March Madness - Literally
Start writing a post
Sports

March Madness - Literally

NCAA Basketball Tournament features slew of upsets

13
March Madness - Literally
Sports Center

This past Thursday was the first day of the 2016 NCAA Basketball Tournament, known widely as “March Madness.” The 64 teams that participate are grouped into 4 groups of 16 teams, each with teams ranked 1 to 16, with the 1 seed playing the 16 seed of its respective group in the first round of the Tournament, and so forth.

Many sports fans argue that this is the best time of year in sports: the basketball may not be up to par in quality with the Warriors and Spurs, but the tournament’s excitement, passion, and thrill cannot be matched by any other tournament (besides, perhaps, the soccer World Cup). Hence the name, “March Madness.” Fans ranging in engagement from casual to die-hard fill out brackets for the Tournament, picking winners for each game and the eventual champion.

Much of the madness, excitement, and thrill is precipitated by upsets – a lower seeded team beating a higher seeded team. In recent years—especially the last two years—upsets have become more common. This year for example, there were 13 upsets in the first 32 games played—the first round—that is 40%, and another 3 in the 16 second round of games played, for a total of 16 upsets in 48 games – a rate of 33%. Among the upsets were some of huge underdogs: Middle Tennessee State, a 15-seed, beat Michigan State, a 2-seed that 61.8% of brackets filled on ESPN.com had picked to make the Final Four, and 22.3% had picked to win it all; Stephen F. Austin State University, a 14-seed, beat West Virginia, a 3-seed; Hawaii, a 13-seed beat Cal, a 4 seed. Even Yale—yes, Yale—a 12-seed, making it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1962, won its first NCAA Tournament game ever, beating Baylor, a 5-seed. The upsets were so wild that after just one day of action—16 games—only.1% of brackets filled out on ESPN remained perfect: 14,525 out of 13 million.

Let's face it: with teams playing with extreme passion, underdogs embracing the underdog role, kids laying it all out there, hardly anyone can be sure when filling out their bracket. Winning your bracket pool will come down to nothing but luck—as all those that had picked Michigan State to win it all. A team coached by the legendary Tom Izzo, who had actually raved earlier in the season that this was the best team he has had.

Just sit back, grab some popcorn, prepare to yell at the TV, and enjoy the madness.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

91007
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

64109
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments