Why March Madness is about hate, drama and brutal honesty

It’s important to keep things in perspective, so during this year’s NCAA Tournament, remember that, even with a number of snubs - Valpo, Monmouth, St. Mary’s, San Diego State, etc - the possibility of a highly entertaining tournament, whether early on during the first four days or during the second extended weekend, is still very much alive.

Further, even if the better, higher seeded teams win consistently, the possibility for matchups between schools and fanbases who LOATHE each other - Texas-Texas A&M, West Virginia-Pitt, Notre Dame-Michigan et al - could realistically happen en masse.

Also, because it’s college basketball being played by largely inexperienced players on this type of stage, the chances of inexplicable end-of-game mistakes are through the roof. This fact and this fact alone are why it’s key to set a reasonable expectation of, at the very least, if your favorite team is going to lose, lose by being beaten and nothing else.