March 19, 2026
Arkansas Vs. Georgia: Our March Madness Final Four Prediction (And How Our Relationship Survives These Times)
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RSS Feed It’s the happiest week in sports, for college basketball lovers. It’s the loneliest week for the people dating/married to those rabid fans. Whether you fall in either category or are somewhere in between, Amy and T.J. have some fun anticipating what will happen over the next couple of days and weeks. Some things are true every year: there is always someone to root for, something to cheer about and some controversy to discuss. Buckle up everybody and get ready for some madness!
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, the folks, it is Thursday, March nineteenth, the loneliest day of the year for many women married to men like me. Wait, we're not married yet. Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ folks. And just a slip there of the wedding hasn't happened yet. We're not doing a Tom and Zundeia thing.
00:00:21
Speaker 2: No, but we spend more time together. This is an absolute fact than ninety nine point nine percent of married folks. You might as well be Oh, yeah, we choose it. We choose.
00:00:33
Speaker 3: We're not forced to stay together. You can walk anytime, you know.
00:00:37
Speaker 2: I do, and that's it's not the beauty of it. But no, I have spent more time with you in the last three years than I have with any other living human being.
00:00:47
Speaker 1: Hey, if there was ever a time for you to choose to walk, I would be okay with now. Because today is the start of March madness. I hope you all get the sarcas and we talk to each other like this all the time. Nobody's taking it personally, but today is the start I mean of you have filled out your brackets. Of course you have, because nearly a third of the country, by some estimates actually feels out brackets March Madden. It starts into which you say, what rhades just the idea of it. If somebody said to your moms, hey, oh wow, the tournament's starting today, your response is wow, damn yeah, damn bro.
00:01:23
Speaker 2: Only because I know and look, it's it's something that you're passionate about. And so I have been the last several years. I have watched more matchups, more games and gotten into them, like genuinely speaking, when there is a game that has some sort of storyline, and so many of them do and you and you are actually a really good partner to watch a game with because you tolerate my just lack of knowledge about either the players or even some high rules of the game. I asked a lot of questions, I guess, is my point.
00:01:57
Speaker 1: Just like when I'm watching Bridgerton, I go, am I not annoying as hell? When you're trying to watch one of your shows, Gilded Age, and I have to ask everything about everybody correct.
00:02:05
Speaker 2: So yes, it's in reverse, and you are very patient because it's a fast paced game where if you turn your head away or you start answering my question, you might miss some amazing play, so I get that. So, yes, you have been good and I have watched a lot. However, I just know the next couple of weeks it is just like we can't go to the movies, going out to dinner with friends, like I know that all of that is completely non negotiable. So that's why I just go Okay. I mean, I've gotten to a place of acceptance, but there was a little bit of a learning curve.
00:02:35
Speaker 1: It's just two weeks Thursday through Sunday. What's the big deal? You said? But to your don't you feel though you will relate to this? A lot of couples and relationships. Do you think you're having to tolerate me? Or I think I'm annoying you because I'm asking questions? But doesn't it feel good to know that your partner, even though they might not be into that show or that game, is sitting right there next to you, watching it and asking the questions. Means they're actually giving enough of a damn and engaged in it. That's certainly how I feel when I'm watching a game with you, and I would hope, and I think a lot of you might feel that. Doesn't it feel good to know? Oh, he's actually asking questions.
00:03:11
Speaker 2: Yes, because I know how important it is to you this particular game and then this particular time of year where it's basically the Oscars for basketball fans, so to speak. Yes, I take an interest in it. I take an interest in it because I love you one hundred percent.
00:03:27
Speaker 1: But you also take an interest, and it's fun every single time. It never ever fails. I just give you a storyline and you're completely into the game. Now you're rooting for that kid on the bench. Now you're rooting for that coach. Now you're rooting for somebody in the stance who has a family member down on the floor. You always get into it, and then you end up and it's comical to me. Usually we were at the next game the other night. You're pointing out everybody's shoes. Shit, I never would have looked at before. Oh wow, those are cool kicks. And it becomes a different conversation, and you point out folks who are on the sidelines who are watching the game court side, like why is she wearing that? And all of a sudden, I miss the next two minutes of the game because I'm staring at somebody's at tire it's just how it goes, and you can do that with a friend.
00:04:09
Speaker 2: Yes, pro tip here, And I'm not trying to generalize based on gender because I know a lot of women are super into this, so I don't want to be stereotypical here. But for those women who are like me, who I guess need to find other things that make the game exciting. Yes, there are fun things to do, like talking about people's last names or what would be a good first name with that last name if people have their last names on their background. Some funds with fun with that. We have fun with. Yes, shoes, hairstyles, people in the audience, faces, people are making, the refs and the coaches, all of that. I have fun looking at everything going around the game.
