COLUMN: It’s Just a Country State of Mind: March Madness

Well March is here again and that means it’s once again time for March Madness. To be clear, it’s time for lots of college hoops, more correctly NCAA basketball tournaments.

For some people that live in Indiana, basketball isn’t just a sport, it’s a religion. I’m not trying to be sacrilegious, just keeping it real. Many of us can attest to the fact that there are a lot of people in Indiana that are fanatics when it comes to basketball. In fact, you can drive down almost any country road or through many small towns and find a basketball goal. Sometimes you’ll find them attached to old barns or attached to a garage. I’ve even seen them nailed to a tree before. In any case, how many of us can remember shooting some hoops in the backyard with our parents when we were kids?

Today there are sports clubs and the YMCA and other places where kids can play basketball. It’s just part of our history. It’s in our DNA.

I, myself, have spent many a day over the years trying to make that round ball hit the hoop. Not that I would ever assume to be an exceptional player or anything. But there’s something about living in Indiana that causes one to get that special madness this time of year.

I must confess I am guilty of experiencing this madness as well. This madness is particularly worse during the month of March when tournament time rolls around for Big Ten basketball. I’m talking about college basketball and television and streaming games online.

Or, if you’re lucky, you might possess season tickets for games and perhaps even drop a few bills for tournament play.

Almost everywhere you look this time of year, you can see signs of the madness. Online stats, people getting into office polls with the “brackets” of teams that made the cut and people walking around displaying their favorite teams on T-shirts, hats and other paraphernalia.

Yes, I fear that March is full of this madness. And even though I am sure it occurs in other states, I tend to think we Hoosiers have the madness a bit more than others around the country. Of course I could be prejudiced. I grew up with Hoosier basketball as my father was an avid fan of one particular team.

As a child, I watched as my father would sit in front of the television where he would get all excited, sometimes even jumping up and down yelling at the TV screen.

It was a roller coaster of an affair, but a love affair all the same. One minute he was upset about a foul that was just called on his team and the next minute, he was jubilant over a ball that landed inside the hoop to bring his team into the lead.

Sometimes he would attend the games too. He was a season-ticket holder. But personally, I think he enjoyed the living room games the most.

Of course, it only stands to reason that I was influenced by his behavior. After a while, I began to watch the games too. Soon, I was also jumping up and down and getting all excited and sometimes even upset by a call made by the referees. The madness lived on.

I cannot fail to mention that food plays an important role in March Madness. I am not sure why it does but every diehard basketball fan that I know makes a trip to the store before the big game to purchase a lot of junk food which will be consumed before, during and after each game. It’s just a given that food must be a part of this ritual. I think pizza has always been my favorite. But of course, some people have tailgate parties and grill hot dogs and brats. And we must not forget the beverages. Enough said.

Of course, this madness is not for everyone or for the faint of heart, but it is a wonderful sport after all. You really cannot knock it until you’ve tried it. But I must warn you. It is highly addictive, and it usually only takes one game to get you hooked.

So, this column is dedicated to all the faithful basketball fans out there. You know who you are. Stand tall and be proud of your madness. After all, it is March, and you do live in Indiana. What more can I say? Game on!

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