It's the most wonderful time of the year

OK, so maybe it's not quite as wonderful as Christmas, but it's pretty close...I'm talking March Madness! I especially love the first weekend of the tournament when multiple games are happening at once, there are upsets galore by little no-name schools, you're sweating about how badly your bracket is blown up, etc. I really do think it's one of the greatest spectacles in sports, even if no one outside the US would get it.

I haven't filled out my bracket yet (actually, I haven't heard whether our friends are organising a pool this year...surely that tradition hasn't faded away, has it?). I'll probably have to go out of loyalty with either Duke (despite being perhaps the most hated team in the country) or UCLA, although I'm not sure either will actually win it all. I could support Gretchen and pick Wisconsin (or even Marquette or UW-Milwaukee to keep it in the state). I could go with a hometown pick and take San Diego State, even though we always looked down on SDSU (we were considered to be the real "academic" school, whereas they were better known for parties, attractive co-eds, sports...you know, all the things us geeks secretly wish we had). I could be sure not to pick the evil empire from North Carolina. All I know is that I'll probably have to change my picks 10 times between now and Thursday...