“March Madness.”

Every year it seems this 65-team, 64-game tournament seems to live up to… “March Madness.”

Every year it seems this 65-team, 64-game tournament seems to live up to its nickname.

It really is madness in every sense of the word. The magnitude that this tournament will be covered, analyzed, viewed and, most importantly, gambled on seems to multiply every year.

What makes these few weekends of basketball so captivating?

On the surface, that seems like a question with an obvious answer. It’s got to be the Cinderella teams and the upsets that happen every year. Or it could even be the last-second, buzzer-beating, game-winning shots. It might just be the minutes after a new champion is crowned when the infamous “One Shining Moment” anthem plays over endless clips of swished jump shots, jersey popping, teams’ benches holding hands, superstars diving on the floor for a ball or the vast array of emotions (the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat and everything in between) expressed over these games.

As much as I love all that stuff that makes up this great tournament, the Madness is madness for me because of one man-

He’s super, scintillating and sensational. You might even call him a prime-time performer, although definitely not a diaper dandy. Simply enough, he is awesome, baby, he is college basketball.

Of course I’m talking about ESPN college basketball analyst and my personal favorite sports personality, Dick Vitale.

Dickie V. is the reason this tournament, as well as college basketball in general, keeps getting bigger and better. He is the sport’s ultimate ambassador.

Vitale’s passion and enthusiasm for the sport he loves is infectious. You can’t help but smile when you hear the man. Imagine what kind of world it would be if everyone loved his job as much as he does. Granted, not everyone’s job is to watch college basketball by traveling across the country to the nation’s best universities to sit in the best seat in the house, but I think he would act no different regardless of what his profession.

I believe I know this to be a fact because when Dickie V. isn’t calling a game or analyzing one in the studio, or traveling the country as a motivational speaker, he sits on the Board Directors for the Jimmy V. Foundation.

If you’re a sports fan, you know about V Foundation. It was started by the late N.C. State men’s basketball coach Jim Valvano. Valvano and Vitale were close friends, and through Vitale’s help, along with ESPN, Jimmy V. was able to announce the formation of a foundation bearing his name that would fund cancer research.

Valvano made this announcement on March 4, 1993, during his acceptance speech of the first Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. Valvano, only 47 at the time, lost his 10-month-long battle just seven weeks after he spoke at the ESPYs.

Since then, Vitale and the V Foundation have raised over $50 million and granted cancer research grants in 36 states.

Every year at the foundation’s biggest fundraiser, the Jimmy V Basketball Classic (a preseason event that features a nationally televised telethon), Vitale gives a rousing speech at halftime of the games being played at Madison Square Garden.

Because of everything that makes Dickie V. who he is, this speech is always moving. Last December it was especially touching because Vitale announced that Valvano’s daughter recently learned she has cancer.

This made Valvano’s ESPY speech seem to come full circle as he talked about what donations to the foundation could possibly do.

“It may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love.”

All I know is that as passionate as Vitale is about March Madness and college basketball, I know he is twice as involved with this foundation.

As we enjoy the tourney, don’t forget about Jimmy V. and his amazing speech that he had the courage to give when he was so weak with cancer.

I think all 65 teams in the tournament will be playing with the mentality that Valvano said would be the motto for his foundation: “Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up.”

In the words of Mr. Vitale, “That’s awesome baby!”

Dave Thomas is a senior staff writer for The Pitt News. E-mail him your thoughts at [email protected], and if you’d like more information on the V Foundation or would like chills all over your body before you hear “One Shining Moment,” go to http://jimmyv.org to read the full text of Jimmy V’s speech.