As I listened to them discuss all things basketball, I thought it would be the perfect time to provide a breakdown of the Tournament – what every woman needs to know.
1. March Madness has nothing to do with shopping or sales, although if retailers were smart, they would hold “March Madness Markdowns” (side note) throughout the month for those of us who don’t care about basketball.
2. March Madness (verb): a single elimination tournament held each spring, featuring 68 college basketball teams. The tournament was created in 1939 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. It is also referred to as the “Big Dance.” This annual tournament has become one of the most prominent sporting events in this country.
3. The 68 college basketball teams are selected from both conference champions and at-large selections (teams that aren’t in a conference, but have earned an invitation to the tournament).
4. Brackets: This piece of paper is the Bible for “March Madness.” People spend hours, if not days filling out their “brackets.” They pick which team will win each game until they have narrowed it down to their “winner” (this term was coined long before Charlie Sheen made it his own on Twitter last week). They have put money (perhaps a lot of it) on these games.
5. Seed: Each team is assigned a number between #1 and #16. Number #1 being the best and Number #16 being not quite so good. Each team is then assigned to a different region where they will play games. Winner moves on. Loser goes home. It’s a little rough.
6. You may not see your husband/boyfriend/male friends on Thursday’s, Friday’s, Saturday’s or Sunday’s between March 15th – April 4th. NOTE: Do NOT take this personally. They are somewhere with their “boys” gathered in front of roughly 84 big screen televisions, going through pitchers and nervously watching each and every game hoping…no, praying that their teams win and keep on winning (Come on…daddy needs new shoes!).
7. 32 first round games are played on the first two days of the tournament.
8. There is usually a #12 seed that beats a #5 seed. This can mess up a lot of things for those who have filled out “brackets.” But it’s almost guaranteed that this upset will happen.
9. The “Final Four” is comprised of the last four teams in the tournament. This year’s “Final Four” takes place in Houston, TX on April 2nd with the Finals on Monday, April 4th. I don’t know why it’s not a Saturday Semi-Finals and Sunday Finals, but it’s the way the College Basketball Gods have done it for decades.
10. You know that list of things you have had “do to” for months now? This would be an ideal time to start checking it off. Get together with your girlfriends. Get organized. Take a trip. Go to the gym. Whatever your heart desires. Or…just get involved in the “March Madness” mayhem.
I grew up in a sports-loving family and learned at a very young age the “ins” and “outs” of the sports world. My dad flew to New Orleans for 24 hours in 1977 just so he could watch the Broncos play in the Superbowl (a trip to forget. lol). I was at the Final Four when it was held in Denver in 1990. UNLV was the powerhouse back then.
Women get a pretty bad rap when it comes to why we root for the teams we do. Could be we have a crush on a player. Or as the hosts of the radio show suggested, our favorite color is red and that happens to be the color a team is wearing. Perhaps you heard the comeback story about a coach or a player and you were so inspired by them that you want to bet the farm that they will prevail (by the way, don’t bet the farm).
Secret: I selected the Louisville Cardinals to win it all in the late ‘80s. Why? Because of LaBradford Smith. He was a guard who played for Louisville and I liked his name. That was it. It made perfectly good sense to me. Oh and he wore #23. Most people immediately think of Michael Jordan with the #23. Not me. For me that number was (and still is) all LaBradford Smith.
All of the above reasons actually make as much sense as how the “experts” and our men make their selections. Who has the best record? Is there a breakout star everyone should keep their eyes on? Who is the head coach? Is he a proven champion? Some of these guys literally sit and break down numbers for days – insisting there is a scientific formula that guarantees to the .00001% who will be hoisting the trophy when it’s all said and done.
Ladies, there is no need to wrack your brain to this extent. The truth is you should pick your teams for whatever reason you want to…it really doesn’t matter why. Sometimes just jumping in blindly leads to the best and most satisfying results. Most important, this should be fun. Gather your girlfriends and have your own “March Madness” parties. Make those margaritas and watch the game together.
My pick to win it all this year: The Louisville Cardinals of course. Somewhere LaBradford Smith will be watching.
