Filling out a bracket as American as hot wings

OK, so I’m not exactly sure if hot wings are the most flamboyant poster child for American culture, but I plan to devour many of them during this year’s NCAA basketball tournament. March is the greatest month of the year for basketball and the only month of the year many folks actually pay attention to the sport.

If your team didn’t make the tournament there are still plenty of other teams available that you’ll have some sort of interest in to keep you entertained. And of course filling out a bracket is a must for any red-blooded American. 

Stories within the tournament

These teams fight all season long, but none of that really matters until now. They allow over 60 teams to make the tournament, the regular season is just a chance to get a better seeding. 

But college basketball sets up the greatest formula for postseason play by allowing all these teams to get involved and stretching it out over a four week span. By the time this tournament is over you’ll learn everything you missed the past four months and possibly be setup to succeed with your bracket the next season. 

Cinderella stories will come out of nowhere and keep casual fans involved after their team gets knocked out in the first round. These are always the best stories during the tournament and basketball is a game where almost anyone can win on a given night. 

It seems like top high school players are starting to realize they can stay close to home by going to these small colleges and still have a chance to play on a national stage. It opens up so many more possibilities for athletes. 

Filling out a bracket

This is an absolute must for any sports fan. It’s a yearly tradition that will/should eventually become an annual holiday. Some people want to try and act like they’re “too cool for school” to fill out a bracket, but by the first weekend they’re searching the internet to find out if they can start a bracket in the second round. 

Whether you’ve watched a game all season or if you’re an avid college basketball fan, you have a chance of filling out that perfect bracket and that’s what keeps us coming back. 

It’s really just a guessing game. Personally, I’ve watched maybe a quarter of these teams play, and most of those teams I probably just saw bits and pieces of the game. There are only a handful of games I sat down to watch the entirety of this season but I still feel that I have that chance of making the right selections. 

I’ll listen to commentators, read a couple of articles online and then I’ll be ready to fill out my bracket. It’s something I have to do as an American. I know I’m going to be watching the tournament for the next three to four weeks and without a bracket it almost seems pointless. 

Don’t be the guy at Buffalo Wild Wings or wherever you’re watching these games that doesn’t have an interest because he decided he didn’t know enough to fill out a bracket this year. It doesn’t matter how much you know. I guarantee you half the people filling out a bracket this year haven’t watched that much basketball. 

It’s your duty as an American and as a sports fan to fill out a bracket. Not doing so will cause your fanhood and personal integrity to falter. This is your only shot of the year to get involved in something this big. Don’t sit back and watch it pass it you by. Give it a shot. Take some risks. But ultimately, have fun with it because this is about as good as it gets for a sports fan. 

You can follow Jake on Twitter at: @j8a1k0e or on his MLB Braves blog at: http://bravesandmore.mlblogs.com