Matt SchillMarch is a month filled with uncertainty. The weather can’t seem to make up its mind and that infamous groundhog decided the fate of an early spring or a longer winter. However, there are a few things that people can look forward to in the month of March. Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s day, and the March Madness basketball tournament takes over the airwaves.
If you are a sports fan, it’s the best string of events and still one of the most exciting times on television for the month of March. If you’re not, there’s no way to avoid it.
Beer, wings, chips and salsa are all gathered for the opening tip off for the tournament. The coverage on ESPN becomes real and no longer becomes a month-away fantasy. The air is filled with pure excitement, even for fans that can’t fit the tournament into their schedule.
“It’s a good way for schools to keep up with each other and keep the competition level as high as can be,” Charles Grugan, a junior graphics design major, said. “I mean, it’s a big thing. If I had time to pay attention, I know I’d love it.”
The history of the March Madness tournament began in Illinois. The tournament began as a group of high school men’s basketball teams competing against each other in a bracket-like setup for the ultimate prize, a birth in the old Sweet 16 tournament. This Sweet 16 tournament was prior to the naming of various rounds in the tournament. Finally in 1963, the NCAA became an official collegiate program in sporting history.
Since then, the tournament has evolved into such a popular event among college students. Although the tournament is exciting in itself, there is another dimension to the bracketology in this day and age. Betting. The odds are unbelievably against you.
“It’s always fun, but I lose money every year,” Dave Damiano, a junior English and communication major, said. “It’s also great to see that the team down the street [Villanova] made it so far this year. It’s really exciting.”
March Madness has made its mark since the mid 1960s and is growing more popular, especially this year. There is no clear-cut winner, which will add to the excitement of the outcome. The world will witness the winner in early April and for many of us at Cabrini College, it’s either win money or lose money. But the most important thing is to enjoy the game, the tournament and to remember that this tournament only comes around once a year.
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Posted to the web by Matt Schill
