March Madness

Once again, that annual tribute to round ball junkies has commenced again. I am part of that group, at least for the next few weeks. It’s fascinating to see how all these eager athletes love being shoved into the limelight. This is especially true for those who make buzzer beating winning baskets; they will surely remember that for the rest of their lives and maybe even equate the significance to career ascending moments, getting married, or maybe even the birth of their first child. If you’ve watched the tournament at any time in your life, you’ve surely witnessed the shots that these roundballers have played over and over again in pick up games, on the playground, and in practices, finally making fantasying game winning shots into reality. The mysticism surrounding these moments equates to last second home runs, Hail Mary catches, any other sports infused crazy moments. One moment that sticks in my mind is a game played by Ga. Tech in the early ‘90s. I have long since forgotten their opponent, but the cascade of events that precipitated the game winner is surely Hollywood worthy. With only seven tenths of a second on the clock, the Yellow Jackets inbounded the ball. Somehow, someway, the recipient of the in bound pass had the mental tenacity to bounce the ball, turn, and score the game winner. What a game! I can only hope that this tournament is filled with such awe inspiring moments.