March Madness is Upon Us

The weekend I look forward to most each year has come and gone! Last year, I extended it to three consecutive weekends of March Madness in Vegas, but there's just too much happening this year.

Growing up as one of three boys in a small coal and steel town in eastern Ohio, we played various sports all year, but basketball was our true passion. My older brother sported a mullet and had an impressive jump shot, and at one point, we both managed to dunk at just 6'1". Our local school and playground were home to some incredible local legends. Jimmy Mayfield and the Lindsey family (including their little sister Joelle) dominated that court. John Havlicek (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Havlicek) graduated from our small-town high school, which also produced the knuckleballing brothers, Phil and Joe Niekro. 

This was in the early 80s, and cable TV cemented our love for sports. ESPN was the first to arrive; I don't think our TV had another channel for about six years. During that period, just a couple of years before our varsity days, our high school team made it to the regionals. The aforementioned Jimmy Mayfield and Bobby Mroczkowski were the stars, but Dave Barritt, Todd Schambach, and Steve Milonovich were some of the best players I've ever watched closely or played alongside. We had a makeshift backboard and hoop attached to the roof of our detached garage, which straddled our neighbor's asphalt and our concrete driveways, providing us with some home court advantage. Knowing where not to dribble was crucial. It saw a lot of use. Many nights, that hoop hosted local talents like Mick Forgacs and Donny Stillwell. There were also countless days and nights when we had to shovel snow off that court and keep a hot bucket of water nearby to rotate game balls as the cold air slowly deflated them. Fingerless gloves made it all a bit more tolerable.

The second TV innovation sparked my love for the Lakers: national broadcasts. TBS (I believe) aired all their games, allowing me to pretend to go to bed on time, only to watch in awe as Magic, Worthy, and Kareem made history at least three nights a week starting at 10 p.m. Those Celtics/Lakers rivalry games will always be the pinnacle of NBA history. Many teams emerged during that era, leading to more great teams like the Pistons, Bulls, Knicks, and others.

A few years after moving to the LA area in 2007, I began my annual March drive across the desert to Las Vegas with a friend who introduced me to the spectacle of Vegas March Madness. The initial years were filled with late nights, even later mornings, and numerous hangovers. Now, I make that trip with my wife, and we've found our rhythm. We pack enough meat, cheese, and crackers for a charcuterie for 100 people. We place our bets for the second night of First Four play-in games en route using the BetMGM app on Wednesday afternoon. The following nights are spent strategizing over that meat, cheese, and wine, with the occasional bourbon drink. We wake up around 9 AM each day to set up 2 TVs, 2 laptops, and maybe an iPad or 2, and our day is planned! Time for a Starbucks run and to indulge in our wine sticks. A quintessential Vegas breakfast. We do occasionally venture outside the Vdara to see the Bellagio fountains, grab a bite at Aria, visit our favorite Tiki Bar (Stray Pirates), HUDL Brewery or simply get some fresh air.

Even though that first big weekend has passed, we (including my daughters, who are both studying for careers in sports medicine) will keep watching the games in both the men's and women's divisions. This time of year offers a glimpse of so many great players, and that's what keeps us coming back year after year. Let the madness continue!