2019-03-24

【Aiden in English】

        Enter March. Possibly the most enjoyable month of the year. While that same argument can be made for all other 11 months, it's called March Madness for a reason.

        It's almost poetic that such a chaotic aspect of sports can reflect an equally appalling part of my life. North Penn HS notoriously ramps up the curriculum's tempo in the third marking period, as it should, and March ends up squarely in the midst of the storm. As strange as it may seem, Calculus lightened up significantly, perhaps because I enjoy creating three-dimensional objects more than calculating the rate of water filling an ice cream cone (why would you even do that?). 

        March is unique in many other ways. It marks the tip-off to March Madness, an event that captures the entire nation. But why?

        According to an NCAA article, the 2018 tournament, from the first four to the Final Four, drew 97 million spectators on the broadcast in the US alone. That's around 30% of the nation's population. In comparison, the 2019 Super Bowl received 103 million viewers, which is generally a much larger audience. Granted, the Super Bowl occurs in one night, while the NCAA basketball tournament magic takes a few weeks to unfold. 

        Still, the question remains: what attracts fans like me to these sporting events? The NBA and NFL display the highest skill levels; deservingly, they receive the most attention. Due to the NFL's limited number of matches, the collegiate football divisions also receive significant viewership.

        However, the NBA has 82 games. It also boasts talent comparable to that of college players and distinct playing styles. Switching between college basketball and the NBA is like eating two steaks: undercooked and perfectly medium. American football does not have this issue; college always makes up for the lack of skill with more offense. So, what attracts a person like me, who enjoys basketball thoroughly, to a tournament in a league I hardly follow?

        To begin with, one must examine the reasons behind sports themselves. A general idea of sports is a purpose for entertainment in the otherwise monotonous lives of the working class. Team sports can provide excitement and pride for the individual, a sense of unity among people, and a purpose to strive for, whether it is a championship or conference title. 

        Collegiate basketball elevates this purpose through 64 (or 68) different teams. By far the largest tournament in the US in terms of size and skill, the longing to win a championship for a college in your area is a significant motivator for viewers. Philadelphians might not care as much about collegiate basketball as they would have had it not been for Villanova's dominance in the previous few years. Examining the distribution of good teams across the nation, there is a notable spread of dominance from east to west; thus, regardless of where a family lives, there is likely a decent college team to cheer for. While Villanova's success cannot explain my liking of basketball, it attracts many casual fans. 

        Many other reasons are present. The general excitement from die-hard fans often magnetizes less-caring fans. The constant buzz on all social media can annoy a person into caring. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect is that each tournament round is a single elimination.

        That means one loss, and you're out. While sounding normal, the NBA has implemented a seven-game series to allow the better team to move on. However, to sate the large bracket, single elimination throughout causes many upsets. Thus, each game holds a certain amount of tension, a flicker of hope for both teams, no matter the odds. One team can go cold, and the other can get hot any night. The result of a given night is 2018's Virginia vs UMBC, an absolute stunner. Combined with the human error of seeding teams, upsets occur annually, which in turn grows the tournament's popularity.

        So, while you sit on the couch watching the game, ask yourself: is it an annoying family member constantly talking about the tournament or the same buzz on the phone about some kid named Zion Williamson who introduced you to the Big Dance? Perhaps it was the thrill of watching a Cinderella story blossom into despair, as Loyola-Chicago was crushed by a major school. Regardless of the reason, the Dance is here, and I will enjoy it, just like millions of others worldwide.

【紅霞譯】

        終於到了，三月！興許這是一年中最有趣的一個月，雖然“公說公有理，婆說婆有理”，其它十一個月均可擺出同樣的論點，可眼下正好處在 “瘋狂三月”這個節骨眼上。

        令人痴迷的運動節奏竟然與讓我抓狂的生活韻律相吻合，簡直太富詩意了。北賓州高中也別有用心加快了課程進度，而且恰逢趕上第三學制，一下子把三月推到風口浪尖。奇怪的是“微積分學”特別給力，比起計算填滿冰淇淋蛋卷的水流速度（吃飽了撐的不是？），我可能更喜歡構思三維空間。

