Page 22 - Final Inspirational Women Issue

SPOR T S

NCAA Men's Division I

Basketball Championship

Also known as March Madness or The Big Dance or
My Favorite Time of the Year

By Carol Heath

N 1939, OHIO STATE teams, including cham-
IUniversity basketball pions for 32 Division
coach Harold Olsen, 1 conferences, which
along with the Na- receive automatic
tional Association of bids. The remaining
Basketball Coaches, 36 teams are awarded
came up with the at-large berths and
idea of a single-elim- they are chosen by
ination tournament the NCAA selection
to determine the committee. The 68
National Collegiate teams are divided
Athletic Association into four regions and
(NCAA) Men’s Division organized into a single
1 Basketball Cham- elimination bracket
pions. Since these which pre-determines
games are typically when a team wins a
played in March, this game who their next
tournament is referred opponent will be. Each
to as March Madness. team is ranked within
Some devotees also a region from 1-16. The as a stat crew mem- team was Duke and I
call it the Big Dance, first round consists of ber from 1984-2002. admired Coach K as a
as this is for the whole 64 teams all playing I witnessed a lot of man and a coach. I was
enchilada. The beauty in their regions, these exciting games in that pretty confident that
of this tournament is winners become the time, but one of the I was going to be able
anybody can win, you “Sweet Sixteen” and most emotional games to meet him in person
can be ranked 16th , then out of these I ever watched on the as Duke usually went
and if you win all the teams you get the Final floor of the Oakland to the final four and
games in your bracket Four which represents Coliseum, was the won many titles.
and go to the final the top team of each Sweet Sixteen games It was a long 2
four and win again, region, East, South, representing the west- years waiting for that
you could actually be Midwest and West. The ern region in March of tournament and I fol-
in the championship Final Four play and 1990. When we learned lowed Duke and sev-
game and win. It has then you have 2 teams in mid-1988, that eral other teams that I
become one of the left and they play for we were to host the thought might make it
most famous sporting the National Title. This NCAA Men’s Division 1 to the Sweet Sixteen.
events in the United game is usually played Basketball Champion Duke was a given as
States and watched by the first week end in Sweet Sixteen games, I they were playing
millions of viewers all April, but is still con- was ecstatic. I love col- some of the best ball
over the world. sidered part of March lege sports of any kind, in 3 seasons and they
Currently this Madness. and followed college were ranked #1 most
tournament consists of I worked for the basketball religiously of the year. I started
68 college basketball Golden State Warriors for over 20 years. My watching Loyola Mary-

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