Brackets

The college basketball tournament affectionately known as March Madness is a big deal in my house.


I mean a big deal.


Each year I get out a giant white board when Selection Sunday rolls around. As the teams who made the field are announced, I fill them in and the board sits up prominently in the living room. As each game is completed, I write the winner into the next line. (The lines are made up of black electrical tape.)

Jen and I have filled out a bracket and had a private contest in picking winners every year that we've been married. I haven't kept score but she has definitely beat me a few times--though I think I'm still ahead overall.

This year for the first time we had Jeremiah and Riley fill out brackets and they have been told a special prize awaits the winner. For fun, here are Miah's final four pics:

And here are Riley's:

A couple of comments are necessary. You can tell that Miah likes to pick upsets. Only one #1 seed has made it into his Final Four. Purdue is an especially ambitious pick. Riley is playing it more safely with her picks, though if you look closely you will see that she has USC in the Elite Eight. (sports brainwashing of daughter successful!)

For the record, I've got Pittsburgh winning it all, Jen and Riley both picked Louisville, and Jeremiah has Syracuse. Apparently this Pac-10 family has an affinity for the Big East this year.

Enjoy the madness...