What is this 'Madness'?

Everyone seems to be going mad. As in crazy. First there was that beautiful beatdown by the Lady Eagles on the Lady Archers in volleyball. Then came the crazy coaching setups in the PBA. I mean, you have Biboy Ravanes as head coach of San Miguel yet Todd Purves presides over the team huddles in timeouts and at halftime. Then, over at Brgy. Ginebra, Juno Sauler has been doing his DLSU thing since the head coach is pretty much incompetent. But see, another kind of madness has invaded the Philippines. And this is thanks to Mr. MVP’s own TV5 station that we are finally going to witness one of America’s biggest sporting events as it happens and not only during its biggest game *cough*Superbowl*cough*.

What is this Madness?

This. Is. March. MADNESS!

Yes folks, the US NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Division I had officially landed on Philippine soil last March 19. And I couldn’t be much happier, along with a few others, since I enjoy the college game more than the NBA’s regular season.

Sixty-eight teams. Three weeks. Seven rounds. Win or go home. Non-stop basketball.

That’s the whole tournament right there. Only the best of the best can claim themselves National Champions and say that they are the premier collegiate team in the land. We have a similar tourney going on here for quite some time, but alas, it has yet to take full shape. This US bonanza does not involve any best of three or best of five. Win or go home, baby. Win or go home!

Since its inception in 1939, the NCAA has gone from eight initial teams (with Oregon winning the inaugural title) to 68. University of California-Los Angeles remains to be the winningest school, having hoisted 11 championship banners thanks to legendary head coach John Wooden (bless your soul, you were the best. THE best.), and having players named Lewis Alcindor and Bill Walton to name a few. The Kentucky Wildcats, which were crowned National Champs two years ago thanks to Anthony Davis and his batchmates, and also boast of Wooden’s contemporary Adolph Rupp and a particularly suave All-American named Pat Riley, have reined in eight trophies to grab second place. Tied at third among the winningest schools in the US are Indiana University and the North Carolina Tar Heels, a fourth of my all-time favourite teams (Chicago Bulls, FC Barcelona and the Ateneo Blue Eagles comprise my Mt. Rushmore), have five, the Heels winning one on a Michael Jordan buzzer-beater and two of their trophies won in recent years. One trophy behind them is Mike Krewzewsky’s Duke Blue Devils, the Tar Heels’ most bitter rivals.

Seeding is done by having conference champions earning an automatic bid, numbering to 16, and having spread out in four regions, the West, Midwest, East and Southeast. There will be a consensus number one in each region and have 16 spots to be filled. The pitting is 1-16, 2-15, and so on. Thus, giving the perennial favorites bigger chances of winning. And this is where the magic of this March Madness begin.

But what makes this March madness fever stick?

For me, it is the unpredictability. The tournament is a one-and-done affair. The same can be said for the conference tourneys of the different schools. There will always be Cinderella teams. Take for example, Rain or Shine’s very own Gabe Norwood who starred in George Mason U’s Cinderella run to the Final Four (I still smart from that painful North Carolina loss, Mr. President, just so you know), when they took down an arguably heavy Tar Heel squad that had Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough running the Chapel Hill machine. Or how about that Ali Faroukhmanesh boomer to propel Northwestern Iowa over Kansas in probably one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history?

That’s what makes it enthralling I guess.

Big programs getting upset by wee ones, unknowns suddenly having their NBA Draft stock rise as they beast out in probably the biggest stages of their careers. Compelling stories of seniors declining to join the draft the year prior just for another shot at the national title, coaches coming back with monster recruiting classes or silent but effective moves. The list goes on. But probably the biggest reason for me is this: internationals recruited by these said programs are suiting up for their schools and their fans are loving them, even those from opposing teams even if they heckle them (with the exception of the rude gramps who badmouthed OK State’s Marcus Smart). Race is no issue. There is no misplaced “All-American” pride. And the best of them all, there’s no rule banning them from participating in school sports just because their passports do not read American citizen. Madness? Nay. It is magic. A spectacle. And we should downright enjoy it.

P.S. President Norwood, if you are reading this, I got video of how you gave Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough and ol’ Roy Williams a fit in your last game as a Patriot. And yes, it still gives me fits as well.

P.P.S. Whoever is watching the broadcast on MVP’s channels, maybe tweet #MadnessInThePhilippines to show our appreciation for giving us this great show. And props to Coach Chot for pulling through on this. Great job coach!

File your protests, complaints and blind hate to @PioVGarcia.