Raise your hand if March Madness means NCAA basketball rather than the desire to get out in the garden. For me it is both. Well, I don't actually watch the basketball games, but I like to participate in the annual tradition of choosing which teams will progress through their brackets and add a little friendly wager to sweeten the pot.
My first experience with March Madness was in graduate school. One of my fellow grad students asked if I wanted to join the pool and I asked what it was about. After a short explanation and a piece of paper of my own, I made my best guess who might win based on the ranking and the teams' season tally (and who rejected me for graduate school). For a person who does not follow collegiate basketball, I ended up in the top three and took home more cash than I put in. I have enjoyed playing every since.
While I only played once more in graduate school (and did not win the second time), my ears perk up when I hear people around me talk about NCAA pools and brackets. Last year was the first time in many years I entered a pool and while I did not win any money, I was one of five people still in the running to win it all at the final game.
This year, I am not so confident that winning is in my future unless other people's brackets are even more messed up than mine. However, with 51 other people playing in the pool, I doubt I will reach one of the top three positions that win money. However, it is only $5 to play and I view it as entertainment for two and a half weeks. Not much that can entertain me for that long and at that price. So I will keep crossing out my invalid picks in red and highlighting the ones that made it in green and see where my choices lead me.
Go Kansas State!
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