Going into the NCAA men's basketball tournament there were four trendy upset picks floating around places like the internet and television studios. Trendy meaning a quartet of scrappy mid major teams were pitted against power conference stalwarts who appeared highly seeded on reputation alone and were over rated.
There is, however, an inherent danger in opting for trendy teams in situations where money is involved. First, chances are you've never seen them play. Second, 99% of the time when they do play in the regular season it is against teams with names like, Loyola of Muskogee and Will Rogers State University.
Be that as it may you can be certain the first round games will be pock marked with upsets. Some will be mild and not totally unexpected. Others are so gut wrenchingly huge they make you want to tear up your bookie's phone number, head directly to the nearest protestant church, and proclaim yourself, Born Again.
First on this year's list was Belmont. Until I looked it up on the internet I didn't even know the school was located in Nashville, TN. But there is was when I checked their web site. Take 11th seeded Belmont against 6th seeded Maryland everyone said. So I did. The Bruins lost by two, but covered the spread. Unfortunately, while covering the spread is wonderful on a single game wager, it doesn't do a thing for your bracket bet which takes a hit.
The second was 14th seeded Yale. Great brains, great athletes and did you see what they did to Harvard? Yeah well Harvard isn't LSU. The 3rd seeded Tigers built a big lead and coasted at the end, eventually winning by five.
All of a sudden this whole trendy pick stuff was beginning to look like so much bull shit.
Then 12 seed Murray St. whacked 5 seed Marquette by 19 points. Joy filled the room and dollar signs began to dance in the head. That's what we're talking about baby. Trendy, trendy, trendy.
Sometimes, though, you have to buck the trendy. That's especially true when you've actually seen the 4th seeded Kansas State Wildcats play during the regular Big 12 season and in the conference tournament. As opposed to not knowing a thing about UC-Irvine except they have a funky mascot--Irvine Peter the Anteater--and what the network experts have told you. Indeed, we shouldn't be completely swayed by all that is trendy. Sometimes it's best to go with a known rather than a fucking anteater.
Too bad the experts actually knew what they were talking about. After K-State lost by six the joy fled the room and dollar signs dissolved in the mist. A terrible pall fell upon the proceedings and not even a couple of dry martinis could dispel it.
Yes, March Madness isn't simply entertainment. For some of us it is a business nearly as ruthless as politics and at times just as costly--both financially and emotionally.
At this moment it is touch and go. I have 13 of my sweet 16 teams still alive. Plus, the entire field of the elite 8, and my final four picks remain intact. By this time last year my brackets were already in a shambles and my single game bets were tanking faster than stones thrown into a pond.
So, onward we plod. By tomorrow night the 64 teams which began this drama will be reduced to a mere 16. The hopes and dreams of many will have been shattered and more than a few healthy bank balances will have disappeared.
Just think of the tournament as a microcosm of capitalism. The strong thrive while losers aren't tolerated and are soon forgotten.
Hey, who says America isn't great?
3-23-19
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