Stages of March Madness Emotions

March Madness is an exciting time. Having 68 teams battle it out for one remaining spot is always intense, but what is even more intense is the amount of emotions that fans go through. I am here to lay out these stages of grief for all of you.

1. Bracket selection- Happiness

The most crucial part of every March- sitting down and picking who is going to win every single game. This is incredibly challenging. What upsets should I pick? Should I pick an underdog to win it all? While some people pick their brackets based on rankings, others pick based on a “feeling.” No matter your method, this is normally a giddy type of excitement that every NCAA basketball fan likes. 

2. First Round- Frustration

I understand that many people get lucky in the first round and somehow pick all the right upsets, (is there a special number I can call to get these details?) I am never the lucky one. Due to this sad fact, I will be sharing the frustration that I go through every March. How is a 11 seed beating a 1 seed? I want to be happy for the lower seeds, but WHYYYY must you destroy my bracket like this. Watching my maximum point potentional decrease rapidly has me about ready to tear up my whole bracket… too bad that everything is digital now and I can’t destroy any evidence. 

3. Second Round- Denial

Maybe there is still a chance that my bracket can ressurect. I will only cheer for my winning team, and I will cheer against everybody else’s winning pick. This must be a way for me to be victorious. Too bad this never works and I should have accepted my fate before I even sat down to make my picks. 

4. Sweet 16- Anger

Void of all meaning, my braket slowly haunts my worst nightmares. This angers me, and you know why? Because this happens every. single. year. Somehow I still feel anger, even though I should be used to this March pain. It’s almost like when you eat a milkshake and it makes you feel sick, but the next time you see a milkshake, it’s like you forgot what happened the last time. 

5. Elite 8- Sadness

Not even sure if I can continue to watch more games, but I do because it’s such a fun sport that always comes down to the buzzer. While I watch games not sure who to cheer for, I feel a heavy sense of sadness that my cheering is just confusion. I now feel like the soccer dad, who just wants everyone to have fun.

6. Final 4- Acceptance

You know what? It’s not the end of the world. Basketball is the best sport and I should just be enjoying the spirit of the game. Maybe I’ll just cheer for whoever my heart wants to at the moment. No more rules, I am free. 

7. Championship- Relief

THANK GOD I CAN FINALLY MOVE FORWARD IN MY LIFE… I am definitly going to pay better attention next year so I can make better picks (sureeee).