What could be better than 48 college basketball games in the span of 80 hours, all televised or available for viewing on your internet connection? How about the fact that everyone has a bracket, predicting the results so that everyone is invested in the outcome? They don't call it March Madness for nothing, and this year's version has been just a good as advertised.
I'm not a big rube for upsets as I would rather have the top seeds win and then play each other. I do recognize that upsets do happen and nothing warms my heart like seeing a Cleveland State take it to an over-confident Wake Forest, even if it caused a tremor in my bracket. I do like that all the Sweet 16 includes all the 1s, 2s, and 3s, and two of the 4 seeds.
The best part of March Madness isn't the upsets, it's when two good teams go at each other like a couple of heavyweights, each landing thundering punches but unable to knock the other out. The Michigan State-USC game was like that yesterday with each team going after each other and neither backing down until Michigan State pulls slightly ahead at the end. But what makes March Madness that much greater is that at the same time, Missouri and Marquette are going at as well and it comes down to a Marquette player accidentally stepping over the line on an inbounds pass with 5.5 seconds left. There were numerous games where it came down to the last few seconds, not a lot of buzzer beaters, but plenty of games that were in doubt until the very end.
I have 15 teams remaining in the Sweet 16 and am sitting pretty for a good run. When Gonzaga beats NC and 'Nova beats Duke, not only will the haughty ACC have no teams left, most brackets will be blown up and I will be sitting pretty with Memphis well on its way to a National Championship. That's why March Madness is one of my favorite things.
How's your bracket doing?
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