Butler, unfortunately, got stuck in the Horizon League this year. And heaven forbid, they played a great non-conference schedule to accommodate.

Thanks Bobby, Hubert and Andy for giving me hope that I might be able to succeed in this field one day. And thanks Dick Vitale for moving your hands so much when you talk I swear you might hit the cameraman.

But we listen to these guys religiously. You listen to them so much that they fill out your bracket. How many times had you seen UCLA play prior to the Elite 8? Hardly at all, I’d imagine. So you turned to Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas and the like for so-called expert analysis about a team that plays late (10:10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) and a team that is a member of a conference that doesn’t contract with ESPN (based out of Bristol, Conn.). Of course, these guys know more than the average fan, but to pretend that they have seen every game of every team is ridiculous — yet we treat them as such. And to allow them the prestige of filling out your bracket is perhaps a prestige that they don’t deserve. Digger is in bed well before 10. I promise.

The media circus surrounding the Road to the Final Four is growing at a faster rate than consumers can manage — and new media only allows for an unlimited amount of coverage. From podcasts, to streaming live video of practice from San Antonio to constant coverage from said experts to live blogging … there’s as much content as ever, to the point that it is repetitive as ever. How many times can you articulately say that Memphis’ backcourt is pretty good?

And thank YOU, Los Angeles Times, for reporting this story in today’s Los Angeles Times. Thanks for forgetting that we fans have feelings too, that we fans build (quick and diluted) relationships with these athletes, that we fans might rather not have to swallow a story about a source “that preferred anonymity” about a player we learned to “Love” and trust. It’s like the middle school relationship where the girl tells her 9 million friends not to tell ANYONE about the guy she has a crush on, yet that “friend” goes and tells 9 million other people. Thanks for this. Thanks for reporting inaccuracies, as said by Ben Howland today at his press conference.

You have to see it to understand.

We hear stories about John Wooden. We see his 97-year-old self interviewed time and time again (“I’d like to see them go-away with the dunk.”) We see the legendary coach perched behind the UCLA bench for nearly every UCLA home game.

But the frustrating part is this: What was the “Wooden way,” for those of us that weren’t around during his generation? How do we experience tradition, and not just talk about it?

Simple. Watch the current group of UCLA athletes that are striving for a 12th banner and third-consecutive Final Four.

They do it the way Wooden would have taught it: attention to detail, hard-nosed defensive basketball. Basketball that revolves around the extra pass above individual glory. Basketball that stresses rebounding, smart decision-making and discipline.

I’m biased as a lifetime UCLA supporter, but tradition spans across all fields of sport. Tradition, it seems, is what makes sport transcend across generations. It is fun to see the Boston Celtics succeed, only because that’s the way Red Auerbach would have taught it. You see Celtics coach Doc Rivers reference Auerbach’s legacy, you realize you’re part of a larger sports (and cultural) landscape. Vince Lombardi? Bill Walsh? Dean Smith?

Fortunately, our media paints these personalities in a positive light, but unfortunately, these coaches seem to be remembered for their legacy only after their death.

You can’t mess with tradition, and for that, remember those that make our sports the way they are today, even though our games are painted in an increasingly negative light. A game is supposed to be a game, pure and innocent.

Bob Knight? A quitter?

Imagine, for a moment, that you are one of Bob Knight’s student-athletes at Texas Tech. And imagine, that one day, you just decided to call it quits.

How comfortable would you be strolling into your coach’s office to reveal the news?

Your answer suggests that Bob Knight is a nasty hypocrite, one that unfortunately is Division I’s all-time wins leader, and one that walked into A.D Gerald Myers’ office just because of a “loss of passion.”

Over the years, I have attempted to justify Knight’s behavior, over and over again. In fact, I tried as recently as Saturday, during Texas Tech’s win over Oklahoma State. During moments of screaming and awful body language, I came up with this: Knight is a man that preaches discipline before anything and a coach that would rather die than see his team not fight. He is a coach that preaches dedication, loyalty and passion. He teaches team basketball. He recruits players that could care less about individual statistics, honors or gasp, a recordbook (hmm…900 occurred coincidentally quite recently).

He was quoted as saying that his current Texas Tech team isn’t where he had hoped them to be (12-8, 3-3 in the Big 12). So ‘The General’ quit and abandoned his team.

We could easily dismiss Knight’s behavior by saying “that’s just his style on the bench,” but how can we dismiss this if he’s not even on the bench? Great coaches fight and claw until the finish, and we shouldn’t dismiss Knight simply because he happens to never have had a recruiting violation. Congratulations, Coach, you followed a rule that so many of your counterparts failed to.

Eddie Sutton telling you “it’s not about getting to 800″ is like Barry Bonds telling you he’s never lied.

