I just love March Madness. Is there really any better time of year in sports? Think about it, Championship Week is so special for so many teams. The little guy gets in the spotlight, and you see schools like Mt. St. Mary's, Siena, Austin Peay and San Diego celebrating big time!
Why is this so special? It is the format that is utilized. One bad game and the party is over. My friends, that really captivates America.
I have to give ESPN a pat on the back. That's right, maybe my bosses will give me a raise for saying this! Let em tell you, from 1979, when the network started, it has given so many fans the opportunity to see so many different schools and different conferences play. That exposure has helped the NCAA tournament and it has helped the little guy make a name for himself. Think about the recruiting help from exposure during Championship Week!
For fans and coaches alike, you can see almost every team and then analyze and evaluate those programs. You can get a true feel for those schools because you become familiar with them. Before 1979, only the big-time programs got the exposure of TV. The elite programs got on and the other guys were left off.
That's why this is special.
It is spectacular to watch the Davids and Goliaths do battle in the first round. There have been so many great stories over the years. This season, there could be danger time for the big guys hooking up with the so-called mid-majors. Do you think anyone wants to face Davidson, a team the challenged North Carolina, Duke and UCLA earlier this season. Bob McKillop's squad is as hot as anyone in the nation.
Schools like Butler, Drake and George Mason will be tough outs. The March Madness run is so unique and special. I am 68 and March Madness makes me feel so young! The people at the NCAA do a phenomenal job promoting and marketing this event.
They have valuable players, PTPers behind the scenes that make it happen. You may not know names like Tom Jernstedt or Greg Shaheen, but they are superstars my friends! They help us have the greatest sporting event of them all, the NCAA tournament!
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
