the ides of march madness

"Beware the Ides of March!" So goes the famous warning of the soothsayer to the emperor in Julius Caesar. But we all know the story: March 15th comes, and Caesar gets the knife in the gut. No U.S. President has ever had that bad a day in the Senate...

This year the Ides of March means gawd awful spring alergies... and basketball. I like watching the NCAA Tournament, but have never put too much into my brackets or a particular game. But my alma mater - Texas A&M - played their round one game here in Lexington, and my friend Jerry Walls felt it was important enough for me to be there that he gave me the cash to go scalp a ticket. So, in gratitude I thought I would plug his new book:


I had a good time... but probably not as much fun as the guy in front of me who had bet $15,000 on the Aggies to cover the spread. In the final few minutes, even though the Aggies were certain to win, he begged and pleaded for them to score more points. They'd score a bucket, and he'd tackle and hug his buddy next to him. The other team would score, and he'd start punching his chair. Apparently he won by just a couple of points, and as the final buzzer sounded he invited all of us sitting around him to the bar.

And one other important matter on the Ides of March: Granny Boyd's 96th birthday. Just four years shy of having Willard Scott wish her a happy birthday on the "Today" show, and she's still kickin' ass (it just takes her a little longer, and she can't kick as hard as she used to). Happy Birthday Granny! We love you!