Winners and Losers

Winners tonight:

Wichita State
Kentucky
Wisconsin (not close)
Arizona

Winners tomorrow night

Louisville
Oklahoma
Duke
Gonzaga

So, let's say I win them all. Will that make me happy? Let's say I bet a bunch of dough on them all. (I have not) And win them all. Will that make me happy?

I don't think that joy from sports is derived from winning bets.  Whatever joy there is from a wager or a wise pick, is short lived.  The joy from sports is in the watching and cheering or the playing.

If you are a fan of any of the winners, that is a different story. I was elated when Albany and Northeastern made it into the big dance. The former because that is where I earned my undergraduate degree and the latter because that is where I earn my income (and moreover have watched the team play this year).  It would not have made a meaningful difference if I had come away with shekels because of the games.

This is a point I make on a number of occasions in the Madness of March.  The reason people descend on Las Vegas during the first weekend of the tournament is because they revel in the fun of being with like minded fanatics who can enjoy watching 48 basketball games in a four day period.

Last weekend my brother and I mused about going back next year.  Just for the craziness.  It was fun to be in Columbus and very much fun to watch our alma mater compete.  If Albany goes again next year I think we will travel to wherever they are assigned.  Next year I should not be restricted by a work schedule so our comings and goings need not be confined to seeing if I can make it back in time to punch the clock. (I have not actually punched a clock since my stint as a toll collector on the New York State Thruway during the summer of 1970).  If Albany or Northeastern do not get invited to the 2016 dance, the lure of las vegas and the crazies there watching the games might be compelling.

There will be a handful of players competing tonight and tomorrow who may earn a living playing basketball. The rest of the competitors who jump for joy when their teams win and become despondent when they lose, do so because of the joy of sports--not for a dime.  Even millionaire Tom Brady jumped for joy--not shekels--when his teammate Malcolm Butler made the play of the super bowl a few months back.  Nobody on Old Dominion danced like maniacs last night after a last second victory because they now can pay the rent. The Murray State players who looked like they had been shot by the successful Old Dominion heave were not glum because they have a debt.

Jumping for joy when your team wins are leaps of the heart. Has nothing to do with a sum of change.