# data[].attributes.body
WOTD #1647

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you a sports ? Whether you enjoy football, baseball, soccer, or one of the many other sports around the world, there are many chances each week to sit back and enjoy a game or two on television.

If you're a of basketball, in particular, there's a time of year that's extra special. It's that time when everywhere you turn, sports fanatics are talking about bubble teams, brackets, and buzzer beaters. What are we talking about? March Madness, of course!

March Madness refers to that time of year (usually mid-March through the beginning of April) when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's and women's college basketball tournaments are held.

Why is it madness? That somehow captures the excitement that swirls around the sports world as tournament time approaches. In the weeks leading up to the "Big Dance," as it is called, hundreds of college basketball teams from all over the United States fight to earn a in the tournament .

The NCAA college basketball tournament is a single- elimination tournament that features 68 teams to three weekends of games to be crowned the national champions. The field used to be 64 teams, but the NCAA has recently added four more teams that play "play in" games to earn a in the final field of 64.

Only 16 teams (the "Sweet Sixteen") make it past the first weekend. The second weekend narrows the field first to the "Elite Eight" and then the "Final Four. The final weekend focuses on the four semifinalists. The two semifinal victors move on to play in the national championship game.

Ohio State University coach Harold Olsen is usually credited with developing the idea for the tournament in 1939 with the help of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The 68 teams in the tournament include 32 teams that receive bids for winning their respective conferences. The remaining 36 teams are given at-large bids by the NCAA selection committee based upon their performance during the season.

Once the field is set, the teams are divided into four regions (usually spread geographically through the eastern, western, midwestern, and southern U.S.) and placed into a that lays out the a must take to reach the finals. Each is seeded or ranked within its region, from 1 to 16.

Higher-seeded teams generally play lower-seeded teams in the beginning. For example, in the first round, each seeded #1 plays the seeded #16. This trend continues until upsets begin to occur, at which time brackets can become hard to predict as unexpectedly-good teams (often called "Cinderella" teams) make a run in the tournament .

At tournament time each year, millions of people fill out their own brackets, attempting to predict the winners of all the games. There are usually enough upsets, however, that it's nearly impossible to predict a perfect . In fact, your chances of correctly guessing the winner of every game is less than 1 in 9.2 quintillion (or more precisely, 9,223,372,036,854,775,808)!

As multiple games are played simultaneously at sites all over the country, millions of sports fans follow the games on television over the course of the three-week tournament . To date, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) holds the record for the most national titles with 11.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you a sports ? Whether you enjoy football, baseball, soccer, or one of the many other sports around the world, there are many chances each week to sit back and enjoy a game or two on television. If you're a of basketball, in particular, there's a time of year that's extra special.

# data[].attributes.body
WOTD #166

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dr. James Naismith was a Canadian physical instructor who invented the game of basketball in 1891 while working at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Dr. Naismith had been challenged to a new game that could be played indoors in the cold Massachusetts winters to provide an " distraction " to a disruptive of students. With a two-week , Dr. Naismith decided to invent a game of skill, , and , rather than one that relied on pure .

He was inspired by a game he had played as a child called "duck on a rock," in which players a small rock at a "duck" placed on top of a large rock in an attempt to knock the "duck" off.

Using a soccer ball, two peach baskets placed 10 feet up in the air, nine players on each team, and a set of 13 basic rules, Dr. Naismith invented the game of "basket ball." The first game was played on December 21, 1891.

Initially, players could only advance the ball by passing it. Bouncing the ball along the floor - what we call "" today - did not become part of the game until later.

Players earned points by successfully tossing the soccer ball into the peach baskets. After each basket that was made, players had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball from the basket. Iron hoops with open-ended nets didn't come along until 1913!
Interesting basketball facts:

Dr. Naismith was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959. The Basketball Hall of Fame is now called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

The first college basketball game was played on January 18, 1896, when the University of Iowa hosted a game with the University of Chicago. The final score was: Chicago 15, Iowa 12.

U.S. patent #1,718,305 was granted to G.L. Pierce on June 25, 1929, for the first version of what we now recognize as the "basketball."

"March Madness" began in 1939, when the first NCAA tournament took place at the University of Illinois.

Basketball became an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dr. James Naismith was a Canadian physical instructor who invented the game of basketball in 1891 while working at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Naismith had been challenged to a new game that could be played indoors in the cold Massachusetts winters to provide an " distraction " to a disruptive of students.

