2011 NCAA Tournament: The Final Four - Evil Versus Good

You ever hear the term Good Versus Evil and wonder, why does good get top billing? Of course you don't. Because it's good, right?

The lines are blurring though. More and more people think that Good Versus Evil is an archaic notion. Anybody that would believe in such a thing surely is some 'right wing, tea bagging, Christian Fanatic!' Right? Shots Heard believes in such a notion. And never in our three and a half years online have we ever pimped the Republican party, discussed the national debt or touted religion.

But today's Final Four is just that, Evil Versus Good. And just like real life, Evil has the upper hand and top billing.

The Evil - Kentucky And A University In Connecticut (Formerly known as UCONN)

Kentucky's John Calipari committed 'major violations' at UMASS and Memphis. The schools were 'punished' and what is Calipari's reward? Only arguably the 'best coaching job' in the nation. In the NCAA, cheaters do prosper.

A University In Connecticut's coach, John Calhoun was found guilty of major cheating. His punishment? He misses three games, NEXT YEAR. It's a laugher, we know. The NCAA truly is a joke. And when a company like the NCAA has no real ethics, then they have no idea just how pathetic they look. There's no seeing the forest for the trees.

Kentucky and A University In Connecticut represent 'The Power Six' conferences. They represent the group that has an unethical strangle hold, not only on college basketball, but college sports in general (See BCS). These are the 'money makers.'

These teams represent the NCAA's win at all costs attitude. These teams represent the millions of dollars of greedy executives. These teams represent the transition from pure sport to pure evil. If you ask Jim Calhoun if he is overpaid he will only take it as an insult. Money is not only the bottom line, it's the core value at these evil institutions.

The Good - Butler And VCU

Butler is just a little school that humbly does the right things. Coach Brad Stevens once remarked, "the greatest compliment I can receive is when a professor tells me I didn't know that student was on the basketball team until I turned on the television set and saw him in the game." Student athletes at Butler are not receiving improper benefits and special treatment.

That is a far cry from Calipari's Mempis, where Derick Rose cheated on the SAT to be a part of his win at all costs program.

VCU meanwhile is a the 'everyday man on the streets.' Maybe they are good, maybe they are a little bad. But they are not the real problem in college sports. We root for VCU because we root for 'the little guy.' Certainly their run in the tournament has been inspiring and epic. They show us that anybody can live the American dream.

But VCU represents the current bitter sweet taste of the American dream. They represent the affirmative action instituted by the Evil that runs the system. VCU got into the tournament ahead of 15 to 20 more qualified teams. 

It divides. How dare we say VCU has not earned everything it got, right? Wrong. But certainly we do not blame VCU. They did nothing wrong. They just played ball with honor.

Just like real life, affirmative action is Evil's way of handpicking pawns and disregarding actual merit and accomplishment. There were more than fifteen teams that were more qualified than VCU to be in the tournament. But the committee wanted somebody that they thought would be one and done (like real life). And they wanted to look benevolent for throwing some crumbs on to the floor for 'the little guy.'

But we don't care about 'the little guy.' Honestly. The only one that ever truly cares about 'the little guy' is the little guy. In fact, we are not rooting for 'the little guy' more than we are rooting against AIG's and Bank Of America's of the world that are keeping the 'have nots' down.

What we care about is fairness. We don't care about affirmative action. Affirmative action is a means to give unfair benefits and divide 'the have nots' while Evil swims in their riches.

Are we really rooting for VCU or are we just rooting for an F U to the system? Shots Heard suggest the ladder.

Of course, in Butler's case, they are easy to root for. They have earned everything that they got (and then some). They have received lower seeds than they deserved and still beat against the system.

So...

So as you watch this Final Four, ask yourself. Are you for Evil or for Good? Perhaps it's time to pick up your cross and carry it.

Picture: Butler does it the right way, 'The Butler Way.' It's all blood, sweat and tears. It's an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.

Follow-Up #1: No style points for bricked free throws

Two things to follow up on: Chris Douglas-Roberts and company's free throw shooting and Calipari's coddling his players. Both things that cost Memphis a championship. And now to write about the former item in this first follow-up.

This is how I described DR's free throw shooting, "Every time Douglas-Roberts goes to the line he whacks his shooting arm with his off arm in between dribbles. All this while leaning his body away from the basket in an unorthodox alignment that decreases any natural symmetry. With that style, he might as well be on a boat trying to skip rocks into the Pacific Ocean."

Sounds like sensational journalism if I did not know any better. Yet my solution was simple: "I would tell Douglas-Roberts to knock it off if he cannot shoot at least 85 percent from the free-throw line."

In my years as a teacher, I have found that even the worst behaved students know how to act. The trap that many teachers fall into is assuming that they are being oppressors and not instructors. Appeasement in turn leads to lesser output, no matter what level an individual or team is at.

This concept came to light when the championship game verse Kansas was on the line and Douglas-Roberts went to the line. No longer was his body averted as if his legs were on hydraulics. There were no disruptive hits to his arm. Just a nearly straight-up shot with complete concentration.

This is proof that this kid knew he could shoot better with fundamentals. But to be fundamentally flawed is hip, and Calipari did not want to be the one getting in Douglas-Roberts ear, telling him what he was doing was unacceptable.

Of course reality hit Douglas-Roberts that even a championship was more to hang his hat on than a quirky free-throw style. Douglas-Roberts hit both his free-throws with a more fundamental shot.

But it would be too little too late for Memphis as their prideful contempt against improving free-throw shooting would lead to missing 4 out of 5 down the stretch, as the more fundamentally team-oriented Kansas would go on to win a game they otherwise had no business winning against a team with that much talent.

Yes, no style points for bricked free throws and in most cases no jewelry either! That would go to the team that shot 93 percent from the free throw line and not 63 percent. Because THEY ALL COUNT, Mr. Calipari and Kansas made them when they counted.