        三月還有許多其它特別的方面，“瘋狂三月”偏偏在全美打響了發令槍，難道事出有因？

        根據全美大學體育協會有關報道，僅在美國境內2018年籃球聯賽中，從頭四個隊首場初賽到前四名最後決賽，電視直播共吸引了9,700萬觀眾，約占全國人口的30%。相比之下，2019年“超級碗”美式橄欖球總決賽收視人次達到1.03億，一般說來後者收益更大，但畢竟僅占用一個晚上，而全美大學體育協會籃球白熱化對峙則要持續幾個星期方見分曉。

        問題在於：哪種體育賽事更能吸引像我這樣的球迷？美國職業籃球和橄欖球比賽競技水平最棒，收視率自然居高不下，由於橄欖球賽場次有限，導致大學隊之間的爭奪格外叫座。

        然而，美職籃設有82場比賽，不光球技是大學隊無法比擬的，就連球風也令大學隊望塵莫及，觀看大學隊與職業隊的比賽如同品嘗兩種牛排：一個火候欠佳，另一個火候適中。美式橄欖球沒有這種問題，技術差的大學隊總是採用進攻方式補其之短，那麼是什麼東西吸引像我這樣的籃球迷去觀賞自己不太熱衷的橄欖球聯盟比賽呢？

        首先必須從體育本身探析起因，工薪階層的平民百姓一般藉助體育娛樂來調劑枯燥生活，無論奪得總決賽冠軍也好或是榮膺分區榜首也罷，集體項目不僅給個人帶來喜悅與自豪，同時還凝聚團隊意識並激勵大家為之奮鬥。

        大學籃球賽通過64（或68）支不同球隊來達到上述目的，既然它是迄今規模最大水準最高的競技比賽，人人把奪冠的厚望寄託於自己所在地區大學隊身上，要不是地處賓州的維拉諾瓦大學在過去幾年裡戰績輝煌，費城人恐怕連正眼瞧他們一眼都不可能。就目前全國排名而言，現今從東區到西部，實力雄厚的球隊分布於各個地方，因此無論身居何處，大概都能找到自己喜歡的球隊，我之所以愛上籃球運動並非緣於維拉諾瓦大學，但它的名氣確實將閒散體育迷吸引到籃球行列。

        另外還有很多其它原因，鐵杆粉絲揮灑出來的熱情時常感染那些半吊子球迷，媒體再煽情也是枉費口舌，惟有一輪一輪的淘汰賽恐怕才能牽動人心。

        這就意味着只要輸掉一場，你即可出局，雖然聽起來合乎常情，但美職籃卻採取7場系列賽制，以便讓好的球隊把握晉級機會。既然為了滿足大型比賽需求，那麼單論淘汰賽勢必留下諸多遺憾，以至於觀摩兩隊交鋒時心裡總是緊張兮兮的，因為不管勝算有多大，雙方都有可能輸贏，所以每晚比賽不是敗走麥城就是大爆冷門。2018年弗吉尼亞大學與馬里蘭大學巴爾的摩社區分校爭奪結果絕對出乎意料，種子隊表現失常，諸如此類的遺憾年年發生，贏家因此而名聲大噪。

        當坐在沙發上觀看比賽的時候，你不妨捫心自問：與其聽家中淘氣包窮嘮叨或電話里那個名叫蔡恩·威廉森的小子瞎白活比賽，不如看灰姑娘式絕處逢生之類的逗趣故事，哪怕目睹洛約拉大學芝加哥分校被對手摺騰得死去活來，管它什麼季節，現在大學聯賽鏖戰正酣，我得像世界各地成千上萬的球迷一樣趕緊享受體育帶來的快樂。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2016: Trip to NYC for Danish/Russian Visas(丹麥／俄羅斯簽證紐約行)

2014: March Madness @ Fifth Grade(小學五年級的瘋狂三月)

Donut-Stick Manic @ McDonald's (麥當勞·山寨油條 01-09-2019)

Snow Blazzer (雪地開拓者 02-20-2019)

Cheerleaders @ Montgomeryville Malls

(蒙哥馬利“巨人山”鎮商場·啦啦隊 03-17-2019)

Promotion of Donut-Sticks @ McDonald's

(麥當勞·山寨油條促銷)

Donut Sticks (油條)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

2016: March Madness @ Seventh Grade(初二的瘋狂三月)

2014: March Madness @ 5th Grade(小學五年級的瘋狂三月)

10th Grade(高中二年級)