# data[].attributes.body
WOTD #183

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A slam dunk is a basketball shot in which a player jumps through the air to force the ball downward through the with one or both hands over the . From time to time, though, you will hear people use the phrase "slam dunk" when they're not even talking about basketball.

Many people use "slam dunk" to describe something they consider a "sure thing." Your friend who just got a perfect score on her book report, for example, might tell you it was a "slam dunk."

So why has "slam dunk" come to mean something with a guaranteed ? It's probably because the slam dunk is one of the highest percentage shots in basketball.

Slam dunks are missed. That doesn't mean they're easy though!

Although it might look like slamming the basketball through the is really easy...or at least easier than shooting it through the from beyond the three-point line, it actually takes a lot to successfully the laws of and jam a basketball through the metal .

Most basketball hoops stand 10 feet above the ground. If you're six feet tall with an additional two feet of arm length, you're still at least two feet away from the .

A complex mixture of abilities - including running and jumping - are necessary to be able to take to the sky to stuff the ball through the .

The phrase "slam dunk" was first used by Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn. Before Hearn's catchphrase caught on, slam dunks were known simply as "dunk shots."

Still one of the most crowd-pleasing plays in basketball, slam dunks now take center stage each year during the National Basketball Association (NBA) Slam Dunk Contest, which is held during the annual NBA All-Star Weekend.

At one time, certain players could slam dunk the ball hard enough to the glass . To prevent injuries, rims and reinforced backboards were invented. Today, it would be very difficult to a with a slam dunk.

Plenty of slam dunks are on display when teams from colleges and universities around the country participate in the annual National Collegiate Association (NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament. Held each spring, the NCAA tournament features the best college basketball teams in the country competing for the title of National Champion.

NCAA tournament games are played mainly in March, giving the tournament its informal nickname " March Madness." Also known as the "Big Dance," the NCAA tournament has become a sporting event that attracts the nation's attention for several weeks.

Since 1939, many schools have held the title of National Champion. With 11 titles, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) holds the record for the most NCAA tournament championships. The University of Kentucky holds the second most titles (eight), while Indiana University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina are tied for third place with five national titles each.

Men aren't the only ones who can dunk a basketball, though! Georgeann Wells, a 6'7" junior playing for West Virginia University, was the first woman to slam dunk a ball in a women's college game on December 21, 1984.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A slam dunk is a basketball shot in which a player jumps through the air to force the ball downward through the with one or both hands over the . From time to time, though, you will hear people use the phrase "slam dunk" when they're not even talking about basketball.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Does a Basketball Court Turn Into a Hockey Rink? 

# data[].attributes.subject
How Does a Basketball Court Turn Into a Hockey Rink? 

# data[].attributes.body
WOTD #1634

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by lucas. lucas Wonders, " how do they change a basketball stadium to a ice rank " Thanks for WONDERing with us, lucas!

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? If you have and you're a sports fan, there's one place you may have had the chance to visit: the Staples Center. In addition to hosting concerts and all sorts of special events, the Staples Center is also home to three professional sports franchises: the Los Angeles Lakers basketball , the Los Angeles Clippers basketball , and the Los Angeles Kings ice hockey .

Back in May 2012, the Staples Center was an exciting place to be. All three teams made the playoffs, requiring the arena to host six games in just four days. The Staples Center had to change from a Kings ice hockey to a Lakers basketball to a Clippers basketball and back over the course of less than a week.

Thanks to the modern technology that exists in today's sports arenas, the crews that man the Staples Center were able to transition between basketball courts and ice hockey rinks quickly. In fact, these transitions occur all over the country, since many cities have arenas that host both professional basketball and ice hockey teams.

If you think it sounds like a lot of work to an ice hockey to a basketball and back again, you're right. Depending upon the technology used and the workforce , the transition can take dozens of workers as as 90 minutes or just a workers an entire day to complete.

If a had to create a new ice hockey for each , the process would be much more complicated . What many people don't realize, however, is that once an ice hockey is created at the start of the , it stays in place until the and playoffs are over.

The layer of ice on an ice hockey is only about an inch thick. However, it is created out of many tiny layers of ice to make sure the ice is strong and . It remains frozen throughout the thanks to a calcium-chloride (called brinewater) that is cooled and circulated in the layer of concrete that forms the base of the ice layer.

