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    When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball
    Unavailable
    When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball
    Unavailable
    When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball
    Ebook430 pages7 hours

    When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball

    By Seth Davis

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    When March Went Mad tells the dramatic story of how two legendary players--Magic Johnson and Larry Bird--burst on the scene in an NCAA championship that gave birth to modern basketball.

    "A must-read for anybody who considers themselves a basketball fan."—Michael Wilbon

    Thirty years ago, college basketball was not the sport we know today. Few games were televised nationally and the NCAA tournament had just expanded from thirty-two to forty teams. Into this world came two exceptional players: Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. Though they played each other only once, in the 1979 NCAA finals, that meeting launched an epic rivalry, transformed the NCAA tournament into the multibillion-dollar event it is today, and laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the NBA.

    In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts the dramatic story of the season leading up to that game, as Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Bird's Indiana State Sycamores overcame long odds and great doubts that their unheralded teams could compete at the highest level. Davis also tells the stories of their remarkable coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges—who were new to their schools but who set their own paths to build great teams—and he shows how tensions over race and class heightened the drama of the competition.

    When Magic and Bird squared off in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1979, the world took notice—to this day it remains the most watched basketball game in the history of television—and the sport we now know was born.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMar 3, 2009
    ISBN9781429920735
    Unavailable
    When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball
    Author

    Seth Davis

    Seth Davis is a studio analyst for college basketball at CBS Sports and senior writer at The Athletic. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Wooden: A Coach’s Life and When March Went Mad: The Game Transformed Basketball.

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    Reviews for When March Went Mad

