UMBC Golden Retrievers defy odds, beating UVA Cavilers for the biggest upset in NCAA college basketball history. And the victory busted all chances for a perfect bracket!
Along with Old Bay, crabs, and National Bohemian, Maryland is known for sports. Between the Colts, Orioles, Ravens, Blue Jays, and Terrapins, there's plenty of teams to cheer for. But one mascot that's unknown outside of the state is the UMBC Golden Retriever. However, after defying all odds in the March Madness tournament, the Golden Retriever is now the country's most beloved, or hated, pup.
It was miraculous enough for UMBC to qualify for the tournament, but the team's shocking 74-54 victory in the first round against the University of Virginia Cavilers has changed an unknown S.T.E.M. school into a household name. For the first time in NCAA college basketball history, a 16-seeded team defeated a one-seeded team, giving Marylander's and the Golden Retriever nation a chance to rejoice, while the rest of the country curses their busted brackets.
The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) is known for its academics, however, over the last few years their athletic teams have started to bark, and with their historical win the Golden Retrievers have become America's team.
ESPN reported that their Twitter followers went from 5,000 to 100,000 due to the victory, and
Sports Center tweeted a better's receipt from the Venetian Casino showing how they turned $800 into $16,800 from the UMBC Golden Retrievers win.
And though everyone loves an underdog win, the Golden Retriever victory ruined almost all chances for a perfect bracket.
Each March, during the NCAA March Madness tournament, people across the country fill out a bracket to guess who will win each game and, ultimately, who will win the tournament. Some people do it for fun and some people for money, but everyone does it for bragging rights.
To correctly guess the victor in 64 games is about as improbable as the Golden Retrievers' victory, but it doesn't stop people from trying. No one foresaw the unknown, 16-seeded Golden Retrievers advancing past the first round, much less even contending with the Cavilers. But with each basket that grew their lead, it became apparent that the Golden Retrievers would become the biggest underdog story in the history of the NCAA tournament.
How did the Golden Retriever win effect your bracket? Did anyone correctly predict the underdog victory? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and let's get the conversation started.
