“You can’t handle the truth!”

Soooo…. I made a day of it an sat at Hot Shots Webster (arguably really Shrewsbury or Marlborough) for 4 hours yesterday afternoon eating chicken wings and drinking vodka. In the Becker family we refer to that as “Thursday”. But it was not just ANY Thursday, it was the first round of the KUBE which incidentally runs at the same time as the Men’s Division I NCAA Men’s Tournament. I whooped when the first ball was tipped in the Notre Dame game and choked down my animosity regarding “Touchdown Jesus” and cheered for the dreaded Fighting Irish who did the right thing and prevailed and for one golden moment my brakkets we perfect.

While I am not here to talk about the past, looking at the carnage of my brakkets I feel like a veteran who has been asked how the war was. “You really want to know?” All I really have to say is Iowa State. Iowa State. Iowa Fricking State! I know better than to place my hopes on the Clones (The Cyclones as they are affectionately referred to in Ames Iowa. I mean…. they have been the laughing stock of the now lost and lamented Big 8 of my youth and certainly are not doing much better in the now laughable Big 12. The fell to UAB?! Gene Bartow does not coach there anymore. They are not even coached by his son Murray or…Missouri Coaching legend embarrassed cough Mike Anderson. They are indeed coached by Jerod (buy a vowel) Haase! This guy!

Yes. He does look like every kid you ever saw get beaten up in high school. But he was a good enough coach to beat the now defunct Iowa State Cyclones! For For anyone who is curious, in one of my brakkets I had Iowa State playing Kentucky for the national championship. Not that I am bitter. I will discuss that game…no more. Indeed I will never mention the Cyclones or Ames Iowa again. They are dead to me.

So that was blow. I took some casualties but they were, as Richard Nixon said about our young men who gave their lives in Vietnam…”acceptable losses”. That was of course until we were marching up the hill with one of Homer Drew’s kids leading the charge and all the nice boys from Waco were full of energy and cheering and then Georgia State opens fire with a machine gun…cutting down Baylor what was for the Bekker Brakkets a horrific loss. I had Baylor losing to Arkansas in the field of 8. OOPS!

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? My three entries look like they will now die a peaceful death resting at 72,164 and 181 respectively. Services will be held at KUTIS.

***

So 430 entries. Less than last year. Have we lost our mojo? The move to pay pal cost us about 30-40 people is I remember correctly but on the hand we do not have the Kukla embezzling problem that plagued the league for so many years. Still, a good number. I do with folks would take it heart to get us up to the magik 500 number that just resonates. At that point KUBE becomes to big to fail and we can start making our bets with government money like the big banks do. I dream big.

Looking at the first blush standing I don’t know what to say. Joren Thompson is solidly in last but he has Kentucky and then impressively, the country of Liechtenstein is in the next two positions. How do you turn in two identically crappy brakkets Matt? I would like to play poker with you sometime. Still, your country is lovely:

I am looking for some aggressive moves from Liechtenstein…perhaps making a move to Switzerland and/or bumping Joren (what is a Joren?) out of last place. But who is temporarily up top and laughing at all of us? Well, how would I know? I cannot even see the top of the brakkets from where my pics sit but Kim Jon Un our beloved and merciful and benevolent emperor for life of everything under heaven, long may he live and prosper has advised that our current leader is Rudy Chazz (two Z’s) followed by the Shapiro twins. The Shapiros are always kinf of kreepily kompetitive in the KUBE and we value them as long time Kontestants but in my mind…Rudy has been with us for a long time as well and has made a play near the top at some point but I cannot be sure due to the limited plasticity of my brain.

When you Google “Chazz Pics”, this is what comes up.

Should we be concerned? I think we should. An investigation will be forthcoming. The bottom line is that in two hours my brakkets were decimated. I know there are more games to be played but at this point I feel like I might at well work.

Valpo tips at 3:40. Perhaps there is still a just and loving God but alas… I despair.