Jimmy Fallon has always been an avid March Madness fan – or better yet, an everything fan.
The late night host always seems to find ways to show his pure support and keen interest in high-profile events, and he does so in the most creative of ways. Whether it's predicting Super Bowl outcomes with puppies or performing one-man music videos for the 2022 Olympics’ debut of doubles luge, Fallon never lacks originality (and eccentricity).
The 2022 March Madness tournament will be no different.
Every year The Tonight Show chooses one NCAA college basketball team to do something fun and quirky with. This year Gonzaga is in the spotlight. “Sometimes we go underdogs, sometimes we don’t,” said Fallon. “Gonzaga is going to go all the way this year. We love Gonzaga.”
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Fallon plans on giving all Zags students his newly-designed “rowdy rags” to bring with them to all Gonzaga games. The “rowdy rags” are towels that have “Gonzaga” and “March Madness 2022” written on them, along with The Tonight Show logo in the form of a Bulldog.
So what is the comedian’s proposal? Fallon would like all Gonzaga students to stand, shake their rags and sing a Zags rendition of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” at maximum capacity. But not when Gonzaga scores, only when the game clock hits 11:35, which will be twice considering there are two halves. Why, you might ask? Well, the Tonight Show airs on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET.
“I need Gonzaga to know that we’re in this together,” said Fallon. “If that happens, that would just make my heart melt. I’d just be so in love with them.”
He asks for Zags fans to capture their antics on social media so that they can be featured on his show later in March.
It’s no surprise Fallon chose Gonzaga, considering his bracket has the Bulldogs clinching the title, beating out Kansas, Purdue and Tennessee in the Final Four.
Join Fallon and his fellow Bulldogs fans as they witness their team’s debut in the tournament. No. 1 Gonzaga will take on No. 16 Georgia State in the First Round on Thursday, March 17 at 4:15 p.m. ET.
