March Madness Here We Come
March 16, 2009 – 9:16 am by Jimmy Shapiro
This is my favorite time of the sports year by far. Nothing comes even close. The three weeks of the NCAA Tourney has everything I’m looking for in sports: great story lines, great athletic performances, chances for upsets, drama, tears, passion, multiple ways to gamble, and a reason not to work.
From 1995 to 2003 and then again in 2006, I went to Vegas for the first week of the tourney. You can’t truly describe it to someone, it’s something you really need to experience for yourself. The energy and emotional swings that are present in the sportsbooks is a sight to behold. Throw in lots of alcohol, smoke, and a severe lack of sleep and it all adds up to a crazy four days. Watching every game and rooting on your money is draining. It typically takes at least a week to recover from the carnage you do to your body and brain in Vegas during the tourney.
My other favorite thing about the tourney is watching the scrubs go berserk on the bench. Mix that in with the occasional ambiguously gay hand holding during pressure-packed moments and March Madness provides the comedy I rarely get on network TV.
This week at SRI, we’re going to be packed with interviews from players, coaches, analysts, and legends of yesteryear to discuss this year’s Big Dance.
Keep checking back for updated interviews.
Tags: Field of 64, March Madness, NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, NCAA tourney, The Big Dance