00:04:46
Speaker 1: You turn, we play games within the game. I'm actually trying to watch. But it's fine if it means that is an easy sacrifice. Can I either be with you and a little annoyed or have you just gone for the next three weekends. I'll take your company now. A lot of what you said women and you didn't want to generalize there, but a lot of ways that some people aren't in the basketball get into this event. At least brackets haven't you every year filled out a bracket.
00:05:16
Speaker 2: I haven't filled out a bracket in a very very long time, and I think the reason is you don't fill out brackets. Now, this is interesting because, look, that has been a way to be invested, because now you've got your rooting for your bracket to go as far as it can, whether money's on the line or just pride. It's something that you feel like your gut skin in the game.
00:05:34
Speaker 3: Right.
00:05:34
Speaker 2: But I actually appreciate that you don't fill out a bracket because you get less stressed. I know when you were watching the razorbacks. Sometimes I'm amazed you. Actually, I think we figured out you're a highly sensitive person. You get so invested that you have to walk away, like you won't even be able to watch the last few minutes sometimes when it's tied and a buzzer beater might end up deciding the game, and I'm always amazed that you have to walk away from it. So my point being, when you aren't filling up brackets, you aren't as invested. That way, you enjoy the game more, which means I enjoy the game one.
00:06:09
Speaker 1: But I hate the idea of rooting for a bracket, right, if I filled out a bracket, obviously I would pick every number one seed over a sixteen seed, obviously, because that's gonna help. That's obviously, that's just a no brainer. But if I'm watching that game and I filled out a bracket and the sixteen seed is close to beating the one seed, I would still be stressed rooting for the one. If I didn't have a bracket, I would say, go you number sixteen seed, and you would be rooting for history or the little guy. Differently, I hate it. I've done it one year in my life and submit it to some whatever office I was working in. I hated the tournament because it took away from the beauty and rooting for a good story or Cinderella, and all I was doing was rooting for my bracket so I can possibly make some money. Hated it, so I don't do it.
00:06:56
Speaker 2: That's really why. And I think that's so interesting and to your point, when you fill it out, people try to do the strategy. They look at all of the stats, they see what that's fun. Sports insiders are saying. But I will tell you the only time I actually remember filling out a bracket, I was working for the Today show. We had a fun little behind the scenes thing. I won the pot, I got the highest points. Guess what I did, completely random, just pick teams. I liked the college, or I like the town, or I like the university, or I knew something about. There was zero sports analysis that went into any of my picks, and I came out on this.
00:07:32
Speaker 1: It's usually a safe bet because it made me laugh. It's what this tournament is. It just is You're not going to predict some of these upsets. So sixty to one hundred million, that's what the NCAA estimates how many folks in this country fill out brackets every year. Sixty to one hundred million. Now the sixty four team, This format we've had been around since nineteen eighty five. Question to be asked, has there ever been a perfect bracket since nineteen eighty five?
00:07:57
Speaker 3: Do those numbers for me? How far are we from eight to forty years?
00:08:00
Speaker 2: Forty one years?
00:08:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, forty one years, So in forty one years and that many millions of brackets filled out every year? Would your guest I think you know the answer now, But do you think your guest would have been what would you have said? That?
00:08:13
Speaker 3: Of course, one has been or help.
00:08:15
Speaker 2: You know, before I knew the answer, which I was shocked by, I would have guessed maybe a handful less than five is what I would have guessed.
00:08:24
Speaker 3: That's fair.
00:08:25
Speaker 1: And again, given the numbers, it seems like maybe some year somebody would have gotten.
00:08:29
Speaker 2: People win the lottery. So you know, that's what I'm thinking. Those are astronomical odds. So if people can win the lottery, why couldn't someone have a perfect bracket.
00:08:36
Speaker 1: It's weird to think how much better your odds are of winning the lottery than they are of getting a perfect bracket in the NC Double A.
00:08:43
Speaker 3: No.
00:08:43
Speaker 1: No one has ever in the history of this tournament filled out a perfect bracket, verifiable. I'm sure somebody in some office somewhere you're talking to your boys and they yeah.
00:08:52
Speaker 2: I didn't submit it. I promise I didn't fill it out afterwards.
00:08:57
Speaker 3: Whatever bruh never been proven. Has ever ever.
00:09:00
Speaker 1: In the history of this tournament done a verifiable perfect bracket. In fact, the best anyone has ever done wasn't that great? It's pretty impressive. Forty nine games. That was a guy in Ohio back in twenty nineteen. Normally robes most years, folks get up to the perfect bracket'll be somewhere thirty. They get to mid thirties. If it's a really good year, somebody might get to forty perfect games. But what we're talking about is most brackets are shot after the first weekend.
