Cats Rule. Dogs Drool.

March Madness is my favorite time of the year. 

I start looking forward to filling out my bracket (and taking money from all the guys at work) as soon as the UK/UofL match up happens. I incorporate blue and white into every outfit on game days. I wear my "Go Cats!" button like it is my job, and have a mild panic attack when I can't find it. My boss knows that one of my computer screens will be live streaming games, commentary, or podcasts for the better part of the month of March and he accepts that 90% of everything I say will relate to basketball. I take my foam finger to work and wear it to meetings. I raise my hand twice as often just so I can wave it in the air.

I'm the picture of a professional during the month of March. 

Today is no exception! I am rocking my favorite University of Kentucky shirt and my lucky red shoes. I made sure to add a dash of professional to the game day ensemble with my blazer, because I still need people to believe I'm going to get something accomplished other than reading every news story on KSR and ESPN. 

As I biked across campus, humming the UK Fight Song under my breath, I see the worst site I can imagine. 

A tall, lanky guy wearing a UCONN shirt standing right in the middle of my path smoking a cigarette. I only know one UCONN fan in all of California, and it happens to be Christmas (aka the worst-best date ever). The chances of there being two UCONN fans on campus are about the same as my chance of finding another UK fan wondering around campus at 8:00 am on a Monday morning. 

Slim to none. 

Great... Short of riding my bike through the library, I'm going to have to go right by him. Why did I even like him. He's a smoker and that is so gross. And even worse he is a UCONN fan! Actually, that's not entirely fair, because I do usually root for UCONN. Be the adult here Crigger. Don't ride your bike through the library. Or wreck into the fountain in your haste to get away. Just smile and be polite.

As I got closer I yelled, "You're gonna lose! You're gonna lose!" 

Nice Crigger. Not only was that not exactly polite, but you stole Stilwell's line from 'A League of Their Own'. 

Original. 

And classy. 

"Whaaaa...?" he sputtered before he realize it was I. "You guys just think you are the best team. We'll prove you wrong." He shouted at my back.

"We don't think we are the best. We know it. And after tonight, everyone else will too when we win our 9th title." I yelled over my shoulder as I sped away.

Well... that could have gone worse I suppose. I thought as I pedaled feverishly towards my office.

A little while later my phone lit up with a text message. 

"Care to place a wager on the game Ms. Wildcat?" 

"Absolutely! I love a sure thing!" I typed back to Christmas. "What did you have in mind?"

"Not sure. What do you mind losing?"

"Ha! Over confidence. Nice. It will make beating you that much better!"

"From the one who just said 'sure thing'? You remember what happened the last time you bet me, right?"

"I let you win."

"So you like taking embarrassing photos?"

"That photo is by far one of the least embarrassing photos of me ever taken."

"What would be the most embarrassing photo of you ever taken."

"I'm not telling."

"Then that is what I would like to wager."

"An embarrassing photo?"

"An embarrassing photo shoot."
"No dice. Not that this will happen, because we will win, but I don't want embarrassing photos of me floating around your office."  And when we win I don't want to have to get together with you to take said embarrassing photo of you.

"Fine, what do you suggest?"

"If you UK wins I'll bring you a UK themed outfit to wear to work."

"That is the most boring bet ever."

"You should ask the Kansas fan about the outfit he had to wear to work two years ago..."

UK better win this game! 

I'm not wearing his UCONN crap to work!