Chaos, Community, and the “Outrageous Orange” That Is March Madness

Nothing brings people together quite like some friendly competition. Humans are naturally predispositioned to socialize in groups, and even from our earliest existence we have solidified bonds and formed communities. Add this predilection to humans’ universal love for a good rivalry, and the perfect recipe for competition is born!

There is plenty of opportunity for competition in the sports world, but, to me no platform carries the same sense of community, intensity, and die-hard ferocity as college athletics. Whether you attended a school, know someone who did, or simply like the institution’s mascot, there is something to be said for building school loyalty and cheering for a team you identify with on some larger level. Certainly college football is a living, breathing entity unto itself. Wearing your team’s colors while cheering from the stands in the crisp autumn air, feeling the beat of the drum line keep time with the beating of your heart, experiencing the thrill of adrenaline rush through your veins and prickle your skin when, against all odds, your team comes out ahead and secures a victory: These feelings are magically unparalleled.

Thankfully, there is a way to keep this magic alive as the hideous throes of winter begin to lessen and early signs of spring begin to blossom: March Madness. Just when we need it most, college basketball gives way to a full month of chaos-inducing, bracket-busting, rivalry-provoking madness. Competition at its finest.

Minneapolis is hosting the Final Four this year, and the city’s campaign aims to connect people from various backgrounds and institutional allegiances to form a greater sense of camaraderie and community. Indeed, Minneapolis is hosting numerous events—many of which are free—to heighten the hype and draw people out of their routines, encourage them to experience something new, and, perhaps, promote individuals to view life from a different perspective. The city’s advertising game is on point: From articles in the StarTribune to the baggage claim at MSP International, Minneapolis is proud to host this leg of the tournament and eager to embrace this opportunity to form connections and strengthen communities.

Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of March Madness is jumping on the bandwagon and rooting for the underdog once your team has been eliminated.[1] As soon as one game ends, new communities form instantaneously. Small, private Chicago-based institution that hasn’t been to the tournament in decades? Instant Loyola fan! Friends who went to Virginia and now their team is in the Final Four? I’m rooting for the Cavaliers! Looking for a team with the most unlikely of mascots? Call me a Northern Kentucky Norse fan! No matter the reason, season, or duration, allegiances shift and grow like wild fire as the maddening month progresses. People come together from all walks of life to unite in a common cause. Man, woman, sports lover, sports hater—It doesn’t matter: The wild thrill and friendly competition March Madness has to offer mysteriously finds a way to hook everyone.

Take the 2018 Notre Dame women’s team. Whether you’re an Irish fan or not, there’s no denying the palpable excitement that came with the final two games of the tournament[2].

Final Four battle against basketball dynasty, UConn: Tied 89 all with less than ten seconds left in overtime. The suspense! Notre Dame’s offense closes in, junior Arike Ogunbowale takes the three pointer with one second left on the clock…

SWOOSH!

Fate against fates, the Irish find themselves in the same predicament once more, this time squared up against Mississippi State in a fight for the National Championship. It’s tied 58-58 with less than three seconds on the clock. Ogunbowale positions herself for three with one second left… This couldn’t possibly happen again… She shoots…

WHOOMP THERE IT IS!

Now THAT is some bonafide March Madness! The girl’s a BOSS! If that doesn’t get you going, you better check your pulse.

Curiously, even if it separates itself from basketball entirely, March Madness lives on and visibly infiltrates other spheres of influences. The sheer scope and pervasiveness of the phenomenon is astounding. Check your email, step outside your home, or talk to—I don’t know—anyone, and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Local libraries, department chains, craft breweries, liquor stores[3]: People are downright MAD for March! Even animals are joining the fun, with this unique if not amusing “Mammals Madness” bracket courtesy of the Skimm[4]. Who will win: The Clown Fish & Sea Anemone or Spinifex Hopping Mouse? The Bengal Tiger or the Ants & Aphids[5]? I don’t know[6], but my vet-school boyfriend will most certainly ensure I find out!

As Lewis Carol famously penned in Alice in Wonderland, “We’re all a little mad here.” In other words, no one can escape the madness of the human condition. And, when we encounter a phenomenon that parallels this madness, we cannot help but be drawn to it.

Sixty-eight teams from across the country with different backgrounds, fan bases, and institutional legacies all coming together to work towards a common goal?

How “outrageous[7]” is that?

Individuals setting aside differences to form communities and defy all odds?

…There must be some logic to this “madness” after all.

[1] Or, was never in the tournament to begin with, as was sadly the case for my alma mater this year. Thank you, Notre Dame women for carrying our basketball programs on your back. I hope you go all the way!

[2] Shout out to the Houks for sharing pictures from the National Championship game in Columbus, Ohio!

[3] …Particularly craft breweries and liquor stores: They really like their competition! I have never seen so many brackets in my life! Alcohol has been known to bring out the competition in all of us, but after this year’s harsh winter the Minnesota drinking scene appears to place particularly emphasis (and maybe even hope?) on the art of all things bracketology. Surly’s “Surliest Winter Ever” March Madness Bracket is a prime example. Who will win: The “weather app on your dumb phone” or “this f—ing winter?” Drink more beer to find out!