Bring on the Madness

Anything can happen.
That’s what the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament (aka ‘March Madness’) is all about, and why millions of Americans will be watching the first round this weekend. 
However, to discover why we love this tournament, we have to go back to the founding of America. 
Back in the 1770s, the colonists were an underdog as their relatively small untrained militias faced Britain, which had the largest army in the world. Not only were they overmatched, they risked death, for treasonous behavior, if they lost. 
Thankfully, they colonists won, and I think that set the tone for our love of the little guy. 
I think that underdog mentality is the foundation of the American dream – that anyone can achieve success if they work hard enough. 
We admire individuals who chase their goals in the face of adversity. In fact, some television shows, like The Voice and Shark Tank, have won Emmy awards based on the premise of individuals pursuing their dreams. 
Another example of Americans loving underdogs is one of the most cherished moments in U.S. Olympic history, the Miracle on Ice. It truly was miraculous because a team of American college hockey players who had recently been assembled beat a team of Soviet professionals which had been together for years. 
Seeing a team we’d hadn’t heard of before beat one of the most well-known teams is captivating. But another reason Americans love March Madness is because of the unpredictability of the tournament; everyone has a chance to win their office pool.
Even though some of us don’t watch college basketball regularly or at all, we all can get involved in the fun by filling out a bracket. 
And millions do get involved. In 2016, Fortune Magazine reported that the American Gaming Association estimated the total numbers of brackets completed would hit 70 million. 
Also, by filling out a bracket, you develop a personal investment in which teams win, and that can make watching the games much more compelling. 
So get a bracket, pick some underdogs, and enjoy the madness.