That Sums Up Most, If Not All ...

The anticipation and then tournament play of March Madness usually creates distractions in one’s life. For me it begins with the trash talk as I fill out my bracket and as I compare my selections with friends. It seems that the conversations are more intense when referencing our alliances to schools, states and favorite conferences, the never-ending debates over who will be in the Final Four and who of course will win it all. It can get crazy. I think the build up to the games can be as exciting as the games themselves. As a veteran bracket filler and proud (several time winners of work place bracket competitions) I can tell you that one thing remains constant in every March Madness that I have experienced; There will be soul crushing and heartbreaking upsets. Goliaths of the game will be beaten by teams from schools no one has ever heard of. The hearts of millions will be broken by the resilience of a few players who are mostly walk-ons and former team mamanagers. In short, you can never be sure. That’s why they play the games. That’s why they call it March Madness. As I sit back and enjoy the ongoing craziness once in a while, I reflect on games from years past and try to compare them to the game at hand. 

That’s one reason that I always take the time to catch most of the games in the first weekend of the tournament. Somewhere in that 32 game gaggle there are inspirational stories waiting to be written. No name players will become home town heros. Celebrity coaches will become villains. This year of course was no different from the last. 

The University of Kentucky was once a proud bastion of basketball greatness. Now they have exited the tournament during the first weekend for the third year in a row. Last year it was at the hands of a small Catholic college in New Jersey, Saint Peter’s. This year The Wildcats from Lexington had their hopes dashed by a small school from Oakland, Minnesota and an unknown player who hit ten, yes ten, 3 pointers. Go figure. In Minnesota a legend has been born but in Kentucky a coach will be burned in effigy. That’s March Madness people. 

Of course defeat of Kentucky by a no name school from the great plains was not the only upset of the weekend. Grand Canyon beat Saint Mary’s, James Madison won over Wisconsin and tiny Yale University held off Auburn sending thousands of students into a delirium of basketball happiness. The upside is that there will be joy for many while millions of brackets will go bust. And yes, I had Kentucky as one of my Final Four. That’s March Madness every one.

My normal day to day job is in a pretty close knit environment. I have six co workers that I literally see and interact with 12 hours a day on a daily basis. Four of them were willing to fill out a bracket and chip in the ten dollar entrance fee. Apparently forty bucks just don’t cut it these days. Their interest was marginal at best. At first I thought maybe it would be the forty dollar winnings that would get people interested. I was wrong. I soon realized that I had created a four headed monster in our little group of bracket fillers. The competitiveness surfaced fast, very fast. Never could I have foreseen the trash talking and competitive interest that the games have generated. 

I didn’t know that one of the lovely ladies I worked with was a North Carolina native and of course a huge Tarheel fan. You can guess who she picked to win it all. She also picked NC State and Duke and just about every other ACC team in and around Carolina regardless of winning odds and opponents. All of a sudden she’s “researching” her basketball picks, seriously. She’s actually picked rather well and has a strong, still-alive bracket. I’m pleasantly impressed. Go figure. 

Another stunning and well informed young lady is a recent graduate of The University of Texas (with TWO degrees she likes to remind you) and of course picked Texas to go all the way, ripping thru the competition like a hot knife thru butter. She also picked against any team the Texas plays at any time of the year in any sport wether it be football, volleyball or gymnastics. Any state near to or surrounding Texas was a sure looser as well. Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, they all fell in her bracket. She’s a true Texas Longhorn fan (with TWO degrees!).

Another co-worker hails from Massachusetts, not exactly a hotbed region of college basketball greatness but being from Cape Cod I consider him a Home Boy and give him encouragement. Of course, he picked Vermont (of course!!) to go deep into the Final Four and found himself slipping in the first day of competition. Much like The Boston Celtics or The Bruins he started off hopefull and full of bravado only to be disappointed in the end. But hey, he’s loyal right? As for me, I did’nt even know Vermont had a team. 

After just the first week I can tell you the competition is close and the interest is intense. Daily updates to over all bracket scores are of keen interest and are a hot topic throughout the morning. Some participants are actually taking photos of the brackets standings are posting them to their parents and friends back home!! To say the least, The March Madness Bracket challenge has become quite an event! 

The standings after the first week are not what I thought they would be. Miss Hook-Em-Horns-Two-Degrees-Texas has a slight lead over Red Sox Nation but the Carolina Kid is coming on strong. If she had picked Houston instead of Texas A&M she’d be in the lead. Me of course, the one person in the group who lives, breaths and writes weekly about the sport is in last place(of course!) with my hopes of a come from behind victory fading fast. Another wad of cash lost. Another bracket in the trash. Another hopeful forty bucks lost!! That’s March Madness!

Kev

Kev's Corner Our Staffs Weekly Sports perspective

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