madness - n. - a state of frenzied or chaotic activity (Google)
It is often suggested that the month of March comes in like a lion yet goes out like a lamb weather wise. When it comes to what is known as "March Madness," the opposite may just be true as it is its own version of spring fever. Before I go into why I happen to like this athletically competitive time of the year, it is worthwhile to note that "madness" has three definitions, all of which apply to college basketball and its fans at this juncture. The first meaning is "the state of being mentally ill," the second is "extremely foolish behavior," and the third is posted at the top of this page. The way I look at it is that March Madness embraces all three. The diehard fans who watch all of the games could just be mentally challenged somehow, or others who don't quite understand their addiction might think they are. If they indulge themselves in betting sprees or in getting too emotionally invested in their own brackets, their behavior may be categorized as "extremely foolish." And finally, since basketball tends to be a fast sport given to personal fouls and quick ball turnovers, as a result, there is frequent "frenzied or chaotic activity" both on and off the court. Surely, whoever named the tournament March Madness considered the validity of the entire definition, not just the third.
I suppose I enjoy watching college basketball for reasons related to the three-prong denotation. Admittedly, I like the cacophonous, collective cries of chaos that often ensue when a game is very close. Whilst engaged in spectating, I, too, find myself morphing into one of the temporarily tattooed cheerleaders relegated to the sidelines and shout out abbreviated compliments or insults sans any regard as to where I am, which is often in a sports bar at lunch when few are even watching the game on the widescreen TV. No worries. My unchecked ebullience is just a reflexive action. Okay, fine. Some who could care less about the sport might think I am quite mad, have Tourette's, or am just a silly buffoon, but it is all part and parcel of the fun. Right? I'd like to think so.
If we delve a bit deeper, we might agree that coming together to participate in March Madness is a way of uniting the country during these divisive political times. Perhaps it is. It reminds me of the movie "Invictus," Clint Eastwood's poignant, celluloid rendering starring a former colleague of mine, Morgan Freeman. If you don't remember it, the plot is based on Nelson Mandela's uniting of South Africa after the separation of Apartheid via a rugby world cup match. The paradox is that sports have a unique way of temporarily dividing yet uniting people. Fans among friends cheer for their choice to win. Even if there is a bit of ill will resulting from a loss, it doesn't last too long. It helps warm a chill in the stands if the losing team on the court can shake hands with the victorious side and walk off into the locker room sans any animosity. It is what their coaches instruct them to do, and it is called good sportsmanship, something we could all use to revisit.
Perhaps all of the aforementioned defining attributes are why March Madness is such a huge draw. We Americans need the temporary insanity, the foolhardiness, the bedlam that all merge into escapism. We can lose ourselves in the fast and furious for two hours or so and get a break from more serious mayhem that the 24-7 news cycle keeps reporting. And maybe, just maybe, some of us will get lucky and win dollars for our bracket choices. Which just might be capitalism at its best.
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