Okay, so, March Madness, right? Every year, I tell myself I’m not going to get sucked in, and every year, I’m hunched over a bracket, agonizing over every single pick. 2017 was no different. I remember it like it was yesterday.
First thing I did was print out a blank bracket. Yeah, I’m old school like that. I like to have it in my hands, feel the paper, you know? I grabbed a pen – a good one, not one of those cheap ones that skip – and started doing my “research.”
This “research” mostly consisted of skimming a couple of sports websites, listening to some sports talk radio while driving, and, let’s be honest, going with my gut. I never overthink it too much. Where’s the fun in that?
- Filled out the first round based on seeding, mostly. A few upsets here and there, because, hey, it’s March Madness.
- Got stuck on the second round. A couple of 8 vs. 9 seed matchups that were total coin flips.
- Remember agonizing over the Sweet Sixteen. I think I changed my mind about five times on one game.
I ended up picking a couple of surprising teams to make it far. I even had one in the championship game! At that point, I started to think, hey!, could I actually win my pool?
The Downfall
Well, it didn’t exactly finish that way. I started out strong, nailed a few of my first round picks, but then things started to fall apart. My Cinderella team? Lost in the second round. My Final Four? Only one team made it.
It was a rough couple of weeks, watching my bracket go down in flames. But, you know what? It was still fun. That’s the thing about March Madness, even when you lose, you’re still part of the excitement.
I definitely didn’t win any money, but I have good time, so I try it again next year, for sure!
