For Love or Money?

Usually we ask this question of our athletes to find out why they won't play hurt (see John Abraham) or why they bolt their team every other spring (see Johnny Damon), but over the course of this week I have been asking that question of myself. I'm in a sticky situation...my favorite college team for the past 26 yrs (and for the remaining 47), the UCLA Bruins is taking on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a battle for western supremacy and a trip to the Elite 8. My problem is that in my bracket I picked the Zags to win.

Now you might say this is an easy call, my heart is in Westwood, but my wallet is in Spokane so any real sports fan would go with their heart and you're right to a certain extent, but there is another reason for me to hope that Adam "Stache" Morrison lights it up in Oakland. You got it, I'm talking about the prognostication factor, the yearning in every sport fan's heart to correctly predict the outcome of a major sporting event. To say "I knew this was going to happen" and finally have the facts to back that statement up. When you think about it both sides have one major theme in common...superiority. When your teams wins it all you get to tell everyone else to "suck it" or even worse "better luck next year". The same holds true during March Madness. Predicting the outcome of The Tourney can not only make you cash, but can cement your position as the guy who knew exactly what was going to happen...at least until next year when your bracket goes to hell before the weekend is out.