Can we talk?
 
BIAS - that's a funny word.  There's real BIAS, and there's
the appearance of BIAS.  Take the NCAA selection committee
for example (oh, no, not again! - but why not? let's discuss it).
There was the appearance of BIAS last year with Cornell AND BU, with
Cornell being a "surprise" seed and BU getting a "surprise" bye over
BC.  Notice that I quoted "surprise", ONLY because the decisions
APPEARED TO BE controversial. Again this year we set ourselves
up for apparent bias by putting TWO committee members in the
position of making controversial decisions.
 
Before you start yelling that I should be careful with my
accusations, let me make it clear that I'm NOT making any accusations.
You can argue until you're blue in the face that these committee
members do their job in an unbiased, morally sound fashion,
but THAT DOESN'T REMOVE THE APPEARANCE OF BIAS.
 
Setting the stage: Suppose Coach X is coach of team A, and teams A
                   and B are being considered for two available seeds:
 
Sunday night discussion around the table:
 
   Moderator: Ok, let's discuss team A.  Hey, X, please refrain from entering
              the discussion of team A.  Ok, what do you all think?
 
   Everyone: blah, blah, blah,...
 
   Moderator: ok, 4th seed.  Now let's consider team B.
 
   Coach X: I think team B should be seeded 4th because blah, blah, blah,...
 
   Everyone: blah, blah, blah,...
 
   AD Z: but we already have a fourth seed.
 
   Moderator: good point Z. Well, X, I guess we have to go back to
         team A.  Please refrain from entering the discussion.
         Ok, what do you all think?
 
   What everyone says: blah, blah, blah,...
 
   What everyone thinks: ("Does coach X want team B 4th seed because team
                         B deserves 4th seed or because the coach wants
                         team A to have 3rd seed?")
 
Again, before you start spouting off about integrity and moral
responsibility, that doesn't remove the APPEARANCE OF BIAS, and
that doesn't stop people from using that appearance to make all sorts
of accusations.  Why let it happen in the first place?
 
 
Larry Latour
UMaine
 
Possible response: Aw, come on. These committee members are
class individuals.  They'll make the right choice!
 
Answer: That's not the point!!