I write this on Selection Sunday – a Holy Day of Anticipation for members of my extended family. My youngest niece is helping my 91 year old father fill out his bracket. My soon-to-be nephew-in-law is pouring over the best science available that will ensure he does not repeat as Thanksgiving dishwasher (read: last place in our family tournament). My brother-in-law, aka The Commissioner, is practicing his lower-octave announcement skills and rewriting his annual State of the Tournament email we will all receive tomorrow. We will have two days to submit our brackets. The pressure rises each year. Now there are consolation prizes for best name. IJUSTWANTALLTHEDOGS! apparently has become ho-hum?
This is the first year in forever that I haven’t attended at least one of the games. I don’t fancy myself a huge basketball fan. But something strange happens in mid-March and I become a rabid fan of a handful of usually underdog teams. I’ve never won our family tournament -and to be honest, I’m not too disappointed. The rule is, if you win, you have to display a pretty ugly trophy in your house all year. But I would make the sacrifice, if only for the bragging rights.
This year, the Second Round games begin about the time The Commissioner walks his daughter down the aisle, to marry last year’s loser. By the time the dancing starts, there will undoubtedly be score-checking and ribbing. The groom-to-be has requested TVs on at the planned morning-after brunch.
You’d think we were serious about this. It’s Madness.
poems ©2024 Patricia J. Franz
___________________________
unpredictable –acrostic 1
useless
needless
passion
rivalries
expose
downfalls
irreverent
commissioner
trash-talks
arrogant
buzzer-beaters
love
every minute
unpredictable – acrostic 2
use a pencil, they say
never been a perfect bracket, but when
passion meets possibility, when
rivalries ignite
even the less-interested are
drawn in, distracted by dribble and defense, the
irreverence, the nonsense, the
constant texting
trash-talk, team names
anything goes, especially when
buzzer-beaters bring bragging – and ya gotta
love losers doing dishes
especially at Thanksgiving
It’s Poetry Friday!
My friend and Nevermore’s poetry partner, Rose Cappelli, is our host this weekend. Follow her at Imagine the Possibilities.
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
The loser doing the dishes at Thanksgiving is a great idea (but I’m not going to mention it to my family considering how badly I did last year, haha). We are doing the women’s NCAA bracket. My husband calls himself “Ben the Winner,” which I think is a pretty good name. Good luck!
I’m swept in by your family’s playful passion and both of your ‘unpredictable’ poems, Patricia! You all have so much fun…except maybe the losers doing dishes at Thanksgiving. 🙂
Love the madness!! Your post made me laugh — loved every word, esp. the cool acrostics. Whoever thought of making the loser do Thanksgiving dishes is a genius.
I love March Madness especially when Syracuse is in the mix, which in not happening this year. Having your team out dulls some of the madness. It will be fun for you to see who does Thanksgiving dishes this year!
You can have all the March Madness fun that’s wasted on me!
I am, though, thinking about doing a modified bracket with Chris Harris poems to see which my after school kiddos like the best.
I’m rooting for a few. Colorado teams, so far, are in & my grandson’s alma mater, UK, lost last night in a heartbreaker. Because the Denver Nuggets won the championship last year, I’ve been watching more NBA games, but usually, kind of like your family, Patricia, I get the ‘madness’ in March! I pay attention, but not enough to do a bracket & love your family’s own ‘madness’. Best wishes for NO heartbreak on the wedding day, & to you for, maybe, getting the ugly trophy. I hope you share somewhere public, imagine a lot of families hooting over “drawn in, distracted by dribble and defense, the
irreverence, the nonsense, the
constant texting. . .” It’s great!
First of all, your family sounds like a riot! Second, “to marry last year’s loser” made me laugh out loud. Enjoy the friendly rivalry and the wedding!
Your ‘madness’ is madly joyful, Patricia. I love that your family takes it so seriously. My extended family has a ‘Footy Tipping; competition over the Australian Rules Football season, which is in its second week. Lots of fun.
I always think of you and your family when March madness rolls around! I’m surprised your niece was even permitted to plan a wedding in March – but maybe that just adds to the fun. Have a wonderful weekend and may you experience lots of buzzer-beating bragging.
Hahahaha–you are so funny, Patricia! I had the ugly Christmas Eve Minute-to-Win-It games trophy all last year, but *had* to relinquish it a few months ago, as I finished in 2nd place. Whew! ;>) And my husband occasionally wins the ugly Superb Owl trophy (seriously ugly). Hehe. I love a little competition where everyone is laughing! Your acrostics are so fun, especially “unpredictable.”
Doing the dishes at Thanksgiving… now those are stakes! Thank you for these delightful poems.
Patricia, what a March madness you all experience! That does seem a bit mad, but so much fun too. Your poems are convincing! I am not interested in basketball, but with this fun I could see getting involved like you say “even the less-interested are
drawn in, distracted by dribble and defense” Fun post! All the best!
Very entertaining, Patricia! I love watching folks get excited over March Madness. Sports fandom is a place I never need to go, and since there are very few places like that for me I kind of relish being able to ignore it–but then again, I love watching other people love it! Your acrostics are great but it’s your prologue that really shines!
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Patricia, your family is so much fun! “IJUSTWANTALLTHEDOGS! apparently has become ho-hum?” made me crack up. I love your clever and mad acrostics. I got such a kick out of your post. LOL! I just tried to say these wonderful lines fast ten times “buzzer-beaters bring bragging – and ya gotta / love losers doing dishes.” And I do love losers doing dishes! Thank you for the laughs and for your inspiration. Enjoy your upcoming madness and wedding. 🙂