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THIS IS NOT THE WAY IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE.

When the NCAA basketball tournament kicked off on March 20, I filled out my bracket with no real expectation of coming close to picking a winner. This year, I simply didn’t follow college basketball nearly as closely as I usually do. After that first weekend, I only remembered a few teams I had chosen - and they lost. I figured I had no chance. But when I came in that following Monday, guess who was in first place. Yup!! Yours truly!!! I’m still not quite sure how I did it, but I was number one in a contest that has over 100 participants. Not bad. My points were big. And my head grew even BIGGER!!! I started believing my own hype. I mercilessly teased a friend of mine at the station. “Hey Aaron,” I would yell. “We’re both in first place. I’m in first! And you’re in twenty-FIRST. Ha! Ha! Ha!” I admit it. I was nothing short of obnoxious.

THEN….. CAME….. THURSDAY!!!

When Stanford lost to Texas, and Memphis kept on rolling, I knew things weren’t looking good. Then Tennessee lost to Louisville. And I don’t even want to discuss my picks in the Midwest region because that’s a complete mess! Let’s just say I have dropped from first place to…. uh.. 27th. (Actually it’s a tie for tenth. But so many people are tied for first, second, etc.. that my name is 27th. Does it really matter? I don’t think I have a chance.) What’s even worse, I sure got what was coming to me. My good friend Aaron just smiles. It’s not that he’ll win. He’s only jumped to 19th. But I’m pretty sure he’ll beat me.

THE LESSON I’VE LEARNED?

Don’t brag? Remain humble? Don’t count your chickens before they hatch? Maybe.

But you can also “bet” I will follow the season a lot better next year. And for that bracket, hopefully that lesson will hopefully “pay off!”

By the way, I have UCLA over North Carolina in the final. We’ll see.