2008 Woodie Awards
College basketball fans rejoice, madness is back
Joe Luther
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Opinion
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"It's exciting to be able to predict what will happen," freshman Shawn Ruhland said, "and to possibly win some money."
It is estimated that over 75 million Americans will participate in March Madness pools every year. Many are college students that spend plenty of time and money in tournament pools.
A recent FBI estimate states that Americans wager more than $2.5 billion on March Madness games every year. That's a lot of money, more than $80 per person in the United States. No wonder everyone seems to have such an interest in the games, even if we don't have that much invested in the tournament.
A tough challenge for students interested in the games is being able to watch and stay updated on their favorite teams during the day. Many games are broadcast during the day in direct conflict with classes. Many times the games win out.
"I would skip class if Wisconsin or Marquette was in the game, or if it was an important game in my bracket," sophomore Kris Wilkins said.
Students aren't the only ones who are looking to take a break and watch their favorite games. Millions of workers also compete in pools and are just as dedicated to their teams. With the advent of watching March Madness online it is no wonder businesses stand to collectively lose upwards of $2 billion in lost productivity every year during March Madness.
With the amount of productivity lost at work and at school, March Madness should be its own holiday. This year March Madness directly coincides with spring break, so there are really only three days of games during school time. Most years there can be over a week of games outside of spring break.
This is why I propose a new holiday, "March Madness." With the amount of people involved and the amount of money lost in productivity it's the perfect time for a little extra break. Plus it will give me some more time to work on my brackets.
Speaking of brackets, Sunday night marked "Selection Sunday" and the placement of all teams in the tournament bracket. Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, and UCLA all earned number one spots. Closer to home, Wisconsin grabbed a number three seed and Marquette earned a sixth spot.
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