March Madness - Again!

Many years ago, when I was working in New York, writing mathematics textbooks, the authoring team adoped March Madness, to spice up the days. We cut the "fridge grid" from the newspaper, and dutifully recorded the results of the games.

For each game (there we're fewer, back then), we would pick our favorite, and lay wagers - usually something inexpensive, like a beer or a sandwich. The person whose team lost bought the next round of drinks, or the next sandwich. I think I owed about a case of beer, by the end of the tournament!

As the games progressed, we'd become more and more involved, and the outcomes seemed to matter more to us. Of course, the games became more challenging, too, with the winner often uncertain 'til the final moments.

After the math books were published, I pretty well ignored basketball, until I went to Syracuse University.

At that time, SU had a good basketball team, that often finished in the top 25. It's fun to support a winner; tougher to support an inconsistent or losing team. So, I spent a goodly portion of my years at Syracuse watching basketball and football games in the Carrier Dome. I found the games much more enjoyable and engrossing in person, than on TV.

Once again, basketball fell by the wayside, after I left SU.

Now, however, I'm married to a man who teaches at Rutgers University. You may have heard that the Rutgers Women's basketball team is very good. In recent years, they have been a serious contender in the WNCAA tournament.

My husband is a fan. So, this year, we have printed out the fridge grid for the women's tournament, and are now happily filling in the brackets.

Good start: Rutgers won, in the first round!
Update: Rutgers also won, in the second round. Now, it's off to Oklahoma City, for the Sweet Sixteen!
Final Update: Unfortunately, the Lady Knights lost their Sweet Sixteen game against the Lady Boilermakers. Purdue simply out-played them.