From the March 15, 2015, Chicago Tribune "Chicago Sports Flashback: Phrase's popularity truly poetic justice" by Tim Bannon.
Tim Bannon seems to get any history sports articles in the Tribune. he also did the recent one on Cubs and Sox Spring Training in French Lick, Indiana.
"For more than 40 years, 'March Madness' was confined to Illinois. The state's high school basketball tournament started in 1908 (Peoria Rock Island 48-29 for the title) and continued for three decades without a catchphrase.
"Then in 1939, Henry V. Porter, an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) official, wrote an article for the IHSA magazine. It was titled 'March Madness.'
"'A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel,' he wrote.
"Three years later, he punctuated his poem with a poem, 'Basketball Ides of March,' which included these lines: 'The Madness of March is running. The winged feet fl, the ball sails high. And field goal hunters are gunning.'"
So. That's the Guy. Sorry NCAA. --Cooter
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