I wish that Butler’s run to the championship game could have happened in some other year. It was hard not to root for them last night. They played a magnificent game and easily might have won. It was a thrilling and uncomfortable two hours of white-knuckled watching. But the dust has settled and Duke has won its fourth national championship, in spite of what the screenshot below might suggest (click to enlarge it and read the fine print below the headline).

I found it on a Duke blog I read. I guess web sites have to prepare two versions of each game so that they can post the one that aligns with the final outcome as soon as the outcome is determined. And I guess this one got out some how.

I’ve read a lot of articles about the game this morning, here’s one I really enjoyed. But in all likelihood you were rooting for Butler last night and don’t want to read an article about the game. Again, I don’t blame you.

I am happy to announce that the winner of the Idiots’Books Bracket Challenge is none other than my sister Lindsay Zawicki, who edged yours truly by ten points. Coming in third is my mom. Congratulations, mom. Fourth place went to Anna Everett, who, at six weeks of age, still had the prescience and good sense to pick a Devils’ championship (heck, she was only three weeks old when she made these picks; the NCAA tournament has accounted for half of her life). Fifth place goes to Robbi’s imaginary friend Ming, who, being imaginary, probably knew that Duke was going to win it all way back in October and deserves no special accolades for picking them.

Glancing at the standings, it looks like 13 of you (I’m excluding Robbi and me), beat young Kato, earning yourselves a free copy of Nasty Chipmunk. Looking down the list, it seems that a good number of you are subscribers who might already have said volume. If you do, please take a look at the rest of our catalog, and pick some other title. Regardless, if you are among the winners, write me an email to tell me your mailing address and whether you’d like to substitute another book for Nasty.

This post has contained altogether too many words, so I’ll leave you with a few images.

I’m sure there’s no greater feeling than standing in triumph as a member of a team (I was such an awkward, uncoordinated child that I never had a chance to find out).

The unfortunate thing about games is that someone has to lose. But someone also gets to win. I guess that’s why we play.