When it's time to an ice hockey to a basketball , the walls and glass panels around the are removed. Then large pieces of plywood are laid out over the top of the ice. Finally the basketball is pieced together like a puzzle on top of the plywood. The special plywood keeps the ice cool and the warm. After the , the process is reversed to get the arena ready for the next ice hockey .

So when the basketball players are out there slam dunking the basketball through the hoop, the they're running on still has the ice hockey beneath it. Don't worry about the basketball sliding on the ice, though. It's heavy enough to stay in place on its own. For example, the basketball the Denver Nuggets plays on consists of 285 pieces that weigh 186 pounds each, which adds up to a that weighs 26.5 tons!

The ice in an ice hockey is only removed when the regular and playoffs are finished. When it's time to get rid of the ice, the brinewater is warmed and circulated under the ice to begin the melting process. Once the ice has melted sufficiently, it is then broken up and carted off by front end loaders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Does a Basketball Court Change Into an Ice Hockey Rink?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by lucas. lucas Wonders, " how do they change a basketball stadium to a ice rank " Thanks for WONDERing with us, lucas! Have you ever been to Los Angeles? If you have and you're a sports fan, there's one place you may have had the chance to visit: the Staples Center.

# data[].attributes.body
WOTD #249

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you love sports? Some people love to play sports. It can be so much fun to lace up your and hit the pitch or . Or maybe you put on your suit and splash into the pool. Others might hit the to play volleyball or wrestle.

Other people might prefer to watch sports. All you have to do is check the local sports schedules or television listings on any particular night to see how many sporting events there are every single day of the week.

In addition to the players, coaches, and spectators, there is also a small group of people to the success of most sporting events. Who are we talking about? The referees, of course!

Referees can be found in all sorts of sports. You may be familiar with the famous black-and-white-striped uniforms that referees wear. But not all referees wear stripes. Others wear solid color shirts of various colors to games in basketball, hockey, baseball, , and all sorts of other sports.

Referees know the rules of the game and watch over game play closely to make sure the rules are followed. They start and end games, keep track of time, make sure players stay safe, and call fouls or hand out penalties when rules are violated.

Have you ever WONDERed how the referees get their jobs? The exact steps to become a vary depending upon the you want to and the place you live. Ask an adult for help researching the exact requirements to become a for your chosen in your area.

One thing all referees have in common is that they must be experts in the rules of the they oversee. If you want to be a , you'd better study the rules of the game and know them inside and out.

Most referees start small. Some to youth sporting events to get a taste of what it's like to be a . And don't worry if you've never played the . That experience might help, but it's not necessary. As long as you know the rules, are really observant, and can do the job, you can be a !

The next step is usually to become a . You'll likely have to take a class, pass a test, and pay a fee to get a license to in a particular . You may also have to buy special uniforms to wear during games.

As you get experience as a , you often can take additional classes and pass more tests to obtain higher licenses and certifications. For example, you might move from youth league games to high school or college games.

Professional sports leagues usually the best referees from the level below them. For example, if you excel as a at the college level, you may be able to become a for a professional league.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you love sports? Some people love to play sports. It can be so much fun to lace up your and hit the pitch or . Or maybe you put on your suit and splash into the pool. Others might hit the to play volleyball or wrestle.

# data[].attributes.body
WOTD #490

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On Super Bowl Sunday, the eyes of the world turn to their television sets to tune in the big game. No matter which team you're rooting for, there's one group of people on the field who can play a big part in how the game turns out. Who are they? The referees, of course!

A referee is a party who oversees a game and makes on-the-spot decisions about enforcement of the rules of the game. In addition to referee, such persons are often called by other terms in various sports, such as , , , or timekeeper .

The term referee got its start in soccer. Early on, two teams would simply nominate captains who would consult with each other if a arose. Over time, teams began to bring along a separate person - called an - just to oversee their games, so that captains could concentrate on playing the game.

Eventually, teams figured out that a third was needed to oversee games. This would be "referred to" if the teams' umpires couldn't come to an agreement regarding a .

This third became known as the referee, or the one to whom disputes were referred! The umpires eventually became what we today call linesmen or assistant referees.

In American football, the referee supervises the play of the game and has final over all on-field rulings. The referee has a team of up to six other officials who help him.