00:09:29
Speaker 2: That's hilarious. Shit. I mean I knew that, I guess, I just didn't realize that. No one, and this is even with a billion dollars dangling in front of you. Didn't Warren Buffett begin that in twenty fifteen. Yeah, he offered a billion. That's how sure he was. I will give something hot one billion dollars if they get a perfect bracket.
00:09:48
Speaker 3: Yeah. I don't know a lot about him, but I hear he's good with numbers.
00:09:51
Speaker 2: I hear he knows a little bit about making a good bet.
00:09:54
Speaker 1: There's no way in hell anybody is going to ever ever get a perfect Bracley bracket. You will not I get a perfect bracket this year, I assure you. And the numbers are pretty astronomical to the point of hilarious. So what are we talking about?
00:10:10
Speaker 3: Quintillion? You know what that is?
00:10:11
Speaker 2: Yes, And I don't know what that is.
00:10:14
Speaker 1: One in nine quintillion, So I need to add up how many zero, three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen eight, So that's a nine with eighteen zeros behind it. If you were to just flip a coin guessing every single game, you would have a one in nine quintillion chance. Now, if you pick on your own, they have a way of doing this, but one in one hundred and twenty billion if you picked on your own. Still astronomical. The nine point two quintillion robes they put you see those examples here of how they put it in context. I don't know what that means. But researchers at the University of Ohio, I don't know how they excuse me. Hawaii estimated there are only seven point five quintillion grains of sand on planet Earth.
00:10:58
Speaker 2: That's hilarious. One like a tiny grain of sand.
00:11:02
Speaker 1: There's only seven point five quintillion grains of sand. So if I tell you robes go out there and find the particular grain of sand that I need, you'd have a better chance of doing that than getting a perfect bracket.
00:11:16
Speaker 2: A grain of sand that could exist on one of seven continents anywhere, that's exactly under the sea as well.
00:11:23
Speaker 1: Those are your chances. Also, put in context, there are three trillion trees on planet Earth. If I tell you, robes, go out there and find this one particular acorn and you only get one shot to pluck the right one, you have a better chance of doing that than getting a perfect bracket.
00:11:45
Speaker 2: Wow.
00:11:46
Speaker 1: So they tried to give context to where this is not ever going to happen. But they also and you hear the numbers every year, just how much just how much productivity, how much money is being lost in offices and companies around the country because everybody's watching the tournament. Well we have that number too. But it's okay, folks. It is a national holiday, and this is the one day it's okay to go to your office and tell your boss I did not come here to work. Stay here, we continue here on this March madness. This is a national holiday episode of Amy and TJ. Might as well close the post office, might as well close banks, close it all, Close Wall Street. Well, yeah, some people would prefer to close Wall Street given what we're seeing here sometimes, but this is a national holiday. March madness is getting underway. We see these numbers all the time, brogues. I know in this industry we've been in all our lives. We do this story every year about just how much lost productivity? Do you notice it throughout your career in offices that the start of March madness, attention seems to kind of go that direction and there's a loss of productivity.
00:13:01
Speaker 3: Would you say.
00:13:02
Speaker 2: Yes for sure? Now I would say among And again here I am being stereotypical, but it's been my experience and it's mostly the dudes. A couple of girls. You might have some skin in the game, but it is like I see you know, in fact, we have some alone time to gossip and do girl things. I'll probably get my nails done this week more than I would have, maybe get a massage, maybe go out lunch with my girlfriends.
00:13:23
Speaker 3: You're doing today while the tournament started.
00:13:25
Speaker 2: Going to my aesthetition to get just some refreshers.
00:13:29
Speaker 3: You're going how long time?
00:13:30
Speaker 2: Come for a couple hours as long as I can take how many? I think I'll be gone for three hours?
00:13:36
Speaker 1: See this, folks, on the day that the tournament is starting, What time was your appointment?
00:13:40
Speaker 2: One?
00:13:41
Speaker 3: Right around tip off?
00:13:43
Speaker 2: I did plan it. I did plan it.
00:13:45
Speaker 3: This is real.
00:13:46
Speaker 1: She actually planned this other stuff around the around the tournament, even though I was talking to City Swing was walking in school this morning. She always calls and I say, hey, swing by after the after school, come by before you go hang out with you friends.
00:14:01
Speaker 2: And can I guess what she said? Nah, she gets it, got planned.
00:14:07
Speaker 1: She's seen this every year. I have had people do I mean welfare checks on me during tournament days. This is this is it. I'm charging iPads. I am getting everything set in here right now.
