Sports

AP EXPLAINS: March Madness, When America Goes Basketball Mad

Published

9 years ago

March 19, 2015

Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier (13) celebrates a 60-54 win over Kentucky in the 2014 NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Monday, April 7, 2014. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News,Vernon Bryant)

The Associated Press

Thursday is something of a national holiday for American sports fans, when office productivity plummets. The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship, also known as March Madness or the Big Dance, begins in earnest. Thursday and Friday feature a hoops extravaganza: 16 games each day, from noon to midnight. The single-elimination tournament means every game is a must-win for all 68 schools, producing tense, dramatic finishes. Upsets are eagerly anticipated as elites like Kentucky fend off underdogs trying to spark an improbable run and become the next tournament darling, like last year’s Dayton. Fanatics, novices and even President Barack Obama are trying to predict the winners of every game by completing an estimated 70 million tournament brackets, according to the American Gaming Association — that’s more brackets completed than votes Obama received in the last presidential election. Here’s a brief explanation of how a basketball tournament transcended sports to become a national craze:

MADNESS FROM THE START

College basketball has long filled the gap in the American sports calendar when baseball and football are dormant. In 1939, Oregon beat Ohio State in the first tournament, which featured only eight teams. The NCAA field kept growing as TV coverage spurred interest. The potential for a David to slay a Goliath set the stage for what remains the most-watched basketball game ever: the 1979 final pitting little-known Indiana State, led by Larry Bird, against powerhouse Michigan State, led by Magic Johnson. The classic game transformed Bird and Johnson into rival superstars and catapulted college basketball into the American consciousness.

THE BIG DANCE GETS BIGGER

The fledgling ESPN cable network began broadcasting the tournament’s oft-ignored early rounds in 1980. The term “March Madness” was popularized through the 1980s as unlikely champions such as North Carolina State and Villanova captivated Americans. TV ratings skyrocketed, and so did revenue for the NCAA. In 2013, according to the latest figures available from Kantar Media, TV advertising revenue was a staggering $1.15 billion. Every game is now on TV and streaming online. The champion must win six games as the field winnows, from the Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight to the Final Four. The semifinals and championship will be played April 4-6 in a football stadium in Indianapolis.

AN AMERICAN OBSESSION: BRACKETS! UPSETS!

Fans competing in online bracket pools — often for money, though that’s technically illegal — had up until the moment the first game tipped shortly after noon Eastern (1600 GMT) Thursday. Brackets will be busted by unpredictable upsets, like tiny Mercer’s dethroning of Duke last year. One of the most famous upsets was achieved in 2001 by Hampton. Who does Kentucky, this tournament’s overwhelming favorite, play in its first game? Hampton. That game just happens to be scheduled for prime-time on Friday night. Kentucky is favored to win by 32 points, according to oddsmakers. But in March, anything is possible.

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Black History

Singer Etta James and Athlete Archie Williams Inducted Into California Hall of Fame

Iconic singer Etta James and decorated track and field athlete Archie Williams join five other inductees set to receive the honor posthumously during a virtual ceremony, according to Newsom and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Published

3 weeks ago

September 1, 2023

Oakland Post

Born Jamesetta Hawkins, ‘Etta James’ became the stage name of the Los Angeles-based singer who performed in various genres including blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, and rock n’ roll. Archie Williams won an Olympic gold medal in 1936 for the 400-meter race in Berlin after completing his freshman year at UC Berkeley.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and
Edward Henderson
California Black Media

Two Black Americans are members of the class of California’s 2023 Hall of Fame inductees.

“The outstanding legacy of this group has and will continue to embody what it means to be a Californian,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement. “There is no doubt their legacies will continue to live on and inspire millions across our state for generations to come.”

Born Jamesetta Hawkins, ‘Etta James’ became the stage name of the Los Angeles-based singer who performed in various genres including blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, and rock n’ roll. Her most popular recordings included “At Last,” “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” and “A Sunday Kind of Love.”

Archie Williams won an Olympic gold medal in 1936 for the 400-meter race in Berlin after completing his freshman year at UC Berkeley. The track star also set a world record at the NCAA Championships running it in 46.1 seconds.

The induction ceremony was held Aug. 22.

Bay Area

Olympian Stops by Nystrom Elementary to Read to Students

A Team USA Olympian was in the house Mon., July 17 at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond, when three-time Track and Field Gold Medalist, Tianna Madison Bartoletta, stopped by to read to the students.

Published

2 months ago

July 26, 2023

Oakland Post

Tianna Bartoletta signs an autograph for a Nystrom student. Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

By Kathy Chouteau

The Olympian visited the “Read Aloud at Nystrom Elementary Freedom School” program as a guest reader of the book, “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left,” by Marc Colagiovanni and also shared “a powerful message about overcoming your fears and frustrations by remembering who you are,” according to the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) on Facebook about the visit.

WCCUSD added that Nystrom’s special guest helped “support and uplift Freedom School students and to share the power of literacy.”

Tianna Bartoletta pauses in reading the book “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left.” Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

Bartoletta is not only a two-time Olympian and ‘three-peat’ Gold Medalist, she’s also a current member of Team USA in Track and Field, according to the WCCUSD. She earned a degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee and also found time to start Club 360, a personal development program for young girls. A native of Tampa, Fla., the Olympian is also an advocate re: the Black maternal health crisis.

“Students were able to ask for advice, get autographs and share their morning routine of singing, dancing, mindfulness and affirmations,” said WCCUSD about the visit. “Thank you, Tianna Madison, for an experience that will inspire WCCUSD students for years to come!”

Bay Area

Pro Wrestling to Invade Richmond’s MLK Park

Pro Wrestling Revolution (PWR) is presenting “Revolution in Richmond, CA,” which organizers say is the first Lucha Libre Pro Wrestling Show to occur in the city in 15 years. The event is scheduled for August 4 from 6-8 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, according to Evan LG Francis.

Published

2 months ago

July 26, 2023

Oakland Post

Photo courtesy of Pro Wrestling Revolution

By Kathy Chouteau

Pro Wrestling Revolution (PWR) is presenting “Revolution in Richmond, CA,” which organizers say is the first Lucha Libre Pro Wrestling Show to occur in the city in 15 years.

The event is scheduled for August 4 from 6-8 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, according to Evan LG Francis.

Go to Work Fitness and Rich City Rides are sponsoring the special event, which will feature stars of PWR including Papo Esco vs. Yasuke and Savage Dogs vs. Necrosis Y Genesis.

Tickets to the pro wrestling show are $15 per person for general admission and $20 each for the front row. Click here to get tickets.

MLK Park is located at 360 Harbour Way South in Richmond. To get the scoop on PWR https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pwr-presents-revolution-in-richmond-ca-tickets-632613984457?aff=oddtdtcreator Questions? Contact 510-730-6426.