I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the definition of insanity is NOT doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. That’s the definition that your know-it-all brother-in-law will bring out if he disagrees with you about something. The actual definition is: adjective: suffering from severe mental illness (i.e., psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, or organic brain illness) which prevents him/her from knowing right from wrong and/or orientation to person, place or time. See severe delusion.
As we enter the weekend highlighted by Selection Sunday, let’s focus on that definition. Like you, I’ll fill out more than one bracket. One will be a profoundly improbable one where Oregon and Western Kentucky meet in the Final Four. That’s for CBS.com. One will be upset city with a couple of 12 seeds making it past the Sweet 16. That ones for espn.com Then there will be my “real” bracket. This one is for the office pool. I’ll go to ncaa.com and examine free throw percentages and rebound margins. I’ll ponder intangibles (Upperclassmen? Hello? Any upperclassmen?) I’ll study the regions to find the “soft” one. I’ll lose sleep until I hit on just the right strategy.
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble
When I get the real one tweaked just right, at 8:58 Thursday morning, I’ll turn it in to my boss.
You should consider working where I work
And the games begin. Sixteen games each of the first two days. My fingers are numb from switching from TBS to TNT to the Food Network or wherever. I had a great first day and I’m having a really good second day. I picked the wrong 5/12 upset but that happens every year. I’m running 2nd in the office. The ESPN and CBS ones are toast, but we expected that. But I’m in it with my real one.
Where the devil is Creighton anyway?
Then comes the 2nd weekend. I have 88% of the possible points! I’m in! I’m home free!
Cue the Happy Dance
I’m gonna win! Sure it’s only about $60.00 but that’s not the point. It’s bragging rights. It’s wisdom and knowledge! It’s truth and beauty.
Except it’s not…because of the guy in the office across the hall. The one who thinks three in the key is a Glee trio, used a freaking Ouija Board, filled his bracket out in crayon, and nailed the 5/12 upset. He wins…by one point.
That’s insanity.
Go Ducks! Dominate the Dance!
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Kim Hastings is a 1984 graduate of Northwest Christian College. He cut his journalistic teeth as sports editor of a paper in his home town of Fortuna, CA, and, later as a columnist for the Longview Daily News in Longview, WA.
He saw his first Oregon game in 1977 and never missed a home game from 1981 until a bout with pneumonia cut his streak short in 1997. He was one of the proud 3200 on a bitterly cold night in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1989 for the Independence Bowl, and continues to be big supporter of Oregon sports. He is an active participant on the various Oregon Ducks messageboards as “TacomaDuck.”