Spring in Kentucky

It's spring! I can tell not by the singing of the birds or the greening of the fields but the sound of basketballs and squeaking sneakers. It's March in Kentucky which means that the world comes to a halt while seemingly hundreds of basketball games are played leading up to the Final Four. If you don't know what I am referring to with the words "Final Four" you might as well quit reading now. You also are probably reading from another country.

Kentucky is basketball crazy. With the advent of cable tv we can now follow each and every game leading up to the big one. That means that on certain days at certain times you could deliver a baby with everyone going, "don't push until the time out!" Don't even think about scheduling anything until you check the game schedule. I once attended a revival at our church when the choir refused to march in to start the service until UK had finished their game! The visiting minister then had the score announced before he started the service. That's religion in Kentucky.

From now until the end of the NCAA tournament, weddings, parties, meals, committee meetings, and anything else will depend on who is playing and when. I remember a bride who was foolish enough to plan a wedding that happened to coincide with UK playing. (Smart brides wouldn't dream of planning a wedding in March) After serious discussion the wedding was held but everyone's attention was divided between the ceremony and the whispered commentary going on the the pews from those with radios and earphones. The bride was savvy enough to provide tv's during the reception so everyone could keep up with the games between dances.

Thanks to modern technology daytime games will be viewed continuously from 5:00 pm on. We will eat, sleep and dream in front of the tv while the games go on and on and on. Brackets will be filled out and teams cheered on. Hopes will be raised and hopes will crash. Excitement and desolation will both be felt. It's March Madness in Kentucky.