i think i'm getting myself all worked up over a game! don't get me wrong, i love sports, but are competitive tournies overrated? my brackets are better this year than they have been in the past few years, maybe ever. i picked 7 of 8 sweet sixteen wins and 3 of 4 elite eight games. so what's with the stress? the answer is simple, my competitive nature is starting to consume me. i'm in two pools, dominated by a male population, and i want to prove myself worthy! i like knowing i can outlast the guys, not from guessing, but because i know and love the game. the energy of march madness is amazing, but can become dangerously consuming.
second, there's the added stress of following the womens' bracket as well. my lady terps are in the elite eight again (last time they won the whole dang thing). they are a turnover laden team that relies are being a faster paced than the opponent, with a plan to wear the other team out. at this point in the tournie, i just don't know if maryland can out run any of the teams. but they pulled out a surprising defensive presence game plan win over vandy (fooling the experts and myself).
but is all this tv watching, standing calculation, strategy picking worth it? it's ruling my life right now and that has to stop. i've let this exciting time of the year cross from hobby to obsession. and that is dangerous. the stress, bragging rights, smack talk isn't worth it. i have to remember to keep my eye on the prize, not for a game, but for life.... my life. everything else is just detail.
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17 comments:
Competetive tournaments are not at all overrated, but you're absolutely right that they can take an improper place, if we let them.
The challenge is to teach yourself to appreciate the highs and joys that are available, while keeping everything in perspective to the extent the lows don't dominate you, and that fear of the lows doesn't cause that level of stress. It's not the easiest thing to do, but it's something that I've been able to do more and more over time (perhaps being a Philadelphia sports fan has just conditioned me to losing), and it's something that has to happen in order to have a truly healthy love of sports.
One of the great things about sports/competitions is that they allow us an opportunity to escape from ordinary life. In my opinion, that's a very good and healthy thing. It's when they cease to become an escape and start invading our lives that there's a problem.
Lastly, as a guy who hopes to make a living writing about sports someday, let me tell you that you've got nothing to prove in the arena of sports knowledge. Any guy who would dismiss your insight/opinion on sports because you're a girl is either a jerk, or just not paying attention.
You must be hiding it well; you don't seem overly stressed to me. :)
Thanks, Scott, for the nice comment to my seester. :)
Life is supposed to be full of "simple" pleasures. For you, one of them is March Madness. It only comes once a year, enjoy it! You have always been a sports hound, that is never going to change. Have fun with the thrill of the competiveness and all that comes with it, and besides your writing indicates you have already recognized to remain focus and not let it rule. So don't worry, you have reached a balance. I can just see you, celebrating every win.
Sorry about your Lady Terps, BTW.
scott,
thanks for the maryland condolences. i was sad they lost, naturally, but not completely shocked (i only picked them to make the final four because they are my team). they played a heck of a game (statistically) against stanford. but it's pretty dang tough to beat a team that scores 90+ points!
sorry i didn't post about your previous comment. i read it extremely late in the night and feared making no sense whatsoever (actually, up until now, i thought i had posted something! clearly my memory does not function past a certain hour of the night). i agree with your sentiments, though. i don't think the tournie is completely overrated, but i was definitely giving way too much time to it. normally that wouldn't bother me, but i was feeling particularly burdened by my priorities.
the importance of this next statement has no correlation to the placement in this post: thank you for your final words! i appreciate your honesty and perspective. :)
:)
What can I say? I exude honesty and perspective.
BTW - One piece of bracket picking advice that I left out of my original piece (and which would certainly apply to the women as well) was that it's best to be pessimistic when picking where your favorite team will wind up. There's nothing worse than having your bracket busted and your heart broken in the same game, as I found out numerous times from '98 to '02, when I picked Duke to win the title every year. '01 worked out well, the other years, not so much.
So, I know you had Memphis to win it all.
Do you have them beating Kansas?
Scott,
Yes, I did pick them to win over Kansas. I've already wrapped up my one pool, but the other one I'm in 10th out of 40-something before this past weekend. However, that is the one I have to pick after each round. I thought UNC was looking better than Kansas (who can blame me after the Davidson game!) I kicking myself now for going against my pre-picked bracket. The only bright side is if Memphis wins, I get 40 bonus points because I picked them from the start.
Wow, you suck. ;)
Sincerely, well done.
i was so close! gimme a day to get my perspective back. only once ever did i pick the champion - 2003. it shouldn't be hard to guess who won that year.
Syracuse... Why would that be easy to guess?
scott,
sorry... my brain was reeling on my new post and prohibited me from proper math. i meant the 2002 champions. :)
Of course I knew what you were going for. I'm just too much of a smartass to let something like that go :)
Scott! Language! LOL!
Sorry, I just don't now of a better term for that :)
scott, i'm not opposed to the use of that word in that context. :)
Good, I wouldn't want to force you to some form of censorship.
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