| NCAA Basketball
With John Feinstein
Journalist and Author
Tuesday, April 1 2003; 2 p.m. ET What was the best game you watched last week? Who will make the Final Four? What team has surprised you the most? Journalist and author John Feinstein came online to take your questions and comments on the NCAA tournament. Feinstein graduated from Duke University in 1977. He worked at The Washington Post for 11 years as both a political and sports reporter, and has also worked at Sports Illustrated and at the National Sports Daily. He is the author of a number of bestselling sports books, including "A Season on the Brink," "A Good Walk Spoiled," "A Civil War" and "The Last Amateurs." Feinstein is currently a commentator for National Public Radio and Sporting News Radio, writes columns for AOL and Golf Magazine, and contributes to The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Mary, and their son and daughter. The transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
John Feinstein: Glad to be here. I am like everyone else… all my predictions were wrong. As usual.
Alexandria, Va.: Hi John- I love your work and especially enjoy your color commentary on Navy football games, a very underrated part of your media empire(!) in my opinion. My question is: doesn't it seem clear that the "pod" system ends up hurting teams worse than it helps others? In the early rounds, there's always been the "home court" advantage for some #1s playing close to home (i.e. Duke in Greensboro), but then in the regionals it was almost always a true regional location and usually a fair fight. You have to wonder if Oklahoma-Syracuse was played in the First Union Center, the outcome might have been a little different. Is there any chance the NCAA, the most stubborn organization in the history of organized sports, will modify this? John Feinstein: I hope you read my column tomorrow in the Post, which agrees with everything you just said. I think they will look seriously at the pod system if only because of the BYU screw-up. It was caused specifically by the pod system and the committee knows that it will not live down the humiliation soon.
Huron, S.D.: I am reading your book, A March to Madness, which is a tribute to the greatness of the Atlantic Coast Conference. With you having close ties to players and coaches in that conference, how surprised were you that no team from the ACC made it to the Final Four, or for that matter, the Elite Eight? John Feinstein: Not shocked. It was clear all season that the ACC did not have any team as good as Duke or Maryland of the past few years or North Carolina in the 90s. I thought maybe someone might slip through -- at least to the Elite Eight -- but wasn't stunned when no one did. Watch out next year though.
Silver Spring, Md.: Any word on how bad the injury to Nick Caner-Medley's ankle is? What are your thoughts about Maryland's basketball team for next year? Thanks. John Feinstein: Caner-Medley will be fine -- certainly by the time Fall workouts begin. I don't think he will need surgery, from what I heard. Maryland will be very different next year. Talented but young. A team that might struggle early, but should be dangerous by March, when it matters.
Bracketville, USA: Everyone can quit their crying! I'm glad there was such a fuss about re-seeding at the Final Four. Let's wait until Zona and UK actually make it there! Let's give the committee some credit for not looking ahead. Good for Kansas and Marquette! John Feinstein: Wrong. The results of the games do not change the fact that the committee blundered. Seeding is looking ahead… otherwise don't seed at all. Their job is to predict much-ups based on the regular season and if upsets happen they happen. What the committee did putting the two best teams in the regular season on the same side of the bracket was inexcusable.
p.s - are you related to a committee member?
Alexandria, Va.: Congratulations to Syracuse for being the first team to make the Final Four without having to play a road game! Does the NCAA plan to do anything to prevent this from happening in the future? John Feinstein: It has actually happened before. On the women's side, Tennessee never left campus this year. One can only hope that in the future the committee will do a better job of not creating advantages for teams the way it did for Syracuse and Texas this year.
Herndon, Va.: Wish you were in the Washington Post and on-line here more often! Would you agree that Kansas is the "favorite," and Texas perhaps the least-respected #1 seed for several years? John Feinstein: If you have to pick a favorite, yes it is Kansas. I don't think there is a clear cut favorite or underdog going into the Final Four, though Marquette is the Cinderella story. I don't think Texas is any less respected as a number 1 than most of the last number ones placed in the bracket are. And they were the last one placed in the bracket.
Arlington, Va.: I've enjoyed many of your books, starting with Season on the Brink. Can you tell us what you plan to work on next? John Feinstein: I have a golf book coming out in June called "Open" which, surprisingly enough, is about last years US Open -- the first one to be played on a true public golf course, at Bethpage Black. I am currently working on a book on Red Auebach, which I hope to have out by Christmas.
Washington, D.C.: Why does Tony Kornheiser call you 'Junior?' John Feinstein: Long story. Short version is when I was a 20 year old summer intern I occasionally behaved a bit like John Mcenroe whose nickname was Junior. It was only 25 year ago.
Buffalo, N.Y.:
Who are your favorite coaches in Division I? John Feinstein: As coaches or as people? They are very separate issues…
As coaches you have to start with people such as Kurzyzewski, Gary Williams, Roy Williams and Lute Olson. As people, it is a long list ranging from everyone in the Patriot League to guys like Rick Barnes who I personally would love to see win this weekend.
Chevy Chase, Md.: Golf question for you: If you were to poll PGA tour professionals, which Major tournament would they most like to win if they could only win one? I have a friend who says it's overwhelmingly the Masters, whereas I say it's probably split between the Masters and the U.S. Open. I asked Kornheiser and Wilbon one time in a chat. TK said it was 90 percent Masters; Wilbon placed it at 50 percent Masters, 40 percent U.S. Open, around 8 percent British Open, and 2 percent PGA. My friend and I need you to settle this for once and for all. Thanks! John Feinstein: Wilbon is closer to being right. Here is how it breaks down… among Americans it is about a 50/50 spilt (US Open/Masters). Among foreign players it is 80 percent British Open/ 20 percent Masters.
