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When it comes to filling out an NCAA basketball tournament bracket, I have but one thought: Oh, brother! And not because of a lack of college basketball knowledge. Well, not merely because of a lack of college basketball knowledge.
Loop Rock Girl Shannon Ihrke is ready for some basketball.
When I think of filling out a bracket (and actually having a chance of winning some money — other than for having the worst entry), I do think: Oh, brother! As in my brother Rob, who died in December.
As far as basketball skills go (or went), I like to think mine were better than my brother’s — even if he could shoot free throws better than I could. Of course, he also was vastly superior in tennis, among other pursuits. While I might have been spending more time on a basketball court than he did, he likely was studying economics and such subjects that made him a successful stock broker in St. Louis.
I became a mere sports writer. Which meant I should have been able to be more proficient at predicting who would win NCAA tournament games. But, of course, that was not the case.
I will assume the analytical skills that enabled him to make money for his clients also enabled him to pick basketball winners. He was so good that he won his office pool — or finished close to the top — on several occasions. If memory serves, his daughter also did well in her office brackets.
This might be the last time I had the upper hand on my brother Rob.
Whatever the secret to his success was, I do not know. I’m sure I asked him about it. And he probably explained it. But whatever lesson there was seems to have been lost on me. And now, without him to ask for guidance, I feel lost. Obviously for more than basketball brackets. But the tournament, too.
And so, as I generally do, I will not enter any of these NCAA tournament contests. Yes, I am passing up Warren Buffet’s proposition to win a billion dollars by picking every winner. Then again, when I was a columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, I went up against a monkey and was lucky to escape with a tie. So picking a perfect bracket would seem beyond unlikely.
With no bracket selections, I can sit back and watch games for the sheer enjoyment (revolutionary concept, I realize) without any financial stake whatsoever. I can switch rooting for or against a team whenever I want — even during the course of a contest.
Of course, as I watch the games, I will be wondering which team Rob might have chosen in his bracket. And I will think about so much more.
It will be March Madness tinged with sadness. But there also will be a moment, possibly moments, when the thought of my brother winning NCAA office pools surfaces through any tears. And that thought will make me smile — at least for a little while.
If today is Thursday (which the statistical-analysis department at ElliottHarris.com believes it is, based on the fact that yesterday was Wednesday — provided that today is March 20, 2014, or a subsequent Thursday), then it is time for another edition of “Sports & Torts” with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris at noon Central time on Talkzone.com. The March 20 program features 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy, the former Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders punter. For those unable to tune in (and/or for those who might want to enjoy an encore performance), the show will be available later in the day Thursday on the Talkzone.com web site.
For President Barack Obama’s NCAA bracket, you can click here.
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