March Madness

March Madness is upon us! In less than 12 hours, first round games will get under way across the country. March Madness is probably one of the best times of the year. For half a month, college basketball is on television almost non-stop. The best thing is that it gives smaller schools a chance to play with the power conferences and test their abilities. Also, there are usually upsets that happen. This is the best part of the Madness. Some years a 13 seed will upset a 4 or a small school will make it to the Final Four. It is unpredictable and exciting. These kids are all trying their hardest to try and win a championship because they want to prove to the nation that they are good players and they are trying to win it for their school. It is really hard for me to put together words that describe my passion for March Madness. It is just a great time for sports fans. Another great part of March Madness is the gambling. Everyone fills out brackets and everyone enters them into pools. When someone picks an unlikely upset in their bracket, they feel like they, in some way, contributed to that win and hold it over everyone until this national champion goes out in the second round. This is the time when college students bring laptops to class so they can watch the weekday games. This is one of the best times of the year. March Madness is one of the most exhilarating, nerve-racking, unpredictable and awesome spectacles.

I have only one gripe with the tournament and that is the play-in game. Some people like it because it gives a chance for another bubble team to get in the tournament when in reality it is the large conference's greed that is the reason for it. I don't like it because it isn't a real tournament game. One team won't get to play against another seeded team in a different region. The only reason it is there is because there are a lot of good mid-major teams that take spots from the power conferences and those powers want more of their teams in the tourney. I'd do away with the play in game. This year, Coppin State doesn't get to play a real tournament game because they lost the play in. If you are going to keep the play-in, make the teams playing in it at-large teams so that teams that won their conferences don't get punished.