After a while, change isn’t just inevitable, it’s necessary. Things become tired. It’s important to refresh them before they get stale & unattractive. Phase out oatmeal for breakfast, phase in cereal with fruit. Phase out corduroy pants from Winter, phase in plaid shorts for Spring. Life; it weighs heavy.

Nothing can compare, however, to the weight of March.

The frenzy is upon us. 68 teams over 6 days will do their best to dodge, dip, dive, duck & dodge the bracket-busting bullet of fate. Every year I personally engulf myself in this mini-season with cautious, but calm optimism. Sometimes, no, most always, it’s a difficult task.

So, while you’re doing that bracket thing, here are a few pointers from the Maj to help you stay focused and remember to breathe.

• ANYONE, A-NY-O-NE, CAN GO DOWN!

Every team that’s been invited to the tournament has a right to be there, bubble or not. Arguments over legitimacy will go on forever, but the fact is, they are there so respect them. It’s easy to look past mid-major darlings who draw behemoth monsters of the Majors in the first round, but they all got spark, and it would do you well to remember that these teams feed off of their unofficial underdog labels, long to shock the world in style and very often give these big time programs some of their toughest tests in the entire dance.

• FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU. FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME.

You loved that first round match up of Morehead State against Louisville last year, but just didn’t have the cajones to roll the dice on them. It’s OK, not many did. Just don’t let it happen again this year. If you feel it, it must be. All the numbers, talking heads & seeds can make heads spin, so when you’ve found yourself at a quandary as to who to roll with in an enticing match-up, the upset or the safer bet - the deciding factor should always be your gut. Listen to it, it’s done you right before.

• NEVER ALLOW THE FUTURE TO DETERMINE THE PRESENT.

Let’s say you really like the potential UCONN match-up against Kentucky in the third (second) round. Only problem is, there’s a game they must win before that against a fierce Iowa State team. Same goes for Kentucky, just not as tough. Don’t get caught up on the “what if’s” before you are confident in your “what will’s”. By that I mean if you are a believer in a team should they make it to the next round, you’ve most likely already lost them in the first round. Sure, we have to progress the bracket before the match-up’s pan out, but it’s dangerous to believe more in a team’s potential after they win than before they win. Sure, Connecticut could probably give Kentucky a good contest if they both move on, but Iowa State isn’t anything to look past just because of that potential next round game. Think before you bracket act, you owe your Final Four that much.

• KEEP YOUR HEAD UP.

Upsets abound! Sure, I’m a believer, but it’s wise to temper expectations. Choosing wisely (see above) is a seriously lost art when looking at Cinderella’s. They seem to rise from the darkness & shine brighter than any star in the galaxy (Butler, VCU, George Mason) but they also fade from burnout after a while. There are teams out there built to win this entire tournament, and then there are teams built to win a game or two in this tournament. Knowing the subtle differences between them can be the most maddening task of all. Take the numbers with a grain of salt; instead, give more attention to the conference quality, schedule quality & roster quality. I’m not saying you’ll find a blaring red flag screaming “PICK ME”, but I promise it will make you stronger in your convictions as you progress teams through the dance.

• NOBODY EVER MADE IT TO THE TOP PLAYING IT SAFE.

Safety is for Crossing Guards. If you’re in the madness, you like danger. Fear teams that are experienced, deep, aggressive, have an identity & play team basketball, for they may be the teams facing power conference Giants. They aren’t playing safe, so why should you? These teams are hungry. They want to win for their coach, their teammates, their students & especially the audience watching with bated breathe to see if they can do the miraculous. Yes, it all sounds so romantic, doesn’t it? Well it is. Go to the edge and jump off. The worst thing that could happen is you soar.

Good luck with your pools. I hope you take them for all their worth.

See you in April.

X} Maj - @theMajorGray

Go ahead

6 - 5

OVERALL 2011 FANTASY FOOTBALL RECORD

80 - 46

& for good measure, check out this defensive unit I put together. Don’t doubt the fantasy prowess of the IDP.