Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Caroline Darney

A March Madness graphic mixing Star Wars and ancient Rome led to so many jokes

March madness (Topic) Rome Glendale Hunter Dickinson Phoenix Basketball Colosseum (Facility)

It’s the first day of the 2023-24 men’s and women’s college basketball seasons and storylines abound: Can LSU women and UConn men repeat? Will transfers like Hunter Dickinson (Michigan to Kansas) and Max Abmas (Oral Roberts to Texas) lead their teams to victory? How will the new head coaches at major programs fare this year?

MORE: 6 women’s basketball transfers we’re excited about this season, from Te-Hina Paopao to Celeste Taylor

To celebrate the men’s season getting underway, the NCAA March Madness account collaborated with Bleacher Report — the same site responsible for the iconic Team USA graphic following the 2019 Women’s World Cup win — for another picture.

Not only is the Final Four in Glendale, which is decidedly not Phoenix, why are players and mascots riding on Star Wars speeders to [checks notes] the Roman Colosseum? The question here is about whether the graphic is meant to have us all confused deliberately.

Unsurprisingly, college basketball fans had questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Research Says Your Airfryer May Be Recording Your Conversations And Sending Data To China—Do You Have One?
Air fryers, once a kitchen darling, are now under scrutiny. Recent reports suggest these popular appliances may listen to users and send data to China.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Dave Grohl 'no longer working with divorce attorney' after fathering secret child
Foo Fighters frontman hoping to reconcile with wife Jordyn Blum after admitting fathering a child with another woman
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Taylor Swift shares ‘extremely important’ reminder for US election
Pop star endorsed Kamala Harris after watching her presidential debate against Donald Trump in September
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
The 27 Club isn’t true, but it is real − a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality
There’s a certain allure to the notion that some of the world’s brightest stars burn out at the age of 27. The so-called 27 Club has captivated the public imagination for half a century. Its members include legendary musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse.…
The Conversation
The Conversation
Quincy Jones’s music was the soundtrack to so many Black lives – and something we could be proud of
There will be countless tributes to the revered producer, but for me he evokes happy days growing up and the chaos of family parties, says music industry employee Michelle Kambasha
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Dick Van Dyke makes rare social media appearance to endorse US Presidential candidate
'Mary Poppins' star Dick Van Dyke, 98, has made a rare social media appearance to pledge his support to Kamala Harris in the US Presidential race, and he did so by reciting a speech he delivered alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at a 1964 civil rights event.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play