UNITED STATES—This is my favorite time of the year when it comes to sports. No I don’t’ care about the Super Bowl, The Stanley Cup, the College Football Championship or the NBA. For me it’s all about the NCAA Tournament which officially kicks off March Madness. I love this time of year because it is really simple: you win or you go home. There is no second chances people; if you have a bad night that’s it for you.
There are those teams that are ranked quite high as #1 seeds Alabama, Purdue, Kansas and Houston. Do I personally think any single team is above the rest? Nope not in 2023, all teams have a bit of weakness this year, which makes this NCAA Tournament a bit different than those from previous years. I honestly think anyone can lose at any given time people. I mean there are a few teams that have some injuries and that alone can be a game changer.
Just for those thinking Purdue is a cakewalk because of its star player Zach Edey, he is a dominant force, but did you see the Big Ten Tournament Championship game. Purdue almost lost that game as Penn State was damn close to a massive upset and those final 2 minutes of the game had me jumping on the couch and shouting at the TV screen with excitement. Gosh, it was something I wanted to see and Penn State was just seconds from delivering a massive upset that I’m sure would have had everyone talking for days to come.
If that game showed me anything, it is even the most dominate team can lose at a given moment people so expect the unexpected as 64 teams vie in the next 3 weeks to hold the crown as the Best Team in the Country as we journey to the NCAA Final Four. Trust me I know this time of year all too well as an alumnus of Michigan State University. I’ve been in the thick of chaos on campus as the team made it to the Final Four, as well as big losses and upsets like the school losing during the 2009 NCAA Tournament during a game that we Spartans were certain victory was going to come our way.
FYI, the Spartans are ranked a No. 7 seed and will do battle against the USC Trojans people. For those who haven’t started to fill out your bracket you might want to start. What are the chances of you having a perfect bracket? Near impossible, not saying it isn’t possible, but there will be an upset. There is always an upset every single year where you have that lower seed not out a top-seeded opponent, causing a ripple effect for every bracket that has people in uproar.
However, that is the fun of this iconic sports event that happens only once a year. The underdogs get an opportunity to shine and who can argue about that seeing a team that no one expected to go far to deliver confidence, grit and a persistence that proves no matter what if you work hard you can succeed. I’m prepared to have drinks, food, a big screen and plenty of pals to enjoy some games that are certain to be edge of your seat for the next few weekends kicking off on March 16. Who is your pick to claim it all? Which games to do you see as major upsets? Get ready because I can see some brackets being busted wide open after the first weekend people.
Written By Jason Jones
