I've been watching this debate about the "best team" comments with
interest, and almost responded a couple times, but I think this is a
difficult issue to talk about because emotions run high.
 
I have no ties to any of these schools involved, so here is my take.
 
Michigan was the best team in the nation during the season.  Red Berenson
is right.  Brendan Morrison is right.  The facts show that, they lost but
four games and to only three other teams, while mauling many more.
 
Michigan doesn't need Berenson or Morrison to tell them how good they are,
they know it.  We don't need them to tell us because anyone who has seen
Michigan has seen how good they are.
 
But it is a fact of sports that the best team does not always win.
Michigan may have been the best team during the regular season, like Kansas
in basketball.
 
But I take a slightly different angle.  What good is being the best team in
the regular season if you don't win the championship?  Sure, in time you
might look back and be at peace, and your fans will always remember you,
but do you think those Michigan players would rather have lost 10 games and
been national champions, than been the best team in the regular season?
 
These teams work all year to make the tournament, and once that's happened
it doesn't really matter what you've done before, because the tournament is
the great equalizer.  If there was an NCAA Regular Season title, it would
belong to Michigan, and well deserved.  But part of being the best is
winning the games that really count.  That is the nature of the beast.
 
Michigan did not do that, and while this should not take away from a great
season it will because of Michigan's own expectations and understandably
that of their fans.  However, calling your team the "best" now is a slap at
North Dakota.  Once the tournament started, Michigan knew they couldn't
lose another game, so did North Dakota, so did New Hampshire who got
knocked out in the first round.  These were the best 12 teams in the nation
and to be the best, you had to beat these teams.  North Dakota did that,
Michigan did not.
 
Talent-wise and on paper Michigan had the "best" team, but when the games
were decided on the ice the best team is the one left standing when the
dust settles -- North Dakota.
 
 
 
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Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])
 
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