March Madness slams workplace

By David Mullen

If you are still nursing a St. Patrick’s Day weekend hangover, your boss is not going to be pleased to hear that March Madness has begun. Call it the “Lost Week.”

According to CBS, approximately 97 million people watched March Madness games last year. But how can that be? Many early round games are played during normal business hours. 

“Streaming games during work hours, heading to a local restaurant to watch the games, filling out brackets or just discussing the games with co-workers will mean hours of distractions during the three-week tournament,” said Andrew Challenger, vice president of global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Challenger said that every hour spent monitoring brackets and games can cost employers a total of $13.3 billion in work production during the length of the tournament that will end on Monday, April 8.

According to another report, workers spent an average of 25.5 minutes of their workday on March Madness-related activities. But employers are cautioned against chastising employee participating in March Madness activities. It adds to office morale. So, in the spirit of increasing office productivity, here is how the 2019 NCAA Division l Men’s Basketball tournament will pan out. Put it in your inbox.  

In the East bracket, Duke is the number one seed and the number one seed in the entire tournament. In Zion Williamson, they have the greatest college basketball player since LeBron James. Oh, wait a minute! James didn’t go to college.

The toughest game Duke will play is the regional final against Michigan State. Coach Tom Izzo always has his team prepared and is not intimidated by Duke coaching legend Mike Krzyzewski. But Duke is too poised, too strong and Williamson will make the difference. He is virtually unstoppable.

If looking for a surprise team, they could come from the Ivy League. Number 14 seed Yale has balanced scoring with four players averaging double digits in scoring can shoot 3-pointers with the best of teams and, of course, they play smart basketball. 

Late night TV talk show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel said on March 18 that Gonzaga does not exist. “It is like the teenager that says he has a girlfriend in Canada,” he said. Well, the Spokane, Wash. team, seeded number one in the West region, knows how to play basketball and spent a good amount of time this year as the number one team in the country. Despite a loss in the West Coast Conference tournament finals against St. Mary’s (Moraga, Calif.), the Zags have a deep bench and are extremely well coached by Mark Few. 

There is a lot to like about Texas Tech. They play great defense and will face Gonzaga in the regional finals. But Gonzaga makes the Final Four. As for a surprise team, the Murray State Racers are true to their moniker. They are an offensive machine and will win at least one tournament game, if not two.

In the South region, Virginia needs to prove that they deserve the number one seed. They must get a lead early in the game and rely on a stifling defense. Tennessee and possibly Purdue should put up a fight. 

The team that could bust some brackets is the UC-Irvine Anteaters. They are relatively unknown, despite coming into the tournament riding a 16-game winning streak. Not only do they have the best nickname, they have one of the best defenses in the region. But Virginia remains the best team and has been tested all year.

And to no one’s shock, the North Carolina Tar Heels are the number one seed in the Midwest region. But there is something about this team that makes even the most loyal fan squirm. They have great players and great depth, but can get a little squirrely when shooting from the outside in close games.

I like the Houston Cougars to win the Midwest, because of their balance. They play great defense and can score a lot of points in a hurry. Look for the Cougs to upset North Carolina in the Midwest regional finals.

That puts three number one regional seeds (Duke, Gonzaga and Virginia) in the Final Four with number three Midwest seed Houston. Houston continues its upset run, beats Virginia and will face Duke in the NCAA finals. In a high scoring affair and because they have the reputation, i.e. get all of the calls to go their way, Duke will be the National Champions.

So if I am put on hold for an ungodly amount of time this week calling a customer service line, I will understand that it is all in the interest of office morale. I just hope that Murray State is beating Marquette.