It’s hard to make claim for the greatest day of the year with St. Patrick’s Day still fresh in everyone’s hangover, but the two opening days of the NCAA tournament are pretty high up there. It doesn’t quite compare to last year when the games were taking place on St. Patty’s itself, but going from 12 noon to 12 midnight with three basketball games at a time makes for a special upcoming Thursday and Friday. B-dubs and Charley's make for some decent spots if you don't have class. Expect to see a ton of laptops with TV screens in the upper right hand corners in your lecture if you do.

The time up until that point will be spent building the perfect bracket. I admittedly spend a few hours every year doing “research” on who the Cinderella prospects are and who’s going to go home early. Every year my bracket loses, badly. It’s pathetic. The girls who just pick the winner based on whether they: A) have heard of the school B) have a friend who goes there C) like the school’s mascot or colors D) some combination of the three, kick my ass. I’m tired of losing money.

Therefore, if any of you can shed a little light on this most legal form of illegal gambling and help out with some bracket tips (especially the girls who like mascots because somehow you’re always right), I am open ears. My final four is presently sitting with Memphis, Georgetown, North Carolina, and UCLA but is open to change. The picks may be on the conservative side, but we all can’t be like Bobby Knight and pick Pittsburgh to win the whole thing.

Happy Actual St. Patrick's Day!