Fact: The NCAA tournament is trying to kill you.
Yes, your girlfriend is pissed because you sat at your laptop watching March Madness Live for 96 straight hours instead of seeing “The Grand Budapest Hotel” with her, but she’s not going to take your life, just your money—and Wes Anderson is still crap.
No, the NCAA tournament is trying to kill you because not even 50 chicken McNuggets are more likely to give you a massive coronary than your favorite team facing certain elimination.
The finality of the tournament is where the nerves, palm sweating and butthole clenching really earn their keep. There’s nothing worse than knowing that if you’re losing when the backboard lights up, there’s no more college hoops until you’re sitting at grandma’s for Thanksgiving.
Nothing in sports even comes close to how crippling an NCAA tournament game is. Sure, the final drive in an NFL playoff game, maybe extra innings in the MLB postseason, but there’s something about the expiration of a collegiate career.
Think about the image of Ohio State’s Aaron Craft lying on the hardwood as the Dayton players dogpiled in the middle of the court. Not only were the Buckeyes out of the tournament, but Craft will never play a college basketball game again. Ever.
The drama of the tournament is palpable. The feeling of excitement when your team is on a 9-0 run is great, but watching the lead evaporate is more excruciating than a root canal.
How do you think the mood is for Syracuse this week? Or Duke? Or Ohio State? Or Kansas?
A loss in the tournament is the most deflating punch to the gut that a passionate sports fan can suffer and the worst part is that 63 seasons have to end like that.
Between the Syracuse-Dayton game and the Wisconsin-Oregon game on Saturday night, I probably paced two miles in the miniscule confines of my spring break apartment.
I was thrilled when Wisconsin beat Oregon on Saturday but that win came at a price. Badger fans now have to suffer through a Sweet 16 date with Baylor that can only be more intense, more excruciating, more nerve racking.
As the stakes get higher, the games become tougher to watch.
I cannot wait for Thursday, but that night will absolutely take three years off my life, so yes, the NCAA tournament is trying to kill you.
Watching the Badgers play in the Sweet 16 is in no way doctor recommended, but it should be as intense and as insane as ever.
Survive and advance is the motto for the teams on the court, but it also extends to the fans. The collective exhale from the crowd clad in red in Milwaukee this weekend could be felt from sea to shining sea.
Survive the foot tapping, the hand wringing, the prolific sweating and every other nervous tendency you possess and advance to the next game where it all starts over again.
Trust me, it’s worth it.
How are you feeling when you watch your team play in the NCAA tournament? What has been the tourney’s best game so far? Share your experiences with Grey by emailing gsatterfield@wisc.edu.
