I am big fan of sports.  I have been… since as long as I can remember.  It is probably caused by some genetic combination of brains cells.  But it doesn’t run in the family.

At any rate….

I am.  What I am.  And what I am… needs no excuses.  (Okay… singing tangent there for a moment… thank you Gloria Gaynor.

Okay, back at it.  Sports fan.  And… I am a big fan of the college basketball scene.  When it gets to tournament time, I truly love to watch.  Men’s and Women’s.  IF you are NOT a sport’s fan… stick with me.  I’m not going there tonight.

This year,  I can’t really see anyone beating the Kentucky Men’s Team… or the University of Connecticut on the Women’s side of things.

The Men’s final four is Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke and Michigan State.  (I meant it stick with me.)

The Women’s final four is not yet determined.

But let’s break down the Men’s.
KY State Bird = Northern Cardinal
WI State Bird = American Robin
NC State Bird = Northern Cardinal
MI State Bird = American Robin

What do you think about THAT coincidence?  Now THAT is something you won’t get from ESPN statistics, I’ll tell you.

And where do those birds sit?  Trees…
KY State Tree = Tulip Tree
WI State Tree = Sugar Maple
NC State Tree = Longleaf Pine
MI State Tree = Eastern White Pine

And under the tree?  Wildlife Mammals…
KY State Mammal = Gray Squirrel
WI State Mammal = White Tailed Deer
NC State Mammal = Gray Squirrel
MI State Mammal = White Tailed Deer

So based on that criteria alone.. you can see that Kentucky is unbeatable this year… although Duke comes close.

However… everyone knows that the Tulip Tree beats the Longleaf Pine every time.

So there you have it.  My secret to picking the brackets… of which I picked 3 of the 4 final teams.  The exception was Michigan State.  I didn’t see that one coming… with the combination of White Pine and White Tailed Deer.  Normally those two would have cancelled each other out.

I draw all of this out on a huge chalkboard… which includes many other factors, such as state drink, rock and plant, to name a few.  It can be pretty intense when I am formulating and organizing this information.  Crazy go nuts.

The NFL Draft picks are way worse.

But you know. That’s how I roll.

Again.. Ms. Gaynor …. if you will break into song here…

I am what I am
And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck
Sometimes the aces sometimes the deuces
It’s one life and there’s no return and no deposit
One life so it’s time to open up your closet
Life’s not worth a dam till you can shout out
I am what I am
I am what I am

“It takes nothing to join the crowd.  It takes everything to stand alone.”  — Hans F. Hansen

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” – Nietzsche