I am excited every year the NCAA tournament begins. Perhaps it is because I grew up in basketball country…the great state of Kentucky. If you live in Kentucky you live and breath basketball…in my case Kentucky Wildcat Basketball. I honestly believe, kind of, that my Grandpa bled blue. I can remember to this day going over, as a family to watch KY basketball at my Grandparents house. Great memories…of which I will treasure all of my life.

However, the NCAA is more than boyish memories. If you really watch them play, even if you don’t like basketball, you get a new understanding for team, disipline, hardwork, and coaching. College Basketball is still a pure sport…as pure as they can be. The players have a desire to win as a team…there is no "I" in team at the college level. THe coaches still get respect from the players and the orchestrate a plan and the players execute it. It is a sport in which the small guy can still win with hardwork and discipline.

This year in the NCAA tournament there seems to have been more upsets than I can recall in my lifetime…additionally, it seems like almost every game has been a close one…the way it should be!

I am glad to see it this way this year. I hope others appreciate this presentation of team, discipline and respect for coaches etc. in a era in which altheletes have lost perspective of who they are and professional sports are out of control. It has been refreshing to watch the NCAA tournament and dream of reality and actually have some restored respect for the game that I love!