Underdogs

Originally published on Common Sense Family Doctor on March 23, 2016 and updated on March 21, 2018.

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I only pay attention to college basketball during the first week of the NCAA tournament. Like many March Madness fans, I love rooting for underdogs. When the UMBC Retrievers became the first men’s #16 seed to knock off overall #1 seed Virginia, I was in heaven. It broke my heart in 2016 when the upstart #14 seeded Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks fell to Notre Dame in the second round on a last-second tip-in, a heartbeat from crashing the Sweet 16. In past tournaments, I was captivated by #11 seed George Mason’s run to the Final Four in 2006 and #11 seed VCU’s similar run from the First Four to the Final Four in 2011.