Did you have a long day today Keegan? Are you tired of basketball season? I'm sorry, but this sounded kinda whiny for the most part. Though we'll definitely throw a pity-party for all that walking people had to do to get from their parking spots. Also interesting that I think you're about the first person I've heard complain about that new arean. From what I hear, it's pretty popular.

Tom, I've not been to the new Sprint Center so I have no idea about the parking, but your seats must have stunk - sorry.

Try watching the game on ESPN 360 - oh, wait, there was some sort of server issues and you couldn't.

Oh, well, the 610 radio broadcast was good (better than the 810 broadcast).

Anway, I agree with your assessment of the Big XII. Unfortunately, after the top 2, no team presents any serious challenge to doing damage in the tournament. I think it would be fair to question whether we are "battle tested" enough as we go into the dance.

I don't get to watch a whole lot of Big 12 basketball on the east coast, but I think you're giving the middle of the pack teams in the other conferences too much credit. Or you're comparing our middle teams to UCLA, UNC, etc. Which would be ridiculous.

Tom,

I disagree with you. The Big 12 RPI rating is a 2. That means we have the 2nd best conference in the nation. How can we have only 4 good teams and be the 2nd best conference. I believe Kansas and Texas are the best two teams but the others are not far behind. I believe the Big 12 deserve 5 teams for sure and Baylor is on the bubble. Look at our non-conference record versus the Pac 10, we had more wins than loses. The ACC has only two great teams, the Pac 10 has two great teams, the Big East has possible two or three great teams. I don't see any difference between the Big 12 conference and the rest of the conferences. Tom you didn't need to write a bad article because you had a bad day.

Wow. Somebody gave Keegan some Woodling grumpy-old-man pills. You are now officially the first member of the media to give the Sprint Center anything less than glowing reviews. And your assessment of the league itself is baffling. Seriously, Tom, just how bad was your seating assignment? And did they run out of cookies in the press room? With this morning's weather likely to put you in an ever worse mood today, please, I implore you, take a happy pill before you wind your back through KC's hot new downtown to the beautiful new Sprint Center to watch four excellent basketball teams do our league proud today. Just a suggestion ...

WOW. What a terrible waste of space.

Sorry your seat sucked. Maybe if you knew a thing or two about basketball, you'd get a spot in the gym next time.

What are you talking about - "Big XII only will get four teams" - for crying out loud, did you not notice Colorado's upset in the tourney? If that doesn't show parity, what does? Oh, and about Baylor - their RPI is in the 20s.

Awful article, knee-jerk analysis and a brooding overtone. Stay home next time and do your neighbors a favor.

I've never been in the Sprint Center, but I have seen high school gyms that would be an upgrade to Kemper Arena. The Sprint may not be great compared to arenas around the country, but it has to be head and shoulders above what Kansas Citians are used to. I don't know if that's good or sad, but it's probably true.
And I don't feel a bit sorry for anybody who has to do some walking. Boo hoo. Should have taken the bus.

Back up the WHAAmbulance. Anybody want his tickets?

First if your seats were bad, that is a good thing. Never understood why the media deserves front row seats. Those who pay for seats should get the best views.

Second, there are no great teams in the country this year. They’re a few very good teams. I think after you take the top two teams out of the BCS schools, everyone else is on the same page. The Big 12 won the overall match up against the Pac 10 this year. Texas has probably given the conference as many marquee wins as anyone.

Finally, maybe you would prefer to go back to Kemper? From everything I've seen the Sprint Center and Power and Light District seem to be something most Kansas Citians never imagined the City would do.

Get him a WHAAA burger and some French Cries!!!!

The thing is, it is hard to predict what sh!t would come out of Keegan's mouth from time to time.

I've been to the Sprint Center. The exterior is super cool, but he's right...inside it's isn't anything you've never seen before. However, it's a huge upgrade for KC and something we should be happy about. I would certainly take a crappy seat to watch this tourney in a heartbeat.

Okay. You guys are right. All is well!

KU is perfect. Just screwing around a bit last night. No big deal.

The Big XII is awesome. Nebraska is a great team. Kansas is unstoppable away from AFH and will continue mow down top 25 teams with ease in the big dance.

A team of real character and grit.

Keegan:

Sorry you got the press seats in the heavens, but I noticed that Greene and Wood had seats at courtside. How the Journal-World decides to divvy up it's passes is not the Big 12's problem.

Any Baylor team that can overcome what they've dealt with deserves at least a #12 seed in the NCAAs. If Baylor gets snubbed, somebody's paid somebody else. THE BIG 12 DESERVES AT LEAST FIVE BIDS!!!!!!!!!

Prozac 20mg po daily for depresed mood

Valium 10 mg po three-times-a-day for agitation/anxiety

Swift Kick to the ass, as needed for entitlement and complacency

Seriously Tom???

Oh and don't forget that the Big East is probably the most overrated conference in the history of college basketball.
Georgetown is the best team and look pretty good. But Louisville? Pitt? Marquette? Terrible. These teams are all equally weak. It's sad when a guy writing in the midwest still has a coastal bias.

