March Madness---Basketball, That Is

Other than writing a book about the history of St. Mark's (that's right, good ol' SMHS), I think there's a book in me about or set during March Madness, the Mardi Gras of basketball excitement that grows bigger each year. As much as I enjoy the basketball, my book would chronicle the rest of the hoopla, too. I think I might go the fiction route, with plans to take my story to the big screen.

Here's are some working notes to my novel, to which you can respond. Hey, I might even steal your ideas, and of course, credit you as a source.

Here goes:

*Cinderella Effect--Once they get the invitation to the dance, teams from mid-major conferences have proven that they can play with and beat teams from the power conferences. Good players in these conferences, too, sometimes outshine consensus All Americans from the power conferences.
*Jilted Effect--teams that think they should have been in the NCAA usually lose in the NIT tourney
*Microscope Effect--close games, close calls, and buzzer beaters are magnified exponentially under the watchful eyes of millions.
*Cliches, Anyone?--without Vitale's own Diaper Dandy and PTPer, we'll hear the old standards like coaching "chess matches," "survive and advance," "that's going to be a war," and guys with "a lotta heart."
*The Underdog Effect--People root for virtually unknown schools like Albany, Winthrop, and Wright State.
*Addition by Subtraction Effect--without the over-the-top presence of Dick Vitale, the games and plays speak for themselves. And surprisingly, no one feels a need to mention Mike Krzyzewski and Duke during the Southern Illinois/ Holy Cross game.
*Anti-Fools Rush In Effect--less rabid and drunken college fans means no mobbing of center court after big wins.
*Sorry, I'm Busy This Weekend--relationships take a hit during the tourney unless your significant other is a hoop lover like you.
*Chicks Dig the Sousaphone Player--lots of television close-ups of susaphone and tuba players jamming away.
*Nerd Alert--I know this is borderline mean, but March Madness becomes maddening when people who don't know basketball try to sound knowledgable by parroting what they've read and heard.
*Old Folks Home--the game has passed by TV announcers Billy Packer, Vern Lundquist, and Bill Raftery. It could be worse (Duke Vitale, Mike Patrick, Bill Walton, Brent Musberger).
*Nothing New in the IPod? --the CBS/March Madness music is beginning to sound old, too.
*Gender Equity, Anyone?--there just isn't the interest in the women's tournament as in the men's, maybe because Cinderellas are still treated like unwanted stepchildren by the big, bad, Mommas in the power conferences. Look for all of the top seeds to advance.