The Chat House with Michael Wilbon

Welcome to another edition of The Chat House, where Post columnist Michael Wilbon was online Monday, March 23 at 1:15 p.m. ET to take your questions about the opening rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, the latest sports news and his recent columns.

The transcript follows.

Match your Sweet 16 picks against Michael's.

Results from the opening rounds:

East and West regions

Midwest and South regions

Discussion Archive * Column Archive * Talking Points Videos

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Chalk Tournament ?: Is the "chalk" nature of this year's tournament a direct result of reducing the mid-major invitees ?

Michael Wilbon: Hi everybody...had some trouble logging on but here we are...I'm in Arizona, where besides enjoying the start to a cloudless 72 degree day, I'm out here to cover the West regional (and do some NBA footwork)..."Chalk" is apparently the new personality of the NCAA Tournament and I, for one, don't like it one bit. It's a snoozer. The popularity of the NCAA men's basketball tournament is a real stew of national powerhouses and David now and then scoring big upsets over Goliath...It's Valpo winning at the buzzer...at least in the first and sometimes second rounds. But all we've got is big conference schools in the tournament and there are fewer chances for upsets...though don't tell that to Wake Forest which got beat down like a dog by Cleveland State...But I think we may be entering a new era with the tournament...one where it's just basketball and I wonder if it's going to generate the same passion...It hasn't for me, and won't, if this is the new personality of the tournament.

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Annandale, Va.: What do the performances of ACC teams in the postseason say about the quality of the league? Wouldn't Memphis have won the ACC crown if it was in the league? Isn't the league really Duke, North Carolina, and a bunch of mediocre teams.

4-Seed Wake Forest out in first round

5-Seed Florida State out in first round

7-Seed Boston College out in first round

7-Seed Clemson out in first round

Miami and Virginia Tech out of the NIT in the round of 16

Michael Wilbon: Ah, yes. Clemson does this every year, so there's no real surprise there. But yes, it's Carolina, Duke and bunch of pretty good teams. That's it. Nothing more than that. The Big East is a lot better...by miles this season. Again, I'm talking about this season and post-season, not the history of the two leagues. Of course, the ACC has been the best league in the country for much of the last 50 years...probably THE best with apologies to UCLA in the Pac-10...But now right now. Not this month either.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Mike - Thanks for taking my question. I have a theory to partially explain the relative lack of upsets in the tourney this year and last. I attended the games in Miami Thursday and yesterday, and my alma mater was not playing there, so I was watching as a neutral. In each game, the higher seeded team received the overwhelming benefit of the doubt on the 50-50 sort of foul calls. It seems like it is happening to a much greater degree than in the past. I realize a certain amount of this is inevitable, but it really stood out to me and the guys I was with (as well as during the games that we watched on tv on Saturday). It certainly seemed to us to make it more difficult for the lower seeds to pull off upsets (Arizona notwithstanding, but they aren't a typical 12 seed). Thoughts?

Michael Wilbon: I'm not much in favor of reducing everything to officiating. I think that's greatly overdone and too easy of an answer when it comes to analyzing college hoops. That said, I perceived a lot of what you did over the weekend, and it concerns me. But this has happened forever in basketball, which is the most subjective sport and the most difficult to officiate. I'm taking a look back at the 1979 NCAA Final between Indiana State and Michigan State, the most famous game in modern college basketball history...and quite frankly there was a call that benefited Larry Bird and ISU during the tournament--I think it was against Arkansas--that would have left the mid-major (ISU) out of the Final Four. There, the major school didn't benefit, though you could make the point that the school the powers-that-be wanted to advance was Bird's because it was undefeated and a ton of other reasons...But I need to watch a lot closer this weekend and perhaps not chalk up everything to chance on these calls...and that's tough for me because I believe in officiating in basketball and I'm just not a conspiracy nut...

