[rojas]

Saying a sweet 16 pot is gambling is the same as filling out a bracket every yr and throwing 10 bucks in an office pool.
Gambling? Maybe.
But def not the way your making it out to be.

What advantage does a ref have in picking region winners?

I think you are WAY off-base here. Do you really think that if Joe Ref from the 14th Region is sent to a neighboring region to officiate the Regional Tournament and he potentially has about $80,000 riding on the outcome of the game, that might have the least little effect on if that was a block or a charge?

You obviously have more confidence in the honesty of the gambling officials than I do.