March MADNESS!

The month of march is known for one thing in the college sports community and that is March Madness and the kickoff the the NCAA tournament. Basketball seemingly dominates this month in nearly every media outlet that is sports related. Every season division 1 college basketball teams battle it out for a chance to see their names on the bracket. Making that bracket is only the first step for these young athletes.


2011 marked a big year for the NCAA because 68 teams is the most that has ever participated in the tournament. As well as an entire new conference being introduced to the bracket. This offers that one extra team a chance at going for their dreams and winning the tournament, but its no easy race to the top. One loss and you're out for good until next year unless you're a senior.

Come March its nearly impossible to turn on your TV to the news or ESPN, or anything similar and not hear about the tournament. I can't come home without hearing my roommate listening to at least two or three different games at a time. It is
(NCAA Tourney bracket- google images) currently the most watched sporting event in
America next to the Super Bowl itself. More people watch this championship than even the NBA Finals. Don't think they left the women out either. They too have their very own tournament with 68 teams.



If you're like me March Madness is one of the best, and for some more than others the most profitable time of the year. Brackets are one of the best ways to have some very fair betting between you and you're friends. If you're really competitive you can go up against the whole country online, and make a bunch of money simply by keeping up with your basketball statistics during the season. Careful though, the spirit of march madness seems to inspire a very significant amount of upsets each and every year.

(Duke Blue Devil-Google images)

You have until Thursday to finish you're brackets because the tournament starts then so get on it. If you're like me Kansas is taking the number one spot but as always Duke is first and foremost in my heart. Let's go Blue Devils!

In There Like Swimwear

This picture in itself speaks volumes about how vast Sports Illustrated Magazine has become, and how it attracts its readers. The magazine to most provides you with your everyday knowledge about sports, and carries a number of stories that you may not have the opportunity to hear on television such as ESPN, or through another source.
Sports Illustrated devotes the least amount of pages to advertisement as possible, which is a huge attraction for many readers who do not just want to flip through ads and want to get straight to the material. One of the media tools they utilize are beautiful people among others. The magazine is littered with celebrities and professional athletes faces on nearly every page that help attract readers by showing them faces of people they may see in their everyday media.
The magazine attacks the limbic brain as well as the neocortex. They provide you with hundreds of pictures of athletes and celebrities followed by articles typically related to the people you see in the picture.
(Photo:Brooklyn Decker- Cover Page via Google images)



The magazine itself has expanded to reach a much broader audience than just the typical guy who likes sports. They had an entire womens issue which unfortunately was canceled due to a lack of subscriptions, as well as the highly coveted Swimsuit Edition that has become about as famous as any other magazine to this day.

Many of the stories carry more detail than just a sporting event or on how an athlete is doing, and go into detail about the player or situations off the court or field, sometimes political even. The magazine always offers a riveting story about something or another. If you haven't yet go and try one out, you might enjoy the magazines layout and the stories they cover. (Image on left- Cover Page, Right- Troy Polamalu Steelers defensive back via Google images)