March Madness has Arrived!

In my writing about Springtime, I forgot to mention March Madness as a sure sign of warmer temperatures. 

While usually reserved for the NCAA tournament to crown the basketball champion of the year, March Madness encompasses the entire month as the regular season ends and the conference championships begin. 

Tonight, for instance, the Maryland Terrapins begin their conference championship quest. Seeded number 2 in the Big 10 Conference, they have a fair chance to win the championship. Regardless, they should be no lower than a three seed in the big dance--which will be announced Sunday with play commencing almost immediately for the play-in games and the main tournament beginning on Thursday. 

I am not a fan of the NCAA. The rules that support raising billions of dollars in revenue for the schools, the NCAA, television, and gambling ensure that the student-athletes receive almost nothing for their efforts. After reading the recent report on Syracuse University infractions, I am even more convinced that the NCAA governing body needs to be dissolved. It is applying 1930's logic to the 21st Century situations and requirements. In some respects, the rules harm the ability of student athletes to live and successfully complete college. 

But the madness is beginning and the excitement of the greatest basketball tournament in Earth! 

Break out the TV channel guide because it's gonna be another wild ride.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD