MARCH madness

Let's face it...some don't understand...they don't have a clue as to what the phrase "March Madness" entails. Some might deem it the month where men take sick days to watch basketball 'of all things', others might consider it to be a fateful disease, still others might claim it is the reason for marital stress, then again, others might think it's a reason to go shopping...I beg to differ.

Instead, it is THE month of the year where College basketball oozes from every corner of the 50 United States. It is the time where journeys to excellence are sealed and where the bitter, cold hard taste of defeat is swallowed. A month where the ball bounces every day of the week because if not bouncing off the hardwood of the court, the games continue long past the 40 minutes of regulation in the minds and discussions of amazing numbers of fans. It is a month we anticipate hungrily and sometimes, when our team's hopes to dance are smothered, we continue to watch painfully. Where Cinderellas waltz past top seeds to the unbelieving eyes and ears of both their own fans and those followers of the team they have just stunned. A time when the schools who claim basketball tradition must stand and defend, but in the next minute's breath, schools without a chance rise to a higher level and take tradition by storm.

Four weeks of sheer emotion matched only by the absolute physical and mental exhaustion of players and fans. ESPN brings out the specialists while the teams are decided upon and the brackets are filled out with common sense, passion or just plain hope for a miracle. Then, the stories emerge. You know what I'm talking about...the tear producing true to life snippets from kids, coaches and teams who want to win not only your heart, but more importantly, the game of their lives. These 5-10 minute interviews and background setting scenes remind us of why it's called March Madness. For some, it causes their bracket choices to lean a different way, for others it is the call for being behind the Underdog and for most, they are simple reminders of why college basketball holds such a special place in our hearts.

College basketball's peak takes place in the month that claims to come in like "a lion and out like a lamb". I disagree. March, for basketball fans, arrives with pins, needles and anticipated conference tournaments. In the midst of unforgettable shots, suprising losses, unstoppable defenses, premier perimeter shooting, coaches calling plays, and the screams of fans that shake the rafters, the truth behind the sport echoes throughout living rooms and arenas. It is about life's challenge, beating the odds, rising above the rest, defeat and victory, bittersweet moments, unbelievable upsets, incredible talent, dogged determination, hope, the fight in us all and in the last moment, the sheer excellence of claiming THE win. And March. March leaves us with the taste of a national title game; a moment not to be defined by the phrase "out like a lamb". Instead, March escapes in a frenzy somewhat like a tornado, sweeping many of us up in the high speed winds and even able to destroy parts of us for awhile.

March Madness. I am excited it's here. I'll let you know if the tornado spins away with my Carolina blue heart or if I survive and dance down Franklin Street to the beat of a Heels win!