About this time 10 years ago, I was sitting at work, listening on the phone to a broadcast on my alma mater’s campus radio station, a Selection Sunday special where the station’s sports director and a writer for the campus paper were waiting with the team for the NCAA’s announcement to start. My alma mater was hoping for an at-large bid and it made for great radio.
About this time five years ago, I was sitting in a radio studio in suburban Baltimore. That sports director was live on remote for Hoopsville with a bubble team waiting to find out if they were getting in or not. They got their answer, again, in an NCAA announcement made over the phone and broadcast to hundreds on the air.
About this time last year, I was in another studio, waiting for announcements. Thousands of people were listening as we were interviewing Texas-Dallas head coach Terry Butterfield, he of the Cinderella champ of the American Southwest Conference. And the Selection Sunday drama continued with the pairings.
Whether you’ve been huddled around a speaker phone or a radio, there’s nothing like this day, Selection Sunday. Until now. Now we’re waiting around for a news release … one which might come at 10, might come earlier, might not come at all. If you’re waiting online with us, congratulations and thanks. But it doesn’t feel the same.
Bring back the drama. This isn’t anywhere near as fun as it could be.
About this time ago in 1997, I was a college senior, working at a local newspaper. The school I attended, for which I broadcast games, lost its conference tournament semifinal and the ECACs appeared to be forever their destiny. Yet for some reason, I called in to the selection show conference call. When they announced that my school had made the tournament, I was so shocked that I hung up and screamed.
I agree that it was a lot more fun that way.
…and whatever happened to the guy who welcomed us “To Danville, Connecticut?
Oh man, Danville! Great Selection Sunday also.
Jim Stout’s column from that night was classic:
http://www.d3hoops.com/notes/northeast/1999/mar01.htm
Ah… the Selection Show. I would argue those two nights back in 2001 and last year made Hoopsville the show it is today. I was honestly very disappointed this year to learn the traditional conference call would not take place… meaning that Hoopsville would not have a solid reason for being on the air (though if they announced they would still present the brackets, we could have made it work).
It might have been the most difficult show to produce, it was certainly the most entertaining and most listened show. Pat, just remember what would happen when I announced the show’s IM address. Ah… those were the memories :).