Why are we so obsessed with college basketball? It's a bunch of sweaty boys (or girls) playing a weird, complicated game. These kids are your average everyday college students, but we obsess over their every move on that court during the month of March. It doesn't seem like the NCAA Tournament would be as big of a deal as it is, but millions of people make brackets, wear team colors, and watch basketball religiously for the second half of March.
So why do we love it so much?
I'm one of those that religiously follows a bracket, but still roots for every underdog no matter who my pick was. Because I've played basketball my whole life, I watch and analyze every play, and think about what could have been done better. I watch because I think college basketball is the game at its finest.
Sure, it's great to watch Kobe play his millionth game, Shaq break a backboard, or Steph hit yet another deep three. Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, so many legends of the NBA, and I respect them for all the work they did. They are there for a reason, because they are some of the best players in the world. But college kids playing a game they love is a whole different story.
These kids are real people with a dream. Guys and girls my own age and younger, playing their hearts out on a national stage, in honor of their school, in honor of the game of basketball. Every sad tear a senior sheds when their championship dreams are crushed, every happy tear an 11-seed cries when they make it farther than they ever thought they could. I love finding a new favorite player based on watching them play one game, or getting invested in teams that I've never seen play before. To root for the center who brings the ball up the court, or the guard who blocks a 7-footer's shot.
Every pretty pass, every contested three, every dive out-of-bounds; every swished clutch free throw, every desperate foul. Every kid crossing his fingers for his hometown heroes to win, every smiling face finally hoisting the trophy. These moments are special. These players are not going to have this opportunity again. They are fighting for their last chance to play the game they love for their school, for one of the highest honors in college sports.
So this is why we watch. This is why millions of people fill out a bracket every year. Sure, some of it is for bragging rights among friends, or to make an attempt at the elusive "perfect bracket." But overall, we watch these 63 games of the tournament because of the pure passion demonstrated in each moment. It's all for the love of the game, and that's a beautiful thing.
