Highlighters, High Life, and Hospitals

While my means of income, has been a big interference with my ability to watch basketball religiously over the past few days, I have still been able to enjoy a good portion of March Madness. In addition to that, most of my recent viewing has taken part in fine drinking establishments, with over priced domestic beers. But nevertheless, it is not the rising price of beer or the upsets, or thrilling finishes, that has caught my attention. I am truly surprised, and somewhat perplexed with the amount of people who show up to the bar with their bracket in their right hand and a highlighter in their left. What is most interesting about these people, is they seem to be the one's with the least interest in the overall outcome of the game. Except for the few times where there is a loud spontaneous uproar amidst the more dedicated fans, it seems as if they simply have no idea what is going on, other than highlighting in their bracket, so they can use it as a conversation piece with others strolling around them.

Now, the one's watching the game more intensely, with more passion, seem to never have their brackets in hand. It's almost as if the guy in the corner of the bar, watching all three tv sets, without a bracket, actually knows the picks he made, and doesn't need a constant reminder. For a minute on Friday, I was behind the bar at my work, and a particular gentleman, watching the games sported a sheepish look, nervous tick, and quiet demeanor. Towards the end of the Oklahoma State game, he left his two buddies and ordered a shot of GM. According to Jim, who eventually came on as the bartender, he did this on two other occasions at the closing minutes of several other games. For some reason, I think something else was on his mind when he was taking shot after shot of GM and not whether he should use a blue highlighter or a yellow highlighter to mark in the winner on his bracket.

At one point, Saturday night, I received a text message from my buddy Damon. Now, for those of you who do not know, Damon is someone who would not be brininging his bracket to the bar, although he most definitely would be at the bar. At first, I assumed it was regarding Purdue or Texas, or another one of his bets covering the spread, or something along those lines. However, when I opened the message and read it, it said "I am at the Applebees sitting between a retard and a fat chick drinking high life." Now, at this point, I didn't realize my manager was standing right behind me, who immidiately yelled at me for playing with my phone, but I simply showed him the text message, and he said "That guy is awesome" and was no longer mad. Shortly, after putting my phone back in my pocket, I got to thinking. Don't you think it would be possible to make a totally awesome High Life commercial with that scenario, except you substitute Damon with Creech? The possibilites would be endless.


Today, I spent a lovely 14 hours in a hospital bed.