Whoever put the word “madness” in March Madness, definitely got it right. It isn’t just the teams on the court feeling the madness though, no, the madness is brought out in just about every person who fills out a bracket.
Bets get placed, trash talking starts up, everyone catches NCAA basketball fever, and I find myself smack dab in the middle of it all.
I do not consider myself a feminist in any meaning of the word, but when it comes to sports… I REALLY like to beat boys.
I enter the bracket competition the underdog, and I get that. I am a girl that people only really know for being a baseball fan. People know that my eyes are never locked on a basketball game, but people who know me well know that I pay attention.
Prior to March Madness I’m aware of what is being said on ESPN, I hear NCAA junkies talk about the goings on in college basketball, I come to know a lot more than may meet the eye.
I also play my bracket carefully. I know that there will always be those incredible upsets (let’s not mention what Pitt’s loss last year did to my bracket) but I don’t bank on those. I use the numbers when I fill out my bracket. Sure, there were the times early on in my bracket career when I had the 14 seed Air Force Academy winning the whole thing just because it sounded fun. Now though, you will not see a 14 seed topple a 1 seed in my bracket.
I also am not afraid to go against the grain when I feel it is appropriate. In my bracket this year this occurred when I saw the match-up of 8 seed Iowa and 9 seed Uconn. I listened to what those around me said leading up to Selection Sunday, Uconn has been losing. Yet, when I discussed this match up with many people they still picked Uconn to win this game out of loyalty, being so close to the school. Not me, I’m playing Moneyball on this one, and lately the statistics are in Iowa’s favor.
I can’t lie though, I do have one tool that helps me with my bracket every now and then, especially in tricky situations with close seeded teams… my brother.
I know what you are thinking, no, my brother does not fill out my bracket for me. I do call him though, and I do say, “Nick, I need to beat boys and I don’t know who to choose between the 8 seed and the 7 seed match!” He never tells me, “pick team x” he only talks about the two teams with me and then leaves me to make the decision on my own.
I probably won’t win the grand prize in the ESPN bracket competition, but I will have fun, and I will hold my own against the boys. Last year was my first extremely good run at March Madness (would have been better no thanks to Pittsburgh) and I did manage to beat out all but one guy in my ESPN group.
So boys of Western New England University and beyond, while this may be stereotyped as a “guy thing” some of us girls make a run for our money when it comes to March Madness.
The Pitch 