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Time out: We didn't ask for 'media' timeout

Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson, left, talks to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Clemson, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014, in Clemson, S.C. Clemson won 68-65. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)
Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson, left, talks to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Clemson, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014, in Clemson, S.C. Clemson won 68-65. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

As the commercial telethon commonly known as the NCAA Tournament wraps up its second weekend, it seems too much time has been spent watching folks pitch something for sale rather than seeing actual basketball action.

TV has eight mandatory timeouts, four in each half, that last 2 1/2 minutes (one minute longer than the regular season). Each team also gets a total of five timeouts, varying in length from 30 seconds to a minute, although the first 30-second timeout of the second half automatically becomes one minute.

Oh, and halftime is expanded from 15 minutes to 20 minutes for the tournament so commentary by Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith can be aired, and sometimes they are more entertaining than the games.

It isn't just basketball, either. College football games are running closer to 3 1/2 hours than three, and there was a time the 60 minutes were played in less than three hours.

Now every game is televised. So if Bret Bielema's Arkansas Razorbacks control the first quarter and it is played in 30 minutes, that doesn't mean the game will be short.

Which may have a lot to do with declining attendance numbers across the nation.

Do you want to endure all those timeouts from your sofa or from aluminum bleachers in the elements? Do you want to have a private restroom or stand in line to get in a crowded restroom that usually stinks?

Anyway, TV ratings were up for the first weekend of March Madness, and there is no reason to believe they won't be again, even though there were 12 games spread out from Thursday to today instead of 48.

This afternoon's games, TV commercials and all, should be terrific.

Two teams punched their tickets to Indianapolis on Saturday night, and this afternoon No. 1 seed Duke takes on No. 2 seed Gonzaga and No. 4 Louisville faces No. 7 Michigan State. The Spartans are the lowest-seeded team left in the field and squeaked by Oklahoma on Friday night.

Meanwhile, the coaching carousel continues to spin after Tennessee fired its coach for deleting emails during an NCAA investigation at Southern Miss. So where is the surprise? Donnie Tyndall got in trouble with the NCAA at Morehead State before taking the Southern Miss job.

Maybe the surprise is that Tennessee Athletic Director Dave Hart, who has refused to use a search committee (until now), still has his job. The Vols are looking for their third coach in three years.

St. John's axed Steve Lavin after five seasons and an 81-55 record. Lavin was an ESPN analyst, but before that he was the head coach at UCLA. Smart money says he lands back on TV and not at Tennessee.

Arizona State fired Herb Sendek after reaching the NCAA Tournament only twice in nine seasons, and reports Saturday said Rick Barnes will officially be let go by Texas today after another early exit from the NCAA Tournament.

On the home front, many are probably more interested in whether Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls will turn pro than they are in the NCAA Tournament.

If Portis is a lottery pick, he almost has to go. His first season would be worth about $1.7 million.

Qualls probably should come back, even though he has made great progress since coming to Arkansas.

When he first arrived, his best, second-best and third-best shots were dunks. Now he has developed into something of a shooter. He's athletic enough to play defense in the NBA next season, but his offense needs a little more development, although he closed the season by scoring 20 and 27 points in two NCAA Tournament games.

One final comment about "media" timeouts. They were once called what they really are, TV timeouts, but major networks persuaded the NCAA to change the term to ease the criticism about so many long timeouts.

No newspaper reporter has ever called a timeout during a game.

Sports on 03/29/2015

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