What's so special about the "Sweet 16"?

I love sports and to be quite honest there really aren't too many sporting events that rival the NCAA Tournament.  I remember from the time I was young going to Pizza Hut getting the lop sided basketballs that they sold for $4 for the Final Four.  They also had a Sweet 16 deal that involved something for $16.  If you're judging a teams success by how far they go in the tournament you can say that if the team made it to the Sweet 16 they've had a pretty good year.  Buy why then, what is so special about winning two games and making it to the level before the quarter finals?  I'm a BYU fan, and this year the team rode the success of super phenom why guy superstar Jimmer Fredette.  The team had struggled to get out of the first round for so many years actually got a decent scede and won two games against fairly decent opponents.  (Gonzaga was that good, and yes Jimmer was that good, Florida was an off shooting night and the Gators play defense really well and close out quickly so BYU didn't have too many great looks.  Okay now that's off my chest, burn in Hell Rick Reilly)... where was I?  Anyway, the point is that when you really look at it it's all a branding/marketing ploy.  I used to feel like it was a way to gague your teams success, and to a certain degree it is, but lets be honest, BYU being a #3 seed should have won those two games.  Pitt obviously was a litttle overratted and now Ohio State and Duke fell victim to that too. 

You see, the whole thing used to be a basketball purists dream.  Just young guys not playing for money but for the love of the game.  Then incredibly, rediculously, stupidly huge TV contracts became involved.  TV ruined college football and has ruined college basketball.  I was shocked at how many TV timeouts there are this year!  If the game is close, there are going to be even more.  You wonder how those guys can play at such furious paces, well, they get a two minute rest every three minutes.. sometimes it's only 30 seconds.  Turner Networks paid $9 billion dollars to co-broadcast with CBS and they want to make their money back somehow, so what better way than to make us all nautious after viewing the same commercials for the 15th time in 20 minutes.  It's all about the money.  It's not about the success of your team, it's not about making it to the Sweet 16, it's about money hungry executives charging time for companies eager to get their products in front of people wanting to watch a game.  Southwest and their giant red tape ball can shove it... I'm done with seeing it. 

I quickly digress.  I love the tourney and what it should stand for.  So what is so special about the Sweet 16?  Well, not a lot anymore.  It just means that you've had to sit through way too many commercials and too many people having their brackets screwed up because some reporters made you drink the Cool-aid.  You know, to be one of the final 16 teams in the country is pretty cool.  The NCAA and the media have made it that way.  It is an accomplishment but it seems to be less and less of one as time goes on and as the media takes over.  Problem is, we'll all keep watching it cause it's that good.  I've said my two cents... The NCAA tournament is an incredible product and a great brand and everyone rides its coattails.  I guess I can't blame them, I'm doing it too.