Let’s enjoy the Madness baby

Ah, the greatest time of the year is upon us. For those of you not in
the know, I’m talking about March Madness.

The greatest sporting spectacle in all the world. It started this past
weekend with ESPN’s Championship Week and culminates with the Final Four
in late March. If you are a basketball junkie (and I profess to be one
of the biggest) this month is a dream.

How can you beat it? On a nightly basis, America gets the chance to watch
one million basketball games featuring teams from all over the country.

Over the course of the next few weeks, fans will be introduced to such
obscure schools as Weber State and George Mason.

Students from these schools will flood the court after winning their
prospective conference tournaments, proclaiming themselves number one,
and calling for the opportunity to take on Duke in the NCAA tournament.
You’ve got to love the pageantry.

I’ve never really been into politics, but if by some freak accident I
was ever elected president, I would declare March Madness a national holiday.
If there were ever a reason to break out the egg nog and exchange holiday
cheer, it would have to be for basketball.

Think about it. To have an entire month devoted to college hoops. Even
if you don’t give a hoot about basketball, wouldn’t you like a month off
anyway?

Besides, employers and professors need to understand that no one can
go to work or class when you need to spend the entire day in front of
the television taking in all the games.

At least the leaders of our esteemed university have got their wits about
them and scheduled spring break around the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament
so no one has to miss any classes.

For this year at least, the Final Four should be declared the Duke Invitational.
Let’s be honest with ourselves people, Duke is cruising through one of
the toughest schedules in America.

Except for a fluke, last second loss to Cincinnati back in November,
the Blue Devils have an unblemished record. To crown the Dukies is inevitable.

Now that I’ve got that business out of the way, I’ve polished off my
crystal ball and will supply you with some very valuable information -
my Final Four picks. (Caution: Use these picks at your own risk).

·Duke: Like I mentioned before, the Blue Devils have way too much
talent to be beaten. When your 10th man is a McDonald’s All-American,
it’s pretty much academic.

·Michigan State: I make this pick despite being scoffed at by
my fellow workers every time I mention them as a Final Four team. The
way I look at it, State is nearly undefeated in arguably the best conference
in the country. (Sorry Gargaro) Plus, they play outstanding defense.

·St. John’s: I pick the Red Storm because they have given two
of the better teams in the country, Duke and UConn, a run for their money
before falling short. With Ron Artest, Bootsy Thornton and company, SJU
surely has enough talent to win four games.

·Utah: I guess you could say this is my sleeper pick of the four.
The Utes haven’t lost since December and feature the Player-of-the-Year
in Andre Miller. Miller almost single-handedly led the Utes to the title
last year, so why can’t he do it again?

With that said, let the Madness begin. Or should I say Merry Madness?