My cat won the office pool

No, really.

I run our office NCAA pool every year, and I've lost just twice since 1998. I like to think I know a bit about college hoops...which makes sense, since there's no sport I'm more passionate about save for St. Louis Cardinals baseball and Detroit Red Wings hockey.

My wonderful girlfriend filled out her own bracket this year and she did rather well. I entered a second bracket for myself and signed the cat's name to it. Damned if she didn't win.

In the first round, I picked every team that had a feline nickname...panther, cougar, bobcat, wildcat and tiger. By doing it that way, I called the Ohio over Georgetown upset. I had a final four for her of Kentucky, Villanova, Kansas State and Ohio State.

Even with no teams remaining, she banked enough wins to clinch the title. I guess when she rubs up against my goatee, she gleaned some hoops knowledge from me.

(In the interest of full disclosure, she beat me by four...I sucked hard this year).

Even though I'm well out of the money, I'm thrilled beyond words that my beloved Spartans are still in contention for the title. Go Green! Go White!