MY MARCH MADNESS

First, let me say that I am currently abysmally ignorant about sports. However, as a youngster, I was a walking compendium of sports knowledge. I was under the influence of my sports-loving brothers and father. However, after moving from home and meeting my husband, my interest in sports vanished because his only interests are golfing and auto-racing, which much to his irritation, I told him that those really weren't sports.

Two years ago, my friend Charles was filling out the brackets for the NCAA championship. As I had made an enlarged copy for him to use, I had the original copy from the newspaper. As a lark, I also filled out the form. Charles laughed at my choices and methods for choosing. I told him, "There is no method to my madness!" Charles kept the forms and would call me after each game, breathlessly, to tell me how we fared in our competition.

Imagine his shock--and mine--when I chose 48 of 64 correctly and he had 32!

My brother told me that I should enter the next year's competition because I fared better than most of the "experts".

Some of my method: I chose Syracuse because they are the "Orangemen" and my family came from Northern Ireland. Immediately suffering from Liberal guilt for choosing something for ethnic reasons, I immediately chose some Catholic colleges. I chose Gonzaga because I recalled that it was Bing Crosby's alma mater and a double-whammy, it is also Catholic. I chose Butler because Gerald's mother was born there in Indiana. I chose Ohio State because I feared for my own safety from my basketball-crazed friends if I did not choose.

Last year, I didn't do as well but I'll let you know how I do this year.