The Crazy World We Live In! Blog

Could March Madness be a window into SANITY? Hey, check it out...

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So here we are – it’s MARCH MADNESS …and what has college basketball got to do with psychology? Well, I have a radical theory – and you don’t have to be a hoop fan to get something from this one – but the yearly march madness is actually a chance to experience true sanity for the many folks who partake each year and here’s why….

But first…some explanation for the sports phobic, MARCH MADNESS is the term applied to the College tournament playoffs and championship. Basically, 64 teams plus one Ivy League school get a chance to compete. It’s one game at a time: the winner goes on, the loser goes home. So the teams whittle their way down until it’s the final four, then regional champ, and finally the big NCAA championship which this year is April 2ND, 2007.

Now that’s where talk of FILLING OUT BRACKETS comes into play. You start out with all the teams and figure out who’s going to win in each round and move them to the next round, etc. It’s complicated, confusing and exciting. Plus, when you consider that on any specific NIGHT, any team is capable of winning ONE GAME and move on. Well, it’s wild.

In offices around the country, March Madness pools are formed. People make their picks based on luck, advice, or knowledge. And then they watch the games trying to make those brackets turn to gold or cry when they bust.

But back to the original point – why is March Madness sanity? BECAUSE FOR ONE MONTH EACH YEAR any sports schnook can look like a genius. It’s the great leveler – brackets. It’s democratic. We all get the same shot…have access to the same info...and have as good a shot as the next guy. And finally, unlike the regular messiness of living, March madness is ORDERLY. We know what to expect, when and how. No matter whether you’re the favorite or the long shot, you can only win the championship by winning one game at time.

Psychologists have long researched why people love mystery novels.
The conclusion: in mystery stories, the world is ordered. In fact, the very mystery at the heart of any mystery story implies a violation of this order – that’s why it has to be solved. And unlike life, the killer is always discovered and brought to justice and order is once more returned.

But real life??? Well, Life is CHAOS. Things happen that you don’t expect. Rules are broken. Luck and/or misfortune can intervene in an instant. And plans – well, as the old joke goes – God laughs as man plans.

So enter MARCH MADNESS. Here is something in real life – that is completely orderly. It’s exciting, but not CHAOTIC. Just guys playing one game at time. Sure luck can have an effect…but the luck is spread equally.

Yep, even if your brackets are busted – like mine happen to be this year – it doesn’t matter. For one month out of the year, ORDER not chaos is the rule. Ah, what a relief from the craziness of the world. So why is March Madness Sanity – because life itself is madness – and there are no pools to win…no friends to trash talk with and no chance to look like a genius. Yep. Sports phobics – try it next year. It’s fun – and one little side benefit…you just might get to know those folks in your pool a little bit better and laugh a little bit more.