Going To State

As the state tournament approaches, the Wisconsin State Journal focuses on the meaning of the trip to Madison for the kids, and the impact on Madison itself:

Since 1920, heroic shots, tearful losses and stunning upsets have been part of the tournament. Regardless of the outcome, the memories of a trip to Madison hold strong....
High school March Madness is meaningful, no matter the decade. And through the years, the event has evolved into one of the state’s signature spectacles and traditions. It’s not as long or crowded as Summerfest or the State Fair, and the $7 million economic impact of the tournament last year was about a third of what World Dairy Expo brought to Madison last fall.
Deer hunting in November and cheering on the Brewers, Packers and Badgers may be more far-reaching, but there is an aura about teams with nicknames such as the Galloping Ghosts, Goslings and Generals traveling to the capital city to play in front of thousands on the Badgers’ home court.

'Merica!  I have to say, I love a place where a list of important things goes like this:

Summerfest
State Fair
World Dairy Expo
High School State Basketball Tournament
Deer hunting
Brewers, Packers and Badgers
Left unsaid because it is unnecessary: Farming, beer, bratwurst and cheese 

The main reason I highlighted this, though, is because it points out how significant the trip to the state tournament is to people in outlying areas, especially when the trip is to the state capital and/or the large land-grant state university.  Alter the description a little bit, put in Columbus or Indianapolis in place of Madison, and you get the same thing.  The kids who make that trip, and the friends and family who go to watch them, will remember it until old age turns their brains to mush.  This story does a good job of capturing that effect.