By Ryan “The Goose” Gosiker
I will admit that year-by-year, I have watched less and less college basketball games. Growing up, the roar of Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke, drew me to college basketball. Now, with the transfer rules and NIL deals plus the one-and-done pattern, it becomes harder and harder to follow the game if you are not a true diehard. However, there is one time during every college basketball season that unites us all and their name is March Madness. A 68-team tournament that has seen upsets of all magnitudes, college careers lengthen, and coaches get raises. They even have their own famous theme music and video called “One Shining Moment” that shows all the highs and lows of the tournament once a champion has been crowned.
There has not been an official study on this, but it sure feels like opening weekend, which features 16 games each day Thursday-Friday and 8 games each day Saturday-Sunday, drives down production rates across the country. I have been in schools that stop class to watch, or workers have it on the closest television. As a fan, you could not ask for much more in terms of number of games and fun to be had. Coworkers bond together over the tournament and who will fill out the best bracket or potentially the perfect bracket which has never happened before. The odds are so low that you are more likely to be struck by 3 lightning strikes in-a-row than pick the perfect bracket. All the arguments about NET ratings and strength of schedule do not matter anymore. The first team to be able to win 6 consecutive games from this point forward will be crowned the National Champion. It can all be over in a heartbeat. Ask Purdue last year or Virginia in 2018 as both teams lost to 16 seeds. Ask Duke and Georgetown who were 2 seeds that got knocked out years ago. It is no easy task as each of the 68 teams have battled to be there through their resume or winning their conference.
In terms of picking a bracket, pick chaos. It is the easiest path. Any game you think is lock or guarantee, is the only likeliest to trip you up. After this weekend, the field will be trimmed to just 16 and after next Sunday, there will be only 4. The tournament comes quickly, but is filled with thrill, agony, and intense competition you will not find anywhere else. So, as usual, program your remote to the various channels with games including CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV to make sure you don’t miss any of the action. It is a great time to visit your local restaurants and bars who are sure to carry all the action. Let the journey begin. Check out my sports show: “Game Time with The Goose” every Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM on WTBQ AM 1110 FM 93.5 and on WGHT Radio with co-host Zach Kruk, Sports Director of WTBQ and WGHT!
