JoPo reads the planet.

[SPchief]

Other than random occurances, this is a decent article.


JOE POSNANSKI COMMENTARY
COMMENTARY
OH, WOE, YOU NORTHWESTERN
One of my favorite kinds of sports argument is when you get two fans arguing about which one has suffered more.

I used to regularly have this kind of argument with my friend Robert, a New York Mets fan, back in the days when Cleveland and New York both had terrible baseball. He would mention the Tom Seaver trade; I would mention 10-cent beer night. He would complain about Wayne Twitchell, I would complain about Paul Reuschel. It was a good fight.

Then, the Mets won the 1986 World Series, ruining those arguments forever. In some twisted way, I think Robert was sad that I had won the argument.

It seems clear to me that Kansas City area sports fans can hold their own with anyone in America when it comes to suffering. Let’s go back just 15 years. Zero championships, of course. Zero Super Bowls. Zero baseball playoffs. The Chiefs have three times had home-advantage in the playoffs and lost. The Royals have been awful. Kansas has probably had more great basketball teams than any other school in America over that time, and they have not won the title. Kansas State football lost with the national championship game in sight.

Missouri. Fifth down. Tyus Edney. Nebraska kick.

It seems to me that Kansas City fans as a whole have suffered more than any other collection of fans. Of course, some would argue that point. Cincinnati fans have suffered a lot, too, over those 15 years. Cleveland fans lost a football team. Houston fans lost a football team and Reggie Bush. Minneapolis has been close and lost, which hurts. Washington waited forever and got this baseball team, which can’t feel too good.

The point is that the “most tormented sports city in America” argument is wide open. But one sports argument is closed. As we get ready for the Final Four to begin, there is absolutely no doubt which college has the worst college basketball tradition.

Are you ready for this? Northwestern has never been to the NCAA Tournament.

Now, maybe you already knew this. This seems like something everyone should know. But I have to admit that until last week in San Jose, I had no idea. I was talking to some sportswriters who went to Northwestern — about 83.2 percent of all sportswriters went to Northwestern — and one of them, the estimable San Jose columnist Mark Purdy, just happened to say something like: “Well, no matter what happens to Kansas, at least they have been to the tournament, unlike my alma mater, Northwestern.”

Understand, he said this very much in passing, the way you might say, “Hey, did you know that the director’s cut for ‘The Natural’ is coming out Tuesday?” Later, other sportswriters who attended Northwestern — including the Washington Post’s Mike Wilbon — made similarly carefree comments about Northwestern having never been to the tournament. They said it as if it were just some everyday thing.

Well, it’s no everyday thing. This has to be the single-most amazing streak going in sports today. Northwestern, a major university in a major conference, a respected institution with more than 18,000 students and a long history, a school that gave us Nobel prize winners in chemistry, medicine and literature, the school that gave us Jerry Springer for crying out loud, has never been to the NCAA Tournament.

It’s impossible. But it’s true.

Understand, there have been 297 teams that have made the NCAA Tournament. Northwestern hasn’t made it. There have been 12 teams with “North” in their name, and four more with “Western.” Northwestern hasn’t made it.

There have been four Wildcats to make the tournament — Kansas State, Davidson, Arizona and Kentucky. No Northwestern Wildcats. There have been Jumbos, Zips and Matadors in the tournament; there have been Matadors, Chanticleers and two different Dukes, not to mention the actual school called Duke. No Northwestern.

Toothpaste has made it — Colgate. A coffee cake has made it — Drake. Seven different Saints have made the tournament — from Bonaventure to Peter. There have been hotel chains in the tournament (Fairfield, Hampton) and an eye chart (IUPUI). Holy Cross and Trinity have made it. Three different Loyolas have made it.

And Northwestern has not. For fun, I looked up the Big Ten team that has the second-fewest appearances in the tournament. That would be Penn State. With eight appearances.

Well, I’m amazed. Here was one interesting thing: All the Northwestern sportswriters, without prodding or any apparent communication among them, individually pointed out that Northwestern did play host to the very first Final Four in 1939. They each said this with an odd mix of resignation and pride. It must be tough when you have no one to argue with.


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