This time of year everyone starts throwing around the phrase
“March Madness.” For anyone who isn’t
quite clear on what the phrase means, here’s how it is defined by Wikipedia. “The
NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination
tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams in the United States.
Colloquially known as March Madness
(as the tournament takes place mainly during the month of March) or the Big
Dance (as opposed to the now smaller and less prestigious NIT), the tournament
takes place over 3 weeks at sites across the United States, and the national
semifinals (the Final Four) have become one of the nation’s most prominent
sporting events.”
So what’s the great allure to this tournament? Why does it
attract so many more spectators (live and via television) than the normal
college basketball season?
I’m an avid sports fan who will watch nearly any sport, but
for whatever reason, basketball isn’t one of them. Sure I have my favorite team
(North Carolina,
ranked #1 this year). And I will always support my alma matter, The George Washington
University Colonials, who’s claim to fame (other than being the second most
expensive private school in the country. And trust me… that’s not something to necessarily
be proud of), is that they made the Sweet 16 back in the early 90’s.
But during the regular season, basketball games really don’t
get my attention. Then mid-March rolls around and I’m glued to the TV. Why? The
potential for the big upset! Cheering on the team you’ve never heard of playing
against the basketball elite (North Carolina,
Duke, Kansas,
UCLA, etc). Anyone remember the George Mason Patriots? This little school in Fairfax, VA (about a half
hour outside of Washington, DC)
made it to the Final Four in 2006, taking out traditional powerhouse’s North Carolina and Connecticut
on the way. Fans and players from all over the country who had never heard of
George Mason were all of a sudden rooting for them to win it all. This new and
growing fan base affectionately became known as the Mason Nation. Although George Mason lost in their Final Four game –
to eventual champions Florida.
For three weeks, this little school in Fairfax,
VA captured the attention of a
nation.
That's the allure of March Madness. And the prospect of the next George Mason is what keeps me and many others glued to the the TV for three weeks each and every March.
Jason - a Lumen
