Displaced by March Madness

Boyfriends will just have to be patient while female basketball fans take time for what's really important: watching the games.

from the March 20, 2008 edition

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I cleared my throat. I'm unused to being the center of attention. "Hansbrough's a great player," I stammered. "He's just on the wrong team."

Mike walked me back toward the couch and patted me on the shoulder. "Sure. Whatever you say."

The final minutes of the second half were ticking away. Duke was losing. I silently contemplated burning the superjersey before the conference championships. Then the game was over.

Mike tapped me on the knee. "So, what happens now?"

"It's tournament time, baby."

His eyes glazed over as I rattled off the ACC Tournament details. "Then on Sunday, after all the conference championship games, they do the bracketology program to announce what teams are in which region for the national tournament, and who the four No. 1 seeds are."

"Bracketology?" His eyebrows were practically even with his scalp. "And you actually watch that?"

He didn't get the importance of seeding and the advantage a team gets by being able to play in its home region. "It means you don't have to travel as much, so you're rested," I explained. "If Duke or Carolina gets top seed in the East Region, they'll get to play their pod games in Raleigh and have the regional championship in Charlotte."

"Pod games. Sure." Mike thought I was making this up. I considered putting him on the phone with my father – a die-hard University of Virginia Wahoo – but recognized that there might be better circumstances under which to introduce my new boyfriend to my dad. I reached over and tickled his ankle instead. "You'll learn."

I've since e-mailed him the game schedule for the ACC Tournament, along with a preview for the NCAA March Madness games. If nothing else, he'll know when he has a shot at getting my attention and when he'll be on his own.

Mike doesn't love basketball the way I do. That's fine. We've tried sharing activities before – he's gotten me up on in-line skates, and I've lured him out rock climbing. It's all part of the give and take of any relationship.

But if he wants to kiss me between now and April 7, it will have to be at half time.

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