by Juan Leer

Created on: February 24, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

March Madness is such a big deal because it's the greatest sporting event on Earth. It's a bad cliche, but anything can and usually does happen during March Madness.

Former North Carolina Coach Dean Smith once said, "I could never beat Jack Nicklaus for 18 holes, but on one given day, at that given moment, I may be able to beat Jack on 1 hole." This is the beauty of the NCAA Tournament and March Madness.

Most of these small school teams and "Mid-Majors" could not compete with the big boys on a regular basis throughout the season. But that doesn't really matter. All that matters is that for one game in the NCAA Tournament, anybody has a chance to beat anybody. That's why things like George Mason going to the Final Four can happen.

The emotion of March Madness is unrivaled in any sporting event. For many players, especially at small schools, it could be the last time they ever play competitive basketball like that, and it can make for a very emotional experience with guys playing their heart out. It's almost like a life-or-death situation, and the passion that they play with makes it great to watch.

So that is why March Madness is such a big deal... because of the upsets, the emotion, the pride... all of it comes together to make the best 3 weeks of the year, and the greatest sporting event on the planet.

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