The Winning Bracket

Best.Tournament.Ever.

And not just because I won $300 last night. And also not just because I cried during "One Shining Moment" because I always do that.

Something You Probably Didn't Know About Me

Every now and then I might surprise you or at the very least startle you a little bit. This might be one of the those times. One thing I was reminded of this weekend is how much I love Shakira. Go ahead read it again. I like her music so much that I believe at one point this weekend I could have been quoted as seriously saying: “She is amazing—do you think she writes her own stuff?” She is definitely a skeleton in my closet and I thought it would be fun to share this with you on this Monday morning.

Also of note today is the fact that if North Carolina wins tonight I win the office pool here at work. Believe me I have no problem being a huge North Carolina fan for $300.00. I am easy like that.

It's Good to Have Options

Whenever I close my eyes, the only thing I can see is the way my brackets may or may not play out this weekend. I have worked out every possible scenario in my head. There are six possible options for me in two different pools to come out on top after this tournament. (At least I have kept myself in it until Monday night.)

Option 1: Illinois vs. Michigan State, Illinois Winner = $500.00
Option 2: Illinois vs. Michigan State, MSU Winner=$125.00
Option 3: Illinois vs. North Carolina, North Carolina Winner = $300.00
Option 4/5: Louisville vs. Michigan State, Winner Doesn’t Matter = $125.00
Option 6: Louisville vs. North Carolina, North Carolina Winner = $300.00

All of these options would be incredible and much-needed so keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully I will be enjoying "One Shining Moment" a little more this year.

Win, Place or Show

After the best weekend of college basketball I have ever seen, I sit in the top three of all the tournament pools I have entered. My big three (Louisville, Illinois and North Carolina) barely escaped this past weekend but are going to St. Louis nonetheless. If I am able to win with one of these brackets, it will be the first time since I picked UConn, while everyone else took Duke in 1999, that I have won some money in this madness.