march madness

Day 79: Fido Friday

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Bruno

Ah, March Madness is in full swing. My alma mater’s UC sister schools played well, going 1-1, thanks to UCLA’s upset of SMU. They could’ve been 2-0, but UC Irvine fell a basket short of advancing. It was a great showing for the Big West tournament champion.

The early rounds are always my favorite because of the non-stop action and upsets. Thanks to the Internet, it’s now easier than ever to watch all of the games no matter where you are, although this isn’t always a good thing. Game notifications blowing up your phone isn’t the best way to maintain your concentration during the day. The stress level goes up as you sweat over one of your deep picks possibly being upset in the first round.

Thankfully, my buddy Bruno helped me relax when I got home on this Fido Friday. I hope he’s ready to do a little extra relaxation therapy as the tournament continues.

Day 74: Let The Madness Begin

March Madness 2015

March Madness 2015

I’m not a fan of the NCAA. Every time I read about the latest multi-billion dollar deal it signs, I think about all of the unpaid athletes at its disposal. Not a single student-athlete is paid a penny (well, at least over the table) for their labor by the NCAA. It sickens me to think that those billions of dollars are going to so many people who don’t actually play the games. And when a student is busted for rules infractions, we’re supposed to be shocked and surprised that this would happen.

Yet, every March, I look forward to one of the NCAA’s biggest events: the men’s basketball tournament. I put aside my feelings toward the system of exploitative college sports. I just can’t help myself. I love the one-and-done format of the tourney. I love filling out my bracket. I love the upsets. I love the buzzer beaters. I love rooting against Duke. I love rooting for Pac-12 teams. And on very rare occasions, I love rooting for my alma mater.

And after it’s all said and done? I’ll go back to not loving the NCAA again.