Let the “Madness” begin.
We now know who’s in and who’s out and who should be in and who should not.
It’s NCAA tournament time — men’s and women’s teams vying for that coveted NCAA crown.
While South Carolina is the prohibitive favorite on the women’s side, not so over in the men’s bracket.
This year there really is no clear favorite in the men’s tourney. Not one team jumps out and tells you to fill out at least one bracket with that team because they will probably win the tournament.
There are a lot of very good teams in this year’s tournament — anything can and usually does happen.
So I caution you when you fill out your brackets. Try to evaluate each match-up, the schedule they have played, what teams they have beaten, where the games are being played, and on and on. This year, “bracketology” will be a real challenge.
Apply this theory — look for teams with older, veteran players, rather than those filled with “one and done” freshman “diaper dandies,” as Dick Vitale calls them.
For me, I will go with the teams with the best pep bands. If you haven’t caught these awesome groups at the games, start paying attention. The “bandies,” as they are called, bring excitement to the games and their antics and attire are always top shelf.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Wilkes College had a pep band that Dean George Ralston put together. They were a mix of students and alums that played at most football and basketball games and they were fun.
But today’s versions of pep bands have taken Ralston’s concept to a whole new level. Those TV cameras need to pay more attention to these pep bands and let viewers see and hear what they bring to the games.
Back in the 1960s, Plymouth High School’s marching band wore red and black uniforms as majorettes twirled batons and rifles and wore Indian headdresses. Such accessories are largely things of the past. Just Google college pep bands and you will see what I’m talking about.
It seems that high school bands are disappearing faster than the glockenspiel, but those that remain faithful still enjoy the band life — many call their bands “family.”
A few years ago, I wrote a story about high school bands and I came away with an even deeper admiration and respect for these kids and what they do and what the bands mean for schools and school spirit.
“No one hates anybody in the band,” a timpanist at Lake-Lehman once told me. “We enjoy what we do and we have fun doing it.”
And that’s the point. They have fun and they create more fun at games.
Bandies thoroughly enjoy playing their instruments — from piccolos to drums to trombones to trumpets to tubas — and they like entertaining the crowds wherever they are. Local band directors consistently say their “kids” are strong academically, very sociable and fun.
I watched several local bands practice one summer as the sweat glistened on their faces, arms and legs as they practiced in school parking lots on a warm summer evening.
“The motivation here is to have fun,” one director told me.
One year, a school band had a commitment and had to miss a football game. When they got back, students, cheerleaders, football players and staff told them to never do that again. They said the game just wasn’t the same without the band there — that there was an empty feeling.
“When the team is winning, you play songs to keep them going strong,” a bandie once told me. “When they are losing, you use music to try to inspire them.”
The pep bands play songs during the game that are specifically designed to inspire the team and the crowd.
The days of the “band geek” are long gone — band members work hard and possess solid social skills.
So get ready for “March Madness” and enjoy the dunks, the 3-pointers, the sharp passes, the defense and the pressure foul shots.
But always keep an eye on the teams’ pep bands. They are usually tucked in a corner of the gymnasium and they are always ready. They play those songs, they wear all sorts of outfits and make-up and they are loud.
Their support for their team is non-stop, despite what the score might be.
And when the final buzzer sounds, they gather up their stuff and await their next assignment.
As far as who will win the tournament, look for the Texas Longhorns to be the last team standing.
Or somebody else.
That’s the fun of it.
And the band will play on.