Alfred Lord Tennyson just about said it perfectly.
“In the spring a young man’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of love.”
And while I am an admitted hopeless romantic who has been known to cause diabetic coma’s amongst individuals within earshot (or sight) of my proclamations for my Pixie...I have to disagree with Al.
Perhaps it’s because Basketball was my best sport. Perhaps it’s because I never played hockey at any organized level. Whatever the underlying reason, there is one thing that ALWAYS gets me revved up around this time of year. So instead, I will re-write it properly (albeit with much less decorum than the original and with apologies to Mr. Tennyson’s descendants):
“In the spring THIS young man’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of MARCH MADNESS BABY!”
The National Championship tournament for NCAA Men’s Basketball is in my opinion the greatest tournament in sports.
Just one game to advance; do or die EVERY contest. Where long shot, “no-name” schools routinely take out higher ranked “Power” programs. None of the players are being paid exorbitant amounts of money... no agents (unless they are violating regulations which has been known to happen every now and again)... basketball at its PUREST. The way it is meant to be played.
Keep LeBron James...give me Butler Bulldog’s Matt Howard, scoring a last HUNDREDTH of a second lay-in to win their game this afternoon. Or Morehead State’s Demonte Harper, who hit a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left to lead his number 13 ranked Eagles over number 4 ranked Louisville...a play that was designed and came to his coach IN A DREAM the night before...and those are just a couple of the exciting games from this year.
Some of the greatest sports upsets in history originate through March Madness. Villanova... a team that had never even made the top 20 teams in the rankings in 1985 defeated powerhouse Georgetown and their eventual basketball hall of fame centre Patrick Ewing in the Championship final. Who can forget the great Jimmy Valvanno running onto the court looking frantically for someone to hug after his North Carolina State Wolfpack beat the Houston Cougars who featured a pair of Hall of famers, Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon and Clyde “the Glide” Drexler in 1983.
Basketball Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Larry Bird began their legendary rivalries in this tournament’s championship game (Michigan State and Indiana State respectively). And thousands of players who never made it to the NBA had their greatest moments in this tournament. Their glory achieved sometimes in a single shot during a first round upset.
And then of course there is “the question”.
“Filled your bracket out yet?”
Countless hours and millions of dollars are spent, pouring over the selections on who is going to win each game and win it all. 2.5 BILLION dollars is wagered yearly according to some sources, with an estimated 3.8 BILLION dollars in lost productivity to employers in North America. Madness indeed!
The only thing that comes close to the thrill I get in watching this tournament every year were the three deep runs in the Stanley Cup playoffs that my beloved Carolina Hurricanes have had in 2002, 2006 (Cup win...WOOOOOO!), and in 2008. The second the tournament is over every year, just like a junkie, I am looking for the next fix that I know will take all too long to find.
So, if I am distracted over the next few days... I apologize. The Madness has taken hold once more.
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