Madness:
The Prologue
—-----‘’Oh my goodness. UMBC is actually going to do this. I’m witnessing history.” This thought popped into my head with ten minutes left in the Round of 64 game as the overall number one seeded Virginia Cavaliers as they took a 20 point loss from the 16 seeded University of Maryland – Baltimore County Retrievers. The game is historical. No 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed. It wasn’t a fluke either, the Retrievers controlled the game. It was magic. It’s what we’ve come to love about March.
Walker’s Weekly Wrant - 2018 ------
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Hello dear reader - it is March, which can only mean one thing - Madness. Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push. Think about it - when March Madness rolls around, everyone gets into it. From the hardcore basketball fans to the people who fill out their brackets based on team color, Madness infects everyone.
What is it about the NCAA Tournament that makes it so exciting? Well, for me, it’s moments like 2018, referenced above. The excitement of a one and done tournament is second to none. One or two mistakes is all this takes to send a promising team home and let a Cinderella make a run. What is a Cinderella? A Cinderella is a team that, much like the fairy tale, rises above their perceived skill and status and beats the teams that are heavily favored. The same 2018 tourney that UMBC became the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed, Loyola Chicago had a Cinderella run, reaching the Final Four as an 11 seed. Cinderella runs are magical - and it is something that we all cheer for every year.
Well, almost every year. If you’re a fan of a high seeded team, then the Cinderella stories aren’t such a feel good story. Take the fans of Virginia in 2018 - they were on the wrong side of history. It’s heartbreaking. I get upset when the University of Houston loses a regular season game. Losing in the tournament is a whole different pain - like I said in 2018 -
—-----I’m a University of Houston man. I watched as Rob Gray hit the go ahead layup against San Diego State. I was elated. First tournament victory for the Cougars since 1984, a full 5 years before I was born. This was it. This was my Phi Slamma Jamma. The Cougars played Michigan on Saturday night. I was pumped. Sitting in my living room, decked out in red and white. Then, Cougars up 2 with three seconds left, I thought to myself “We got this.” (The hardcore sports fan just groaned). As that thought crossed my mind, Michigan inbounded the ball, heaved up a prayer, and… God answered. My wife woke up to an angry shout.
Walker’s Weekly Wrant - 2018 ------
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March is elation. March is heartbreak.
March is here. Let the Madness begin.
Walker’s Weekly Wrecommendations
Each week I’m gonna review and recommend random things - TV shows, music, or a restaurant. IDK. Whatever I feel like. This is my blog.
This week's Triple W is Playstack’s Rouge-like deck building poker game “Balatro”. Starting with a standard 52 card deck, this game has you put together poker hands to earn points and advance levels. Using Joker and Tarot cards to enhance your standard playing cards to overcome the obstacles the game throws your way, Balatro is a great way to challenge your brain to find creative mathematical solutions to get the right score.
NEXT WEEK: Walker’s Wranting’s presents “Madness - The Bracket”