March Madness has set in

Is it just me but does March Madness begin earlier and earlier each year? What I mean is in terms of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the talk of which team is in or on the bubble or just put itself out of contention to make the Big Dance tends to start in February these days.

We’re right in the middle of NCAA Division I conference tournaments — some finished up last week but most will finish this weekend. Sunday is THE DAY when the bracket is announced for the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

I’ve seen the madness drift over into the NCAA women’s basketball tournament talk more and more each year. This year here in Iowa with the teams from Iowa, Iowa State and Drake ranked. The women’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament selection show is Monday.

The men’s NCAA tournament begins March 19 with the First Four — play-in games to the field of 64. The women’s tournament opens on March 22 with the first-round games on the highest seeded teams’ campus. Championship games for the two NCAA Division I tournaments are April 7 for the women and April 8 for the men.

As all who read this column know by now, I don’t and I won’t Dance. Meaning I don’t do brackets. I don’t fill them out. I don’t run bracket contests. I just don’t do it. I don’t have a drive to do the Dance.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my Kansas State Wildcats, and always want them to make the NCAA tournament. They have over the years. The Wildcat men should be Dancing in 2019 and I’ll pay attention to the tournament as long as they are playing.

It seems I’m always having to defend myself on this matter. I’ve always marched to my own beat in life — a little big band, a little jazz, a little pure marching band music, Beatles, a little soft rock, and some classical thrown in the mix.

All that means, I’m not a one-theme being, which means I don’t fit in the stereotypical view of a sports journalist. I’m not your typical journalist. I don’t drink coffee nor do I hang on every word spoken, tweeted or even written by the talking heads on ESPN, Fox Sports or any other sports publication.

I don’t know all the statistics of every player and team — not even local ones. I have to look things up.

I’m not immersed in sports 24-7. Sometimes it feels like I am, because I work as a community journalist on a small daily. Local sports drive my job.

Those sports journalists and fans who go mad for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament are fine. People are all in when it comes to statistics and brackets, but not me. I know there are loads of people just like me out there.

My March Madness stems from the rush to contact area spring sports coaches and get the information for spring sports’ previews before spring breaks. That’s what I’m working on this week and next week.

We do have several indoor track meets next week, which is spring break for all five of our Jasper County schools.

What is great about March is spring is almost here. What is bad about March is spring is almost here as the spring sports season is a mad dash for the Newton Daily News sports staff — all two of us. There will be plenty of athletic activities to take in — track, soccer, golf and tennis — over the next two-plus months.

My football fix is the free-agent signings by the Kansas City Chiefs — some good, some bad. The Chiefs’ defense was terrible last season and I know they have a plan but it was tough for me to see Dee Ford and Justin Houston let go this week.

Shore up the defense to go with a vibrant offense and look out! Chiefs making the moves.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets
at jsheets@newtondailynews.com