There are many reasons why extra contest is bad idea

	Monmouth's John Bunch kisses the Northeast Conference championship trophy, but his team still isn't really in the NCAA tournament. AP

Since its inception in 2001, the play-in game has been an annual source of anguish for fans, players and coaches, if for no other reason than it ruined the joke of calling the NIT champ the "65th best team in the country." Now every time you do it, some smart-ass guy says, "Don't you mean 66th?" God, we all hate that guy.

However, we should be focusing our irritation at the play-in itself. The logic behind it is clear: let another team into the tournament. However, this game is not one of the NCAA's better innovations, no mean feat for the people who gave us both the BCS and the inspiration for the film Blue Chips.

The teams in the play-in game are generally the lowliest teams entering the tourney (tonight's participants, Monmouth and Hampton, are a combined 34-29), the most notable example being Oakland in 2005, which snuck in with an astounding record of 11-18 before winning the play-in. These teams are either surprise winners in small conferences or average teams pulled out of really tiny conferences. This year is no different. Oak Hill Academy would have a decent shot at knocking Monmouth and Hampton off.

However, they shouldn't have to play an extra game just to get into the "real" tournament bracket. The mantra of the weeklong blitz of conference championships is "Win and you're in," but for some conferences it should be "Win and you're (sort of) in." To get into the tourney draw, these teams have done the one thing that's asked of them: win their conference titles. Now they've been relegated to a second-tier play-in game so the selection committee can accommodate some marginal bubble team from a big conference?

That's insulting to the players and coaches who have worked so hard to get their teams into the tournament. This is the Big Dance, and they've been told that they're the back-up date in case a prettier girl can't go, but, hey, they've got great personalities! For most of these small-school players, getting to play in the NCAA tournament will be the unequivocal highlight of their basketball careers, and it's one that they've earned. When they get to tell their kids about playing in the tournament, they shouldn't have to add, "On a Tuesday..." under their breath. Imagine if your parents not only did not buy you that new bike for your birthday, but they also ran over your old one while you were riding it. That's about the closest I can get to how disappointing this must be.