Thoughts on Watching March Madness

My bracket was busted immediately; I had Kentucky going all the way to the Final Four.  When they lost in the first round, I took it as the second sign that this was not going to be my year.  The first was when Big Cuter texted me that neither of his parental units had visible entries in our annual family pool, even though we certainly submitted them on time.  

It's the dybbuk doing the dirty work.

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Once I decided not to care, I began it enjoy it a lot more.  I had minor rooting interests in the teams remaining in my brackets, but mostly I could continue to watch the athleticism without living and dying at every play.

Indiana lost early, but Notre Dame kept on winning.  That was unlikely and delightful for the starters, but I enjoyed the shirts on the boys on the sidelines, all of whom were wearing this: 

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Big Cuter has a long standing pool with friends throughout the years.  Knowledge of basketball is not a requirement for participation.  This makes for lively chatter on the message thread.  I thoroughly enjoyed the young woman who, upon growing tired of picking all the animal mascots to advance round by round, was searching for another theme.

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There is a lot of basketball to be watched.  Full days can be consumed by it.  

This is not necessarily a bad thing.

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The graphics supervisor for one of the stations broadcasting the first round opted to work from Indianapolis, where his nephew was starting for St. Peter's, a 15 (out of 16) seed Jersey City school scheduled to play #2 Kentucky. He thought it would be nice to see the kid play in person.  

That's the St. Peter's team which put Kentucky out in the first round, and sent Murray State home in the second game that weekend.  His nephew was the star. 

So far, that's my favorite feel good moment of the tournament.

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Now it's time to cheer on my Arizona Wildcats, seeded #1, but, like The Bride's Kansas Jayhawks, seem bound and determined to try to stop my heart 1000 times a game.  

They need me.  I must go.