Selection Sunday

A few years ago I noticed some coworkers talking about their “brackets.” I didn’t think they were that into hardware so I inquired. They told me about the NCAA basketball tournament. I was clueless because I mostly watched football growing up and didn’t go to college at a big “sports” school. My coworkers kindly gave me my own bracket to fill out. I was completely intimidated and just went by the little numbers in front of the team name. I don’t remember how I did that year. There was no money involved anyway; it was just for fun.
Fast forward to the present and I’m anxiously awaiting Selection Sunday! I went on the NCAA’s website to find out more about it and that started me thinking about the tournament. I did a little research (though not on NCAA’s page; I could find little information on the history of the tournament there and got very frustrated) onArticlesbase.com and Collegehoopsnet.com.
The NCAA tournament began in 1939 with 8 teams. They first began seeding the teams in 1979 (I’m thankful that they did. I’d be lost without those numbers!) when the tournament expanded to 40 teams. Today’s 65-team format began in 2001. There has been talk of expanding the tournament to 96 teams.
I don’t know about you, but in March I carry my bracket around with me practically everywhere. Last year, I was at my cousin’s house for Easter dinner. We were all having a nice time getting caught up. When someone turned the TV on and switched it to ESPN, my cousin took out his bracket. Then my other cousin and my cousin’s daughter’s boyfriend and finally myself had brackets in hand! We were all watching the scores to find out how we were doing. I don’t think 96 teams would fit on one piece of paper! Of course, they have online brackets now (I filled one out for the first time last year) but it just won’t be same!
I depend on the seeds, but after the first few rounds I can’t pick based solely on the seeding. I have a very scientific and knowledgeable way of choosing in close situations:

1. Do I know the team’s name (like Tar Heels or Orangemen)
2. Is the school in close proximity to somewhere I like to visit (like Boston or Chicago)
3. Is the school in close proximity to somewhere I have relatives

Of course this didn’t help much in 2008 with the 8 verses 9 round. I picked two 8s and two 9s and I got every game wrong! So my solution in 2009 was to pick all 8’s. This would have gotten me half right the year before, but this year only got me 1 right!
Last year I did quite well with my bracket (see Mad about March), but the year before, I got 3 of the final 4 but neither of the final 2! The point being that you never really know, but it’s fun to try. I can't wait to fill out my 2010 braket!
This year I’m rooting for Syracuse. Go Orangemen!

Mad about March

Obviously, March Madness is the first thing I think about this time of year. I always fill out a bracket. Last year, I picked North Carolina Tar Heels to win it all (as I had the year before) and they did! I don’t have high hope this year; what are the odds of a picking the winner again? I had to laugh when ESPN had coverage of President Obama filling out his bracket. When he made his selection of UNC to win it all (I had already filled out my bracket), he turned to the camera and said, “Now Tar Heels, I picked you last year and you let me down. Don’t let me down again.” If I had been followed around by cameras when I filled out my bracket, that’s exactly what I would have said!

Now that the winter holidays and the Olympics are over, some of my favorite television shows are coming back. 30 for 30 is a great series of documentaries on ESPN about different sports. Calling them “sports documentaries” doesn’t do them justice. I was near tears watching “The Band that Wouldn’t Die” which is about a group of dedicated fans as they dealt with the Colts moving out of Baltimore. I’m looking forward to new installments starting with “Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks” on March 14.
There will also be new episodes of Chuck (March 1) and Ugly Betty (March 10)!

Spring Training is officially underway and the first preseason game is March 3 with the Red Sox going up against Northeastern University and Boston College. The preseason games themselves aren’t terribly exciting since the results don’t count. But it is nice to hear about pitching rotations, starting lineups, and box scores again after a long winter without baseball!

March 21 is the Vernal Equinox which means the first day of spring. I don’t get too excited about this because where I live there will still be snow on the ground until the beginning of April. I have to laugh because every year in the middle of February I get my March issue of Martha Stewart Living in the mail. The March issue is the “Gardening Issue” but I won’t be doing any gardening for a least another two months!

The month of March seems heavily populated with birthdays. My father turns 59! There are also birthdays for my boss Kevin and my friend Mark and his son. My friends JOE_COOK and iChazzer even have the same birthday!
One of my favorite authors, Dr. Seuss (born Theodore Seuss Geisel in Springfield, MA) would be 106 on March 2.
All in all, March is going to be a good month! Plus, after March we get to April and we all know what that means: Go Red Sox!!!