Bracket Bluster

DESPITE COPY-EDITING this year's ESPN.com NCAA Tournament guide, I never got around to getting into a pool this March. What that means is that I can watch the games with some purity, pulling like mad for underdogs without having to worry that upsets will destroy my bracket. And so Duke's defeat last night and Notre Dame's this afternoon had me smiling at the downfall, however temporary, of a couple of smug, self-satisfied programs. I can pray that Reggie Theus's New Mexico State Aggies continue to give Texas all it can handle, as they are late in the first half as I type this. And I can delight that surely every big-conference stumble causes Billy Packer's gut to clench just a little bit tighter.