Let's get this straight from the start, I am a certified Girlie Girl!! Even though I love everything sassy and frilly...I also Loovvee March Madness! In my family, my brothers, uncles, husband, father, and son gathered around the television every September in their favorite football jerseys. This was a great time for those of us who weren't interested in the game, to go shopping, go to Sonic, anything but sit in front of the television etc. Now? I bide my time for a stab at the remote and some serious basketball.
You may be thinking, "Why basketball? She's from Texas, for goodness sakes!! Every Texan lives and breathes football!" Well, all of this is Texas True. Football rules on Texas soil....Thus the hit show, Friday Night Lights...not, Tuesday-Thursday Gym Lights.
However, I have serious logic for my passion and my lackluster interest in football. First of all, I have had to really pay attention and "learn" football. It is a hard game to figure out if one is more interested in the band and drill team at halftime than the action on the field. During the game, I usually people watched and caught up with friends. I hid my ignorance of the game by just standing and cheering when everyone else did. I love to win....I just don't have to know every play to celebrate the victory...:) My friends can attest to my below standard comprehension of this game. I WILL add that I have improved with time, have a workable knowledge of the game, and actually enjoy this sport of millions.
To me however, Basketball is just so much easier to follow. First of all, I can see the players and actually identify them by their face/hair/physical attributes. This is helpful for a people person like me. (It would even be better if I knew their parents, or read something about them.) The other thing I love is that basketball is fast. Man, I have to keep my head in the game or it will race by me, before I realize what has happened! This is good for an ADD fan who is easily distracted.
It also seems more intense and lively than other sports. A biggie for me is that the sport is played inside. Yippee!! I don't have to worry about messy weather and my outfit or my hair! A definite Win Win! And finally, the energy is palpable because it is inside and the fans are only a few feet from the players. Awesome!!
Now, back to March Madness....How much more fun can one imagine than several weeks of nonstop college basketball! Throw in filling in your bracket and possibly winning $$ and you have yourself a national pastime.
So, with that being said, I am now looking at my blank bracket sheet and trying to fill in the blanks with winners. This CAN be for some, rocket science. Not for me....It is called a game for a reason. You have a 50/50 chance of being right every time! It depends on how much you know. One year, I picked teams according to their mascots. Another year, I studied the stats, and confidently filled in my brackets. (I did more poorly that year than any other year!) This year, I'm thinking I will go for team colors coupled with win-loss records....Colors overriding Records, of course. It is kind of like picking the winners of America Idol, Dancing with the Stars, or who The Bachelor will choose....the winners are anyone's guess!! That is part of the fun!
I've seen grown men weep over their bracket results. Family Feuds have begun over March Madness (thus, the name)....Couples have not spoken for days.....Sports announcers have misspoken on national tv, and money has slipped through many a hand...but if you are up for the Challenge..... Print out your blank bracket sheet and join this craziness.
All I can say is Welcome to The Big Dance!
