Alister MacLusky | WORK & PLAY EDITOR

March Madness. Every year since 1939, the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Champ-ionship has rolled around with the spring.

With it comes billions of dollars in gambling, advertising and lost productivity, in addition to around the clock television coverage.

A literal madness grips the entire United States, as every detail, tidbit and morsel of analysis both pre and post-game is gobbled up voraciously by the public.

Every Tom, Dick and Harriet pores endlessly over his or her pools as if their lives depended on the results.
Maybe this mania, this madness is understandable in the U.S.

The NCAA is a phenomenon in a country that obsesses over their college sports, even glorifies them, and deifies their best players as if they were pro.

Much less explicable is the fact the craze extends north of the border as well.

Major Canadian networks cover the games, and many Canadians, myself included, get almost as deep into their playoff trees as Americans do.

Meanwhile, Canadian university and college sports go largely unnoticed.

Why is this? There are just as many compelling storylines, underdog triumphs and storied dynasties in Can-adian sport.

Is it a case of following the money?

Simply be-cause the NCAA has all the money, just because it’s on TV, do we have to watch it?

Canadian fans should raise their voices and demand more coverage of our own sports, of our outstanding young players and our unheralded schools.

Now there is something we should really get mad about.