By Melvin Ward
The ides of March is the beginning of the best time of the year hands down.
The NCAA also known as March Madness is the greatest sports event in America; and the brackets are set. All of the Division I conference tournaments are done and it is time for the Big Dance. Kansas enters the tournament as the overall number one seed; Kentucky, Syracuse and Duke are the other number one seeds.
No other sporting event compares to the joy that March Madness brings. The month of March starts off with conference tournaments and talk about teams that are in or out of the tournament. They are often referred to as bubble teams, so they start off the month with their seasons on the line and it is wonderful watching teams playing each and every game as if it were the last.
Every fan is looking for the Cinderella team (George Mason, 2005) or the next player to put their name on the map (Stephon Curry, 2008). Eyes are glued to television sets to watch clutch moments and potential buzzer beaters.
March Madness just would not be March Madness without the office pools and bracket competition. It every fan’s chance to prove their basketball prowess and knowledge be filling out a bracket better than anyone else in their pools. Winners of these pools range from $5 gift cards to $1 million. Some people with little to no knowledge may win the pool; some pick their brackets based on color and mascots alone. March Madness brings everyone together.
This time of the year has become a trademark in American culture. The will not be many empty sports bars across the country on March 18 at noon. There will be men and women that take extra long lunch breaks to watch the games; there will be children to fake sick just to stay home and watch the opening round of the tournament. It does not matter if the first round is full of David vs. Goliath match-ups. There is always the potential of an upset. Sports fans love nothing more than the underdog winning.
This is a three-weekend event that captivates the minds and attention of people all over the nation, college dorms, bars, etc. March Madness is an event like no other. It starts off as a field of 65 with two rounds each weekend until there is a champion. Every week of the tournament is full of jubilation and “madness” for pure basketball fans. The absence of an absolute dominant team this year makes the tournament even more intriguing. Let the madness begin!
