Filling Out The Brackets

(note: The next Hometown View will appear on Tuesday, March 23)

If you’re old enough like me you remember when the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was quite a bit different than it is today. Long before “March Madness” the tournament was always a major college event but not always something that captivated the public unless you were a UCLA fan. However there were probably two major developments that led to the growth and popularity of what’s now become a three-week obsession for many.

The first was in 1979 when a farm boy by the name of Larry Bird led an undefeated and little-known Indiana State team into the championship game against Michigan State, whose best player was an always smiling Earvin Johnson, better known to fans and teammates as Magic. The interest in the game was staggering and to this day it remains the highest-rated TV game in the history of college basketball. Three years later ESPN began televising some of the early round games and it brought a new level of interest as viewers were taken around the country and introduced to schools they knew little about. Those schools have a special role because on a big stage they get to play with the big boys. When the tournament opens later this week highly-ranked teams like Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse will be challenged by the likes of Lehigh, East Tennessee State. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Vermont. Sure they are David versus Goliath matchups but it’s the charm of the tournament and makes us often root for the underdog.

Of course to the millions of us who will participate in bracket pools it’s all about the teams we pick. Brackets are those often large boxes you’ll find in the newspaper with all the games listed and we’ll try our best to pick the 63 games that will determine a national champion. Sure the temptation is to pick upsets but in the end form usually holds up.

While I would like to pass myself off as an expert frankly my track record is not very impressive. However for what it’s worth I’m picking Kansas to beat Duke…well that’s in one pool. In others I have Kansas over Kentucky and even West Virginia in the final. As for teams that may surprise you…watch out for Temple, Texas &AM and Xavier. You want a real upset…me winning a pool.