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Happy days

By Dan Rosen
Arizona Daily Wildcat,
March 29, 2000
Talk about this story

Think about it for a second.

Wisconsin and Florida - how can the executives at CBS be happy about the upcoming Final Four?

Who wants to watch these two teams play? Do you think they have any national fans? Why would CBS be smiling over this Final Four?

Well, it is my guess that they are for a few simple reasons.

Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina and Michigan State, not the predicted Final Four, but one heck of a weekend it will be.

CBS execs should like the fact that Wisconsin brings that underdog mentality to Indianapolis this weekend, bringing with them those fans whose teams have been eliminated from the tournament.

The underdog is always cheered on. The underdog is always appreciated at this time of the year and most of all the underdog is always the most interesting team to watch come this time.

Last year it was Gonzaga, and now the Badgers have put the Cinderella Slipper on, and it has seemed to fit nicely.

You want to call Wisconsin boring, well, why is every fan on the edge of their seat during the last five minutes of every Badger game?

Maybe it is because they are excited to see that Wisconsin could win yet another tournament game, something they weren't predicted to do once.

Now, take Wisconsin's opponent, the Michigan State Spartans.

CBS has the favorite, the No. 1, the team predicted to win the whole thing at the beginning and a team that has been followed nationally all season.

The Spartans are also a team that has beaten Wisconsin three times this year, so it sets up a nice revenge matchup for the Badgers. Don't just judge by past performances, the way the Badgers are playing their brand of basketball now, do not count them out of this one.

One other reason that CBS execs have to be happy is that this is an All-Big Ten battle and if there is one conference that spans the country in national exposure, it is the Big Ten.

The second matchup pits the perennial powerhouse who is playing the underdog against the perennial underdog who is playing the favorite.

North Carolina makes its 15th trip to the Final Four, while Florida makes it second.

UNC brings in fans around the nation that it has accumulated from the days of Michael Jordan to the days of Vince Carter straight to Indianapolis, while Florida brings its new found fame into the Brickyard City.

Billy Donovan is a young, well-respected, energetic and up-and-coming coach, while Bill Guthridge is the old hero who has been there many times.

Tar Heel freshman Joseph Forte is as exciting as anyone in the world of college basketball, and the Florida Gators have about as deep a team that a coach can dream of having.

So, there you have match two, the underdog/favorite in UNC against the fiery, young, athletic, exciting and deep Florida Gators.

Keep the smiles up and the frowns back at home CBS, you got one that people are interested in watching.

One last thing ...

Forget the upsets in this Final Four, the Spartans are too good and East Lansing burns down on Monday night, while tears role down Magic Johnson's face.


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