Hail to the Victors!
Hear it here!
That’s the title of the Michigan fight song, a familiar sound whenever the Wolverines win.
Well, they won the big one this week, capturing the NCAA Men’s basketball championship beating UConn, 69-63 in the final. For a moment it looked like the Huskies, trying to win their third title in four years would repeat their amazing comeback story when they beat Duke in their Elite Eight showdown with a late rush. But it was too little too late. So March Madness is history, and there are several reverberations I sense in taking the big picture view.
Let’s start with the fact that no matter what is happening behind the scenes in this popular sport, there will be no shortage of interest and intense viewing going forward. And betting.
Regardless of the turn of events if there are any regarding the Name, Image, Likeness revolution folks will watch college basketball as they do football with the strong passion they’ve always had. For those who might not be aware, NIL is the manner in which college athletes in those two major sports are paid. And paid handsomely.
Fans aren’t affected by the staggering money going to high school seniors and continuing through their college playing careers, but the schools are, and it’s a nightmare. No longer will we see prospects choose schools because of their campus, curriculum, or sports history. They will go where they will get the best deal.
We’re talking about hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars to lure a player to an institution.
Obviously, there will be a connection and a preference to play for a certain coach, but after that, it’s all about the money. The other disheartening factor is the ability of players to transfer, and transfer as many times as they desire. The national champion Wolverines had four players in their starting lineup who transferred from other schools. Dusty May is the head coach who led Michigan to the first Big Ten national hoop title in 25 years.
This is the same outstanding coach who guided Florida Atlantic University to the Final Four just three years ago. That team was a true Cinderella, the popular name given unlikely long shots to score upsets in March Madness, knocking off the big boys and going far into the tournament. FAU lost to San Diego State on a buzzer-beater in the national semifinals. But now Cinderella may not be the belle of the ball as much as we’ve seen. The powers of the game will pay for the good players, who will take the cash rather than give it all for a smaller school.
I bet there’s no way the Big Ten will have to wait another 25 years for another crown.
What we’re seeing in professional basketball disguised as collegians representing an institution of learning. And don’t ask me about those kids going to classes. Right now there are no rules in college sports. There are rules in the NBA and the NFL. On top of all we’ve covered, there is a virtual certainty that the March Madness field will expand into the 70’s. It’s all about the dollars, and we’ve seen all the other sports do it, and the public has no problem with it.
Regardless of the way college administrators have to deal with the money situation and the transfer practice, the 2026 version of March Madness featured exciting games, thrilling comebacks, and the array of buzzer beaters. It was all a bettor’s delight. The college sports problem is not ours. We can just sit back and watch it all unfold. And when it was all over?…….Hail to the Victors!
I don’t think there’s been anyone like Tiger Woods in American sports history.
Think about it… Babe Ruth? Muhammad Ali? Michael Jordan? Tom Brady? LeBron James? Jesse Owens? Jim Brown?
I’m trying to dig deep here. All of the above achieved greatness in their sport. I know there are others. Some of them faced challenges that led to adversity that made them unpopular and easy to criticize.
But no one was as great at what he did and was as self-destructive at what he did than Tiger Woods.
No one commanded the attention more than Woods anytime he competed in a golf tournament. The ratings went through the roof, and the broadcast was always centered on what Tiger was doing. How fortunate he was that his that his parents called him Tiger.
Eldrick wouldn’t have had the same ring to it. When he performed, he was electric. No one approached his dominance in golf.
Whether he won the most major championships or not (Jack Nicklaus still holds the record), it didn’t matter. He was a unique, once in a lifetime talent who played the game with a verve, and determination that captured the imagination of fans of all sport. As we know, there are those who dominate their sports who are not necessarily adored. There are those observers who abhor excellence.
But the one thing we know about all athletes, including the great ones, is that time catches up with every one of them. Sooner or later age takes over, injuries happen, and then comes the decline.
In the case of Tiger Woods, who is now 50, the injuries have been severe, and he has had a brutal time dealing with them. He has had four serious vehicular issues since 2009. They apparently have been a result of his addiction to painkillers. In every one of them leading up to the latest, the police have capitulated to his fame, and Woods has escaped serious accountability. The most recent wound up with his car flipping over to its side, and in their examination, the authorities demanded he take a urine test which he declined. He was taken to jail for the first time, and the days of bowing down to this once-in-a-generation golfer seem to be over.
Woods has escaped serious injury and even death. But the prospect of someone else, another driver, a child on a bicycle, anyone who could have lost his life as a result of Woods’ addiction is unthinkable. To those who only care about Tiger Woods the Superman golfer all that matters is whether he’s going to play in this week’s Masters or just attend the event.
Of course he’s not doing either and has expressed his desire to deal with his gigantic problem. In reality his life depends upon it. I’ve contended on these pages that celebrities are really no different than you or I. They have a talent or skill that makes them famous, but they experience the same problems we all do. I draw an exception with Tiger Woods. He is in a different world. Entitled may be an understatement. I believe Tiger has experienced bigger highs than most and bigger lows. He’s at his lowest right now. No more hiding. No more excuses. No more sympathy for a phenomenal athlete. This is his moment of truth. Tiger Woods will either respond to his failings or fall short. We know what he has inside to be a great golfer. But does he have the extremely challenging will to beat his addiction to pain? That will determine whether he can win his toughest battle, or whether he is a victim of the diminished life of a star athlete who has so much life ahead of him.
Wolverines Win
Dusty May
