In lieu of the start of the beginning of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament this week, I have a bone to pick with just about everything that happened last week. Conference tournaments are great for fans of both major college teams and the mid-major "darlings." Who wouldn't want to see their favorite team play extended games against their conference with a chance at tournament glory on the line? If you're a fan of "the little guy," like I am, you'll understand the problems with conference tournaments.

I am spoiled being a fan of the Siena College Saints, where my father donned green and gold from 1984 - 1988. The program has seen great success over the years and has been more than relevant since joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 1990. During a three-year run from 2008 - 2010, I believe I witnessed one of the greatest basketball achievements of my generation. Siena won the regular season and conference tournament three years in a row as a mid-major. They played a Bracketbuster game against eventual national runner-up, Butler. Most college basketball fans won't forget Siena's famous first round matchup against Vanderbilt, where they throttled the four seed in 2008. Against Ohio State in 2009, the Saints again impressed with an overtime victory that was an instant classic. Days later, Siena took overall top seed Louisville down to the wire. A first round loss to Purdue, the following year does not diminish their accomplishments if, however, Siena lost in any of their conference tournaments.

Sure, buzzer beaters and upsets during Championship Week, ESPN'S week long coverage of conference tournaments, make for great highlights, but do they really make the "Big Dance" any better? Does seeing your favorite team, winning their conference tournament and securing an automatic bid, do anything more than give a false sense of hope? Mid-majors that don't have impressive resumes are always sent to the bottom seeds of the bracket, only to be slaughtered by the top teams. These tournaments are nothing more than a moneymaker for conferences and television stations. To improve the tournament as a whole, we must value the regular season. It isn't fair to the teams that dominate their conferences all season long to miss out on the NCAA tournament because of one slip. Scrap the conference tournaments, and reward the full body of work. Rant over, now bring on March Madness.