Expect the Unexpected

March Madness is in the air. Starting on Thursday, all productivity will cease in the Ball household, and the trash talk will start. March Madness is so much more than college basketball... My involvement started four years ago. It was all so innocent; I hadn't even really heard of March Madness. Claire invited me to be in their family's pool. I was hooked. The desperation of the players facing single elimination, the unrestrained arbitrary attachment to teams with names like Gonzaga, Villanova, and Syracuse (who aren't even in the tournament this year). And the trash talk, which is why filling out a bracket so important. All of a sudden, my split second decision of picking Virginia over Tennessee (because George Washington was from Virginia) is life-or-death.

Tyler and I set up a Challenge on ESPN.com, where you upload your bracket and it keeps track of who's winning for you. If you want to join the fun, leave a comment, and we'll send you an email.