Sutton’s San Francisco men’s basketball team lost (again), a 79-57 defeat to no. 24 St. Mary’s on Saturday, leaving the elder Sutton (still) one win shy of 800.

Sutton’s position is a temporary post, but the mere fact that Sutton, a recovering alcoholic who’s resignation was forced upon him at Oklahoma State, accepted the interim position I take issue with:

1. Oh how many times do we hear it … my performance wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates … the most important thing was getting the win, my numbers are only a small part to the puzzle … I show up in the stat sheet but how about so-and-so hustling and bustling after loose balls every possession … Why then is this about two wins (that apparently, are tough to come by) to add to a resume already established? A resume where 800 wins is bolded and a DUI charge and a two-car accident that he helped create is in the fine print? I wish Sutton could tell me something like the above and do so convincingly. He could start by not being at the helm of an interim program with no direction, but at a program where two wins is as likely as Rasheed Wallace getting a technical after a no call.

2. I’m all for second chances, but this type of second chance is absurd. This second chance is about a record book, not about “working with young men.” This second chance is about clearing his name from a could-be-worse automobile accident on his behalf. This second chance is about Eddie Sutton. Not the game of basketball. Not the young men he claims to be invested in. And certainly not San Francisco basketball. At least Bobby Knight had a purpose when he took the Texas Tech job.

3. If Sutton wanted to coach again, no problem. But to accept an interim job at San Francisco is unfair. Coaches coach to leave a mark, to leave a legacy and above all, devote everything they have to a university for an extended period of time (of so they hope). Sutton went in with “two wins” written his chest and “get out” written on his back.

Two wins? That’s all I ask for.

4. Again, all for second chances, but how do you feel if you’re forced-out former USF coach Jessie Evans, who’s replacement was basically announced via ESPN before he had notified? And then you see who this replacement is … and it’s Eddie Sutton? You picture Evans: “I never drank and drive. I never cheated. And boy, I never accepted a position midway through a season, at age 70, for the sole purpose of self-gratification.”

5. How about the USF administration … hats off to them for creating a stir and media frenzy around their miserable program, and screwing a guy that you know, was honest. Too bad college basketball is a media conglomerate run by unethical individuals that forget about those that treat each other and

Sutton goes for the big win against Santa Clara tonight. (Insert sarcastic remark here.)

UCLA defeated Oregon last night 80-75, and during Kevin Love’s homecoming, the UCLA center made a strong case for National Player of the Year consideration.

Love scored 26 points, including 2-of-2 from deep, grabbed a freshman-record 18 boards (eight of them offensive), not to mention surviving increasing physical play and hacks let go by the officials as the game grew older.

Forget the boxscore for a moment. Where would UCLA be without Love’s interior presence? We’d be talking a lot more about swingman Josh Shipp’s recent struggles from the field, guard Russell Westbrook’s increasing carelessness or most recent injuries to Luc Richard Mbah a Moute or Lorenzo Mata-Real, both concussions.

Love’s footwork, ability to scrap and claw for offensive rebounds, get fouled, hustle after loose balls, step back from 25 feet, use a shot fake and carry this team on his back put him in elite company - perhaps ahead of Beasley, Gordon and Hansborough.

When Gus Johnson calls a basketball game for CBS, he does so with a certain conversational, passionate tone that transcends time. You hear Gus, you remember what you were doing when Princeton upset defending-champion UCLA in 1996. It was Gus that called UCLA’s 17-point Sweet Sixteen turnaround in ‘06 over Gonzaga, Ohio State’s second-round OT triumph of Xavier a year ago and most recently, Kentucky’s much needed win of unbeaten Vanderbilt. Find me another play-by-play guy that fights back tears on a regular basis, that treats every basket like it’s a buzzer-beater in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, or that, prior to the game, arms his partner with a taser gun … you know, just in case it’s needed down the stretch.

Johnson’s company
Jim Nantz is quiet, subtle and generally, very informative. I’d disagree with those that say he’s boring, but I would say that he isn’t on the same level as Johnson. Nantz annually calls the Final Four (including the title game) along with Billy Packer (ever heard of Greg “Odom”?), who is genuinely awful and ultra critical. James Brown, in a move no one has quite figured out, stole Johnson’s job during last year’s regional semifinals and finals (in which I had to fight back tears). Brown’s staccato voice is more suited for an NFL studio. CBS learned their lesson after receiving hundreds upon hundreds of complaints, and Johnson will be back, sedatives packed and all, for the first four rounds of the 2008 NCAA tourney.

Here are some of Johnson’s most fulfilling calls:

Vanderbilt finally loses to Kentucky

Ohio St. stays alive on Row Lewis’ three

Ohio St. upsets top-seeded Illinois

Gonzaga upsets Florida

UCLA erases 17-point deficit

Princeton upsets UCLA

Upsets on the hardwood. Saturday saw many.

