Filling out my bracket
19 March 2010
Yes, I’m talking about college basketball today. I’m probably just as shocked as you are.
Here’s the thing. Until we moved to Kansas City, I’d never watched a single college basketball game in my life. But my first teacher, who I adored, was a KU fan and it was basketball season (the sport KU excels at) and so I became a Jayhawk. I had a shirt and matching earrings. I don’t remember actually watching games, but I do remember knowing when they got knocked out of the tournament prematurely when I was in 8th grade.
And then I started dating Ben, who’s a K-State fan. I resisted for a while, but now that we’ve been together for almost 13 years, I own a couple K-State shirts and two K-State sweatshirts. No KU stuff. (I seriously think me pulling on a KU t-shirt would be a deal breaker.)
Ben’s family is really into sports, and while I tend to read or do something else during the games, I’ve made the effort to learn a few things so that I can converse intelligently with my husband. Same as Ben could tell you lots of details about Gilmore Girls, Sarah Dessen, Rachael Ray, the publishing industry, and a variety of other subjects that fascinate me.
The only thing I genuinely enjoy about college basketball season is filling out my bracket for the tournament. And this year it was extra fun because KU is a 1 seed and K-State a 2, so I have two teams to root for. It usually takes me about 10 minutes to fill out my bracket, and I’m amazed by how stressful those minutes often feel. Not so much in the first round, but as I inch closer to the Final Four, my pen definitely slows. (Or this year it was my mouse, since I did everything on-line.)
I’d really like the championship game to be between K-State and West Virginia (for those who don’t get that, in short, the coach at K-State left after a single season to go to WVU. It worked out for the best, in my opinion, but I can really hold a sports grudge. Don’t get me started on Johnny Damon. Boo…) Instead I chose KU and WVU to be in the championship game. How WVU snuck in there, I’m really not sure, but I anticipate KU crushing them if it comes down to it, so I’m not too worried.
Wow. I can’t believe I really had 400 words to say about college basketball. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Mine will be spent with the tournament on in the background, but hopefully with my brain preoccupied with Scott Westerfield’s The Uglies. (Yes, I’m just now getting around to reading that book – deal with it.)
Comments
Lol, Erica. I thought to myself, “If only one person comments, it’ll be Erica.”
And how funny that Roy left for the same reason Huggins did. It was “their” team. (Right? Wasn’t Roy a Tarheel?)
I have the exact same thing you do – KU/KSU matchup in Final 4, but KU stomping WVU in the finals. Though if K-State finally managed a victory over KU, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings :)
Posted by Stephanie on 19 March 2010
Tell Ben I said Rock Chalk Jayhawk! ;-)
Posted by Kelli on 19 March 2010
I’ll wait until after the party, or Ben may not want to come :)
Posted by Stephanie on 19 March 2010
My brackets took a real beating yesterday. I was only right about half the time. Blah.
I feel about North Carolina the way you feel about WVU. Roy Williams left us for THAT TEAM! Though I really like Bill Self. :)
I am a Jayhawk fan from way back…awkward since my brother wound up going to KSU.
I have KU beating KSU in the semis and KU stomping WVU in the finals.
Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk, KU!!!
Posted by Erica Vetsch on 19 March 2010