March Madness in New Holland, PA 3.25.24
Dear James and Liza Jean,
I love basketball. To be more specific, I Iove playing basketball and I love watching good basketball, especially college basketball. And I love this time of year, known as “March Madness,” because we get to see magic happen right before our eyes. And this magic brings ecstasy to some fans and drives some fans to sheer madness. For example, when Oakland senior guard Jack Gohlke hit ten 3-pointers to upset mighty basketball powerhouse Kentucky, fans were either delirious with joy or sick with disappointment.
I watched NC State catch fire during the ACC tournament and take down my beloved Tarheels to win the ACC Tournament, which was the only way NC State gets into the NCAA tournament, also known as the “Big Dance.” Having done so, they are making another improbable run to the Final Four (similar to their title run in 1983). As the underdog, they have made it to the Sweet 16, along with three other ACC Schools. The ACC, despite having fewer bids than 4 other conferences (only 5 compared to 10 for the SEC), the ACC has more teams in final 16 than any other conference. GO ACC!
And we college basketball fans were able to watch James Madison as an underdog (your two uncles went there) soundly beat Wisconsin in the first round. And we saw Yale, who finished third in the Ivy League, but who won the Ivy League Tournament, upset Auburn, who had won the SEC Basketball Tournament.
And the women’s tournament is just as exciting. Dyaisha Fair, by far the smallest player on the court, scored 32 points for Syracuse in their win over Arizona, including her team’s final 13 to lead the Orange to a come-from behind win. Her performance, especially at the end of the game, was unbelievable. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. So, women’s college basketball has other stars in addition to Caitlin Clark. So, who is Caitlin Clark? As the highest scoring player ever in Division I College Basketball (both Men’s and Women’s), Caitlin has become a cultural phenomenon in the basketball world. And she is fun to watch. She can hit a jump shot from almost anywhere on the court.
In addition to what was happening on basketball courts around the country, additional March Madness occurred yesterday in New Holland, PA. In addition to basketball, I love to run. I have been running since college and have not stopped. So, when one of my clients mentioned the annual 10K/Half-Marathon sponsored by his organization, Garden Spot Communities, I said I would run in it. I had not run in a race for over 15 years. But at the age of 62, I decided I would register to run. Unfortunately, on the day of the race, it was 39 degrees with a constant rain. In fact, flood warnings had been issued in the area. Regardless, the Garden Spot Communities Race would go on.
Despite the dismal conditions, almost 1,000 of us crazies showed up and ran. One friend I texted responded with just one word – “Madness”! Another of my friends texted me and just asked “Why?” I will quote from an email response that I received from the CEO of Garden Spot, “Your comments remind me that, even on the worst of days, you can still choose to be joyful! So many of the runners had that same attitude… it’s what makes the running community so special.” And that is why I have always run and will continue to run as long as my legs will let me… running brings me joy! And I do hope that the two of you not only become passionate about basketball, but also discover the joy of running.
With much passion and joy,
Papa J