#1 North Carolina 82, Maryland 80
#4 UCLA 63, USC 72
#9 Texas A&M 54, Kansas State 75
#15 Mississippi 80, Auburn 77
#16 Pitt 59, Cincinnati 62
#24 Miami (FL) 77, N.C. State 79
#25 Arizona St 52, Stanford 67

North Carolina and UCLA, the best-ranked teams out of these upset victims, both dropped games on their own floor. College basketball is following in the footsteps of their football counterparts; very few teams are displaying dominance. Memphis jumped to a number-one ranking, deservingly so. The Calipari-coached Tigers boast (blowout) wins over Arizona, Georgetown, Cincinnati and UConn. Although some would suggest that Tennessee is the only team standing in the way of a perfect season, if upsets this weekend are any indication, anyone can beat anyone on any given night - even on the road.

The PAC-10 is the best conference in basketball, and with the exception of Oregon St. (whose coach Jay John was fired on Monday), all squads are potential tournament teams. There are no cupcakes, so you won’t want to miss a beat. The east-coast-biased ACC has two teams (#5 UNC and #4 Duke). The SEC does as well (#3 Tennessee and #14 Vanderbilt). The PAC-10 has four (Washington St., UCLA, Arizona St., Stanford), but more impressive is one glance at the standings: Not one team is unbeaten in conference play. Every game is a battle, another prime example of f-u-n.

Tubby Smith’s Gophers men’s basketball team is the talk of a sports landscape that is suffering, succumbed to negativity and well, generally, victims of the loss column. On Thursday night, I was reminded of why sports are sports in the first place: to be f-u-n.

Why Thursday night (against Indiana), three rows behind the west basket, was fun:

- The energy in the building. I was reminded of the atmosphere of real, genuine collegiate athletics. Every offensive possession for the Hoosiers was a struggle, as the student section didn’t once sit down. There is something special and engaging when the home team drives on a two-way street: 35-second shot clock violation+too loud to hear whistle signifying such=basketball at the barn is back. Once it’s necessary for NBA assistant coaches to possess a white board in order to call a 2-3 zone, we can chat.

- The mixture of defenses. Any team that can play 94-feet of defense nearly entire game is worthy of mention and praise. Against a far more athletic and talented team in Indiana, and one that possesses the terrific freshman presence in Eric Gordon, Smith stuck to his style: full-court pressure, mixture of man-to-man and 2-3 zone half-court defenses. Minnesota was superb defensively, creating 26 turnovers. The times that Indiana made shots, they were forced to work deep into the shot clock.

- The elderly gentleman sitting beside me. Dressed in full Gopher garb, this man represented fun. He high-fived me after Kelvin Sampson was forced to call a late second-half timeout after a smothering Smith-propelled defense forced yet another turnover. The Gophers were up by one at this time, and I certainly couldn’t hear what he had to say to me as he attempted to scream into my ear. A minute or so later, Tollackson missed his seventh free-throw attempt in seven tries … It was slightly quieter now, he turned to me, and yelled, “I could do better.” Never met the man, but we had a special bond on this particular frigid night. Fun.

- The postgame press conferences. Kelvin Sampson was confused: 26 turnovers and a victory normally don’t accompany each other, but he paid much-deserved respect and admiration for what Smith has done with his group of inspired young men. When asked about what could be gained from the loss, Smith said, “We would have taken a lot more if we had won. I hope we learn that lesson. It was a tough loss, a tough task. You’ve got your home crowd here, you’ve got everything going your way, we were defending like we should.” As a fan, this was a moral victory, the game was played like it should be played: with passion, energy and a sense of preparedness. I think Tubby would disagree. When Tollackson came to the podium, he looked like he had been punched in the stomach. “I couldn’t buy a free throw, he said. “I have to figure this out pretty soon. Go 5-5 at Penn State and end up winning the game with five seconds left. Go 0-7 here and end up losing the game by five. Obviously it’s not acceptable and it’s disgraceful bottom line.” Free throws can be corrected, individually, with repetition. But was more impressive with Tollackson’s performance was his ability to not only get to the rim, but finish around it. We haven’t seen this part of the Chaska native before. “What Coach has tried to instill in me this year is to try to get to the rim. Making my moves in there, trying to draw contact, being more physical, and get to the free throw line,” Tollackson said. “I’ve tried to get their big men in foul trouble and I think he’s done a great job getting our big men the ball where they should get it running plays. It’s kinda sickening that I cannot produce the way that he wants and wishes I could. It’s really hard for me to say that but you can’t come away empty.”

- A team bought in. What’s key about this last quote from Tollackson is that Smith has his players believing in not only him, but the system in which he is developing. The word “sickening” is strong, yet really shows how much respect Tubby has creating surrounding his gameplan for success. Successful teams are bought in to what they are taught and execute because they believe this gameplan is the right way of doing things.