The debut of the two-hour version of the CBS Selection Show was terrible. The spoiler bracket that hit social media midway through the bracket unveil was a delight.
West Virginia's NCAA tournament fate can be perceived as somewhere in between.
The Mountaineers will play Friday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. WVU is a No. 3 seed - only the second time since seeding began in 1979 the program has been seeded as high in the big bracket - and will face No. 14 Stephen F. Austin in the East Region first round.
Stephen F. Austin is a frightening first-round opponent for a No. 3 seed, so we'll start with the downside of the bracket placement for Bob Huggins' Mountaineers.
First, Stephen F. Austin is 27-5, including 20-0 since the calendar flipped to 2016 (the nation's longest winning streak entering the Big Dance). The Lumberjacks are coached by Brad Underwood, a Huggins disciple at Kansas State who has compiled an 88-13 record in three seasons in Nacogdoches, Texas. SFA is easily the most difficult challenge any of the 3 seeds will face, which seems like a slight to the No. 2 team in the Big 12.
The other No. 3 seeds - Utah, Miami and Texas A&M - will face Fresno State, Buffalo and Wisconsin-Green Bay, respectively. Fresno State lost nine games, Buffalo lost 14 and Green Bay 12. SFA has the highest RPI of the group, the most wins, the longest winning streak, etc.
None of those teams won regular season conference titles, like SFA did at 18-0 in the Southland Conference. Fresno State finished second in the Mountain West. Buffalo (Mid-American Conference) and Green Bay (Horizon) were fourth-place teams in the regular season.
They are playing well now, of course, because of the conference tournament runs, but Stephen F. Austin's body of work is impressive.
SFA is in the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season with Underwood as coach. The Lumberjacks were a No. 12 seed in the two previous trips, and defeated No. 5 seed VCU in 2014. They were ousted by No. 5 seed Utah last season.
Stephen F. Austin is 13-5 in road/neutral games this season, so the NBA hardwood shouldn't be an issue. Meanwhile, none of the other 14 seeds had more than SFA's 13 road/neutral wins, but all had more road/neutral losses, including nine each by Buffalo and Green Bay.
So, Friday's first-round game is hardly a gimme for WVU, which is making its 27th NCAA tournament appearance and seventh trip in nine seasons under Huggins.
It's not all bad, though.
There is familiarity throughout the East Region for the Mountaineers.
A second-round opponent could be No. 6 Notre Dame, a former Big East rival. If No. 11 Michigan can win its play-in game against Tulsa on Wednesday and then knock out the Irish on Friday, it would mean the Wolverines would have to face WVU's all-out press in their third game in five days.
That might be reason enough to root for a John Beilein reunion on the court.
Look beyond that and No. 10 Pitt lurks on the bottom half of the bracket. A Sweet Sixteen brawl? It could happen.
Of course, the top half of the bracket includes No. 4 seed Kentucky and coach John Calipari, because what would the NCAA tournament be without the potential of that matchup? If it happens, it would be in the regional finals in Philadelphia on March 27 for a spot in the Final Four.
No. 2 seed Xavier (seventh) is the only other team in the bottom half of the East bracket with an RPI in the top 25. Should the Mountaineers be flipped with the Musketeers? Maybe. I think a better case could be made for WVU swapping spots Oklahoma, although WVU's Brooklyn-to-Philly path to the Final Four is advantageous.
The Sooners get their first two games without leaving the state - Oklahoma City is a host site - and have a much friendlier first round opponent in CSU Bakersfield.
One might recall that WVU finished ahead of OU in the Big 12's regular season and ousted the Sooners from the Big 12 tournament. Oklahoma has a higher RPI, better strength of schedule and more wins against the RPI top 25.
There is little doubt Huggins will use any perceived snub as motivation.
There is also little doubt about the madness that is about to ensue.
Remember this season saw six different teams ascend to the No. 1 spot in the polls. If that doesn't spell chaos, know that the 23 combined losses of the four No. 1 seeds - Kansas, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia - are the most ever for the NCAA tournament big dogs.
Maybe it is better that WVU isn't starting at the top.