[ComfortEagle]

I really don't ever trust what I see at Midnight Madness (or Big Blue, whatever). I know it's supposed to be a practice, and they do go through some drills like passing and fast breaks, but it's still mainly for the fans. The TV crews are filming, and there's always a big production with all the bells and whistles. Plus, they usually have a dunk contest, which is definitely, you could say, "made-for-TV"!

Right, I'm not saying it's an exact way to determine exactly how good of skills they have, but it is a good predictor of mood for the rest of the year. Last years Midnight Madness and the one before it were very lackluster. The one three years ago was a little better, people were amazed by Rondo, there was a general excitement in the air. This was not so after the previous two Madnesses.