In high school, I followed March Madness pretty closely. I even used March Madness as a way to research potential colleges to apply to. It sparked my curiosity in Villanova, and I ended up applying there.
With the absence of school, exams and spring break, I’ve had the opportunity to follow college basketball and March Madness more closely this year. The tournament has been nothing short of exciting, especially with the abundance of bracket-busting upsets in the first round. While the tournament is only halfway through, here is just a sampling of my thoughts on it so far:
The good:
For the first time in NCAA history,Ohio is the first state to have four teams in the Sweet Sixteen. There has never been a better time to be an Ohioan and a college basketball fan. Our state is in the spotlight for something other than being a swing state and exotic animals on the loose.
The tournament has also reminded me of how unifying sports can be. I talk with a lot of out-of-state advertising sales reps as part of my job, and being able to talk about sports is a great way to make small talk and build a connection. So while I have found many colleagues are graduates of other Big Ten Schools, we still share pride in our conference
The bad:
From the Ohio perspective, with so many schools within such a close proximity to one another, rivalries feel more intense than ever. Families divided, friends talking smack, and office bets going horribly awry (at least for me).
It also seems schools’ stereotypes are perpetuated more than ever. Ohio State fans think they are better than everyone else? Yep. Lingering thoughts of the UC/Xavier fight, and the Ohio Bobcats are desperately trying to prove they are “more than just a party school”. OU might be putting itself on the map for years to come, or they could just be the tournament’s Cinderella team.
The ugly:
There have been some ugly losses already, and more are sure to come. Regardless of what team you are rooting for, we can only hope for some good games.
Go Buckeyes!
