the best part first?

were you one of the 29.8 million people who watched this week’s debut of American Idol on FOX?

I cried from laughing so hard at the terrible singers. It was great. In my humble opinion, there is not much better television than the first few episodes every season of American Idol during the opening auditions.

I see a lot of similarity between American Idol and March Madness (the NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament). They both possess a quality that is very unique…THE BEST PART OF BOTH ARE THE BEGINNING.

Think about it.

The best part of March Madness is the opening round. Making last minute changes on your bracket. 64 teams all playing in do-or-die games. 12 hour a day college basketball coverage. Buzzer beaters. Small schools that you have never heard of upsetting a major basketball powerhouse. The opening round is way better than the Final Four.

Tell me another sport where the opening round of the playoffs is better than the championship.

Is the opening round of the NBA playoffs better than the Finals? No.

Is the the divisional round of the MLB playoffs better than the World Series? Nope.

Is the the wild card round of the NFL playoffs better than the Super Bowl? No way.

Is the first round of the NCAA college football playoffs better than the BCS Championship? Wait a second…a computer decides that one. Good call, college football. Maybe next year you can let a facebook poll determine who plays in the championship game. (Sorry…that is a conversation/rant for another day.)

Like March Madness, the best part of American Idol is the first few episodes. The opening auditions are much better than the finale. The laughter. The stories that tug on the heart strings. The people who sincerely think they are great because their mom tells them everyday but are really terrible. The obnoxious people.