Why Would I Write About Climate Change on a Sports Blog?

In society today, climate change has become a buzz phrase. While typically applied to environmental climate change (a.k.a. global warming, even though ironically enough some areas will become colder as a result of global warming), it would be impossible not to mention the climate change that is devouring the NCAA tournament right now. As I'm writing this at 10:09 PM, there have been six upsets and six "predictable" outcomes. To compare, in the 32 games last year, there were 10 upsets. We are on pace to have six more upsets than they had last year. For crying out loud, right now I am watching Lehigh up 12-4 on overall number one Kansas with 14 minutes left in the first half (note: Kansas has since made a run and is in the lead). I realize that there is a ton of time left and Kansas will probably come back to win, but what is happening to the high seeds? Honestly, I think the change is that prospects are electing to go to mid-majors where they now they will be the star and see significant playing time right from the beginning. Why go to Duke and get buried on the bench when you can go to University of Ohio and be a star with much more playing time? Think about Stephen Curry who went to Davidson, a classic mid-major in the Southern Conference, became the leading scorer in NCAA, led his team on a deep run into the NCAA tournament for which he was largely credited, and all of the sudden became the number seven pick in the 2009 NBA draft. If he would have gone to a classic power school even though he had immense talent, any success would not have helped build his legend because there would have been several other great players who would have been attributed some of the credit. Obviously, not every player is Stephen Curry, but I do believe that mid-majors are on the rise due to the success of programs such as Davidson and George Mason that show prospects that mid-majors are not necessarily a step down; they be a step to amazing fame and legendary status.

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