Not Showing You The Money

So the NCAA basketball tournament began this weekend. This has been celebrated as personal holiday for me the past six or seven years. Before that, I didn't care if they played with a butcher knife instead of a basketball, because I didn't care about basketball in general. Then one day, a nice coworker or two convinced me that I should give him $20 and I should pick winners for each game throughout the tournament. "But I don't know anything about College Basketball" I said to the nice coworkers. "You'll probably win, then" said the nice men. Ok, I'll do it. So I went into the bathroom of the 60 room and filled out my bracket. I didn't win, but if my memory serves me correct, I almost did. Well, what's the best way to hook a gambler? Let them taste victory, even if it's not really a victory. Let them get close. Let them get excited about what would happen if team A beats Team B and also if Team R loses, you are a big winner, my friend. Well Team B wins and Team R wins and you're sitting there out $20, but you got caught up in the frenzy and feel like it was totally worth it. Hooked for life on the NCAA mens basketball tournament.

Then one day, they up the ante to $50. Still worth it, even if you can't really afford that. That's gas money, my friend. But you pay anyway. And you know what? The prospect of winning that huge pot makes the whole thing even more intense! Then you lose two final four teams in the second round, and you can only be an outside observer, hoping for a miracle/chaos down the stretch. That doesn't happen, and now you're out $50...but it's always worth it.

Then one day, you move half way across the country. You know the tournament is coming up, so you contact the dude that used to run it when you were back home. He says you are free to play if you pay up.

Then you buy a new car. So you shouldn't put money you don't have on the NCAA tournament. So instead, you still fill out a bracket, even with nothing riding on it expect the knowledge that you were smart and picked the games correctly. Then Vanderbilt loses, Notre Dame loses, Georgetown loses...now you don't even have pride to ride anymore.

In case you were confused, I was talking about me the whole time, and I'm not sure why I started talking about "you." These incidents really happened to me. So my interest in this years NCAA tournament is mediocre, luke-warm, and muted. I have interest, because these are always good games and fun to watch even if nothing is riding on the outcome. That's just what happens when you start watching a sport with a vested interest in the result. You start to care, even when you don't have to.