It’s Madness I Tell You, Madness!
Something is in the air, literally and figuratively speaking.
I think I first noticed it on Tuesday night when I attempted to dine al fresco with the Dear Husband (DH) on our back patio. I had earlier taken Bentley and Barkley (our two dachshunds) on a walk where they tried to eat worms off every single driveway and I couldn’t keep them on the sidewalk to save my life. With my brow glistening a little bit from being pulled in every which way, and my pullover starting to really bring the heat, I thought it warm enough to enjoy the rest of my evening outside. That’s where my excellent idea originated to clean off the patio furniture and fake a BBQ.
I mixed up some salad, got my baked potato baking, and brought out the Panko mix for a light dusting on some chicken to sauté in a little bit of EVOO. I wasn’t going to attempt using the grill. I know how many inches of snow it was sitting under a few weeks ago and I did not want to burn my eyebrows off attempting to adjust the propane tank. Marcus got home; I had a big grin on my face, and announced that we would be dining outside on the patio. All he would need was a little jacket.
We served up the food, poured lemonade for good spring measure, and headed out. We sat down and as I cut into the tender chicken I think I noticed some steam coming up from the delicious potato. A little too much steam. I then realized: I was cold. And he said he was too. We promptly picked up our dishes and walked inside to eat in front of the TV!! Sometimes those elevated feelings about the weather and life, MIGHT BE a little misleading.
The same is true about who you’ve picked for your NCAA tourney bracket. We spend a week or so with our office mates talking each other’s teams up and down the floors we hope they clean each other up on. Our passion comes out and we get fired up about upsets and potential scenarios where a buzzer beater will lock up our slightly-questionable 10 seed pick for the second round and maybe even third. We know full well that our passion and elevated feelings might not turn into a Big Dance reality. But we just ignore it because… it’s risky and heady to live in the moment!
Looking at me, you would rightly assume that I am not a savant about college hoops. I did grow up in Illini country, went to a Big 12 School, and the DH is a lover of all things Sports. While it hasn’t led to a strong desire to watch every game pre-March Madness, it has led to a healthy observance of ESPN on a nearly daily basis. You probably wouldn’t assume that either. But that ESPN exposure attaches information to my brain through osmosis I believe and it does get me into the spirit of a good office challenge. That’s a good thing because at NBC 4, the game is on!
It started Monday, I think. My co-anchor, Mike Jackson, had already changed his bracket about 10 times since the night before when Selection Sunday speculation turned into confirmation. (Okay it was more like 3.) And I think it was some time on Monday that the smack starting flying inside the walls of NBC 4. Bob Nunnally is not a basketball expert either, but tells me he is ready to go across the road, order some wings and watch the first games. The Employee Committee amped things up with a little bracket contest, good for morale and good for about a hundred emails flying back and forth between basketball fans and people who like to get fired up about nearly anything! We’ve received an email from “Duke’s head coach” in this constant barrage of online banter… could nearly hear the West Virginia cheer coming from our PC screens… and had to deal with the sticky, syrupy love from a KU fan. Needless to say, my bracket team name is “AnyoneButKU.” Any self-respectingl Mizzou grad like myself must go with something as poignant as that.
I don’t know if you like basketball or not, but it’s definitely the time of year when anyone can be a fan and anyone can win. You can even play alongside the rest of us. Just go here on our website: http://nbc4i.collegebasketball.upickem.net/collegebasketball/registration/login.asp. AND you can still play in our Pick Em even though the tournament started today.
But hurry up!
Time is a wastin’ if you want to talk trash you need to get a bracket filled out. Go big or go home!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments
Really nice piece of reading. Keep posting them!
Posted by Trouser Jeans on 04/22 at 02:20 PM-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m an NCAA sports junkie. During the fall, my Saturdays are spent watching college football from noon till night. When the season changes, my attention is turned fully to college hoops. I simply cannot get enough, and I like it.
Every year, when the NCAA announces the tournament field live on CBS, I sit enraptured by myspace html codes the reveal of all 65 team names. It’s a testament to my devotion…and maybe a little sad as well.
Anyhow, without any further ado, I present my bracket (in text form) for the 2010 tournament. Remember, this is for informational purposes only…no wagering!
Posted by john-smith on 05/07 at 06:58 AM-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 1 of 1 pagesPlease post any comments below. Comments are currently moderated for users who are not registered members of the site. Registration is free. Click Here! to register and start posting comments in real time!
Next entry: A Surreal Moment In Time
Previous entry: Too Taboo To Talk About?
