By Richard Bloom
It’s March and I’m mad. While millions of college basketball fans around the world gather in front of their television sets to watch the annual NCAA tournament, I’m left asking why that can’t happen in Canada.
The tournament, deemed “March madness,” is truly a wonderful event.
The first weekend is jammed with two rounds of play — eliminating 48 teams and leaving the sweet 16. From there the cut-throat tournament continues until one national champion is crowned at the end of the month.
It contains drama, excitement, excellent sportsmanship and play that is, in some respects, much better than that of the professional National Basketball Association.
Our equivalent is, well, non-existent.
Locally, we have the Ravens and the Gee-Gees but they don’t really compare to the Duke Blue Devils or the Kentucky Wildcats. They may be relatively similar in talent but support from the fans is, well, also non-existent.
The big U.S. schools attract thousands of people per game and are shown internationally on big television networks like CBS and ESPN.
Here in Ottawa, the Ravens barely fill half of their small gym with fans while the Gee-Gees share the same predicament.
Why?
Is our program worse than that of the United States? No. Do we have competitive, intense, high energy exciting games? Yes.
The difference is support.
If fans jammed the rafters for games, then a certain reputation would be associated with the school’s program. With that reputation comes increased funding from the school, alumni and the private sector. That money and increased fan support will eventually lead to a larger venue which will give more people the opportunity to see the games which will even further the reputation.
People want to play for a school with that kind of reputation. What’s more, students want to attend a school with that kind of reputation.
But that’s just a pipe dream.
Canadian universities have made it painfully clear that varsity sports are not a priority. Making academics paramount is very admirable but Canadian schools should also realize the benefits of a strong athletic program. You have to dedicate serious time and serious money to see serious results.
We have the capability of holding an NCAA-style tournament — but the bottom line is we just don’t give a dunk.