Countdown to Selection Sunday

Under normal circumstances, by this time of year I'd know who's heavily favored to be a #1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, who's expected to win the whole thing, and what my beloved Florida Gators have been up to for the past 3 months or so. This year has not been so normal. It's taken me a while to adjust to my new schedule, and I'm still working on figuring out how to balance work and life in a way that works well for me. (I should explain that this is not a complaint. The economy is nothing short of scary right now, and every day I am so thankful to be gainfully employed.) I've also been slightly obsessed with getting settled in my new apartment and furnishing it in a way that makes me feel comfortable at home. And, in the midst of these adjustments, I have not been keeping up with the NCAA men's basketball action. This is bad, because my brother and I will be attending two Round 2 games at Miami's American Airlines Arena on March 22, and I refuse to be ill-informed during the year that I have the opportunity to see a few games in person. That means I have less than 2 weeks to catch up!

Here's the plan for catching up: (1) Bury myself in ESPN.com from now until Selection Sunday. (2) Substitute SportsCenter for MSNBC in the mornings while I'm getting ready for work. (3) Cross my fingers, cash in all favors and hope to goodness that the Gators find a way to the Tournament this year.