The Unbearable Lightness of NITing

3/28/2006 - Michigan 66-43 Old Dominion - We Be In Da Final

Ownzoring the NIT

The cognitive dissonance of this year's NIT would be much like that I would have experienced watching the Lions beat the Saints late last year if

• I cared about the Lions in the slightest
• I had so little to do that I would actually bother watching a Lions-Saints game.
• I mean, seriously, am I in traction in this hypothetical scenario? Do I have legs? A channel other than "worst football games of all time"?
  

At least, I'm guessing it's similar. It's an uncomfortable experience watching a game featuring one of your teams and not knowing whether or not you'd like them to lose. It goes against years of training.

Unlike the Lions, no rational case can be made for Michigan losing, especially when they have an important recruit watching their games -- there's no draft position to tank, there is a little money to be made -- but... still. Should Michigan beat South Carolina on Thursday, Michigan basketball will briefly surface in the national consciousness, but only for some halfhearted mocking. Signatures across the RCMB will be littered with sarcastic paeans to Tommy Amaker's Izzonian dominance of the NIT. Michigan will have confirmed that it blew a shot at its first tournament since the Long Long Ago. On the upside: free hats.

At some point I'd rather just forget last season happened; instead I am contractually obligated to scream "why couldn't you do that against Minnesota?" every time Courtney Sims shows off his impressive skill level. Michigan's thumping of ODU was mindbending. I could not decide whether each progressive basket made me pleased or angry. I'm confused. I want a banana.

Also: caption contest!