Postgame Press: Underdogs in March

We all know that fantastically cheery song that goes: "It’s the most wonderful time of the year." Now, most people think of that song and associate it with Christmas, but for me and many of my friends, we think of the beginning of spring. March Madness is just around the corner and, wow, I can already feel my heart beating through my chest. I can only imagine what it would be like to be invested in a team in the tournament.

I am a die-hard Rutgers fan. My dad went there, and even though I also have the option to root for Michigan (who just won the Big Ten tournament for the second year in a row, clinching a spot in the NCAA tournament) because my mom went there, I choose to root for the Scarlet Knights. That means that I have not had my team in March Madness in my lifetime, as Rutgers last made it in 1991. In spite of this, I cheer and scream my head off during every game. I have also been a lifelong Chicago Cubs, Bears and Bulls fan, so I know fan suffering. This is not about me though; I just want to show that I know an underdog when I see one.

It is easier in March Madness because there are seeds. You typically know from the numbers next to the team's names which one is favored. A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed. Only eight No. 15 seeds have made it to a second round.A team seeded ninth or lower has never made the championship game. Those are true underdogs.

We love underdogs. A book by Tufts psychology professor Sam Sommers and Sports Illustrated Executive Editor L. Jon Wertheim scientifically demonstrated why. And there is no better time for an underdog than during March Madness. In the NCAA tournament, people expect the unexpected. It is, after all, called "Madness." When a team is down two with a few seconds left, we not only want the losing team to hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer; we almost expect it. There is magic in the air during March that lets underdogs prove to the world that they can be great, too.

Rutgers may not be in the tournament this year, and your team may not be either, but I encourage you to root for all of the underdogs out there. Duke may be a fun team to watch, but many of those players have a moment of glory in the public eye every game or will have a chance in the NBA. Why not instead root for Lipscomb, which had never made the Big Dance before this year? We love to consider ourselves as underdogs in our own stories. We love to prove the haters wrong. We love to show that we can get an A- even if we watch Netflix instead of studying. If we do that, then we must support the other underdogs like us who are waiting for their one shining moment.