Author: Scott Adamson

Snubs hurt, but NCAA tourney always crowns a legitimate champ

With the four play-in games now history (the NCAA wants us to call it the First Four, so in the spirit of compromise I’ll call it the First Four Play-In), the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins in earnest today.

Out of Left Field is written by Scott Adamson. It appears weekly and sometimes more frequently if he gets up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. Follow him on Twitter @adamsonsl

By the end of the weekend there will be a couple of blowouts, a couple of upsets, and perhaps one real stunner.

That’s how the first round of the Large Waltz almost always plays out, and one of the reasons it’s arguably the most exciting sports tournament in the world.

What I really like about it, though, is that every school that has a legitimate chance to win the national championship is in the field.

That’s why I always have to stifle a chuckle on Selection Sunday when coaches bemoan the fact that their team was “snubbed.”

And there were quite a few feeling left out and disrespected this time around.

Louisville, for example, finished 20-13, and there was a time not so long ago when leaving an ACC team with 20 victories out of the tourney was unthinkable.

Plus, the Cardinals had a rating percentage index (RPI) of 38.

But this year the NCAA went all mathy and decided to judge teams based on their performances in four quadrants.

Quadrant 1 is home games vs. 1-30 RPI teams; neutral-site games vs. 1-50 RPI; and away games vs. 1-75 RPI.
Quadrant 2 is home games vs. 31-75 RPI; neutral-site games vs. 51-100 RPI; and away games vs. 76-135 RPI.
Quadrant 3 is home games vs. 76-160 RPI; neutral-site games vs. 101-200 RPI; and away games vs. 136-240 RPI.
Quadrant 4 is home games vs. 161-plus RPI; neutral-site games vs. 201-plus RPI; and away games vs. 241-plus RPI.

Louisville went 3-10 in Quadrant 1 games, and that didn’t help their cause.

But guess what?

Louisville wasn’t going to win the national championship this season anyway.

I’m a UAB grad and a UAB fan, so I find myself rooting for Conference USA teams to do well once the postseason begins. I figure since the Blazers aren’t in the field (and sadly, they usually aren’t anymore) I might as well support the league.

It’s a one-bid conference, and Marshall took that bid by winning the CUSA Tournament.

That meant Middle Tennessee, with a nice 23-7 overall record and 16-2 league mark, could only hope for an at-large berth.

They didn’t get one because, you know, Conference USA.

It was still disappointing to the players, their coaches and fans, but the reality is that the Blue Raiders were not going to seize the crown.

Maybe they’d have won a game – even two – and that would’ve been wonderful.

And sure, I get that much of the event is about the journey instead of the ultimate destination. It’s an honor to call yourself an “NCAA Tournament team” and coaches should always advocate for their kids. Still, leaving out Middle Tennessee was not equivalent to leaving out a team that had a realistic chance to go all the way.

From a pure record standpoint maybe the biggest slight is Saint Mary’s, which is 28-5 and finished 16-2 in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels had an RPI of 40.

But …

Saint Mary’s had only four wins against teams in the RPI top 100, and no way was that going to impress the Selection Committee.

Again, though, the Gaels were not leaving San Antonio as the last team standing. In that regard, not having them in the bracket didn’t matter.

Now, would the schools I just mentioned have a better chance of advancing than many who are dancing?

Of course. There are a number of teams that will be clearly overmatched, and that’ll show up on the scoreboard Thursday and Friday.

As long as conference tourney champs get a free pass into the field of 68, that field will always be cluttered with schools punching far above their weight class.

And that’s one of the beauties of March Madness.

However, the team that wins it all will be a no-doubter – one in which there was never any question about its NCAA Tournament credentials.

It might be Virginia, Cincinnati, Duke, Michigan State, or any number of programs with impressive talent and impressive victories.

So for all the schools that feel snubbed, I know it sucks; the main goal at the start of every season is to be one of the 68.

In the final analysis, though, the team that’ll hoist the trophy on April 2 is a team that never had to watch the bubble at all.

Greenville becomes third founding member of USL Division III

By Scott Adamson
Adamsonmedia.com

Almost from the moment the United Soccer League announced it was forming a third division circuit, the prospects of Greenville, South Carolina, landing a club was more a case of “when,” not “if.”

Today is the day.

League executives gathered at Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville Tuesday morning to make it official. Greenville entrepreneur Joe Erwin, President of Erwin Creates, leads the ownership group which also includes his son, Doug.

“The world game belongs in a world-class community, and we already feel like Greenville is part of USL,” Erwin said. “We are thrilled to be a part of the USL’s new Division III league and to bring professional soccer to our community. The Upstate has a passion for the sport that extends from community soccer clubs that attract thousands of youth to high school teams that compete at the highest levels and nationally-ranked programs at Clemson University and Furman University.

“This is more than just a game, it really contributes to quality of life. As we evaluated all the factors in making a decision, we realized this region is more than ready to support pro soccer at this level.”

The league is expected to have 10 to 12 teams in 2019, and then further growth will be targeted to populate regions.

The Greenville entry joins South Georgia Tormenta FC and FC Tucson as the first three founding members of USL Division III, which begins play next March.

With Major League Soccer serving as North America’s lone first division league in a closed pyramid system, USL competes as a second tier organization and has formed a third level that will play under the USL umbrella.

USL Division III has targeted U.S. communities with populations from 150,000 to one million, with a focus on, “markets that possess strong local ownership groups, populations with broad-based diversity, a vibrant millennial and strong family base, established corporate support, and stadiums to properly showcase the sport for fans, partners and the public.”

