The Case of March Madness

I’ve heard a few people asking the same question in the last couple of weeks – “What the hell is March Madness?” In simple terms it’s a college basketball tournament in the United States played by the top sixty-eight teams in the nation. Yet look deeper and it’s so much more than just a tournament. It finances organisations, makes or breaks careers, brings joy to some and heartbreak to others, and is quite honestly just as ‘mad’ as its name wants you to believe.

This was the first year that I’d ever paid attention to March Madness. I had known what it was but had never really had any motivation to sit down and watch it. This year I decided that I’d give it a go and all I can say is - wow. Upsets are so common that one would question the definition of the word, and thus it has become a phenomenon for fans to try and correctly guess the winners of all the games and the teams that will end up in the “Final Four”. Forget the TAB competition during the Rugby World Cup, this is a whole different can of beans (although Japan was a fly in the punchbowl for most). Let’s be honest, we all knew pretty much who was coming out of the groups at last year’s World Cup except for the group of death containing Australia, England, and Wales. But in March Madness, teams the equivalent of Uruguay and Romania can beat those similar to the All Blacks. This year’s biggest shock came in the first round when No.15 ranked Mid Tennessee defeated No.2 ranked Michigan State, a team that many people had as a prime favourite to bring home the title. In fact, out of the 13.02 million that participated in ESPN’s Tournament Challenge, 22.3 percent, or 2.9 million people believed that Michigan State would indeed win the championship. They were the second favourites behind Kansas (25%) yet crashed out moments after the starting gun fired. In March Madness, the unexpected is to be expected, even if it doesn’t seem plausible before tip-off.

Turning to finances, I always find it funny looking at how much money America’s “amateur” college sports rake in. For years there has been issues over the fact that none of the players receive any money for their play, yet plenty of others do. For example, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) receives a whopping $900 million for every March Madness, it’s most profitable business. Most of this comes from broadcasting rights, part of a 14-year 10.8 billion deal with CBS and Time Warner. The tournament also generates huge ad revenue, and in 2014 was second to only the NFL in postseason ad revenue. But it’s not just the broadcasters and NCAA that get the cash. Teams can net around $1.7 million just for appearing in the tournament, while making it to the Final Four can see a team receive $8.5 million. It would then be surprising to find out that only three percent of teams generate profit. This can be attributed to the amount of money some schools pour into their basketball programs in order to have success. The salaries of coaches and scouts consumes most of their surplus funds, a sacrifice made in order to be elite.

I earlier mentioned how the tournament brings joy to some and heartbreak to others. Well how about both. Gather round kids I have a story to share. It is one of Northern Iowa, a No.11 ranked side looking to prove themselves on the biggest stage. In their opening game versus No.6 Texas, not many gave them a chance and with the game coming down to the wire, it looked like their dream was about to end prematurely. Alas this was not so as Paul Jesperson hit a half-court game-winner that sent his Northern Iowa side into the next round. 

They were determined to make the most of this opportunity and as they began playing No.3 Texas A&M, it seemed that they were going to complete their second upset in the week. But then….drama. With a twelve point lead and only forty-four seconds remaining, Northern Iowa had the biggest collapse in NCAA Tournament history, allowing Texas A&M to tie the game up with a second remaining. Exhausted, Northern Iowa could not keep up with their opponents in overtime and eventually lost. In a game where they were going to get an upset victory, the tides turned and their opponents grabbed the upset. It was upset-ception. 

This story encapsulates March Madness and is the reason why it is so popular. It may not affect our lives in the slightest but boy is it entertaining. I urge those even slightly interested in basketball to tune in to the Final Four later this week and possibly witness something special.

