Seems like everyone dips into the NCAA pool By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer
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Being a parent is a blessing, a gift that is emphasized whenever your offspring reaches a milestone moment in his or her life.
Who can forget a kid's first step? Their initial word? That debut on a youth baseball field, where that unlikely occurrence of a bat meeting a ball actually happens.
It brings a tear to your eye thinking about their growth, which transpires in a snap of the fingers. If your heartstrings aren't pulled, you don't have a pulse.
Luckily for me, another red-letter event occurred this week that sent me scrambling to my second son's keepsake book. I dutifully pushed aside that first lock of fine baby's hair to chronicle yet another step toward manhood for one Philip James Paris.
"Hey dad,'' P.J. yelled, in between Pop Tart bites, "you like Xavier over Gonzaga? That could be my upset special."
Yep, like millions of Americans, P.J. is filling out his NCAA tournament bracket ---- the first of what I'm sure will be many more.
The 8-year-old is closely surveying various newspapers and magazines, watching ESPN ---- "Dad, is his name really Digger?" ---- hoping to find that elusive edge to bring his college fund a windfall.
And is there anything more educational than deciphering an NCAA bracket sheet? One learns math ---- why is one team seeded higher than the other? Geography ---- boy, Belmont playing UCLA in San Diego is no gimmie. And guts ---- you sure, kiddo, you want Southern over Duke?
While capitalism hardly goes to hell this week, there's no denying the time office workers devote to their NCAA tournament brackets.
Some people play one; others a handful. Some just among friends; others online among thousands of strangers.
"Of course we're busy,'' said Art, over the hum of his fax machine at his downtown Encinitas mail and fax service business.
One study last year suggests the NCAA tournament costs American businesses nearly $900 million in lost productivity. Seems while workers should be focused on sending wing nuts to Wisconsin, they're contemplating winging a flier on No. 9 Wisconsin over No. 8 Arizona.
Once selections are made, workers are just as likely to spend their morning reviewing the Marquette-Alabama game from the San Diego subregional as the subpar sales figures for the regional office.
The FBI estimates some $2.4 billion is wagered on NCAA tournament pools, most coming from crisp $5 bills paper-clipped to a sheet, which transforms into picks either crossed out or circled.
And while gambling can be illegal, don't expect G-men to surround your office, talking into a bullhorn ordering everyone out with their hands up.
"Those small office pools are a state matter,'' said an FBI agent from its Washington D.C. headquarters. "Large interstate operations are those that get Federal attention.''
Added Lt. Bill Rowland of the Carlsbad Police Department: "It is illegal according to the penal code and we don't condone it, but we don't have the resources to go out and enforce the small-time stuff. We would be interested in the big-time bookmakers, but don't expect the SWAT team to open up your doors if you're in an office pool.''
Before today's tournament tips off, it's easy identifying nearly any office's most popular employee. It's that lone worker tuned into the moody copy machine who knows where the toner is stashed.
Why has the NCAA tournament surpassed the Super Bowl as the highest wagered American sporting event? Maybe it's the cost ---- the buy-in is usually $5 or $10. The length of the action ---- for nearly three weeks, people compare scores. Or the bragging rights.
If Julie, my wife, selects teams based on if her relatives live or have lived in that school's state, and defeats Jay, the sportswriter, there's no end to her boasting.
If Sally, the corporate vice president, makes her picks based on uniform colors, and outwits Joe, the sales rep with the "SportsCenter" theme-song ring tone, that's worth some serious office swagger.
Some companies, though, discourage betting of any kind. But most turn a blind eye to the NCAA tournament, knowing it's mostly harmless and can build camaraderie among workers analyzing picks.
"It's pretty wide open here,'' said Rob, a Citigroup CPA from one of their New York offices. "Everybody plays; there's no restrictions that I am aware of. Most everybody went to college, so there is some interest. Also, the pools are chump change, $5 to $10 at most. People spend more on office-pool Lotto tickets."
Former University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel's ticket out of Seattle was punched when it was revealed he dumped $6,300 in NCAA tournament pools in 2002-03. Eventually, he cashed a ticket worth $4.5 million by winning his wrongful termination suit.
Most believe there's nothing amiss when playing hit or miss with NCAA picks. Following one's bracket ---- and their cohorts' ---- is as fun as tracking the bouncing ball.
Back to P.J.: "Hey Dad, you think Illinois can handle Air Force's patient offense?"
Now, I'm on defense. If P.J. and his mother's picks eclipse mine, Pop will absorb countless tart comments.
Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.
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