Upsets Are Great

How great was University of Maryland Baltimore County’s victory over UVA in the first round of the NCAA tournament? Millions of American were thrilled by this first-ever upset by a #16 seed of a #1 seed. It also seems to be the case that UMBC is an unusually impressive institution of higher education. (There is no joy, however, in Fredville. Fred Barnes is a loyal University of Virginia graduate and faithful basketball fan.)

 

UMBC’s victory reminded me how very much I like upsets. Why? Partly because they’re fun. But partly because they suggest that all is not pre-determined, that necessity may not control, that contingency exists…and that human freedom is real. Tocqueville warned that democratic ages are particularly susceptible to the temptations of the doctrine of fatalism. Upsets in sports help to save us from that inclination, and thus serve the cause of human and political freedom. So I’ll be rooting for Loyola Chicago this week—as well as for the other #11 seed to make the Sweet Sixteen, Syracuse—and for Nevada, a #7 seed that came from 22 points down in the second half against Cincinnati.

 

Anyway, because the future isn’t determined, humans enjoy trying to predict what will happen. So here’s a competitions for newsletter readers: Pick the teams that will be in Final Four, the final two, and the winner. The victor in this effort at basketball prophecy will get a suitably fine gift, personally selected by our deputy editor for competitions,Jim Swift. Click here to record your picks.