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Balmer, Md.: Say, if Jay Cutler's ego is too fragile to survive a trade rumor and his maturity to raw to patch it up with his coach and team (not defending Bronco's handling of it) - how is he going to survive the frying pan of New York City with the Jets (Mark Maske just reported the Jets would be interested if he's made available)?

washingtonpost.com: Jets Said to be Interested in Cutler

Michael Wilbon: He wouldn't. He's a thinn-skinned kid not exactly beloved by all of his teammates who isn't as good as he seems to think he is. I like Cutler and would like to see my Bears, who are always QB challenged, take a run at him...but I'm suspect of any kid who thinks his arm is stronger than John Elway's. New York would eat him up...You can be brash, but you'd better not have a glass chin.

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Curt Schilling: announced his retirement today -- Hall of Fame or no?

Michael Wilbon: I say yes, many say no. His winning percentage, two lead roles in the World Series (don't forget Arizona), and leading the Red Sox to the Promised Land in such a dramatic way...that makes it a yes for me.

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Arlington, Va.: Hey Mike, thanks for taking time to chat. Near the end of the Marquette/Missouri game, one of the Marquette players turned the ball over by stepping over the end line, thus likely depriving his team of a chance to tie or win the game with seconds left. It then dawned on me that these are 18-20 year old kids playing in front of millions of viewers, with what would seem to me to be the weight of the world on their shoulders when something like this happens. Is it your experience that these athletes feel this pressure, or are they more focused on just winning for their teammates and school.

Thank you.

Michael Wilbon: Of course, they feel pressure. But so do guys 10 years older than these kids. MLB, NFL and NBA players feel it, too. If you don't think so, just look at their faces with championships on the line and see the tension. I feel for the college kids because they're not professionals. One of the defining stories in my career is Georgetown's Fred Brown throwing that errant pass to North Carolina's James Worthy on the critical possession of Hoyas-Heels in the '82 championship game. Brown had incredible grace in handling that error and the disappointment and curiosity that accompanied it...but it has to be hard.

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NBA refs: What's up with Doc Rivers getting fined $25,000? That ref acted totally unprofessionaly by staring at Doc forever and just waiting for him to do something. It reminds me of the old days of the MLB when you had the AL and NL umps doing whatever they felt like.

Michael Wilbon: Look, I know both these guys. Doc Rivers, Chicago's own, is my friend. Bill Kennedy, who lives out here in Arizona and whom I run into on ocassion, is a really good official. But I agree with Doc here. It did seem Kennedy was just sitting on the moment, hoping to find a reason to throw him out...The league should not have fined Doc $25,000 in my opinion, though leagues always do the easy (read: lazy) thing by following blindly their rule on not publicly criticizing officials. But Doc didn't do anything to embarass himself or the game. I'd like to talk to Bill Kennedy about this because I really respect him. But it appeared from watching that moment--and I was watching it on TV as it unfolded--than Kennedy acted improperly.

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Washington DC: Do you think Mike D'antoni has done a good job with the Knicks?

Michael Wilbon: About what I expected, given the talent level. If the Bulls had hired D'Antoni, instead of making a decision not to pony up to pay him, Chicago would be looking at the fifth seed in the East...Don't get me wrong, I think Vinny Del Negro has done a pretty good job and the Bulls should make the playoffs. But he's a rookie coach and D'Antoni's system is made for all those polished offensive players Chicago has, and the rookie phenom at point guard (Derrick Rose) who's going to be the league's rookie-of-the-year.

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New York, NY: Do you think Villanova has a good chance to beat Duke on Thursday?? Do you see a Big East Final Four?

Michael Wilbon: I have Villanova and Louisville in my Final Four...so that would be a yes.

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Cleveland State: Man they looked like a talented bunch of kids. I don't know much about their coach other than he took a bad program and made it a lot better. Do you know much about him ?

Michael Wilbon: No, I don't. But he's got some charisma, and one would think after thumping Wake Forest the way Cleveland State did, the coach would be on the short list for the Big Boys in need of one.

