Written by Ian Gillen and Emma Grosskopf
It’s that time of year again! It’s the happiest season of all: college football season. The weather is warm, the burgers are grilling and fans are drinking before noon in this magical time. Off-the-field wonders are not the only reason to follow your team, however. The moment our eyes turn to the field is the moment in which the true beauty of college football is revealed.
One-handed catches, kick returns and pick-sixes are only a small glimpse into the beauty of this game. The heart, love and pride that emerges faster than the players’ sweat is what makes football great. These athletes are not playing for a contract, fame or validation. These men are playing for each other, for themselves and in some cases, an education. Because of this, games contain more effort, more heart and more hustle. Viewers can see this on the faces of players after they have won, after they have lost and during the game when they fight alongside their newfound family.
The four-team playoff, which will always exist under scrutiny, was the latest exciting push to launch the sport into the 21st century. The playoff has not only added a new dimension to watching a championship unfold, but it also causes every regular season game to matter more. Teams now exist under a much bigger microscope, under which one loss can ruin a season, and one win can call for the biggest of celebrations.
College football will always look like summer, be as dramatic as winter and put a spring in the step of anyone who falls under its alluring spell.
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The question is…
Is there really anything better than college basketball? Or March Madness?
There’s something so exciting about filling out a March Madness bracket during the early spring, and then cheering your team(s) on to the championship game!
(Of course, a busted bracket can add to seasonal depression, but that’s a discussion for a different issue of the Brackety-Ack.)
These college athletes (and not just Division I players, either. Male and female athletes of all divisions) put their blood, sweat and tears into their game on the court, and unlike the puffed-up showmen that play professional ball, these athletes have their futures ahead of them.
Whether they go pro or not, it’s always fun to watch these athletes grow during their college careers, witness them fine-tune their skills and see where their athletic prowess takes them.
And let’s be honest: the rivalries are the best part of college basketball. Are you a Duke fan or a UNC fan? Coach K or Roy Williams? Or, for the women’s college basketball fans: UConn or Tennessee?
The beautiful thing about March Madness in particular is that EVERYONE can be involved by filling out a bracket. You don’t have to know a jump-hook from a pick-and-roll to fill out a bracket
