College basketball fans are biting their nails in anticipation as March Madness approaches.
Certainly, many people each year catch this “madness.” A fever affects millions of people as they try to predict who will win the coveted tournament.
Things associated with the sport constantly race through the mind: sneakers squeaking, the basketball as it makes contact with the court, the swooshing sound as the ball goes easily through the hoop, and the sound of crowds celebrating or expressing anguish as their team either advances or is eliminated in this single elimination tournament.
What is probably racing through the minds of most, however, is the question of who will take the National Championship in 2013?
The tournament, which was created in 1939 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, has grown exponentially in popularity since its beginning. When it started, only eight teams played in the tournament. Since its creation, however, the tournament has grown in size to 68 teams and is now the premier tournament for men’s college basketball.
This year marks the seventy-fifth year that the tournament has been held.
Predictions and favorites to win have been cast and so far it is looking good if you are an Indiana or Lousville fan, who have been predicted by many to be two of the teams who make it to the Final Four.
Even President Obama has put in his two cents, predicting that Indiana, Louisville, Ohio State, and Florida will be taking the trip down to Atlanta, GA as part of the Final Four. In the end, however, he predicted that the Hoosiers will emerge as the winner this year.
So if you notice your friends acting strangely over the next couple of weeks, don’t be alarmed. They have probably just caught the “March madness.”