In addition to the longer days, moist air and warmer temperatures, March has a lot more to bring. It is known as the season of ‘’new beginnings,’’ but for many across the nation, both fans and players alike, it is a conclusion, that can end in either heartbreak or pure joy. Every March, starting on Selection Sunday, a sprout of hope arises for 64 teams--looking to spring themselves into the record boards as the best College Basketball team in the country.
As I’ve read books about the history of March Madness and how it is evolved into arguably--at least my favorite time of year--the best sport in the country, the evolution of March Madness in my eyes has been more than I could ever imagine. I can still remember the original layout of the CBS display on my now raggedy old T.V. without cable--currently, I watch the games on 3 screens, my laptop, desktop and my flatscreen. My favorite day of the year is the first day of March Madness; on this day, I can wake up and completely forget about my problems. 12 straight hours of basketball is enough to remediate all of my problems.
As millions of hopefuls rush to ESPN and Yahoo in hopes of filling out a perfect bracket--the odds are 1 in 2.4 trillion according to a Duke professor--teams are much more focused on the games itself. All season long, they’ve worked their asses off to make ‘’the big dance.’’ Tournament locks such as Duke, Oklahoma, Kansas, UNC, Michigan State, etc have had the privilege of making it every year. But for some teams it’s more. Underdogs have always played a huge role in beating the ‘’Davids’’ of the tournament . As an avid follower of college basketball, games like George Mason making an improbable Final 4 run beating Powerhouse UCONN, Butler almost pulling off a miracle with future NBA star Gordon Hayward narrowly missing a half court buzzer beater to beat Duke in the finals, Georgetown losing to 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast University in the first round to ruin everyone’s perfect bracket hopes, or three-seed Baylor losing in the first round to Georgia State, led by R.J. Hunter--whose father Ron, fell off his chair when he hit a deep 3 to win the game-- and Kevin Ware--the Louisville transfer who suffered a horrific leg injury a couple of years back serve as instant classics in my mind--memories that will inspire me off the court to pursue greatness and to always believe in myself. The stories go on and on, and the they continue to motivate people of any age, from anywhere, anytime. The mentality is always ‘survive and advance’, and to take one game at a time. Because if you look too far ahead, you could be packing your bags early.
The games are always intense, and no one is safe. Some of my favorite current day coaches: Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim and Coach Cal are names that immediately come to thought when the thought March Madness comes up. It’s amazing how they can be successful for so long, winning so many games using a variety of different tactics each year.
Getting older, I’m starting to realize how talented the athletes are and the hard work and commitment that they put in. The odds are so small to win, but the rewards to be reaped are some of the greatest accolades that one can achieve in a lifetime.
As I’ve read books about the history of March Madness and how it is evolved into arguably--at least my favorite time of year--the best sport in the country, the evolution of March Madness in my eyes has been more than I could ever imagine. I can still remember the original layout of the CBS display on my now raggedy old T.V. without cable--currently, I watch the games on 3 screens, my laptop, desktop and my flatscreen. My favorite day of the year is the first day of March Madness; on this day, I can wake up and completely forget about my problems. 12 straight hours of basketball is enough to remediate all of my problems.
As millions of hopefuls rush to ESPN and Yahoo in hopes of filling out a perfect bracket--the odds are 1 in 2.4 trillion according to a Duke professor--teams are much more focused on the games itself. All season long, they’ve worked their asses off to make ‘’the big dance.’’ Tournament locks such as Duke, Oklahoma, Kansas, UNC, Michigan State, etc have had the privilege of making it every year. But for some teams it’s more. Underdogs have always played a huge role in beating the ‘’Davids’’ of the tournament . As an avid follower of college basketball, games like George Mason making an improbable Final 4 run beating Powerhouse UCONN, Butler almost pulling off a miracle with future NBA star Gordon Hayward narrowly missing a half court buzzer beater to beat Duke in the finals, Georgetown losing to 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast University in the first round to ruin everyone’s perfect bracket hopes, or three-seed Baylor losing in the first round to Georgia State, led by R.J. Hunter--whose father Ron, fell off his chair when he hit a deep 3 to win the game-- and Kevin Ware--the Louisville transfer who suffered a horrific leg injury a couple of years back serve as instant classics in my mind--memories that will inspire me off the court to pursue greatness and to always believe in myself. The stories go on and on, and the they continue to motivate people of any age, from anywhere, anytime. The mentality is always ‘survive and advance’, and to take one game at a time. Because if you look too far ahead, you could be packing your bags early.
The games are always intense, and no one is safe. Some of my favorite current day coaches: Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim and Coach Cal are names that immediately come to thought when the thought March Madness comes up. It’s amazing how they can be successful for so long, winning so many games using a variety of different tactics each year.
Getting older, I’m starting to realize how talented the athletes are and the hard work and commitment that they put in. The odds are so small to win, but the rewards to be reaped are some of the greatest accolades that one can achieve in a lifetime.
