Attention citizens: We now have a national NCAA Tournament bracket (and ESPN is involved, naturally). Please adjust your office pools accordingly.
For those of you wondering if NCAA office pools are technically illegal, I wouldn't sweat it now. President Obama filled out the "Presidential Bracket" in an exclusive for ESPN on Tuesday, and picked Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Memphis in his Final Four. Hey, if you were looking for longshots, you should have voted for Ron Paul. Not much else is known yet about the picks, except I see by the photo that he has Pitt beating Duke in the East. The entire bracket it will be posted at ESPN later today, and revealed by Katz on SportsCenter at noon ET.
The President's bracket fulfilled a campaign promise made to Katz during an October 19, 2008 interview, for a story about Craig Robinson, Oregon State head basketball coach and brother-in-law to the President.
I don't know about you, but there's something disconcerting about having Andy Katz rummaging around in the White House. What if he spills coffee on some important papers, or God forbid, gets near the nuclear button? "Hey, we're in Defcon 2. KATZ! ..."
Meanwhile, John McCain picked Arizona to win it all in a private bracket unveiling in his bathroom.
Bonus Rick Reilly headline: The Audacity of Hoops.
UPDATE: Obama picks North Carolina to go all the way. A breakdown of his entire bracket over on The Daily Fix at the Wall Street Journal.
President Obama Picks Bracket In Exclusive ESPN Interview [TV By The Numbers]
Presidenht Obama's Final Four Revealed [ESPN]
Oval Office Roundball: Analyzing Obama's NCAA Picks [The Wall Street Journal]