top of page
  • Black Facebook Icon
  • Black Instagram Icon
  • Black Twitter Icon
Search

Basketball, a video game, social media and a documentary?

  • Erik Rhyne
  • Mar 23, 2018
  • 2 min read

You had to know it would eventually happen. In 132 meetings prior, no 16-seed in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, had ever defeated a 1-seed. Unless you have lived under a rock in the past week, you know that changed on Friday, March 16.

That was when the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, demolished the University of Virginia, 74-54. It is a safe bet to think people will remember the small school in Maryland for what they did.

What came during, and after, will arguably more memorable.

During the game, Zack Seidel, the Director of Multimedia Communications at UMBC, handled the Twitter account gained 100,000 followers once the Retrievers began to take control of the first round game last week. Seidel's creativity made it necessary to keep eyes on the game, and Twitter feed (Yes, I follow them now).

From being ruthless to fans of other schools; where he hoped a Maryland enjoyed watching from his couch, to joking the IT guys can't watch the game because people crashed the UMBC website, Seidel kept up the intensity.

The account continued to battle fire back at people this weekend. After Kansas State University, the school that knocked UMBC out Sunday, defeated the University of Kentucky, Thursday, you knew it would happen.

UK fans tweeted to UMBC, how they wished the Wildcats faced them. In a continued fashion, Seidel fired back, "We only gave up 50 points to K. State".

For those unaware, KSU defeated UK, 61-58.

But, where does a video game fit into all of this? In the hours, and days, after UMBC's shocking victory over UVA, the public became aware of the basketball team's love of a video game called Fortnite.

According to publisher Epic Games, Fortnite is a "co-op sandbox survival game", which also incorporates multiplayer, titled "Battle Royale".

In this mode, players battle each other, tearing down equipment for materials to build walls and stairs to hide behind, and acquire higher ground on their opponents.

In a post game interview, one UMBC player Nolan Gerrity said, "It's like your first Fornite victory, honestly."

This set off a firestorm as notable celebrities, like Drake were found on the streaming platform Twitch.tv to play with notable streamers.

At the peak of the stream, 650,000 people were watching them play. This shattered the previous record of a non-tournament streamer by 300,000 viewers.

A historical upset, the mention of a video game sparks madness. What could possibly be next?

Maybe, a documentary. ESPN is known for their sport documentaries, "30 for 30". I saw, and heard, multiple discussions on if ESPN should do one of the upset by a little school in Baltimore, MD.

There would need to be an interesting title for it, but what?

The basketball team loves to play Fornite, and mentioned their enjoyment of the Battle Royale mode.

ESPN, you should do this documentary. I'll help!

Name it:

Victory Royale.

 
 
 
Featured Posts
Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
Follow Us
  • Facebook Basic Square
  • Twitter Basic Square
  • Google+ Basic Square
  • Grey Facebook Icon
  • Grey Twitter Icon
  • Grey Google+ Icon
  • Grey YouTube Icon
bottom of page