How March Became Madness: How the NCAA Tournament Became the Greatest Sporting Event in America (Hardcover)

by Eddie Einhorn (Author), and Ron Rapoport (Author) "If you think you're glad to see me, Eddie, just think how glad I am to see you..." (more)
Key Phrases: tournament committee, college basketball, freshman team, Final Four, John Wooden, North Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
If you ask the bookmakers in Vegas, they'll agree: March Madness--the NCAA basketball tournament--is the "greatest sporting event in America." But it's not just the betting that has won our hearts, it's the sport itself. Einhorn--currently vice-chairman of the Chicago White Sox--toots his horn a bit here in that he credits his own "revolutionary" idea of broadcasting college basketball games as being the event that changed the NCAA tournament for good. Perhaps he is right, because players and coaches went from being mere students and college staff to celebrities as the tournament grew in popularity. Drawing on interviews with nearly 50 college basketball greats--both players and coaches--Einhorn and Rapoport (the latter a former Chicago Sun-Times columnist) provide a big-picture history of the tournament that nicely complements John Feinstein's more intimate, from-the-floor account, A March to Madness (1998), and the lavishly illustrated history March Madness (also from Triumph Books). A DVD accompanies. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
The March to Madness is the fascinating account of how the telecast between Houston and UCLA laid the foundation for what became one of the greatest sporting events in America. It's an account told through the voices of a who's who of great players, coaches, and announcers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (IL); Har/DVD edition (February 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572438096
• ISBN-13: 978-1572438095
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #578,821 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #67 in

  Books > Sports > Basketball > College & University

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Reading, March 6, 2006

By	S. Chu "Cammy-D" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fans of college basketball will enjoy the information and stories provided in this book. The book is a collection of interviews, set forth in story format, in which the author met and interviewed with a number of significant figures in college basketball, including coaches, media, and players.

There are many great stories here, and the book is divided up into different stories on the different personalities, so it makes for an accessible read. You can pick up the book, read one article, then put it down. I found the stories by the coaches to be among the most entertaining: Coach K, Roy Williams, Rick Pitino, Dean Smith, Guy Lewis and others all provide insightful stories.

Also, the book puts college basketball in its historical context, with a focus on the first televised basketball game, UCLA vs. Houston, played in the Astrodome. Overall a very informative and entertaining book, I would strongly recommend it to any college basketball fan.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling, August 1, 2006

By	Y. Park "YP Sports Gal" (Boston) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

You can't put this book down. Interview after interview, you are amazed at the stories behind each legend. The best part is that this is basically a compliation of mini-autobiographies, but narrated as a conversation between good friends. The book starts with an interview with Rey Meyer - it reminds you how lucky the author was to have interviewed him before his passing away. You are also amazed at the hard work, passion and perseverance of Eddie Einhorn. If you love basketball (or even just "like" sports), this is the book for you.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much Needed Book - Right in Time for March Madness!, March 8, 2006

By	StraightRazr.com: A Comprehensive Lifestyle C... (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This promises to be THE book on the NCAA college basketball tournament - all the stats, matchups, insights and interviews we've been craving since March Madness became 'The Spring Superbowl.'