The All-Time Top Five Sports Doping Scandals

In wake of Maria Sharapova’s admission to taking a banned substance before this year’s Australian Open, I thought it would be a good time to look back on similar doping scandals that shook the world. So, in no particular order, here’s my top five all-time doping scandals:

East German Women’s Swim Team

The rise of East Germany as a sporting powerhouse was rampant in the 1970s. Still divided by the Berlin Wall and under the cloud of the USSR, life was miserable for the Eastern Bloc state. Ignored and forgotten by the rest of the world, it turned to sport in order to gain attention and recognition. The women’s swim team had struggled in the 1964, ‘68, and ’72 Olympics, only winning a combined 11 medals. Yet in the 1976 Montreal Olympics that all changed, as they won 18 medals, including 11 gold. This shocked the sporting world, especially the Americans, who had expected to dominate the pool once again, but ended up second best. This East German dominance continued right up until the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s, where documents were then released that showed East German athletes had been given hormones and steroids in a government program to improve performance at the Olympics. This scandal is one of the key reasons why drug testing in sport was introduced.

The Dirtiest Race in History – Ben Johnson vs Carl Lewis

Another Olympic fiasco, this time in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The mens 100m final was the pinnacle of the Olympics (much like it still is today) and there was great excitement leading into the race at Seoul. Hyped as the greatest race in history, eyes were focused on the best all-around athlete since Jesse Owens in Carl Lewis, up against his muscular, fierce-eyed Canadian arch rival Ben Johnson. The race didn’t disappoint. Johnson exploded out of the blocks with Lewis close behind. Even as Lewis tried to fight back in the latter half of the race, Johnson held him off, breaking the world record in the process, running a then-rapid 9.79 seconds. But the world crashed all around him three days later when he failed the subsequent drug test. Johnson admitted to taking steroids for most of his career, although argued that he was not alone. His pleas fell on deaf ears and Lewis was handed the gold. The tale doesn’t end there however. In 2003, it was discovered that Lewis failed a drugs test at the US Olympic Trials and should never have been in the infamous race in the first place.

The MLB Steroid Era

During the early 1990s interest in Major League Baseball was waning. Two shortened seasons in 1994 and 1995 due to strikes saw attendance numbers drop 10 percent across the league. Many believed that this was the beginning of the end for the MLB and that it was only a matter of time before it was disbanded altogether. During this decline there was one trend that begun seemingly from out of nowhere, as more and more hitters began to hit over forty home runs in a single season. This led to what is commonly known as the greatest ever season in MLB history in 1998 as hitters Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa raced to the 37-year-old 61 home run record held by Roger Paris. McGwire would win the race, finishing with 70 home runs to Sosa’s 66. This season alone saw revenue jump rapidly from $1.4 billion in 1995 to $2.5 billion in 1998. Three years later Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants broke McGwire’s record, clocking up a remarkable 73 home runs. However, allegations of steroid abuse ensued including the BALCO scandal and the Mitchell Report, while former player Jose Canseco said that around 80% of the league were using steroids during this period including himself. Mandatory drug testing was implemented in 2003 following these allegations. McGwire has since admitted his steroid use during his record breaking 1998 season, while Bonds remained under suspicion for the remainder of his career. This period in MLB history is now forever known as the ‘Steroid Era’.

Lance Armstrong

For years seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong denied allegations of substance abuse, until he finally came clean (no pun intended) in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey. This admission followed an intense investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) which banned Armstrong from the sport of cycling and saw all seven of his Tour de France medals stripped from him. After USADA’s report came out, the International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid stated “Armstrong has no place in cycling. He deserves to be forgotten.” In his interview with Oprah, Armstrong admitted to have started getting blood transfusions and abusing the substance EPO and steroids since 1996. Armstrong was not alone in substance abuse, as several of Armstrong’s teammates had either failed drug tests (such as Floyd Landis following his 2006 Tour de France win) or admitted substance abuse post-retirement. In fact, the majority of cyclists have used some kind of performance enhancing drug, with 14 of the last 25 Tour de France winners either testing positive or confessing to doping.

