March Madness Profile #1: Gus Johnson

It's time to start profiling some of the essential participants that make the NCAA Tournament so rich from year to year. I do not give a rat's posterior that I'm completely piggy-backing off of ESPN's Bill Simmons, not to mention multiple fan sites and message boards, in devoting this first profile to the one, the only, Gus Johnson. Best known as a play-by-play announcer for CBS during March Madness, Johnson is loved for his enthusiasm, energy, and the potential that his head may actually explode during a particularly exciting three-on-two break. Johnson's calls of particular games are becoming legendary, and if anyone in recent memory was made for the youtube generation, Gus would be that man. One of his most passionate and insane calls was during the epic UCLA vs. Gonzaga sweet-sixteen matchup in 2006. Adam Morrison would never really be the same. Johnson has that unique ability (much like Gary Thorne with hockey) to increase his energy and intensity to the level that the crowd and the game itself dictates. His insanity is infectious, which seems completely appropriate for March Madness. It's not just a bunch of Generation X punks and pop-culture oriented sports writers who like Gus, crabby and getting older by the minute Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette even enjoys what Johson brings to the table that is college basketball broadcasting. Johnson can make a game against Butler and Pepperdine seem not only important, but ESSENTIAL...and within the landscape of the NCAA Tournament, the game most certainly is essential. Every game counts. The tournament is single-elimination, there is no tomorrow, it's win or go home. Gus captures this vibe with the urgency in his voice and the...madness...in his tone. (See what I did there?) I'm a sentimental bitch at heart and I have a hard time letting things go. To me, Sports Center should always be hosted by a combination of Dan Patrick, Keith Olberman, Charlie Steiner, Linda Cohn, & Rich Eisen. Monday night football should always be led by Frank and Al and Dan (even if they, as a group, sucked) because that's who broadcasted the games while I was growing up. Baseball Tonight will never be the same without Karl Ravech, Harold Reynolds, and Peter Gammons. My point is that things easily get romanticised as we get older. Whether things are really better or really worse, we'll always have a tendency to remember them being much better, even ideal, in the past. We're lucky enough right now to be living with something that is ideal. Gus Johnson and March Madness go hand in hand. I know that I can count on hearing Gus Johnson calling NCAA Tournament games next month and that is very comforting. I wouldn't have it any other way. Some day, CBS will get very stupid or Gus Johnson will just get too old and I'll have to tell my kids (God willing) about the legend that was Gus Johnson announcing games in the Tournament. We're lucky enough to enjoy him now, and his presence next month is as guaranteed as the fact that I'll be filling out at least 20 brackets. (I can't help but push more clips of Gus, so here is a highlight reel from last year's Tourney)