March Madness Mayhem

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As March Madness concluded, I wanted to reflect on it. I’ve never been a big basketball fan but I get more involved during the tournament. It’s always fun hearing people discuss their brackets and stay glued to the TV. In my opinion, college basketball is more fun to watch than professional basketball.

Until this year, I had never created a bracket and instead lived vicariously through others. My friends and I decided to make our own and turn it into a competition. As college athletes, we avoided any monetary stakes and instead gave the loser a punishment. We each took time to fill out our brackets, hoping to come out on top.

Once the tournament started, the mayhem began. Everyone’s rankings within our group began to fluctuate as games were played. I went from leading our bracket for 3 days to never getting out of the bottom. Originally, when I filled out my bracket, I didn’t analyze the teams too much. I primarily chose the team with the highest seed to advance and made sure to include some upsets. Teams that I personally like such as Kansas and Kentucky, I favor over others. It’s safe to say my first bracket was a mix between my own preference and the team’s ability.

Each year, people aim to create a perfect March Madness bracket which is nearly impossible to do. This year, there weren’t any. The final perfect bracket was shattered by Sweet 16. In 2019, an Ohio man created the longest-standing, perfect bracket. The marketing behind the brackets is brilliant. It gets people excited, especially when so many people create bets, generating revenue. There’s also increased viewership as people want to know if their picks advanced to the next round.

I believe people will agree that this year’s March Madness was the definition of crazy. It was a mix between unexpected upsets and close games throughout. While my first bracket was far from perfect, I still enjoyed creating one and competing against my friends. It gave us something to look forward to and talk about when the games were on. Even though I’m going to dread the punishment for being the loser, I’ll have all my friends supporting me through it and cheering me on. It will be a memory I won’t forget.

Comments

  1. McKenna MillerApril 8, 2026 at 11:35 AM

    Hi Danika! I am also not a big basketball fan but each year find myself interested in the tournament as well. I did not do a bracket this year but when I was little my dad used to let me do one where I would usually pick the teams based off of the mascots. That sounds so fun doing it with your friends. I agree that this year was definitely crazy and full of unexpected turns and unpredicted events. I am glad you had fun doing it and now have great memories from it!

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  2. Paige BashawatyApril 8, 2026 at 9:01 PM

    Hey Danika! I agree, I have never been a big basketball fan, but this year I actually tuned into a lot of it. I love that you and your friends created a little competition with the brackets, which makes them extra fun! And you are totally right, these brackets are a perfect strategy to make people tune into these games, and even place bets if they want to.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aubrey HatteryApril 9, 2026 at 11:22 AM

    Hi! That is so fun! I have never watched basketball unless it was playing in a restaurant but I'm glad that you got to try something new with your friends. I'm so sorry you were last but that's good that it is all in good fun. Maybe that means next year you'll have a perfect bracket.

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