Marion Jones

The female equivalent of Carl Lewis became an overnight sensation at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where she became the first woman to win five medals (including three gold) at a single games. While Jones was embracing her success, her husband C.J. Hunter, an Olympic shot-putter, had failed numerous drug tests in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics and was banned from the games. Their two differing paths saw their divorce in 2002, and Jones started dating sprinter Tim Montgomery, together having a son in 2003. Less than a year later the infamous BALCO scandal took place, linking both Jones and Montgomery to performance-enhancing drugs. Montgomery was found guilty and banned for four years, while Jones continuously denied any involvement when brought to a federal court. Despite her claims, more and more evidence of her PED use began to emerge until eventually in 2007 she admitted to taking steroids before and after the Sydney Olympics. All of her results during and after the games were disqualified, while she also served a six month prison sentence for lying to US investigators.

So there you have it, the five doping scandals that shook the sporting world. As these cases show, it can often take years for the full story to completely unravel. Maria Sharapova’s announcement last week is most likely going to be the first step to something much larger. Is there consistent doping within tennis? Did Sharapova actually have any health problems related to the banned meldonium? Or is this just an honest mistake? We will only find out in time but from what we know from the past, an “honest mistake” is usually not entirely true.

Blackcaps: Review of the summer; preview of T20 World Cup

Review of the summer

It’s been a turbulent summer of cricket for the Blackcaps. A fairly promising series in Australia was followed by a strong period over the Christmas break against first Sri Lanka and then Pakistan. The Chappell/Hadlee trophy was successfully defended, before Brendon McCullum bid his farewell from international cricket in sensational fashion during what would be considered a learning experience for other members of the side as Australia dominated much of the test series. Injuries certainly played a key role along the way – the initial loss of both Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham threw young Mitchell Santner into the lion’s den in Perth, before Henry Nicholls struggled against quality pace bowling in the return series when he replaced Ross Taylor. Although not the ideal situation for either player, the experience gained from those opportunities should set them in good stead for the future.

To summarise, here’s a few positive and negatives from this summer’s cricket:

Positives:

•           Played well in Australia after slow start in Brisbane
•           Continued to dominate the one-day arena
•           The successful blooding of young players
•         Kane Williamson. That is all.

Negatives:

•           Boult/Southee duo never really got going
•          Inconsistent top order in test matches
•           Mark Craig – needs to go. Bring back Ish Sodhi.
•           Having to listen to Channel 9’s commentary for three weeks
•           No one gave David Warner any chin music

Preview of T20 World Cup

It can be difficult to keep track of all the sporting events around the globe, especially at this time of year, but hasn’t the T20 World Cup just snuck up on us? Yet here we are, ready to roll once more. This year’s edition is being held in cricket-mad India, home of the IPL and the bookies favourite to bring the trophy home. It’s hard to judge how much this tournament really means to some nations, New Zealand included. On paper the Blackcaps squad looks solid with a mix of experience and youth, plus a couple of ‘X-Factor’ players such as Corey Anderson, Colin Munro, and Adam Milne. Yet how will they fare on the brown dustbowls in India? Spin is always going to be key in the subcontinent and the trio of Nathan McCullum, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner aren’t going to striking fear into the hearts of the opposition. The draw hasn’t been particularly kind either. Placed in a group containing India, Australia and Pakistan, there’s a strong possibility of an early exit for the Blackcaps, not that it really matters anyway.

Handing over the keys to the castle

Obviously the one significant moment of this tournament will be watching Kane Williamson embrace his new role as captain. Although he has captained the side fairly regularly over the last couple of years, this will be his first major tournament in the position, and it will be interesting to see how the transition goes following Brendon McCullum’s retirement. The two could not be more different – McCullum a tornado of energy flying at breakneck speed, while Williamson is the sort of guy that you wouldn’t be surprised to see playing bowls with your grandparents. Interestingly, Williamson is the one with the better captaincy record in T20 internationals, with a winning percentage of 58% to McCullum’s 48%. So should we really be worried now that arguably our most innovative captain has moved on? Probably not. The core group of players is still there and will be until at least the next World Cup. This team has been established by McCullum and surely will continue to blossom under the leadership of possibly our greatest ever batsman.

Who will replace McCullum?

