March Madness

 As many of you probably know, it’s that time of year again.  March Madness is coming, and if you’re like me, you’ve made sure that the next 4 weekends are clear of anything that will interfere with this sacred month of college hoops.  Those of you that know me, know that I’m a big sports fan and a HUGE Tar Heel fan.  Honestly, ‘HUGE’ doesn’t even do it justice.  I have to admit, UNC basketball is not something I just enjoy watching ……  it’s personal. 

What is it about sports that bring this out in guys?  Just ask my wife, I’m a different person during a UNC game.  Honestly, there are guys that I absolutely can’t stand  simply because of the team they play for (i.e. anyone associated with Duke).  It’s almost as if some part of me associates myself with ‘my team’.  Have you ever noticed that…. you ask someone how a certain team did in a game and the response you get is “We won”.  We.  As though in some way ‘we’, sitting on our couches at home, contributed to the success of the team.  For me, it’s even more personal than that.  If by some act of God UNC loses a game, it puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.  Something within me feels so let down, deflated, as though I am experiencing the pain of defeat with them.  Now, some of you probably think I’m crazy, and I know this isn’t right, but it’s there.  You can’t just tell someone that is attached to their dog that it’s ‘just an animal’ or to just ’let go’ (I know, stupid analogy). 

 Anyways,  this is something that is really amazing to me and I would really like to understand the connection between men and ‘their’ teams.  Maybe I need some professional counseling or something.  Luckily I’m not alone, because I know there are millions of guys like me that will be glued to the TV for the next month, watching in anticipation, joining in with their team in the joy of victory, and shedding tears with their team in the agony of defeat.