The Tourney vs. the Playoffs

On my ride back home from school for spring break today, a few of my buddies and I had an interesting conversation...that coincidentally was the same topic of the Scoop Jackson article I opened on ESPN.com about an hour later. Scoop argues that, because of the competitiveness of the West, the NBA Playoffs will be much, much better this year than the NCAA Tournament. Although I agree that the West will be fun to watch, there are a number of reasons why the Playoffs can NEVER match the drama and excitement of the Big Dance!

1) Time:
Scoop claims the Playoffs will be great because they last 2 months. Being forced to watch Pacers-Celtics games every other day for 2 weeks is not a good thing. Two months of bad matchups is not my cup of tea (btw, Scoop didn't even bother to mention that he completely ignores HALF the Playoffs...something you can't do with the Tourney b/c the first weekend is just as entertaining as the Final Four). On the ohter hand, the one-and-done reality in the college game creates a much more intense game. Although the Tourney does not last half the year, the unparalleled intensity of each game due to the time-constraints (no series) makes it much better than the monotony of countless 7 game series' that the NBA offers.

2) Legacy:
Like Scoop said, there is nothing like Duke-UNC. Ya, there used to be Boston-LA, but that rivalry has been dormant for 20 years. It MAY return, but don't expect it to last. Because of this lack of legacy, the NBA lacks CONSISTENT match-ups that viewers want to look out for. Nobody wants to check out the Pistons-Spurs...it's boring and there is no bad blood. Everybody wants to watch UNC-Duke, Kansas-Kentucky, USC-UCLA...etc etc etc. The hatred between the schools in the tournament makes it that much better than the indifferent matchups we see every day in the League.

3) Atmosphere:
As a result of the one-and-done format and rivalries, the atmosphere in college is much more intense. Fans hate each other, creating a frantic arena setting. For the most part, other than in Golden State, NBA fans are apathetic and create a boring atmosphere.

4) Integrity:
This, to me, is the most significant difference between the NBA and college. The NBA is, from the top down, a business. Stern looks for ways to expand his markets, TNT finds ways to take $$ from him, GM's try to create revenue in their city, players try to get the highest possible contract. The focal point of the NBA is not basketball - it is money. And it shows. The game has been diluted. Stern ruined it with his countless rules and shit. The players don't play hard - in fact, its not even worth bringing effort up when talking about the League. The only time they show much of an effort is to boost their stats. Thus, we see a coaching style that relies on iso's (and no defense!). The game is no longer team-oriented, intense, or interesting.
On the other hand, the college game continues to thrive, despite the threat of 1-and-gone players. Because of the atmosphere, because of the rivalries, and because college players simply have a love for the game - the game is better. Players NEVER take a play off, on either side of the court. They play not for the name on the back of the jersey, but for the institution on the front. They play for the die-hard fans, the hate of their opponents, the glory of victory. I dunno about you, but I'd rather watch decent players play their hearts out and play selflessly than watch superstars take plays off and then decide to turn it up just to carve out a heftier contract for next season.

At the end of the day, it's clear that the NBA game cannot compare to college. The Tournament puts all the factors above into an even higher, more ultra competitive level.
The intense rivalries, the win-or-go-home mentality, the atmosphere both in the stands and on the floor, creates a tourney that delivers (every year!) at a level the Playoffs could only dream of. To another epic tournament.....

Peace!