March Sadness: Trying to find some joy during this year’s March Madness
Sports are often viewed as an escape from the stresses of reality, but what happens when the two collide? The Big Dance tipped off today, but due to the covid-19 pandemic, it will feel less gala-ish and more like a small gathering in a backyard.
For all its’ flaws, March Madness saves college basketball. It gives life to the sport amid times of corruption, hypocrisy, mediocrity, lack of regular season buzz and the debate over player compensation. The tournament’s structure naturally allows for some magic drama, but this year those moments will fall flat. Having the tournament is miraculous enough. Hosting 1000+ players plus coaches, trainers and team officials all in one city, is a major accomplishment and should be noted.
The covid-19 cloud has darkened any clear skies this tournament may have. Despite featuring a dominant, undefeated 1-seed in Gonzaga and an entertaining mix of high class freshmen and outstanding upperclassmen across the country, the buzz from the season fell flat. There was no energy. There couldn’t be many fans, despite Texas’s best efforts. There was no significance, even though Gonzaga may prove to be an all-time team and already qualifies as a historic offensive wonder.
As the sport attempts to recover, you can’t avoid assessing the damage that covid-19 has done. Typical tournament favourites Virginia and Kansas saw their conference tournament runs cut short due to the virus and Georgia Tech will be without one of the nation’s top players.
Ultimately, this tournament may represent the end of our year-long sports hiatus. It may signify the last event in a bubble, the last major sport crawling to completion. It could mark the beginning of an exciting recovery period as millions of people get vaccinated everyday and hope increases for large crowds. But, it would be foolish to forget that these incredible athletes are just kids, and they are putting their health and safety on the line for our entertainment.
This year, March Madness is hardly a celebration nor a distraction, instead it’s an event trucking through a cold world with a glimmer of hope and promise on the horizon, and that alone may be worth celebrating.