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Arlington, Va.: I know you (and many other people) love the "Davids" of the NCAA Tournament, but I wonder if you have ever thought about the so called "Goliaths?" The kids playing at a school like UNC (my alma mater) are just kids also. Yes, they are talented and some will go on to good or great pro careers, but the vast majority are at the highest level at which they will ever compete. They are 18-22 year olds, playing their hearts out, just like the Davids. So while I know everyone loves the upsets, have you ever thought about how it must feel to work hard all year, have a great record, and then see it all slip away because of ONE game?

So while I understand the impulse to root for David, I think reveling in the losers crying after they have lost is a little much.

Think about how you would feel if Northwestern was CLEARLY the best in basketball one year and had one flukely loss cost them the National Championship. Ok, maybe that's a bad example...

Michael Wilbon: Who said anything about "reveling" in the losers' tears. Where did you read that? It wasn't stated or implied.

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DC: Do you think David Stern was watching how this tournament has been officiated? I can't count the number of times players would have been fouled if it were an NBA game and yet the refs let them play on. As a result the games have a much better pace. I love it!

Michael Wilbon: It's funny, there seems to be a difference of opinion about the way the games have been officiating. I've seen some pretty questionable officiating...especially regarding the big men and ticky-tack fouls they've been called for.

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Washington, D.C.: Why are they allowing Arenas to play? They should force him to sit out and prepare for next year. What would happen if he aggravates the injury now?

Michael Wilbon: What if he aggravates it practicing this summer? Or in October? He's gotta play some time. I think now is the right time. Let's see what he's got. I'm glad he's going to try to play. For $111 million? Are you kidding me?

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Baltimore: I watch you, Tony and Cindy on Talking Points religiously. You're terrific. But I have to jump you on this one, because you were so emphatic.

You predicted "definitively" upsets galore in men's tournament. You said "right off the bat...2-seeds going down. 3-seeds going down. 4-seeds going down." Of all those only one 4-seed lost in the opening round. The seeds in the sweet sixteen are: East 1,2,3,4; South 1,2,3,4; West 1,2,3,5; Midwest 1,2,3,12. This is the fewest number of upsets that I can recall in this tournament.

Like I said, I love your work, but you gotta take your lumps on this one.

Michael Wilbon: You think I don't know how off-base I am on this point? I was certain of it...certain that last year was the exception. But that doesn't appear to be the case, does it? We seem to be entering some new era, or at least a phase. I don't mind when I have to eat crow, but I'm really surprised by this plate.

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Bristol CT: Will Coach Bob Knight ever be a PTI Guest? He would be good to have on during the Tournament.

Michael Wilbon: I don't know...I love listening to Knight in the studio or call games...it's like taking a basketball class...But being a guest on PTI is completely different. We try to get in and out of answers and hit a bunch of things and Knight, to me, seems like he needs longer time and a different kind of conversation...we'll see...

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NY: As a Georgetown alum, Fred Brown's pass is burned into my retinas. It was a big moment, but I'm surprised it was one of the biggest moments of your career. Why?

Michael Wilbon: Because it was my first Final Four...Because I was the beat writer covering Georgetown during part of his career...because I was the one The Post assigned to write about that pass on deadline and I was one of the reporters who simply sat with Brown immediately after the game and listened to him...And because that summer, several months after the game, I called Fred at home in New York and he read me some of the letters he got and we went over the whole thing, the aftermath of it, the reaction to him by others...Yep, it stands out. I was 23 years old and would come to see a lot of men deal with failed moments differntly. Fred was a sophomore in college and he dealt with it--at least from all I saw--like a champ...and then he was on the team that won it all two years later...

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Herndon, VA: Thanks for taking my question. What are your thoughts on NBA players tweeting during half time?

Do you think they should be allowed to, or does it make you question their focus?

Michael Wilbon: It should be banned, as Scott Skiles told Charlie Villanueva. Banned. Though I suspect some marketing types see an "access opportunity" to be branded and televised before long.

