Dear Editor,

After watching a portion of the 2010 men's basketball tournament selection show, affectionately known as "Bracketology," I know now why it's called "March Madness."

Madness it is. I'm not a monster basketball enthusiast, but I do follow the sport enough to say with some confidence that the so-called experts missed the mark when they did not choose Virginia Tech as a part of the field of 65. Therefore, I feel that someone needs to take the responsibility in defending Virginia Tech basketball.

When I saw that VT was not chosen as a part of the field, it sparked a question in me. What does it really take to make it to the field of 65?

I understand the conference resume concept, and the obligations of the tournament selection committee, but I don't understand not being chosen when the resume is strong, and it exceeds other teams from the same conference.

All the talk about strength of schedule, weaknesses, on the bubble, rankings, seedings, are no more that a short list of ways to justify choosing other teams who can in no way compete on the same level as VT. Guess what, I'm not a Hokie, so don't think I'm whining because my team didn't make the big dance.

I'm just curious, what does it really take to get in?

Corwin Casey Roanoke

Duke plays who?

How does it make sense that Virginia Tech, which played No. 1 seed Duke close, is left out of the NCAA tournament while some team expected to lose by 15-plus points (Winthrop or Arkansas-Pine Bluff) is scheduled to play Duke in the NCAA tournament?

Roger E. Harris Roanoke

Even up the coverage

Recently, the University of Virginia men's tennis team won its third consecutive ITA indoor championship.

This merited a 4-square-inch, 30-word mention in The Roanoke Times sports section.

[On Feb. 21], Virginia Tech's basketball team lost a regular-season game. The article covering this occupied 206 square inches plus three color photos.

Two hundred-six versus four. Another example of our paper's fair and balanced sports coverage.

Martha M. Teague Roanoke

Olympic hockey has right pace

Tired of those innumerable and never-ending "timeouts" of basketball and football? (The slowness of baseball speaks for itself.)

Then hockey is our game -- especially Olympic hockey. That game is fast-paced from beginning to end! Unfortunately one has to tolerate the boring fights of professional hockey -- I went to a boxing match recently, and a hockey game broke out!

But if one can overlook that entertainment, there is not a more exciting and exhausting game.

Now if only they could find a color for the puck that would help us to follow it during the contest!

Frank D. Williamson Covington

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