These other officials are also commonly called referees. However, they also have titles based upon their position and responsibilities, such as head , line , , back , side , and field .

Referees usually wear clothing that distinguishes them from the players to avoid on the playing field. For example, in soccer, referees often wear either solid black or bright colors (blue, yellow, green, or orange). In most North American sports, referees wear black and white stripes.

So how did the -like uniform come to be? Legend has it that the striped uniform was developed by Lloyd Olds, a high-school and college referee from Michigan.

As the story goes, he usually wore a solid white shirt. At a college football game in 1920, the visiting team also wore white. When their quarterback mistakenly handed off the football to Olds, he knew he had to come up with a different uniform.

Olds decided that wearing stripes would be the best way to avoid . He had a friend make him a black and white striped shirt, which he wore for the first time during the 1921 state basketball championships. Other referees saw his and started copying it. The rest, as they say, is history!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On Super Bowl Sunday, the eyes of the world turn to their television sets to tune in the big game. No matter which team you're rooting for, there's one group of people on the field who can play a big part in how the game turns out. Who are they?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
National Participation
There are 345 NCAA member institutions that sponsor Division I Women's Basketball teams and are eligible to compete in the National Championship. All 345 programs support approximately 7,000 Women's Basketball student-athletes across the country.

Selection Process
The 2018 Division I Women's Basketball championship provides for a field of 64 teams to compete in a single elimination tournament. Of the 64 teams, 32 teams will receive automatic qualification with the remaining best 32 teams selected on an at-large basis by the Division I Women's Basketball Championship Sport Committee.

Selection Show | Monday, March 12, 2018
The 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship bracket will be announced Monday, March 12 on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.

First & Second Rounds | March 16-19, 2018
First- and second-round competition for the 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship will be held on 16 non-predetermined campus sites. At each campus site, four teams will compete in single-elimination first-round competition. The two winning teams will then compete against each other in single-elimination second-round competition at the same campus site. The winning team from each of the 16 second-round games will advance to the regional rounds of play.

Regionals | March 23-26, 2018
Regionals for the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship will be held March 23-26 at four locations. At each site, four teams will compete in regional semifinal competition. The two winning teams will then compete against each other in the regional final competition at the same site. The winning team from each of the four regionals will advance to the 2018 Women's Final Four.

March 23, 25

Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, Noon ET

Kansas City, Mo.

March 23, 25

Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Sprint Center

Big 12 Conference and Kansas City Sports Commission

March 24, 26

Saturday, 11:30 a.m and 2 p.m. ET

Monday, 7 p.m. ET

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

March 24, 26

Saturday, 4 and 6:30 p.m. ET

Monday, 9 p.m. ET

Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena

National Championship | March 30 and April 1, 2018
The 2018 Women's Final Four will be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. National semifinals will be held on Friday, March 30 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. ET, with the national championship game taking place on Sunday, April 1 at 6 p.m. ET.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
National Participation There are 345 NCAA member institutions that sponsor Division I Women's Basketball teams and are eligible to compete in the National Championship. All 345 programs support approximately 7,000 Women's Basketball student-athletes across the country. Selection Process The 2018 Division I Women's Basketball championship provides for a field of 64 teams to compete in a single elimination tournament.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
March Madness is near...are you ready?

Now that the 2017-18 season is underway, it's time to look ahead to San Antonio.

Selection Sunday will take place on March 11 this year, when the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee reveals which 68 teams have made the field for that year's basketball championships. Check out everything you need to know about how the teams are selected here. Also, NCAA.com's Mike Lopresti busts 10 myths about the selection process that you may not have known.
RELATED: Who's in the NCAA tournament? (Jan. 15)
Since the tournament began in 1939, UCLA has the most titles with 11. Kentucky follows with eight national titles while North Carolina has six. You can check out the full tournament history here.

So who will take it this year? We will just have to wait and see. For now, relive last year's drama with One Shining Moment.

Here's the complete March Madness schedule for 2018:

Print the official March Madness bracket here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Now that the 2017-18 season is underway, it's time to look ahead to San Antonio. Selection Sunday will take place on March 11 this year, when the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee reveals which 68 teams have made the field for that year's basketball championships.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The official March Madness bracket for the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
See the NCAA DI Women's College Basketball and Women's Final Four bracket at NCAA.com