March Madnesses

Kentucky is known as a state of basketball fanatics. The fact that I don't care much for sports makes me subject to burning at the stake as a heretic if it were known by those who "bleed blue" (or red as the case may be.) This year, the fanaticism is in full spate, since the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University and Murray State University are all in the national playoffs, AND Louisville's new downtown YUM! arena is the site for the first round of playoff games. I am sooo glad I don't work downtown anymore since the traffic will be terrible!

 

However, this year, more madness is spreading!  The Weather Channel is sponsoring the Weather Song Tournament where, you guessed it, four divisions are filled with songs about the Sun, Elements, Seasons, and Rain. Beginning tomorrow, you can vote for the songs you like best. Click for a printable bracket (PDF file)  You can also hear the songs head to head, as it were, in case you are unfamiliar with any of them. Although I haven't figured out HOW to vote yet, TWC says your votes will crown the tournament champion, with the voting scheduled as follows:
First Round: Tuesday, Wednesday, March 13,14
Second Round: Thursday, Friday, March 15, 16
Sweet Sixteen: Tuesday, Wednesday, March 20, 21
Elite Eight: Thursday, Friday, March 22, 23
Final Four: Tuesday, Wednesday, March 27, 28
Championship Final: Thursday March 29 (Champion revealed Friday March 30)

Birders don't want to be left out of the fun, so the CornellLab of Ornithology will start voting for the March Migration Madness tournament on their Facebook page, in which 16 of North America’s favorite birds take turns going head to head, throughout March. You can vote for your favorite, and the bird with the most Likes will go on to the next round of the tournament. Last year, the beloved Black-capped Chickadee took top honors, besting an all-star set of opponents on the way: American Robin, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, and Cedar Waxwing all fell before the chickadee’s appeal. This year’s tournament starts with last year’s top 8 finishers and adds four new wild cards: Bald Eagle, Yellow Warbler, Northern Mockingbird, and Snowy Owl.

I've heard of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, and yes, the rest of the world is bonkers about soccer, but I doubt that anyone anywhere goes crazy like this every March!