I guess I really AM a Butler alum....

To me, the bracket picks are a staple of the NCAA tournament. I mean, why else would you care about 63 basketball games (some between teams that you've barely ever heard of) unless you have money riding on the outcome? You win the bracket, you get money to designate to the charity of your choice.

(My personal favorite is "My Checking Account." Please feel free to make donations at any time. It's a good cause. Without it, you would not have the pleasure of reading the blog you're currently enjoying.)

You don't have to know much about college basketball to make picks - especially if you're in a pool with friends. The number of people in the pool I'm in varies from 20-90. This year, there are approximately 75 people who made picks, most of which are my close friends.

Implied in "close friends" is "those with which I have a friendly competitive rivalry."

So my picks started out at sixth, inched their way up to third, and eventually settled down at second.

The picture below? Yeah, that's the current standings.

It's a bit small, so if you can't tell, that yellow row at the top? Those are my picks. Since it's at the top, that means I'm #1. Uh huh. Right now, with 52 out of 63 games played, I'm leading the pack. Which should be great, right? You know me....I love competition. I love trash talk. This should be great.

But do I get to trash talk? Do I get to revel in leading the pack? Do I get to call my friends and call attention to the fact that I follow very little college basketball, and yet I'm kicking all their butts???

Ummm...all the way to the right...you know, where it says "Champion?" Please note that next to my name it says "Butler."

I picked Butler to go all the way.

Let me say that again.

I picked BUTLER to go all the way.

I mean, of course I did. I'm a loyal alum. I never do well in my bracket picks. I just do them for fun anyway, so why not pick my school to go all the way. We all know I'm not going to win....it's a fun way to waste my money, right? Go Bulldogs!!!

Until...um....my picks start doing well.

And now I'm leading.

And my Champion has as much of a chance of winning as I do of getting Tyson crate trained before I'm 40.

So there can be no trash talking. There can be no gloating. There can only be praying tonight at 7:10pm ET that Butler can knock out the defending champion Florida Gators.

But you know....slim as it may be....there IS a chance. Tyson WILL eventually be crate trained...and every so often, the underdog really does win.... So if it crosses your mind, say a little prayer for the Butler Bulldogs (and Emily's bracket picks) tonight