Things I Like #29: Using NCAA-Style Brackets for Things Other Than NCAA Basketball

While nothing can compare to the actual NCAA brackets, I always enjoy the random other brackets that people come up with this time of year.  People LOVE brackets.  Put anything in a bracket and people will get into it.  They will offer analysis and make picks and everything.  Try it sometime.  You’ll see.  Here are three shining examples of brackets that have nothing to do with sports:

1) Barney’s Women Slept With: Although not from this year, I saw this classic HIMYM episode the other night.  It features not only the real tournament bracket, but a bracket of the women that Barney has slept with.  And a drunk debate as they fill it out.  Incredible.

2) Best Week Ever’s 90s Movies: Another great one.  I counted yesterday and I haven’t seen 37 of the 64 movies… but still, my personal shortcomings don’t shouldn’t discourage the acknowledgement of  great bracket usage.

3) Colin Cowherd’s Cereal:  This is a perfect example of the “put anything into a bracket and people will love it” bracket.  ESPN Radio personality Colin Cowherd created a cereal bracket (to prove that very point) and had people vote online to determine the winner of each matchup.  In the final, Cheerios narrowly beat out Frosted Flakes to claim the title of Herd Breakfast Bracket Champion.  Check out the results here to see how your favorite cereal did: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/bracket?page=theherd/cereal

Ten Things I Think I Think

I read Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback every Monday morning during the NFL season.  He is an amazing writer and it is endlessly entertaining.  One of his sections is called “Ten Things I Think I Think.”  I figured from time to time I’ll throw out 10 things I think I think.  Mine aren’t nearly as good as Mr. King’s, but oh well.

Ten Things I Think I Think:

1.  I think that if three Bush administration nominees had been embroiled in tax fraud we on the “left” would be hammering them, the administration, and the president.  Just because our guy is president now doesn’t make it ok  to overlook this sort of thing.

2.  I think people need to be careful about double standards.

3.  I think I can’t stand the sound of Lindsey Graham’s voice.

4.  I think I need to sleep more than I did last week.
4.a.  I think it is a testament to how great my mood was last week that I did not collapse from exhaustion.

5.  I think I cannot remember the last time I was awake past 2 AM two nights in a row.

6.  I think A-Rod is a clownshow.

6.a.  I think I should apologize to my mother for defending him the last couple of years.

6.b.  I think I knew the Yankees should not have re-signed him.

6.c.  I think he is no longer worthy of wearing the Yankee uniform.

6.d.  I think he is no longer worthy of being a part of a legacy that was forged by people like Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle.

6.e.  I think he might be the first Yankee I would consider booing.

6.f.  I think it is a disgrace that someone leaked A-Rod’s name.

6.g.  I think it is a disgrace that the Players’ Union tipped him off to a test in 2004.

6.f.  I think I am angered, not surprised or shocked, by the whole thing.

7.  I think I did pretty well on the intermediate course my first time ever cross country skiing.

8.  I think I’m really excited to see the movie “Mongol.”

8.a.  I think I’m really excited to see the movie “Downfall”.

9.  I think I’m really fired up for Wednesday’s USA vs. Mexico match.

10.  I think I loved Colin Cowherd’s “To Catch a Predator” reference this morning.