By: Nick Finochiaro

Cinderella, a magical story in which the ordinary becomes extraordinary, the impossible suddenly becomes possible and dreams become reality. For one moment in time, everything that is good and pure in this world shines through like the morning sun beaming through an open window, filling the room with unparalleled warmth. The “big dance” is upon you. Then, in the blink of an eye, the moment is gone. The clock strikes midnight and all that magic comes to a swift and abrupt halt. The sky feels as if it were crashing down around you. There is a dark and empty feeling in the pit of your stomach. The dream is over. Of the 64 teams in the NCAA Tournament this is how the story will end for 63 of them, but for one team, on one magical night, the dream will become reality. Thousands upon thousands of adoring fans will cheer their tireless effort in capturing the seemingly unattainable. All the hard work will have finally paid off in a way that they never thought possible. The feeling of achieving a childhood dream will be better than they ever imagined it would. Confetti will rain down upon them. They will joyously look into each others eyes with the same thought racing through their head, “Oh my God, we did it”. They will walk together forever in glory. The loser will be consumed by a feeling of devastation far greater than they ever imagined it would, and left to wonder, what if? This is the magic of March Madness.

Family and friends will gather in bars, living rooms, basements, and even on job sites to watch the NCAA Tournament. I would like to give you a quick glimpse into the world of March Madness and how it takes over the workplace. Check out these numbers:

MARCH MADNESS 2007 BY THE NUMBERS
64 = Number of teams that will participate in NCAA tournament.

79.1 million = Number of Americans who have Internet access at work.

29 = Percentage of Americans who say they are college basketball fans.

94 = Percentage of employers surveyed who accept March Madness.

23 = Percentage of surveyed employers who plan to embrace employees’ excitement. Some will have TVs in break and/or conference rooms.

6 = Percentage of surveyed employers who will try to prevent March Madness productivity loss, including blocking access to sports Internet sites and streaming video.

13.5 minutes = Average time spent on popular college hoops Internet sites during the tournament.

$3.78 = Average amount earned every 13.5 minutes by American workers.

$86.6 million = The cost of unproductive wages to employers if all 22.9 million basketball fans spent just 13.5 minutes during the work day on the tournament.

$1.2 billion = Total amount March Madness could cost employers during 13 business days of the tournament.

The NCAA Tournament gives people a reason to clamor together for a common cause. There will be endless debates amongst friends such as who should be selected first in the NBA Draft, Kevin Durant or Greg Odon? There’s no question when it comes to Greg Odon. He is a man playing amongst boys. Although, it does beg the question to be asked: should athletes have to play two full seasons in college before being eligible to play in the NBA? It should be mandatory to attend college for at least two years to be eligible for the draft. This would only make the NBA a better product, and we all know how much the NBA has dropped off in terms of quality in the last 10 years. You can’t deny that the NBA has become weak.

People will fill out multiple brackets in hopes of winning either money or respect from friends and colleagues Even people who don’t follow sports will fill out brackets because they know they have just as good a chance to win as someone who watches Dick Vitale’s “Bracketology” on ESPN. People identify more with the college game because it is more basic. What I mean by that is you see more basic offensive and defensive sets. The 3-point line is much closer than the NBA which also draws fans to the college game because it is not far-fetched to believe they can drain one of those “buzzer beaters” to win the game. I mean, really, is there anything more exciting than watching the underdog team hit a 3-pointer to win the game by one point at the buzzer? Answer: absolutely not!

This brings me to another endless debate; would you rather watch an NBA playoff game or an NCAA Tournament game? There is no debate here guys. The college game is head and shoulders above the NBA. The majority of these players will never play professionally—they play for pride and passion, not for money and fame. Dedication to be the best makes it a better product. Debates such as these make arguing with family and friends a positive thing. It is ok to call a friend a moron when he says Kansas is overrated every year because they choke in “big game” situations.

While filling out your bracket keep in mind that you will most likely have your 12-5 upset and your 11-6 upset. There will be #1 seeds knocked off in the sweet 16 or elite 8. Who is going to be named the “Cinderella” team? You will be tearing up your brackets in frustration after the team you picked to win the National Championship gets eliminated in the 2nd round. Tears of joy will be outnumbered by tears of heartache. We cannot forget about CBS’s tournament tradition of playing Luther Vandross’ stirring rendition of “One Shining Moment” that is aired at the end of the Championship game. If this does not give you goose bumps, then you are not a true sports fan. When I watch it I get that lump in the back of my throat. I know you guys know what I’m talking about. You act as if there is something irritating your eye, but guys, just let it out. Trust me; chicks dig a guy who shows his emotions. This is what makes this time of year so special. Not to mention the fact that spring is upon us which means only one thing. The boys of summer are back! Baseball season is right around the corner.