Washington, D.C.: Any truth to the rumor that Michael Jordon is replacing Matt Doherty as coach of UNC? John Feinstein: First I have heard of it. I can't imagine Michael working that hard.
Ft. Worth, Tex.: Just a comment: I read "The Last Amateurs" and loved it. I anxiously reviewed the Patriot league's Web site to see who won the conference tournament and would get the NCAA bid. Thank you for introducing this conference to me and keep up the good work. John Feinstein: Thank you very much. Maybe some day the committee will treat the Patriot league fairly -- unlike this year where Holy Cross should have been a 12th seed.
Richmond, Va.: Isn't the NCAA tourney really about match-ups? You are trashing Syracuse for playing close to home when really they just happened to match-up well against their opponents. Connecticut will beat the Orange 8 out of 10 games, but a team that matched up well against Connecticut knocked them out of the tournament. John Feinstein: I didn't trash Syracuse for playing close to home, I just said they shouldn't be allowed to. Nor should Texas, who probably would have lost to Connecticut has the game been played at a true neutral site. But you are right, it is about matchups. If Kansas had been a number one seed in the South instead of Texas and Texas was a number two in the West, I think Texas would have had a much tougher time getting to the Final Four.
Sterling, Va.: What is your prediction on how long Jeff Jones will stay at AU? John Feinstein: I think unless some spectacular job comes along - Kentucky, Duke, Notre Dame -- Jeff is very Happy at American. He just signed a long-term contract extension, although we all know how much those mean (just ask Pittsburgh). But I think Jeff enjoys coaching these kids and likes living in this area.
Washington, D.C.: Media in North Carolina is reporting that Doh is out at Carolina. I'm a tarheel alum, and my question to you is, in your opinion, should the school "tell all" about Doh and his antics to combat the negative national media coverage (by 'journalists' like Andy Katz), or keep it in house? I'm really torn, but I think I'd rather the school get a little sullied rather than hang Matt out to dry. John Feinstein: If Matt is in fact out, the reasons (his relationship with his players) will probably come out one way or another. When you fire a coach after he wins 11 more games than the previous season clearly there are reasons that go beyond the record.
Boston, Mass.: Upon hindsight, did the Big East get robbed or what? (All four teams making it to the Sweet 16) John Feinstein: I thought the Big East should have had at least one more bid. I saw no reason for Alabama to be in the tournament, but honestly I don't get that bent out of shape about how many bids the major conferences get. I worry more about the mid-majors and this year, for once, the committee took care of them.
15th and L, Washington, D.C.: Do you have any information on who has the inside track on the Penn State job? And will whomever gets the job be able to recruit out of Philly for once. John Feinstein: The most recent name I have heard is Fran Dunphy who, if he took the job, certainly has Philly connections being the coach at Penn and having played at LaSalle.
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: I'm sick of the debate over "home court advantage." First, I think the No. 1 seeds probably deserve that advantage. Second, why have the "Regionals" stopped truly being "regional"? Let 'em truly be regionals -- Midwest teams in the Midwest regional, East teams in the East, etc. -- and let 'em battle. If all the "good" teams happen to be in the South one year, well, that's the way the cookie crumbles. Why doesn't the NCAA care about the fans who have to travel to these games? Why should Sooner fans have to go to Albany and Michigan State fans go to San Antonio for a so-called REGIONAL? John Feinstein: OK, let me boiled this down. Teams have to be moved for balance in the bracket because 70 percent of the schools participating are East of the Mississippi. You would like to keep teams closer to home, but you should not be creating home court advantages in the second week. First week fine, but not the second.
College Park, Md.: Junior, Where does Bob Wade coach today? Back to high school basketball? John Feinstein: Bob Wade, last I heard, was the Parks and Recreation director for the city of Baltimore.
Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: Do you think the sports-media frenzy over March madness basketball robbed the World Figure Skating Championships of the coverage it deserved? (I'm serious). John Feinstein: Please. Are you related to Christine Brennan?
Arlington, Va.: Does Carmelo stay if 'Cuse loses? Many say he loves college and Syracuse in particular, but how can he cough up a 3 pick in the draft? As a 'Cuse fan I hope he stays for another year for a title, but it is understandable. Does he have the fire to wait for a championship? John Feinstein: Watch Carmelo closely this weekend. It is the last time you will see him in a Syracuse uniform.
Syracuse in Washington, D.C.: What do you make of Carmelo's comments after the Oklahoma game, hoping it would not be his last time in the Final Four? And his subsequent locker room comments hinting at a decision to stay in school? Is he serious? Or just playing a really bad joke on all 'Cuse fans? Come On Carmelo... One more year! John Feinstein: He probably think he means it, the same way Steve Francis meant it when he said he was 99 percent sure he would return to Maryland about 15 minutes before he left.
San Francisco, Calif.: The MJ at UNC rumor is an April Fool's Day joke posted on a Duke fan site. John Feinstein: Duke people always did have a good sense of humor.
John Feinstein: Thanks a lot for the questions. Hope you all enjoy the weekend -- I know I will.
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