The beauty of March Madness

March Madness is in full swing. Brackets have been chosen. People are cheering on their teams. #MarchMadness is trending on Twitter. And I couldn’t be happier.
I know that some people take their bracket predictions very seriously in hopes of winning large amounts of money, but that is not why it appeals to me.

The thing that really gets me is the spirit of the games. People throughout the country are participating and it’s awesome to say the least.

People from California and Kansas can bond about wanting Arizona to win it all.
People from Texas and New York can shake their heads about the surprising victory of Dayton over Syracuse

And all of this ties people together.

Even if you aren’t a huge basketball fan, you can still participate in the fun. My little sister doesn’t know a thing about the Florida Gators, but she is still cheering them on,
hoping for them to win it all.

Just the idea of calling the winning team makes March Madness fun.
This year, millions of people entered Warren Buffet’s billion dollar bracket challenge.
Right now, none of them are still in the running.  

This isn’t surprising, considering the fact that the odds of picking a perfect bracket are 9.2 quintillion to one.

However, these almost unbeatable odds make it even more exciting to make a bracket and cheer your teams on. A single game could make or break your bracket.

And since no one is likely to call a perfect bracket, people who don’t really know
anything about basketball can still participate. Last year, my 8-year-old cousin won the family’s bracket challenge.

One of the great things about March Madness is it’s completely all right to get beaten by an 8-year-old. That is why I don’t understand why some people get so worked up about their brackets.

March Madness can be extremely exciting if you are in it just for the fun of it. And everyone who wants to can get in on it.

Few people care if you can’t name a player on the team that you are rooting for. It’s the friendly competition and the connection between people all over the country that make March Madness fun.

So, don’t take it too seriously. If it makes you feel better, there is a very good chance that your bracket is doing better than mine.

syrafter@indiana.edu