• by Mark Lieberman , Op-Ed Contributor, April 4, 2011

Call it what you want: a David and Goliath story, a Cinderella-style fairy tale, a real Dog Fight (Huskies vs. Bulldogs). Any time a little guy becomes a contender in the big game, you've got the makings of a great narrative. This is also true of this year's NCAA Big Dance ... ;-).

If you've been as glued to your screens as I have -- thanks, NCAA, for the excellent iPad app -- you know that this year's Division I college basketball tournament has been the most compelling in years.

The Final Four offered up a great show this weekend, and some attention-worthy lessons for the teambuilders among us looking to win in what has become a very competitive environment.

You had VCU facing off with Butler, both the most unlikely of finalists. Word has it that VCU was so certain of its exclusion from post-season play that the team didn't even watch Selection Sunday. ESPN college basketball commentator Jay Bilas himself appeared baffled by the team's selection, and yet the team has pulled through to the Final Four.

And then you have Butler, which beat VCU in the semis this weekend, and was the underdog in 2010, when Butler's once-in-a-generation and now NBA forward Gordon Hayward led the team to the finals but missed a last-second shot that would have won the game against Big Duke. (By the way, the last time Butler had a star of that caliber, he was the player who inspired the classic "Hoosiers" movie.) This year, with Hayward gone, fans had all but written off the team. And yet, the ever-tenacious Bulldogs made it back from the brink and I believe have a real shot at the 2011 Championship.

Then you've got the big guns. Kentucky, with one of the most winning programs in the NCAA, lost not one but all of its 2010 superstars to the pros this year. Even without Wall and Cousins, the team managed to refocus its efforts and ascend to the top of its bracket. But alas, the Wildcats lost to another team of destiny, UConn, this year's Big Engine That Could.

Overcoming an incredible number of obstacles -- including sanctions by the NCAA for recruiting violations -- the Huskies tallied 11 consecutive victories to make it to Houston, including five wins in five days during the Big East tourney against four ranked teams. Their single outstanding player, Kemba Walker (who my son was schooled by in summer camp), worked on his shot three hours a day, and by the end of the season was arguably the best point guard in the country (sorry, Jimmer). His discipline paved the way.

Regardless of who ultimately takes the crown later tonight, every Final Four team this year surmounted exceptional adversity to make it to the last round. Here's what they confirmed for me about teamwork and fair play:

1.  With a level playing field, focus, and determination, every team is a contender no matter the size. So take stock, all you young start-ups in the media world.

2.  Motivation and hard work go a long way toward making a team a winner. True in any organization.

3.  When it comes to teamwork, no single player is indispensable. (Even the CEO, unless he has a great cross-over dribble.)

4.  Even the big boys like Kentucky and UConn can innovate mid-season to stay ahead of the game. This may be a little tougher in the media and measurement world, so we'll see.

Speaking of big guys innovating, in fact, this year's tournament was just as intriguing behind the scenes as it was on the court.

CBS has broadcast the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Finals for almost two decades, but making any money on the tournament was a real challenge: The rights cost a fortune, CBS was committed to broadcasting more games than viewers could watch, and advertising revenues weren't coming in on the scale CBS needed.

So this year the network tried a new play, and entered into a 14-year agreement to share NCAA broadcast rights with Turner Broadcasting.

It was a win-win-win: CBS diffused its licensing costs, Turner attracted new revenue for the games it was carrying and extended its basketball franchise beyond the NBA, and fans got to see more games. CBS held on to the three highest-grossing games of the tournament, the two Final Four games and the NCAA Finals, which garner most of the tournament's ratings points. Talk about addition by subtraction: CBS turned a liability into an asset by sharing its prize. It's an interesting lesson for the increasingly open-source world we live in.

Now the question is, which team will take the real prize at the Championship match tonight: David or Goliath? Either way, the real winners this year have been the fans. So sit back and enjoy the game.

(Footnote: This weekend of basketball has been personally very gratifying, as I played in the Knicks 3X3 basketball tournament in the city on Saturday, winning our bracket and playing in the Knicks "March to the Garden" Final Four on the Garden floor after the Knicks-Cavs game last night. We didn't win, and I'm not sure about any pithy lessons here -- other than I do love the game.)