madness becomes hysteria?

so last year i went to what we NCAA ("college" for you inept sports fans) basketball fans refer to as Midnight Madness... Madness marks the first official basketball practice of the season... for years it has taken place at midnight, because that is the very first second that the season opens... it marks a new beginning, a new chance of glory... and because it's at midnight, you know for a fact that everyone there is a true fan through thick and thin... the midnight hours weeds out most, if not all, of the fair weather fans and most children... you know that the people beside you are rooting for YOUR team to go all the way... you know that you are not alone... last year a friend and i went up 4 hours early to get good seats (second row baby!!!)... we watched all of the players, past and present, all of the coaches, and some of the recruits enter into the building... it is a stinkin' awesome time... i got interviewed by the Associated Press, i got a free t-shirt... i got to see rupert from survivor... it was awesome... all that for donating 2 cans of food!!

and then... the evil monster known as the NCAA, decided that for the sake of the student athletes they would move the start time up to 7pm if the college so chooses... boooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! Indiana decided to go for 9pm instead... which i admire, but i really wish that they would have stuck to midnight... there is so much anticipation in the wait... now i will have to deal with the little kids, deal with the fair weather fans, and deal with more people in general... the obviously had to change the name... each school used to call it one thing, now each school is making their own name... MY school is calling it hoosier hysteria... it's pretty depressing... but this year i will begrudgingly back up my can of lima beans, and can of salmon and face the music... i will still show up 4 hours early in hopes of getting a glance at the big men up close... i will root for my team... but i spit at the ncaa for taking away the glory that was midnight madness...