Courtney speaking:

We’re now fully into March Madness. The reason I do not like March Madness is simply the attitude change that everyone suddenly has. March is the month that everyone all of the sudden becomes a dedicated fan to one basketball team. People who are not generally into sports suddenly know everything about basketball. Well, they claim to know everything about basketball. The majority of people claim to be “die-hard Kansas fans” or “die-hard Kansas State fans”. I understand that it is fun to have a team to cheer for, and if that is fun for you, go for it. However, that does not mean you have to act like you know everything there is to know about the team. That also does not give you the right to trash talk other teams. Do not be an annoying bandwagon fan.

If you really are into March Madness, keep the over-excessive tweets full of trash talk and narrating of the game (if I wanted to know, I would watch it) to a minimum. Competition is good, but let’s keep it friendly. Lastly, if and when “your team” loses, there is no need to be crushed about it for a week and bring everyone else’s mood down with yours.

Overall, I feel as if March Madness is overrated. There, I said it. There is too much unnecessary hype surrounding the event.

Mikaela speaking:

I believe March Madness is a fun way to get together with your friends and family for some civil competition. It is perfect for people who do not know basketball very well to get involved and be part of a group. Not only can you win money, but it also makes the month of March fly by.

Another reason March Madness is the best part of the college basketball season is because major upsets occur and smaller teams get new fans. I had never heard of Florida Gulf Coast University before the tournament, and now I think they are spectacular. It is the little things about the tournament that make it entertaining and can help, or ruin, your standings in your bracket. For example, Aaron Craft’s buzzer beater shot in the Ohio State vs. Iowa State game helped me immensely in my standings, just his one shot. But the best part of that game was that I was holding on to each second, soaking in the excitement through my TV. My point is, it’s all about the energy of the tournament, and it does not matter if you watch basketball daily or not at all, everyone should be able to enjoy the enthusiasm of March.