It’s time again for that annual March distraction, your March Madness college basketball bracket. People all over your office who haven’t seen a basketball game since last March will be piling into break rooms to see some of the action on TV, or on their i-Phone, or watching for the boss so they can get a glimpse on their work computer. We are in constant search of distractions in our society today, be it the Kardashians, the latest cute cat viral video, or the built-in distraction of college basketball. The fact that it is college basketball in this case is irrelevant. It could the 68 best college dart teams, if it received the media coverage and was on during the work day on CBS, TBS, TNT and everyone was talking about it, most people would still want to watch. Meanwhile, as you are pouring over your bracket with stats and advice wanting this year to best last year’s bracket winner “Wanda” from accounting who selects her teams to win based on the color of their uniform and how cuddly their mascot is, you are missing the point. We have been distracted from the real gross injustice here, that college athletics have grown out of control in recent years and you’re not watching Universities now, you are watching corporations operating with a budget of many banana republics. Where a “win at all costs” mentality and cheating or bending the rules is rewarded by more money from networks. Some Universities have lost their purpose, they do not exist to entertain us in March with basketball and Saturdays in the Fall with football and make themselves money. They exist to educate the next generation. But instead Universities are now motivated to just give us a distraction.
