March Madness

Yes, it's a sports post.  I've tried to be clear;  I've put hints in parentheses.  

If you have no clue about any of it, you might take solace from this clip of Anderson Cooper.  

His incomprehension is magnificent.  He owns it, completely and totally.  We all have our blind spots.  I can appreciate it if you stop reading here and come back tomorrow.

But, I've been having some pithy thoughts that I'm happy to share with the rest of you, so, read on, if you care.

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My Arizona Wildcats lost in the first (of 6) rounds, on Thursday (the first day of the tournament weekend).  This is notable for many reasons, not the least of which is that I have them winning the whole damn thing.

Their performance was lackluster and frustrating.  They wielded those huge bodies like giant marshmallows.  I've never been 13 inches taller than another person my age, but I have to think I could prevent them from scoring at will. 

As I said, frustrating.  

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I could do a whole post, or at least a section right here, on NIL and foreign players, but why?  It's legalized bribery.  There's nothing else to say.

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I knew something, from a reliable source, that would have materially changed my picks. I felt guilty about trading on inside information, so I didn't act.  

The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous that seemed.  There are plenty of people who know something no one else know.  Why was I holding myself to a higher standard?  I was just doing what investigative journalists do; I was tracking down leads and speaking to informants.  

I spent a fair amount of time lamenting the what if's until the players themselves made everything moot.  

And, as they say, that's why they plan the game.

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By Sunday night, #15 Princeton had trounced #2 Arizona and  #16 Fairleigh Dickinson University sent #1 Kansas home (in what's being called the biggest upset ever).

I texted our favorite (Kansas) Jayhawk to extend our condolences.  Her reply was particularly apt: This tournament is madness.