I don't like the "most significant" tag for any sports event, but GMU was definitely the feel good story of 2006 and epitomizes what a great event the NCAA basketball tournament is. The tournament proves how the college presidents of Div. I schools allow corporations to run college football and how meaningless all college bowl games are other than the "mythical" national championship game (participants decided by a computer).

This was one of the best sports stories in a long time. The Cinderella du jour story at the NCAAs was getting hackneyed and stale as Gonzaga et. al. always fell short at the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight. But GMU went through Mich. St, defending champs UNC, a highly touted Wichita State, and U. Conn., whom ESPN lobbied to be declared National Champs without playing the tournament. Mason lost to the eventual champs, U. of Fla. Though they had very little depth and were undersized, the Patriots starting five were very mature, experienced and had stellar high school careers. The Colonial Athletic Conference was quite impressive with GMU, Old Dominion making the NIT Final 4. The best part of it was hearing some hoop pundits literally screaming for a Congressional inquiry when GMU got selected. Shows you that opinions are like anuses: everyone has one and they all reek when you analyze them up close.

Its time to edit this listing. It should be noted that George Mason upset 4 teams, 3 of which have won titles in the last decade, to get to the Final Four as an 11 seed. They tie the lowest seed ever to get to the Final Four, and unlike LSU in 1986, they did it coming from an unknown conference. I live in the DC area, and everybody is going crazy for Mason now, but even 2 months ago people were just talking about Maryland, GW, and Georgetown when conversations turned to who was the best baskteball program in the area. GMU's run has been the most surprising in NCAA tournament history, and therefore has to rank as probably the best story so far in sports this year.