by Isaiah Murtaugh, Sports Editor
‘Twas the night before Madness, when all through the Nation
The people were bracketing, with much dedication.
The winners they picked for the tourney with care,
In hopes that perfection soon would be theirs.
The know-it-alls were tucked away in their beds
While visions of Zeller danced in their heads.
And mamma picked Montana, and I picked the Zags,
Not knowing our brackets would be tossed in trash bags.
When out on the hardwood there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my armchair to see what was the matter.
Away to the TV I flew like a flash,
hit the volume button and turned it full blast.
Florida Gulf Coast had won, or so it appeared,
And so had Ole Miss, but that’s not all that was weird.
Pitt had been beat by Wichita State,
And against New Mex, Harvard had also played great.
Despite all this turmoil they wer-ent alone,
The team from OK fell to Oregon
Minnesota had beaten good ol’ UCLA,
And Iowa and Cal had made upsets that day.
The lights shining off of Charles Barkley’s bald head,
Didn’t help the shock of the things that he said.
For all of the games left, for all of the good,
It couldn’t be helped. My bracket was doom’d.
But yet my spirits lifted, there was still a chance left,
At least my final Four was not left bereft,
And so as they pranced on the hardwood the next day,
I whistled and shouted and called them by name
“Now Marquette! now, Ohio! now, Vander-Blue and Craft!
On, Duke! On, VCU! on Plumlee and Smart!
To the top of the heap! to the top of them all!
Now shoot away! shoot away! shoot away all!”
But sadly enough it was not to be,
And the teams that I picked lost far too early.
Ohio was felled by ol’ Wichita State, and
Marquette quite soon after met a similar fate.
Shaka’s famed Havoc D proved not enough,
To stop Michigan and Trey Burke’s awesome stuff,
Duke tried so hard, and got really close,
But by P. Siva and Louisville were smoked.
In the end the Cards and Wolverines vied for the win,
Their mettle was tested and proved not to be tin.
My bracket I crafted, and tried to get ahead,
But after all this, my bracket is dead.