2006/03/17

If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them...And Then Beat Them

March Madness. It has been a seasonal guest in our home since we were married. The men in my family don't really get into basketball, so I never knew such a thing as March Madness existed until that first March when I learned that I would, indeed, have no control over the remote for an entire month every year of our married lives. I never knew much about March Madness except that it meant tons of college basketball games that would eventually lead to a final 4, final 2, and finally the winner. This year will be different. I decided that this year I would join Jason in the madness. We filled out tournament brackets over dinner at Red Brick Station. He enjoyed explaining to me what the little numbers meant next to the teams. I picked my teams with a little combination of statistics, loyalty, and heart. It took me five minutes. Well, guess what? Thanks to my loyalty to Dad's many alma maters I chose well. Texas A&M, LSU, and George Washington University all won. A special thanks to my Tennessee connection. And another thanks for whoever named a school Gonzaga (chosen for how it sounds). So far I am beating Jason's picks: he chose 9 winning teams. I chose 12.

10 comments:

Danielle said...

Way to go, girl! Josh pays almost no attention to basketball, which is weird because my family are Terps fans all the way. He's a soccer boy, although he doesn't watch it. I guess the only sport he really watches is football.

Briana Almengor said...

Hysterical! He must be either very proud of you or seething that such a novice would be doing so well! :)

Anonymous said...

WOW! You are 12 for 12? Bet Jason is lovin' that.

The Tennessee game nearly killed me. Can't believe they pulled it out.

btw, you're beating me too. I picked 11 right on day one.

Laurie said...

Rich, I think I am saying it wrong. I have 12 guesses right out of the entire first round (so far)...in other words, some teams I put down as winning did lose. I don't really know what I'm talking about! Surprise! All I know is I picked more winners out of the first night of the first round than Jason did. Make sense?

Libby said...

Laurie, when I lived at home, my dad and I would each fill out our brackets. I ALWAYS chose Gonzaga, for no reason other than its name! Did you see Encino Man?!

Miguel, thankfully doesn't like basketball. All it means for us is no Survivor or CSI for the next few weeks!

Zoanna said...

Laurie, I don't know what to say. You have made me proud. Not that I care who wins, as long as we women show up the men once in a while on their turf. It just feels good to rub it in, even though you have no better reason to pick one over another except for the name. It's how we pick lipstick colors, after all.

Sarah said...

As much as I love sports- playing and watching, I've never gotten into filling out brackets. However, I'm sure I'd pick them the same way you (and Mrs. Mahaney!) pick. I wanted Seattle to win the Super Bowl mostly because of the pretty color of their uniforms.

Congrats on your bracket and good luck with the rest of the rounds.

Laurie said...

Libby, I didn't see encino man. Is there a connection to Gonzaga?

Bri, when I informed him about my victory, he laughed...no anger, yet...He knows as well as I do that I have no real chance of winning the overall game.

Danielle and Libby, what's it like?

Zoanna, thanks for the cheers!

Zoanna said...

Laurie, what's it like to feel the remote the other 11 months of the year. I wouldn't know. All I know is that the remote is always warm (unless it's missing) but has few traces of my DNA on it.

Libby said...

Laurie, in Encino Man, Brenden Fraiser lovingly refers to the female apendages as "gonzagas." It's quite funny.

I must say, it's been a nice break to have a husband who does NOT enjoy basketball. My father trained me well in the sports realm, and therefore would probably be ashamed that I am not planning to watch a single game this March! shhh, don't tell!