Brackets, Buzzer Beaters, And Cinderella Stories: Why March Madness Is A Welcome Distraction

The world is going mad. But, in beautiful irony, an annual college basketball tournament, known for its own brand if mayhem, is here to provide some relief.

March Madness has been a constant distraction for me. As a homeschooled elementary student, when the first Thursday morning slate was presented, I was unable to focus on anything else than basketball, and especially the schoolwork that my mom wanted me to complete.

When we got home from lunch, my brothers turned on the games. The screen was our constant companion, and we could not stop staring at it even after school.

Over the next few weeks we woke up every day and fell asleep to the sound of our alarms. voice Jim Nantz, the tune The CBS theme song.

It was much easier to let the tournament distract me as I gained independence and went to college. During those few weeks of March, my professors’ lectures had to be matched by the split-screen footage from tournament basketball that I was watching on my computer, best in the back.

March Madness, for decades, has provided a short escape from the chaos of the world and thrown us into the excitement of competition. The month of march is a welcome respite in a culture where there is so much political debate and often even madness, because it offers an escape from the madness of a world into a world full of dreams, hopes, and magic three-point shots.

We love March Madness for the many things it offers us — the buzzer-beaters, Cinderella stories, and bracket challenges — but we also love it for what it doesn’t give us: the overbearing political agendas constantly being shoved down our throats by the legacy media, Hollywood, and even Professional sports.

March Madness is a huge success because it provides us with a large dose of what we want year after year: do or die basketball.

March Madness is more than just a fun tournament. It also provides a welcome break from the daily bombardment of tragedy, stupidity and injustice in the world. March Madness allows us to forget about UFOs and Chinese spy balloons. Instead, we can focus on bracket pools and three-point percentages and how our team stands to win it all.

It’s not that we shouldn’t be concerned about the world happenings around us. Although it is important to stay up-to-date, sometimes we need to relax. And this tournament’s “Glamorous moments” will provide us with the much-needed distraction that every tournament since its inception manages to provide.

If March Madness doesn’t convince you, think about the magic it has provided in the past and the promise of giving you again.

The 2023 tournament marks the 83rd year that teams have to run the gauntlet in order to make it to the top college basketball mountain. And it gets bigger each year. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament It has grown in popularity and stature since its humble beginnings in 1939, when only eight teams were eligible to compete for the title of national champions. In the untelevised match, Oregon beat Ohio State 46 to 33 inaugural championship game Only 5,000 people were present. 

The tournament was expanded to 16 teams 12 years later in 1951. John Wooden, the legendary UCLA coach, had his extraordinary run with this 16-team format. The Bruins won seven consecutive titles from 1967-1973. The tournament doubled to 32 teams in 1975, and the sport’s popularity would explode from the late 1970s into the ’80s thanks to the likes of Michigan State’s Magic Johnson, Larry Bird of Indiana State, and of course, North Carolina star-turned-basketball-legend Michael Jordan.

Brent Musburger used this term while covering the 1982 tournament. “March Madness,” The tournament has had a nickname since then. March Madness doubled to 64 teams in 1985. In 2011, it was a record-breaking 61 teams. “First Four” The tournament’s first stage was opened, increasing the number of participants to the event from 68 to 68. 

That’s right — March Madness showcases 68 teams who compete in a combined 67 games crammed into three weeks, and it’s all brought to the viewer through the miracle of live TV. What’s not love about it? 

It gets even better.

People have been drawn to the story of the underdog since David defeated Goliath. Every year, March Madness reminds them that even the little guys have a chance. Take for example the historic victory of the University of Maryland Baltimore County at the 2018 tournament. The unfortunate name of “Mr. T” was given to me while I took the court. “Retrievers,” UMBC was the 16th seed to win a tournament game, defeating the top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers. 

Lehigh also won an unexpected victory over Coach K’s Duke dynasty during the first round 2012 tournament. We cheered for Butler, a small school that reached back-toback Final Fours in 2010, and 2011, and was just inches from defeating Duke in the national championship game in 2010.

We love the Florida Gulf Coast’s feel-good stories about Cinderella. “Dunk City” Sweet 16 run in 2013. Loyola’s 2018 Final Four race was helped by Sister Jean, a 98-year old nun, and their team chaplain. The 2022 story of St. Peters is being told with the help of their charismatic young coach. When the most important games in the sport are played back-and-forth in the final minutes, we wait with anticipation. This was the case in Villanova’s stunning victory over North Carolina in 2016. 

We can stop listening to the talk-shows and just watch the 10 talented young men on the basketball court, starting with Tuesday’s tip off in Dayton, Ohio. 

March Madness is here, thank goodness. Accept the distraction, fill in your brackets, cheer on the underdog, take in the excitement, and be ready for anything.

I will catch everything I can.

“From Brackets and Buzzer Beaters: March Madness is a Welcome Distraction“

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