You know what really pisses me off? People like Keegan who take Kansas Basketball for granted. I was at the convention center in KC for the women's tourney and it was embarassing how much it seemed our fans didn't care. EVERYONE elses fans out cheered us and therefore our girls didn't do so hot.

We are very fortunate fans for the men's team that we have and it is beyond belief why "someone" is ripping us a new one in MARCH!!! this is a time where we need to rally behind our team more then ever and get over this Elite 8 "hump." Common Keegan, I hope you got off on the right side of the bed this morning and lets help the hawks passed A&M...no matter where are seats are!

Note to Lew: Must improve non-con strength of schedule! Jayhawk Nation will accept early season losses (on occasion) in exchange for some competitive game experience to offset our questionable league.

Arizona, G-Tech, Boston College and USC are usually good. We obviously tried to schedule some tough teams, but it’s tough to predict the future. Not Lew’s fault.

At the risk of irritating Jayhawk Nation when they are on a roll, I would point out in defense of Keegan's point, that as of today, no Big 12 teams other than Texas and KU received a single vote in the most recent ESPN/USA Today poll - none.

5 Big East teams in top 25.

4 Big 10 teams in top 20.

4 SEC teams in top 30.

3 Pac 10 teams in top 25.

3 ACC teams in top 26.

Granted, there are some impressive early season non-conference wins on the Big 12 resume, but I do wonder how tough the league really was after the top 2.

The argument for "we've got parity in the Big 12" is interesting, but when Colorado represents parity, I wonder how good the league is.

Hope I'm wrong. A strong Big 12 will have prepared us for the tourney better.

I will, however, offer to take Tom's tickets to the game today if he doesn't want them.

i'm not sure whether to agree with keegan or not. i don't know why it's NOT okay for him to NOT kiss the shiny arse of the corporate warlord that built the sprint center on the backs of people that for the most part can't afford to go to events there.

after watching some of the other league tournies, i'd say it tend to agree with his assessment of the number of teams we should have in - ONLY if some of the other more "hyped" conferences ("juggernauts", sheesh) get bids for teams that "DESERVE" to get in.

i agree that there tends to be coastal bias in the media, but do you think that the "bottom" 9 teams in this league could beat the any of the top 9 in the big east? i don't, and i can't stand the big easy conference. i think ou or baylor would have trouble against 'cuse (9th in the big east); nevermind the rest of the teams below ou and baylor. i DO think that our top 3 would match up well with their top 3, and k-state would probably handle any of their 3 as well as ut or ku could.

if big 12 gets 4, then the sec should only get 4. i think any of their top 4 would have probs with any of our top 4. tennessee is pretty good, but i think they'd have trouble with ut, ku, and ksu, but i'm not sure they'll be the "best" team from the sec in the conference. i'd almost take vandy ahead of them. uk? for get about it: 18-11 in THAT conference? ksu could WIN that conference, and ou/baylor might contend, so it's silly if they get more in than the big 12 does.

acc? there's ONE team in that league that could be every team in the big 12 (and will probably win the NC), but the other teams in that league are pretty much medium to high-medium if they played in other leagues. duke has coach k, and i think they've played over their heads all year - but they have coach k, so they could probably "only" beat 10 of the big 12. i'd LOVE to see duke and ksu, though. i DO think clemson is a bit underrated.

i didn't even lood in the west, but if we only get 4 in, i know lots of other leagues that should too.

melrank, i must've been writing my loooong response when you were writing your succinct one, but i think they dovetail nicely.

While I have been there and seen it, I have not personally attended an event at the Sprint Center. However, my wife, other family, co-workers and friends have. Everyone I've talked to has commented that the seat and aisle spacing is very poor. The seats are apparently very narrow, so everyone is touching shoulder-to-shoulder with the person sitting next to them. People of average size complain that their knees essentially touch the seats or people sitting in front of them. It's apparently nearly impossible to move through the seating aisles past anyone already at their seat.

It's all about cramming in as many people as possible into the given space to maximize event attendance (i.e. profits). KC folks expected a state-of-the-art, world-class facility, but apparently it's not.

All that needs to be said:

"Leave Kansas, and never come back."

Jacob, you said what I wanted to say in one hundred words in twelve. The eloquence of brevity.

I will put this out there, though: I expect this attitude from you, Keegan, but this is just ridiculous. Constant off-base opinions and highly suspect skills as a writer -- how did you get this job again?

"Leave Kansas, and never come back."

That's from Tombstone, right?

I'll give you three guesses why Keegan hates going up hills...and sitting in non-court-side seats.

Wrong again Keegan. Looks like the Big 12 got six teams into the NCAA tournament.

Where where you sitting? I believe the Sprint center is a pretty nice arena. Are you sure they didn't send you over to the 'special' seating at Kemper?

No, but he belonged there. =)

Sportwriters whining about seats??? Seriously?

Does a basketball arena need to be Taj Mahal? It is a very, VERY nice home for a variety of events. Tens of thousands of fans had a terrific weekend (just ask them) and Keegan complains because he had to walk a few blocks, over a hill?

Not to mention some terrific basketball.

LJW must be a miserable place to work with all the complaining...