So with McCullum gone, who will step up and take his spot in the Blackcaps side? It looks like Williamson will continue to open with Martin Guptill in the T20 World Cup, as he did in the series against Pakistan earlier this year, with Colin Munro coming in at first drop. In test matches Henry Nicholls will probably slide to number five in order to accommodate Ross Taylor, although other alternatives could be found. The opening spot vacated by McCullum in the one day side is very much up for grabs. Does coach Mike Hesson look to Tom Latham or does he bring in a George Worker, Brad Cachopa or Dean Brownlie? Is Jesse Ryder back in the fray? It’s hard to tell but there is plenty of time for that spot to be filled and secured, as this team works towards the next World Cup in three years time.

Golden State's Run to 73 Wins, and why it doesn't matter

Is it safe to say that the current Golden State Warriors are the best NBA team since the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s? Their 53-5 record shows that they most certainly are, and shockingly, may even be better. Led by superstar guard Stephen Curry, the defending champs have had an extraordinary run during the regular season, placing them a mere twenty wins away from passing the 1995-96 Bulls and what seemed to be an insurmountable seventy-two regular season victories.

There is still plenty of work ahead however. Having barely scraped past the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this week, the Warriors have started to show slight signs of being beatable. After being annihilated by Damien Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, the Warriors barely snuck past the Miami Heat, and without the magic of Curry, would have gone down against the Thunder. With three more games to come against the San Antonio Spurs (plus another against the Thunder at the time of writing), there is a distinct possibility that the Warriors will fall short of the elusive seventy-two.

For all these doubts, there is one key figure that will almost certainly decide the outcome of this historic season – Steph Curry. Although some of his teammates have started to fade after the All Star break, Curry has stepped his game up to another level. Since the break, he has averaged 38.2 points per game on 56% shooting, while also making 7 three pointers a game at over 57%. These numbers are simply ridiculous and unprecedented in the NBA. There is no doubt that Curry has surpassed LeBron James as the best player in basketball and will capture his second straight MVP award.

Surrounding Curry is probably one of the best supporting casts in NBA history. Partnering him in the backcourt is All-Star Klay Thompson, an equally lethal long distance shooter capable of taking over a game at any moment, while the eccentric triple-double machine Draymond Green controls the frontcourt, dishing out assists, grabbing rebounds and most importantly, providing ferocity and leadership. With these three combined with an efficient bench that includes Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, the Warriors have a brilliant all-around team. Every member has a role to perform, and for the most part they do it admirably.

But for all their success, these Warriors still have a whole lot to do this season. By June, no one will care if Golden State won seventy-three games or not. Let’s be honest, if the Warriors don’t at least make the Finals, this season will be a complete disappointment. Criticism and controversy would undoubtedly be thrown in their direction, much like it was when the over-hyped ‘Big Three’ lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Finals. Although the situation may be different to that Miami team, the fact of the matter is that the Warriors hype-train is at full throttle due to their regular season performances. There will be extensive pressure placed on their shoulders by both the media and fans, which begs the question – will this Warriors team crumble under the heavy expectations?

Let’s not forget about the difficulty of navigating through the Western Conference playoffs. Despite being first in the conference, the Warriors may still have to play a team such as Portland or Houston in the first round. It is highly unlikely that they would lose a series to either team, but there is certainly the possibility of a six or seven game series. From there they would most likely face the L.A. Clippers and then either the Spurs or the Thunder in the Conference Finals. So forget about the regular season, the real test starts in around six weeks when the playoffs begin.

When the Chicago Bulls won seventy-two games in the 1995-96 season, they went on and won the championship. The following year they won sixty-nine games and won the championship. The year after that the won a meagre sixty-two games but guess what? They won the championship. I’m sure most people don’t know how many wins those teams had in the latter two seasons, because why does it matter? People remember champions. So don’t get carried away with Steph Curry and the Warriors just yet. Yes he’s amazing. Yes they’re reigning champions. And yes the Bulls record will probably be broken. But just wait until the final whistle, because in sport, you have to expect the unexpected.