The power of March Madness

When Americans think of March, they think of college basketball. They think brackets being filled out and bars packed with fans. There is a reason they call it March Madness because it truly is madness in America. Over 70 million Americans filled out brackets last year and according to the American Gaming Association, a prediction of over $9 billion dollars will be wagered throughout the tournament.

There is only a one in 9.2 quintillion chance for a perfect bracket. What’s a quintillion you ask? It’s one followed by 18 zeros, so 9.2 of those. It’s easier to win back-to-back Mega Million lotteries than it is to fill out a perfect bracket. Each college basketball player on average makes their school $212,000, while they draw no salary. Las Vegas profits skyrocket during the month of March as they make over $100 million dollars in their casinos. It also is predicted companies lose over $1.9 billion in distracted workers during March Madness. Needless to say the month of March is a pure obsession when it comes to Americans and their college basketball.

The personal connection to March Madness

Why does March Madness seem to have a bigger impact on our country than the "Bachelor" Finale (shocker I know), the Presidential Debates or even The Super Bowl? What makes the world come to a stand-still in the month of March? The answer is simple; it gives everyone the opportunity to become connected to the Madness. Anyone can make a bracket. Anyone’s team has a chance to win the tournament and March Madness gives the country the opportunity to believe in the idea that anything can happen and the fate of their bracket lies in the madness of the tournament.

It doesn’t matter who you are, men, women, young or the old, from CEO’s to factory workers, anyone can engage and everyone is on an equal playing field. In the month of March, the country transforms and alters to the madness. Everyday clothing transforms into lucky team apparel that is never washed or taken off. TV’s across the nation become permanently glued to CBS Sports or even TRUETV, playing the latest game.

Girls go from not knowing how much a free-throw point is (guilty) and liking a team based on their mascot to becoming experts on the game and screaming at the TV. Group messages are constantly buzzing as trash is talked and teams take the lead or fall behind. March Madness allows people to get behind something bigger than basketball but a chance to take pride in becoming part of something much bigger, one of America’s biggest annual movements of people…. March Madness.

The picture of March Madness

This was one of the biggest weekends in basketball. 64 college basketball teams played and after four full days of games, the “Sweet 16” teams remain. Next weekend the Final 4 will be announced and the final weekend in Houston, TX a National College Basketball Champion will be crowned. However, a Kentucky band member made a statement this weekend as this one picture went viral across the country.

The games, the teams, the madness was overshadowed by one image. She was crying over the loss of her Kentucky Wildcat team, saxophone in hand. Her reaction to the defeat Kentucky received after playing Indiana University spread like wildfire. But why? It all comes down to the power of one picture.

The famous quote that says, “A picture is worth a thousand words” stands to be so true in this specific situation. A Kentucky fan can look at this photo and mourn with her over the loss on Saturday night. But, a Hoosier looks at that picture and finds joy in her tears as it makes their victory against UK a little sweeter. Words are unable to capture the raw emotion and chaos behind March Madness yet a picture easily can.

You can get a group of people together, all different fans of different teams and this picture will resonate differently to each individual. One picture can have millions of meanings. Everyone looks at a picture differently and each individual can take something different from it. After 72 hours of an energetic, emotionally draining and truly chaotic weekend of March Madness, everyone can somehow relate to this one picture of the devastated wildcat fan. And that, my friends, is the Magic of March Madness.