Beware the Ides of March (Madness)!
I spent much of my free time (which is very little) this past weekend watching the NCAA Men’s Basketball conference championships, which I find much more compelling than midseason NBA basketball. While I like to watch sports (passive endeavor), I’ve always been someone who likes playing sports more (active endeavor). Furthermore, I am more interested in an exciting game rather than which teams are playing. Nonetheless, the NCAA college basketball tournament (“The Big Dance”) is undeniably one of the most compelling sports event of the year. In this week’s Find, I provide a way to enhance your enjoyment of the Big Dance, whether you are a seasoned sports fanatic (watch every game) or even if you never imagined you could enjoy college basketball.
Ok, here’s how I see it. I’m not advocating gambling (though I am a Libertarian), but skin in the game makes watching sports just that much more fun. For those of you that don’t work in an office, didn’t graduate from a Big 10 University, or don’t socialize with a bunch of sports fanatics, The Find is offering you a bracket challenge so you can feel part of something and give you a reason to care. To keep it interesting, the winner will join me (gratis) on a Finding Expedition in New York City at a mutually agreeable time; I don’t think I need fine print as I trust the winner won’t be difficult or annoying.
As most of you know, the key is often Finding the diamond in the rough that upsets the team favored by those that you are competing against. However, the key is not to be different, it is to be right! Food for thought and good luck!
Now that you are in it to win it, you need an App that lets you know what is going on so you can tune in at the critical moments. This will enable you to say with a straight face that, “I was watching when so and so hit a shot from half court as time was expiring to complete the upset over so and so.” Thuuz is an incredibly powerful app that ranks games in any and every sport as they are happening on a scale of 1-100. This app is great for the NCAA tournament, so you only have to tune in where the game is tight and near the end. This app is also great for following any team or sport, including Golf, Rugby and Cricket, if you can find the channels!
Things are falling into place. You have your bracket. Check. You know when games get exciting. Check. Now you need a place to go with friends and/or strangers to enjoy the games. Sorry for those of you that don’t live on the UES or work Midtown East but we do need some cool things in our hood too. Hence, go to The Jeffrey, a new take on the gastropub craze, which is located on 60th street just at the foot of the Queensboro Bridge.
This establishment has it all. It is a laid back espresso bar serving locally-roasted artisanal coffees from Cafe Grumpy, in case you arrive before noon and aren’t quite ready to drink booze. They have an amazing food menu that consists of Bites, Sandwiches, and Oysters. The Bites, which are an assortment of traditional bar snacks served in nontraditional (better) ways, include my favorite, the Devils On Horseback which is bleu cheese stuffed dates wrapped in Nueske’s bacon with wholegrain mustard. The sandwiches are great too and include the namesake Jeffrey Cheeseburger, which is a 6oz Pat La Frieda beef patty, caramelized onion, pickles, lettuce & American cheese. Of course they have an incredible selection of beers for you beers snobs (you know who you are) as they have an innovative tap system with over 30 International beers to select from. Also, they have an intriguing cocktails selection prepared by their own famous bearded alchemist (link to video). And last, but not least, they have a bunch of TV’s that will play your NCAA games. And if that wasn’t enough, there is a heated beer garden in case you need some fresh air tainted by the fumes of cars coming off the bridge!
Now you are ALL part of and deeply engaged in The Big Dance, consider CBS Bracket Games, Thuuz, and The Jeffrey Found!