Greenville’s population is roughly 60,000, but its broader metro area – which includes Anderson and Mauldin – is more than 880,000.

“We are honored to have such an economically diverse and vibrant market like Greenville, South Carolina, as a founding member of USL Division III,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said. “Greenville is a dynamic city, with a storied soccer history driven by the nationally-recognized programs at Clemson University and Furman University, along with the international influence of global corporations headquartered in the region. We welcome Joe Erwin to the USL family. As a long-time resident of this community, successful businessman and major contributor to Greenville’s economic growth, Joe is the right person to lead this effort and develop a successful club for the region’s passionate fans.”

Chris Lewis will serve as team president.

“Our success strongly depends on having the proven leadership of someone who understands professional sports, the market and, most significantly, is an active member of our community,” Doug Erwin said. “We found that in Chris, and we’ve placed him at the top of the pyramid running this organization.”

Team branding and stadium decisions are to come.

“If you ask me where we’re going to play in March, I’ve got no answer for you yet,” Joe Erwin said. “There’s a lot of work left to be done.”

The announcement of a USL Division III club marks the second time in less than four months the South Carolina city has been chosen to host a team.

Greenville FC became a member of the National Premier Soccer League last November and begins regular season play in May.

Extreme pain and doctor visits add up to fun and adventure

Last Wednesday, I had a near-death experience.

Brain Farce is an alleged humor column written by Scott Adamson. It comes out basically whenever he feels like writing it. Follow him on Twitter @adamsonsl

As I faded from consciousness and started to slip into the great unknown, I was suddenly pulled into a bright, white tunnel of light. And at the end of the tunnel there were several figures waving to me. They weren’t completely clear, but I’m pretty sure they were members of the boy band O-Town, urging me to join them at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort.

But I refused, for I was not yet ready to pass from this life, even though going to one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States was tempting.

Nah, I’m just funnin’ with you.

I was nowhere near death (or a casino), but I did feel bad enough that my wife, Mary, insisted on taking me to a doc-in-a-box – for the second time in five days.

The “adventure” started last weekend when my back began to ache.

That morning I had walked several miles and done some yard work, and I just figured maybe I pulled a muscle or something.

By afternoon the pain increased dramatically, and spread to my stomach.

And this wasn’t the garden variety stomach ache – you know, the kind where it hisses and growls and occasionally speaks in unknown tongues. This was a sharp, almost continuous pain that caused me to double over.

Mary started researching what my malady might be. Even though the pain was in my back and stomach, it could be my heart, gallbladder,  kidneys, any number of things.

There was also the chance that an alien had embedded itself in my stomach and was prepared to burst out John Hurt-style, but it’s been months since I’ve had close contact with extraterrestrials, so I quickly discounted that as an option.

Whatever it was, she ushered me into the car and began driving toward the clinic. Long story short, the clinic was closed, but by the time we got there I felt better anyway, and we decided to head home.

The more I thought about it, the more I was sure it was just a case of gas gone nuclear and would never happen again.

Man, was I ever wrong.

It happened again mid-week, and this time we went to a bigger, better (and more importantly, open) doc-in-the-box.

It’s no exaggeration to say the pain I felt was the worst I’ve ever experienced. So much so that after doing X-rays and performing an electrocardiogram test, the doctor actually had to give me a pain-relieving shot before sending me to the emergency room.

That’s when my day got markedly worse.

I was told the minute I got to the ER I was to see a certain doctor, who would immediately set up a CAT scan. That was fine with me, because I love animals.

But the CAT scan didn’t come until after I had been there for five hours – and after a nurse had used my left arm for target practice trying to draw blood. In retrospect, I don’t think he was a nurse at all, but just a random dude who happened upon some blue scrubs, showed up, and clocked in.

He and the staff also insisted on redoing all the tests that had already been done at the doc-in-a-box a couple of hours earlier, even though the paperwork I presented told them specifically not to do that.

This caused Mary to curse.

She cursed out of earshot of my tormentors, but she cursed eloquently and with great conviction.

It’s one of the reasons I love her.

Once the crew finally got their shit together, they gave me another shot for pain, put me on an IV, and administered an ultrasound test. They looked at my liver, gallbladder, appendix, and, I suppose, whatever else lurked beneath the surface.

By the end of my seven hour odyssey you know what they found?

Nothing.

I mean, they found all the organs, but they just couldn’t pinpoint the problem.

Kidney stones were ruled out, and they couldn’t be sure my gall bladder or appendix were causing the pain.

They just told me to follow up with my primary care physician, gave me a prescription for Hillbilly Heroin, and then sent me on my way.

I was puzzled – and concerned.

I eat healthy foods (mostly, except for Pop-Tarts), I exercise (usually, unless I’d rather sit around and eat Pop-Tarts) and my weight is under control (give or take 15 or 20 pounds … and the availability of Pop-Tarts).

But then I realized that some people in the best of health die unexpectedly.

Look at Roger Bannister. He was the first man to break the four-minute mile and was in tip-top physical condition. Yet, he passed away recently.

He was 88, but still.

Finally, my “regular” doctor looked me over on Thursday and sent me to a gastroenterologist, who set up an MRI on Friday that proved negative.

So …

On Monday I’ll have something called a HIDA scan in which a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein in my arm. My only hope at this point is that during the procedure, I’ll be bitten by a spider and thus became a superhero.

I think after all this nonsense, I’ve earned it.