In view of March Madness, the zany season of college basketball upsets, in view of the fact that I am an avid Tarheel fan for this short season, and in view of the fact that I’m a little weary of doing edits for the manuscript of the latest Living Story Bible study,
I thought I’d write some true confessions about my relationship with college basketball.
1. I attended UNC for one special year, transferring home with the intention of returning, but instead meeting my husband, for whom I learned to wear red and black and cheer “Go Dawgs.” My special Carolina year was 1980-1981, the year of Worthy, Perkins, Doherty, and Jordan (confession again — those are the only ones I remember. I’m sure I’m leaving out someone important). I like to tell my kids I had a class with Michael Jordan. I did – but it was one of those large lecture classes, and everyone would point to him when he was there, and I’d see his massive figure from afar.
2. Gulp…I never once attended a basketball game when I was there. That involved camping out in long lines outdoors, at night, when all good students should be in bed. Plus, I didn’t really appreciate the great opportunity until after it was gone.
3. I become a UNC Tarheels fan during basketball season but save most of my efforts for March Madness. I don’t fill out a bracket, but I do watch the unfolding stories of wild upsets and heightened tension of injured teams (our sky guys this year) with fascinated interest.
4. When I first turn a game on, I look to the bottom of the screen. I want to know the rankings of the team, the score. I sometimes read about certain players. I occasionally notice the artistry of how the players move.
5. I know little about the game itself other than what I learned playing three on three and multiple games of horse as a kid. Because our daughter played, I tried to learn the names of the positions and understand that the short one is usually the point guard, but don’t know why.
The truth is, March Madness for me, is yet another unfolding story, with poor little David’s (Lehigh) beating up on rich giants (Duke). It is a story of unlikely heroes and one shining moments; it is a story of unexpected defeats and ordinary wins. It’s a story that engages a large community for a season. Even an amateur and wayward fan can enjoy a story like this.
What about you — even if you hate March Madness, what stories draw you in? What stories do you get excited about with others?
