The NCAA Says All Players Need While Locked in a Hotel Room for Days Is a Puzzle and a Book

Look, I understand that this is an incredibly difficult situation for everybody. Obviously it's fantastic that we're getting an NCAA Tournament and it at least appears that all the teams we expected to be in it will be able to participate. And with the necessity of quarantining everybody in a bubble during all of this, the experience off the court is going to largely suck no matter what happens.

But it's totally fine for the NCAA to come out and say that everyone needs to just understand it's going to be kinda shitty but it is what it is and they're doing their best. Instead, it appears they're flaunting what a great job they did by giving every player ... a puzzle and a book by John Thompson. You know, exactly what every 19-year-old wants.

But wait, there's more! If you're fortunate enough to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, you can go down to the lobby and play NBA 2K. How exciting! That's actually far crazier than the puzzle bit. The video game tournament has to wait until there are only 16 teams? Do four of them, then.

And again, I think everyone understands that living in a hotel for weeks while we try to get through March Madness as seamlessly as possible is not going to be luxurious. But a puzzle?! I consider myself a relatively learned and curious individual and you couldn't pay me to do a puzzle, even if it was literally the only thing to do while locked inside a hotel.

And to tie this in with what every conversation regarding the NCAA always leads back to, these guys playing for free with the circumstances surrounding this NCAA Tournament should have walked into their hotel rooms and had a brand new PS5 sitting on the bed. That seems like a pretty fair — and apt — reward, given what these guys are being asked to do. Not one player would have complained about anything if the NCAA had done that.

But yes, at the end of the day, we're getting March Madness. Thank you to all the players and coaches who are doing everything necessary to play this Tournament. I can't wait.