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Conversations: Final Four Picks

AP Photo/Al Behrman -- Caption: It's like a rematch of the 1994 championship game on Friday: Arkansas versus Duke. Well, sort of.

(Written Wednesday night:) The NCAA Tournament is absolutely one of my favorite events of the year. When else can you wake up and watch basketball practically nonstop from Thursday to Sunday? In fact, I may skip class and work for the rest of the week and do nothing else but watch games in the student center. A fellow co-worker of mine used to save up his vacation to do this very thing (well, at his house)--hint: he works at the Jonesboro Sun now.

Anyway, I promised chats on Thursdays, and a chat I will deliver. Of course, this week I am going to do things a little differently. I will be talking to multiple people and the theme will be NCAA brackets. I know, I know: I said last week was my last basketball post, but I meant about Razorback basketball. This will be my last basketball post--unless something crazy happens like UAPB beating Duke.

(Skip to Thursday afternoon:) A lot has happened since I planned on posting all my friends' Final Four picks. First, I had to be at work at 8, which didn't work out too well because I didn't wake up until 7:45; next, I was stuck in class the rest of the morning, missing the start of the Tournament; last, my parents made a suprise visit, so I skipped my last class and hung out with them for a few hours. However, I'm back at work and back in black. Or something.

I'm going to skip all the comedy and wit (if there ever is any) and jump right to the picks. I sent a message to all my cousins and a few of my friends on Facebook asking for their picks -- needless to say, they are a bunch of non-participators. I ended up having to text almost everyone individually, so these replies aren't very in-depth. Oh well. I'm giving it to you just like they gave it to me.

Kasa: "KU, KState, Kentucky, and 'Nova." She bleeds blue. Don't ask me why. She has no connection to Kansas, but she loves her Jayhawks. I'm sure I'll get to see that bright blue KU shirt before the tournament is over.

Colby: "My Final Four picks are Kentucky, Villanova, Kansas, and Butler. Kentucky to win it all." -- I love the Butler pick; Colby always goes out on a limb, like only drafting one solid QB in a two-QB fantasy football league.

Tom: "Don't really remember which combo I did in our league, but Kansas, Syracuse, Villanova, and either West Virginia or Kentucky. Basically a lot of Big East. Final game I have Syracuse in both and winning in both my brackets--one against WVU and another against Kentucky." Oh, the multiple bracket guy. One day I am going to fill out a bracket that has every possible combination of games, which I am sure would be millions of brackets. However, I like to try to pick one bracket and stick to it, even though I did fill out two this year.

John: "Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke. Kansas wins because they are a predatory bird, Otto the Orange is junk, I hate cats, and I don't like the devil. That sufficient?" He didn't want to pick because he doesn't really watch college basketball. Can you tell?

Justin: "I got Kansas, Kansas St., Kentucky, and Villanova. Kansas and Kentucky (in the finals), and Kansas wins." I've never been a 'Nova fan and there's no way they will make it to the Final Four--they proved that in the first round.

David: "Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, and Syracuse. Lol, yeah, it happens every year; I can't help it." I think he is referring to his uncanny ability to put all four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. Or maybe he is saying that his bracket always stinks. Just kidding.

Me: Umm, I don't even really remember my Final Four. I have Kansas, Kansas St., Kentucky, and Duke, I think (pretty vanilla, I know). I picked Vandy to make it to the Elite Eight--that didn't work out. Anyway, I usually hate Duke, but I really think they have what it takes to make a deep run this year. I won't be too upset if they don't, though.

Short and sweet, like I said. Enjoy the basketball--skip work if you must. Pick an underdog, cheer, be merry. Just avoid writing crappy paragraphs like this one.

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