March is quite possibly the best month of the year. Yeah, July has its place, and January is bright and shiny and new. It’s true that December brings holiday cheer, and October permeates as much pumpkin spice as anyone could ever hope for. There’s just something about March, though. It’s pure madness.
I’m not talking about pints of Guinness or Jamo shots or the warming weather or even the longer days. I’m talking about the kind of chaos that can only be found in the NCAA basketball tournaments known as March Madness.
As the tournament creeps closer and the brackets are built, every college basketball fan’s time of year is nearly here. Every buzzer-beater is etched into the history books, Cinderella runs capture hearts, blue bloods fall, and you’re in the heart of it all, relishing your one shining moment as you polish off a pint.
You need your brain power for filling out your brackets. So we did our homework. Here’s where you should go based on who you’re rooting for. March Madness is back, and we are matching your basketball personality with the ultimate watch-party bar.
Let’s dance.
Blue Bloods
You love them, or you don’t. As a fan, you’re steady, tried-and-true, and you deliver just about every time. You know the tournament’s history like the back of your hand, and you have a system for filling out brackets that pays off like clockwork every year.
Backed by history, tradition matters in these bars. They’ll stand the test of time, and they pay off with a winning experience just about every time. The watch party is bold and confident. Big screens, probably more than one. A full snack lineup. They have been here before, and they celebrate deep runs like it is routine. Excellence is the expectation. You’re here to win, after all.
Contenders
Storied tradition who? You’re the young upstart looking to topple well-trodden narratives and blaze your own path to glory. They say the tournament is a marathon, not a sprint. Well, you’re living, breathing proof that you can do both.
Your NCAA Tournament hideaway is steady and locked in, with your eyes on the prize. You are invested from tip-off to buzzer-beater and still cheering on the final Monday night, even if your bracket didn’t survive the first weekend.
Dark Horses
You fly under the radar, and no one sees you coming. Your friends doubt your bracket, but as the tourney rolls along, there’s a quiet appreciation that you knew exactly what you were doing. Maybe there’s a method to your madness, maybe you did your research, maybe you’re a relentless college hoops fan. However you did it, you’re here now, and you’re steadily rising on the leader board.
You catch the games somewhere intentional, with plenty of screens, but with upscale creature comforts and tons of options. These are the places that have a quiet confidence to them. They know they’re elite sports bars, but they don’t need to shout it from the rooftops.
Bracket Busters
You absolutely live for the upset. You make a bracket to root against it, and laugh at experts’ opinions, knowing that the tourney has a mid-major upset with major major implications. And when the number one seed goes down, it feels like Christmas morning.
Your watch party is about as passionate as it gets. It’s bold, it thrives on intensity, and trash talk isn’t totally off the menu for the right opponent. You pull up a barstool with the sole purpose of watching the chaos unfold, and you can even appreciate it when it’s happening to your team.
Cinderellas
Would it be March Madness without a Cinderella making a run, joyously busting everyone’s brackets along the way? They might be the easiest team to root for. Cinderellas are for those who thrive on the element of surprise. You’re the one who picked the 13 over the 4 seed before it was trendy and won’t let anyone forget it because You. Know. Ball.
Your watch party is all about character over flash. It’s heart over history, and these bars leave you feeling like you’re a part of something special every time.
So, which one are you this March? The dreamer? The dynasty? The sleeper? The spoiler? Or the steady favorite?
However you show up, the magic is the same. One tournament. Dozens of storylines. And a living room full of believers. Find your sports bar, book your stay and play in Milwaukee this March.
