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Let the Madness Begin!
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1620 Reads
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Millions of Americans are about to commit a crime that costs this nation millions of dollars, hundreds of hours of time, and might just be the reason for our lack of success in Iraq. Okay, that last one might be a bit of a stretch, but as this country turns its collective eye to the NCAA basketball tournament crime is everywhere, maybe even in your own office, or even your home.
Illegal gambling on March Madness is more rampant than underage drinking in college and more costly to productivity than ebay and myspace put together. The four week vacation that is about to consume our attention, take our cash, and dominate our collective intelligence is neither a right or a privilege, yet it is as American as apple pie or calling in sick after the super bowl.
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In every auto repair shop, every factory, every teacher’s lounge, law office, medical practice, and especially in the accounting, banking, and trading firms bracket sheets have become more important than spreadsheets or patient charts. Student work goes un-graded, and many screws get a few less turns than they should. With the hopes and dreams of every “Cinderella” come the hopes and fantasies of the “bracketeers” who imagine winning the big bucks on April 2 when Central Connecticut wins the national championship. Sixty-five teams all having the same shot at glory, and millions of Americans willing to wager a few dollars on the chance to out pick Vitale and the rest of the talking heads. In many ways it is the essence of the American dream.
In many others it is a nightmare. Imagine the stress on the server at work as everyone tries to get the lowdown on Winthrop and Wright State. Imagine the lost productivity on Thursday and Friday next week as all eyes are glued to the TV as Davidson squares up with Duke. You don’t even have to be an alum to have some “skin in the game” because the pageantry and drama of the “madness” make us all fans, especially when it might mean a few more points towards the big pay-off. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you gave the guy in the mailroom twenty bucks “just for fun.” No way. You wanna win, and you want it bad. That’s why you have been emailing with all of your buddies around the world hoping for some intel on that 5-12 match up with the sleeper from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Gambling is its own drug, and with these kind of odds, well, it makes that hand of one deck blackjack in Primm look like a sucker’s bet in comparison. Sports betting is about knowledge and hunches, and this tournament is fertile ground for both. So check your internet sites, call your pal in Nashville, or Utah, or rural North Carolina (is there anything else but rural NC???) and slip that Andrew Jackson to the guy in shipping who handles the money because this is your year.
But remember, illegal gambling is a crime. Over a billion dollars will be wagered this month in country clubs and warehouses that have no “official” connection with Caesars or the Bellagio. Just ask Rick Neuheisel if it is illegal. Or ask the cop at the donut shop who he likes in the Virginia vs. Niagara game because, well, he has a bracket back at the station house too. Oh, next week isn’t the best for elective surgery either. Better wait till April.
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| Posted by: brad_gilbert on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 08:11 AM
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