(Ed’s Note: With the NCAA Tournament officially kicking off on March 18th/20th, we here at TSFJ will be giving the people 16(0) sweet words on 16 (bitter)sweet moments of March Madness past. Next up is Johnathan Tillman, who relives a singular moment from last year's darlings of the tournament, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Oh, and if we go over 160 words…well, our bad.)
By Johnathan Tillman / @thetillshow
The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles don’t seem to fit the mold of the plucky underdog we’ve all grown to love when March rolls around. There’s a difference between this team and teams of the past – besides being the first 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16. FGCU looks the part with no luck and last gasp miracles required to advance. If anything, this group of royal and green are the perfect portrait of the game’s parity. Quite simply, they are as good as they look." -- Mark Trible, March 26, 2013
Forget basketball for a moment. Forget strategy, statistics, and schemes. I want you to focus on the gif above. Florida Gulf Coast University, a #15-seeded team rarely heard of by anyone outside of that region, knocked off #2-seeded Georgetown 78-68. Affectionately dubbed "Dunk City," FGCU defeated the Hoyas with a highly entertaining aerial display. But the best part comes during the celebration. They gave special meaning to the moniker, "The Big Dance." To me, that joy is one of the best parts of March Madness.
And they danced again after beating San Diego State. All hail the 2013 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, you are the reason why we watch the Big Dance.
