Men do not usually touch other men, unless it is in celebration of their favorite team winning a sporting event. More than a week ago, people watched as the nation embarked on a war with the world's \axis of evil"" and on that day began the nation's most incredible sport tournament: March Madness. In a time when countries combat one another and the nation is torn about the righteousness of destruction, the tournament holds an outlet to bring together all friends to cheer in peace and harmony. There is a reason why the NCAA tournament is far better than the NBA playoffs, mostly because more heart and soul is put into every spectacle performed by college athletes.
The tournament is a glorious battle in itself, with 65 teams going head to head in a winner-take-all fight to the finish. Many can argue there is no chance for redemption, as seen in the seven-game playoffs of the NBA, due to the unjust structure of the tournament eliminating a team that might have a poor shooting performance or an injured player for the big game.
However, the single-round elimination factor makes every game an edge-creeper. No other tournament stimulates the enthusiasm and curiosity in the eyes of those filling out their pre-tourney brackets. The ""bracketology"" gives more reason for individuals to debate and shout for their desired Cinderella, especially when the outcome involves a chance at winning money.
Sure the NBA has the most amazing players and plays every season, but the association is more of a glorified group of celebrities than the accessibly everyday college students. The NCAA athletes who make up the teams seen on CBS and ESPN are those who are friends to some and fellow students to others. Nonetheless, a college athlete is one of us. It is no wonder that college athletes show so much more effort and energy because they receive no endorsements, no large salaries and play the match for the true ""love of the game.""
Though the NCAA players may not have as much skill as those in the NBA, their talent does not go unforeseen. March Madness is insane because of the general equality of many of the teams, where upsets are expected because young stars rise to glory. Where else can sports fans find so many of the 65 games come down to heart-stopping buzzer beaters and miraculous finishes? Where else can sports analysts such as Dick Vitale be so incorrect in choosing the tournament champion? Where else can fans watch Maryland's Drew Nicholas shoot a twisted last-second one-foot running fadeaway jumper to win the first-round match against UNC-Wilmington?
Only in the tournament can our very own Badgers come back in a 16-2 run with Freddie Owens hitting the clutch three-pointer to send us to a very Sweet Sixteen. The drive to the big dance allows fans to remember the numbers 29-11-11 as the unbelievable statistic achieved by Dwayne Wade to take Marquette to its first Final Four since 1977.
Like all other college sports, the seasons are much shorter than its professional counterparts. Like the NFL, the college basketball season is short, making every game more important and valuable. Our Badgers were very close to pulling a great upset against the now not-so-No. 1 team in the nation. We take some pride and indulge in friendly trash talk with our acquaintances in other colleges and universities. There are more than 300,000 college athletes in the United States, and there are 10 times as many college sports fans. With an army so large, there is no question that the college athletic environment will always win the spectator battle.
CBS was honored with the rights to hold the NCAA tournament, and for the first few days of the tournament fans saw more war coverage than college basketball. University students and sports fanatics everywhere can get together during these times of conflict to harmonize and celebrate the madness that is college basketball. In my opinion, no pun intended, school should be canceled on the days when the tourney takes place during the day. All right, so that may be a little exaggeration, but the painstaking losses, the heartwarming wins and the effervescent cheering make the NCAA tournament a true event allowing men to hug and clap hands with other men.
