the Big Dance versus pretty much everything else

Here we go!

The NCAA tournament field of 65 was announced hours ago. Yes, USC is in, with a number 6 seed (we were expecting a 7 seed, but probably for the better). First round match up is versus Kansas State and another spectacular freshman, Michael Beasley. Mayo vs Beasley. Omaha, Nebraska. Midwest Conference. Also containing Georgetown and Kansas, who we almost beat pre-season. UCLA got a number 1 seed in the West. The Pac-10 got six out of the seven projected bids - UCLA, Stanford, WSU, USC, Arizona, Oregon - with Arizona State probably being left out because of one little Cinderella - Georgia, the team that only won four conference games, only to come back and win its tournament

Speaking of underdogs, we have Winthrop. Xavier. GEORGIA. And yes, George Mason

It is estimated that every year approximately nineteen billion dollars in productivity are lost as a result of the NCAA Final Four. Betting pools, water cooler talks, the works

I love it

I've been following all of ESPN's so-called "Championship Week," where all the conference tournaments were featured. Talk about Georgia. Talk about Hanesborough (and why UNC is the team to beat for the tourney). And of course, talk about USC. I haven't even started thinking about what to set for my pools yet. Tonight I'll be placing a preliminary table out, and then snipping and editing along the way until Wednesday, when it'll be sealed and fated for victory

I'll pretty much be thinking March Madness this entire time