Besides getting me to fork over a bunch of money to sit in the 300 level of the United Center with my kids?

The Chicago Tribune’s Teddy Greenstein points out the game rarely has an impact on seeding for the NCAA tournament. Greenstein writes:

We begin the reporting for this story with a premise: The Big Ten tournament title game is an afterthought. Or more accurately, a before-thought.

It’s the amuse bouche before a 12-course meal, the mixed greens stalling the delivery of your porterhouse.

It has no influence on NCAA tournament seeding, and those watching at home are screaming at the TV: “Just give us the brackets!”

Ah yes, there’s this issue of ratings:

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany: “I don’t feel that (it lacks importance). What the data would show is that as people get ready for Selection Sunday, it’s a different kind of program. If we were going against the show, that would be madness — early March Madness. But leading into the show, we view it as a good thing, and I think CBS views it as a good thing.”

Roger that. The 2011 championship game (Ohio State 71, Penn State 60) drew 3.7 million viewers. Last year’s game (Michigan State 68, Ohio State 64) hit the same mark. The last two Big East championship games (Connecticut-Louisville and Louisville-Cincinnati), played Saturday night on ESPN, drew 2.2 million in 2011 and 3.3 million last year.

CBS analyst Clark Kellogg, who will call Sunday’s final at the United Center with Jim Nantz and Steve Kerr: “Perception is not always reality. There are pockets of folks more interested in the brackets. But because of the quality of the Big Ten and the magnitude of the league, that adds more juice to what is taking place.”