    4/5

    42 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      It's been thirty years since Magic and Bird faced off in that game, but there was a great deal that led up to it. Davis combines the stories of the two players, their coaches, and the teams in a story that is still suspenseful, even though many readers will know how the game ended, and we all know what happened to the two stars. One quarter of all television sets tuned into that game on March 26, 1979. But, people probably had no idea they were watching a change in sports.Davis tells revealing stories of Bird and Johnson. They both wore #33. They were both skilled passers who were competitive players. But, this book reveals how different the two young men actually were, and how different were the paths they took to that ultimate game. The book examines their stories, their lives, and their relationships on the teams.The book unfolds in the entire season that led up to the NCAA final game. It's a compelling story, hard to put down. And, that season, and that game, led to changes in the coverage of NCAA basketball, changes in the NBA, and changes in how we watch sports. ESPN grew into a powerhouse, covering NCAA basketball. When these two stars showed up, they drew audiences to college basketball, and then to professional basketball. And, here we are today, at "Selection Sunday". College basketball tournaments have riveted our attention. The selections today will be watched all over the United States. Many of us will fill out our brackets, and talk basketball every day for the next few weeks. Seth Davis does a wonderful job relating how two college basketball players, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, brought us to this point, with one game. If you love basketball, check out When March Went Mad.
    • 5/5
      This is a great book about two of the best players in college and professional basketball, and the game that helped launch "March Madness." Davis is an engaging writer who weaves the personal stories of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and their teammates with the broader story of the changes taking place in college basketball, the NCAA Tournament, and with sports fans. A 'must read' for people who like college basketball that would also be an engaging read for the casual fan.
    • 5/5
      Truly a magical time, that ushered in March Madness - seldom does an event match the hype but Michigan State vs. Indiana State, led by "Magic" Johnson, and Larry Bird met all the expectations, as a game, and setting for the ages. Both players demonstrated the skills that allowed them to succeed and exceed in college, with a preview to the pros, and the book captures this essence, which is as much of a challenge as guarding either of these college and future pro greats. Recommended highly - it's time to relive one of those special moments before the commercialization of the process - sit back and enjoy, you won't regret it!
    • 4/5
      Seth Davis looks at the 1979 NCAA Championship Game of Michigan State vs. Indiana State, how the teams got to this game and the two superstars who were the driving forces behind each teams success, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. A look at one of the last Final Fours that would be played in a normal sized arena and the growth of coolege basketball that this game helped drive. A look at the college game before a 24 hour sports cycle and networks like ESPN and FOX Sports Net and other cable and satellite outlets peddling sports were the norm.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful retelling of the first College basketball championship game I remember watching. This book was easy to read, in depth, and covered just enough of the build up to the game. I also liked how it told about the history of the not quite so famous people from that game afterwards. Obviously we know what happened to Bird and Johnson, but not what happened to everyone else.It's also good at describing how big a deal that game still is to both Larry and Magic, and how much losing hurts people like them. I don't understand it, but I do understand how this helps to make them as good as they are.
    • 4/5
      I am not a big college basketball fan, but I really enjoyed Seth Davis' When March Went Mad. It is well-researched, based interviews from numerous participants in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game, and well-written. Davis does a good job building the tension through the title game, even as the reader knows the ultimate outcome.The book doesn't try to do too much. In many sports books about a bygone era, the author tries to put the subject in a historical context. Davis resists the urge to talk about events outside of the sports world. He doesn't make any connections to the Cold War or problems in the Middle East or the economy in the late 1970s or the morale of the American public. He discusses the 1979 NCAA Championship Game's effect on the NBA, and the influence of television on college basketball. But even these are minor subplots and, while interesting, never detract or distract from the main story.The book mainly follows the star players of the respective finalist, Magic Johnson of the Michigan State Spartans and Larry Bird of the Indiana State Sycamores. Anyone who followed basketball in the 1980s knows that these two players continued their rivalry into the professional circuit and, in many quarters, are credited with the renaissance of the NBA. The book unfolds chronologically, with a chapter devoted to the pre-college days of each player before Davis describes the 1979 season for each team. Perhaps as interesting, at least from my perspective, was a secondary focus on the coaches of each team. Bill Hodges of Indiana State assumed the head coach's position right before the season, and the question throughout the Sycamore's season is who is really in charge of the team, the rookie coach or the star player. On the Spartan's side, Davis described the tension between a demanding, seasoned coach, Jud Heathcote, and his players who are led, of course, by the charismatic Johnson.Davis described the ups-and-downs of the regular seasons for each time. For Indiana State, it is the possibility of an undefeated season by an upstart team that many had doubts would even reach the NCAA tournament. For Michigan State, a series of disappointing mid-winter losses jeopardizes their season, pushing the team to the brink where another loss would, in all likelihood, eliminate their opportunity to qualify for the tournament.When March Went Mad is definitely a fun book to read. It is full of interesting anecdotes and tidbits about Bird and Johnson, as well as the other players on each squad. It also offers an interesting look into the evolution of the NCAA tournament and a peak at the time right before it took off and became one of the greatest spectacles in sports.In all, this is a solid, well-paced book. You don't need to be a big fan of college basketball to enjoy When March Went Mad.
    • 4/5
      Seth Davis has a breezy style well suited for a book about basketball and that amazing season. He reminds us of a time when there was no ESPN, no regional sports networks, and no sports highlights shows. I remember that I had a lot of interest in the NCAA tournament that year because of Larry Bird and Indiana State; I knew of Michigan State because of its football fame, but I had no knowledge of ISU.Mr. Davis does a good job of recapping the season and the long slog it was; as a fellow reviewer says, it is a little short on the actual final game itself. Watching it, I remember thinking that either Bird had been over-hyped or he was having an off night at the absolutely worst time; he himself said (and proved, once he got to the Celtics) that it was the latter.It wasn't within the scope of the book, but I found myself wishing he'd focused more on the advent of ESPN and its effect on college sports, particularly basketball. The following year ESPN had a contract to televise at least the first two weekends of the tournament, and I was able to watch consecutive games on the first Thursday and Friday from 7:00am to 9:00pm. The national networks had never even thought of covering that much basketball.There's another book here, if Mr. Davis wants to write it.
    • 4/5
      This is a fast-paced, easy read about the 1979 college basketball season and final game between Michigan State and Indiana State, or, rather, between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It is a little bit choppy as it jumps from Johnson to Bird and back again, and there is relatively little about the actual championship game itself. On the whole, however, the book contains a number of interesting insights into the season itself and is a good introduction into the lives of Johnson and Bird.
    • 4/5
      In 1979, when Larry Bird of Indiana State and Magic Johnson of Michigan State faced off for the first time in the NCAA basketball finals, basketball was a very different game. There was no shot clock and no 3-point shot. Perhaps more importantly, basketball was not yet a national obsession. Games were rarely shown nationally. Most people had never even seen Larry Bird play.CBS basketball analyst Seth Davis provides a detailed account of how that all changed due, in large part, to Bird and Johnson. With information on the high school college, and pro careers of these two all-time greats, Davis shows how the game changed over the past 30 years.This is an interesting book that any basketball fan would enjoy.
    • 5/5
      This is a great book. I was a fan of Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the late 70’s. I remember watching them win the NCAA tournament and I also remember the great team that little heralded Indiana State had that year. This book covers everything that happened to both teams that year in an easy to read, interesting manner. The author did a lot of research and interviewed a lot of people to give the reader insight into a lot more about these teams than just what happened in the games they played. The major emphasis of the book is, of course, on Larry Bird and Earvin Johnson, but in the book we learn about the other players and also the two coaches, Judd Heathcote and Bill Hodges. The book also covers Bird and Johnson’s high school basketball seasons, and does a good job of comparing and contrasting the two players, both on and off the court. This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in college basketball or anyone who wants to know more about two all-time great pro basketball players before they were pros.