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Silver Spring, Maryland: What do you make of Coach K criticizing President Obama for filling out a bracket and supposedly not focusing on the economy? By supporting the NCAA tournament President Obama is helping the economy in so many ways. I would think Coach K, who gets paid big bucks to give speeches to business groups would understand this.

Michael Wilbon: Coaches, even a man who is all the wonderful things Mike Krzyzewski is, are competitors first. And Obama has gone twice now with his blood rival. No surprise to me.

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Washington DC: What "charming" yet annoying and restrictive eccentricities are you referring to regarding Virginia sports? I'd say that Cav fans are fairly tolerant, especially compared to the tire-burning crowd in College Park.

Michael Wilbon: I'm not comparing them to Maryland fans, but that comment would (of course) cause me to wonder how far down you nose you have to look to see Maryland.

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Tampa, Florida: Do you think moving back the 3-point line has affected the smaller schools? They seem to rely more heavily on 3-point shots to make up for a lack of size.

Michael Wilbon: The NCAA men's selection committee kept those small schools out, not the three-point shot. How did it affect Cleveland State when they threw down on Wake Forest? Or Sienna?

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Washington, DC: If for some reason, Tiger Woods never wins another major, where does he rank in your book in terms of the greatest golfers ever?

Michael Wilbon: Probably second. Behind Jack.

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David vs Goliath: MW,

I think your assertion of the tourney being defined as a David vs Goliath issue was only partly right. In my opinion, the best tournaments are the ones where David owns the first weekend, but Goliath takes over in the sweet 16. I remember how exciting the prospect of the Final Four was in 2006 with Mason, Florida, UCLA, and LSU (no number one seeds), but being completely disappointed in the quality of basketball.

Michael Wilbon: If you look at the answer, I specifically said the first and sometimes second round...

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Nova?: What's your reasoning behind Nova to the final four in the West? Just curious why them and not Pitt. Thanks!

Michael Wilbon: I didn't believe in Pitt...And through two games they've been pressed...

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Avon Park, Fla.: Did the Selection Committee recently change the rules so that as many teams as possible play close to home? Because I would like to know why Villanova got to play essentially two home games the opening weekend.

Michael Wilbon: There are no "rules." But the committee said going in it was going to consider the economic factors, primarily travel, on teams and the people who buy follow them and buy tickets. Driving is a whole lot cheaper than flying.

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Chalk: For the first time every 1, 2, and 3 seed has made the sweet sixteen. Is this going to be another boring tournament or is the best still yet to come?

Michael Wilbon: It's been boring so far. But that could set up a great second weekend. Let's hope so.

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Arlington, Va.: Michael, In an article about how Eric Devendorf is the most hated person in the NCAA tourney, Pat Forde over at ESPN mentioned that the majority of the most hated players in college basketball are white. This trend appears to go back a little ways, to at least JJ Redick, if not further. Any opinion on why this continues to be a trend?

Michael Wilbon: This will be a great place to start...but we've got to get into this next week when I have more time...Just been told by the PTI producers we have the Arizona coach as our guest in an hour, so I've got to wrap up and head to the studio which is about 45 minutes away...Sorry for an abbreviated chat today...Will make it up next week when I'm back in D.C. after the regional final here...And we'll presumably have seen Gilbert Arenas' return to the Wizards, plus get into the Final Four...Have a great week everybody...Thanks for chatting.

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Fairfax: Ovechkin's "hot stick" celebration of goal #50: fair or foul?

Michael Wilbon: Fair...And creative...and fun.

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Georgetown-North Carolina: Speaking of that game, to me that game was played at the highest level that I've ever seen in college. (Granted, I was very young at the time and am a Georgetown fan.) Since you covered that one and a bunch of others, do you have a favorite college game? Or a Fav 5?

Michael Wilbon: remind me and we'll do this one next week, too.

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