It’s Tournament Time!
When it comes to sports there are some very entertaining and exciting events. A few of these could be The Masters, The BCS Bowls, Wimbledon, The World Series, and the Kentucky Derby. All of these events are amazing and produce much excitement among the fans of their respected sports. However, one time a year in the month of March there is a tournament that is held which dwarfs all the other events listed above. This tournament is a sacred thing to the heart of the serious sports fan. Businesses have reported that during the time of this event, sick days skyrocket and productivity drops as fast as a plane with no wings. It’s a time where brackets are formed and money is laid to bet, a time where school colors are displayed proudly, and best friends become brief enemies. By now I am certain that if you just know what a basketball looks like than you know what I am talking about. It’s the NCAA Tournament, and in the words to come I will talk about this remarkable tournament and examine the things that make it special in the hearts of so many.
First I will start simple and explain the straightforward concept of the tournament for those who might have been tragically deprived from this essential knowledge. The tournament fields 65 division one college basketball teams from around the country. There are two ways to make it to the “big dance” you can either win your conference tournament or you can have a good enough regular season record to receive an at large bid. The teams are then put into four mini brackets of 16 teams where they are seeded according to their regular season performance. The teams then compete to win their 16-team division so that they can make it all the way to the final four, then ultimately to the championship.
There are many things that make this tournament special. It could be the fact that every division one team has a chance to win it all, no matter how bad their season has been, or it could be the upsets that motivate and inspire us, maybe its that this time gives us a chance to let go and cheer as if we were kids. Now for you true sports fans that are reading this article and thinking to yourself that you already know this information I am going to reach my hand into the NCAA tournament attic and bring back some of those memories that have thrilled us in the years past. It is these moments that have made the tournament what it is today. To start we can look at 1999 first round show down of the 14 seed Weber State Wildcats and the universally despised 3 seed, North Carolina Tar heels. North Carolina had not lost in the first round in 20 years while Weber State had not made the dance in 5 years. Even though every critic said they would not have a chance, the Wildcats put in the earplugs and went out and shocked the world that night by playing giant slayer. Next we can look at 11 seed George Mason’s miracle final four run in which they pulled off upset after upset all the way Indianapolis. How can we forget the accomplishments of Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats two years ago? Who would have thought that a six foot three inch sophomore that all the big schools turned away could lead a scrappy Davidson team to the elite eight. These are just a few of the many moments that have made us scream, laugh, cheer, and at times even cry.
In a few weeks this tournament will begin again and I’m sure as in years past there will be heartbreak, upsets, buzzard beaters, unforgettable performances, and triumphs. So I encourage you to cherish every second of this truly incredible event because this one shining moment only shows its face for a few weeks in March every year. So go ahead, let the madness begin!
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