Tournament Time

On the eve of the kickoff of the greatest sports event in America, I thought I would share some of my sports intellect. The commonly debated topic in regards to this event is trying to identify what we are truly drawn to. What entices us. What gets us checking scores every five minutes for back to back to back to back 12 hour spans. What disrupts our work flow to intersperse conversation between coworkers. What inspires us to find a reason to watch. And I think I know my reason.

Obviously, if Illinois is in the tourney, I'm routing for them, and watching every game they play. But, like last year, there are times when my alma mater doesn't fit into the field of 65, so there has to be something. And I think there is.

Some people like to watch for upsets. They like to see the possibility of a 14 or 15 seed playing the Cinderella roll of spoiler for a fan favorite to win it all. And who doesn't?

Some people like to see the general idea of a 65 team, single elimination, win and stay, lose and go home tournament. There is drama in every game. Every possession. Every shot.

Some people like to see if their picks will prevail, offering bragging rights to anyone they come in contact with. Bragging matters.

And while these things all matter to me, and I enjoy them with the rest of the world, that is not where I find my tournament attraction. Want to know why I'm drawn to the best event in American sports?

It's the passion. Over 700 players and coaches leave everything they have on the courts in hopes of glory. It's a cool feeling. Single elimination is part of it, but a single elimination tournament at the beginning of the season wouldn't be as enticing. Upsets happen throughout the year. Everyone is just guessing at their tourney picks anyway. But the passion is the fire that heats this postseason masterpiece. And as my astrological symbol explained, when I find something that I deem the truth, no one can convince me otherwise. So have fun with that.