It's that time of year again. The snow begins to melt slowly, releasing a fresh, clean scent into the air. The sun shines down, thawing out months of cold that has finally begun to fade. While young buds prepare to bloom, college basketball teams all across the country gear up for the most celebrated basketball tournament of the year -- the NCAA tournament, or March Madness.
College ball is where you can see the kind of emotion that is rarely displayed by NBA players, where the court gleams and reflects the excitement of last-second shots, where underdogs shine and where young athletes understand the real meaning of being part of a team.
Even with the scandals that have sullied programs at St. Bonaventure and Georgia, there is something pure about most college basketball programs that the National Basketball Association seems to be lacking these days.
You can see the difference by watching any NBA game. It's evident in the lack of enthusiasm, the lackadaisical passing and the individual attention each player seems to think he is owed. It's not until the playoffs that the NBA decides to come alive and show a tiny flicker of excitement. But it still can't match the flames produced by the NCAA tournament.
There were some "great ones" -- such as Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Charles Barkley and Grant Hill -- who carried the same approach in their professional game as they did in college. But those kinds of NBA players are disappearing.
Maybe it's the fact that I know what it feels like to play ball, to give my all in a game simply because I love to play. The last time I played for a team was in high school. College players understand that devotion. Not all of them are going to make it to the NBA, and college might very well be their last chance to play competitively, in an arena, amid the buzz of a packed crowd.
They run in practice, sweating profusely as they sprint from one end o! f the court to the other without questioning their coach's motives. Th ey never would. They would run for hours if he asked them to. They dive for loose balls, not worrying about the pain. On the court, nothing else matters, nothing except the game. I respect that. I enjoy that. I can relate to that.
I love watching an unknown team play against a No. 1 seed and hit a last-second shot at the buzzer to advance to the second round more than I enjoy watching Shaq stuff the ball effortlessly into the net and then brag about it.
March Madness is what college sports should be about, at least to the players: to be on the floor, unaware of the cameras, the reporters, the hype, and to just simply play the game for what it is and what it should be.
The NBA slogan is, "I love this game." But it's watching college basketball that makes me realize why I do love this game. I don't need a slogan to remind me, all I need to do is watch the tournament unfold.
This time of year is, quite honestly, refreshing. The warmer weather might have something to! do with it. But for me, it's because, in the words of Dick Vitale, "It's March Madness baby, and I'm loving every minute of it."