The CBS Selection Show was off to a rocky start before it even aired. Many fans criticized the decision to move from an hour-long show to a two-hour marathon. The show was not even at the halfway mark, at around 6:10 p.m., when Twitter lit up with the news of a leak.
Soon, fans and critics were abuzz with the rumor of a leaked bracket. Some die-hard fans refused to believe it, instead assuming it was a colossal prank. But in a move that would have made Edward Snowden proud, every leaked team was correct.
Most bracketologists were ecstatic to get the information they needed without having to wait 2 hours. Critics of the leak were relieved that they would no longer have to suffer through the stale banter. Many of the unveiled teams learned of their seeding via the internet.
Joe Castiglione, chairman of Men’s Division I Basketball, was left red-faced and angry. He was not aware of the issue until just before making his appearance on CBS. The tourney is a financial boon to CBS and Turner Networks, who share a portion of the estimated $10 billion revenue. The sentiment by most online was that CBS was greedily trying to milk the Selection Show and got their comeuppance.
Yes, the leak was a bigger surprise than the snubbing of Monmouth and South Carolina. Yes, South Carolina. But surprises and upsets are what college basketball is all about. Let the Madness begin!
