(02-04-2019 12:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  And you think they’d eat it up any less if Nebraska made the miracle run instead?

Of course not

Nebraska basketball is even more of an underdog story

The small schools are terrified because the tournament is their last life line to major college athletics

March Madness makes its money off the casual fan. The casual fan in general isn't aware Nebraska basketball hasn't won a game in the tournament. They know Alabama and probably don't know its been more than a decade since they made the Sweet 16 in hoops.

(02-04-2019 02:30 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(02-04-2019 12:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  And you think they’d eat it up any less if Nebraska made the miracle run instead?

Of course not

Nebraska basketball is even more of an underdog story

The small schools are terrified because the tournament is their last life line to major college athletics

March Madness makes its money off the casual fan. The casual fan in general isn't aware Nebraska basketball hasn't won a game in the tournament. They know Alabama and probably don't know its been more than a decade since they made the Sweet 16 in hoops.

I'd say that the casual fan is involved mostly because the of the cultural phenomenon of the ubiquitous office bracket pool. Everybody has one, it's a nice social distraction at work, and it creates interest in teams the public would never consider otherwise. I think it is the most sustaining feature of some really crappy matchups in the first two games of the tournament.