People took off from work (with or without permission), filled out brackets and plunked down money at casinos or on their phones as they ate, drank and cheered for their favorite teams while the NCAA March Madness college basketball championship tournament got fully underway Thursday.
For college basketball fans, this is Christmas morning, except that it lasts for weeks.
And its nationwide scope and broad fan interest make it the most heavily bet-on sporting event of the year, outpacing the single-game Super Bowl.
“Everybody’s got a shot,” said Ryan Brennan, of Linwood, who was watching the games with friends and relatives at Ocean Casino Resort.