00:14:19
Speaker 2: You had a lot of for somebody who doesn't have it. Well, you obviously are rooting for your Arkansas Razorbacks. They play when.
00:14:27
Speaker 3: Today for forty five.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: Okay, I will be back for that. I will be here for that game, start to.
00:14:33
Speaker 3: Finish the game.
00:14:34
Speaker 2: See, I don't know if I'm gonna make it. I love you Georgia Bulldogs, but I don't know my sleep. I have prioritized that tool. It depends on when they are their tip off is.
00:14:42
Speaker 3: So if oh it's nine, it's after nine o'clock.
00:14:45
Speaker 2: That's my bedtime.
00:14:46
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:14:46
Speaker 1: So so so you're telling me if Kirby's smart had a kickoff time after nine o'clock, you wouldn't watch that.
00:14:53
Speaker 3: I'd watch that.
00:14:54
Speaker 1: Oh, Bulldogs disown her. That is ridiculous. They're in the n C Double A TI Tournament one and done.
00:15:01
Speaker 2: You know what, but my sleep. Look, I have to say I have made a major effort this past year, and I really have a boundary and I will It takes a lot. Like Ava has a show, She's got a gig on Monday night at nine pm. I am debating whether or not I'm going.
00:15:20
Speaker 3: To see her performing kids, because.
00:15:21
Speaker 2: It's nine pm that's my cutoff.
00:15:23
Speaker 3: Do you want bring the kids into it?
00:15:25
Speaker 2: We'll see. I'll let you know tomorrow. If I stay I'm on the fence.
00:15:29
Speaker 1: You should stay out anyway. But yes, how much, just how much productivity is lost? They say, ropes. It is in the billions, and not just low billions. A lot of companies are going to lose a lot of money over the next few weeks.
00:15:44
Speaker 2: Really, twelve billion dollars.
00:15:45
Speaker 3: In productivity they estimate.
00:15:47
Speaker 1: Really, yeah, this company out of the Challenger Gray and what is it, I don't know, the finance company or whatever, the company out of Chicago. They do this thing every year where they are able to estimate based on how much much time we're going to spend watching the tournament over the next few weeks, and they say we are on average each of us is going to spend three hundred and eighty two point five minutes, or that's about six and a half hours over the next three weeks either calling out sick or watching at work being distracted. They add all these things up and they say that results in companies losing twelve billion dollars.
00:16:24
Speaker 2: Wait, are they averaging six and a half hours basically of calling out or watching games at work per person, per employee, per person over the that's actually less than I thought over the next couple of weeks. How many hours would you say that you will be watching games over the next.
00:16:40
Speaker 3: Couple of weeks, Well, twelve today.
00:16:43
Speaker 2: Right, So the six point four hours seems excessively low.
00:16:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know what those really low.
00:16:48
Speaker 2: People like me who like might watch thirty minutes a day, Well, yeah, you.
00:16:53
Speaker 1: Check in your any moment you spend filling out a bracket or talking about it or looking at it instead of working during work hours, they calculated that's low.
00:17:03
Speaker 2: Six and a half hours is low? Really, I think it's more than that for you. No, well not for me, but for you like you are offsetting me in a significant way. I'm just saying I know what I've seen when I was in the office on a day like today and tomorrow. The distraction level is like if you I'm saying, if it was one day, six and a half hours today, I believe for the next couple of weeks, you're saying you're only distracted on average six and a half hours during March madness.
00:17:31
Speaker 3: When you added up.
00:17:32
Speaker 1: But most people all going to spend six hours or two hours not doing work.
00:17:36
Speaker 2: But can you give me a number of how many hours you think you will spend watching basketball over the next couple of weeks?
00:17:42
Speaker 3: Twelve today, twelve tomorrow, six on Saturday, six on Sunday. So what does that right now?
00:17:50
Speaker 2: At thirty six, right now, there will.
00:17:52
Speaker 1: Be no doubt thirty six hours of me staring at a screen through Sunday.
00:17:59
Speaker 2: In just the next four days through.
00:18:00
Speaker 3: Sunday, one hundred and fifty.
00:18:04
Speaker 2: All right, Well, if anyone is lonely wants to go to lunch, let me know. I'm I'm free. Apparently I'm free.
00:18:10
Speaker 1: You are also free to grab a seat right next to me.
00:18:14
Speaker 2: I will in the good games, and definitely the last two minutes.
00:18:17
Speaker 1: If they're all good games. Maybe they're all good games. Folks enjoy the tournament. We certainly are going to enjoy it. Here, we'll make that marriage counseling. Why don't keep saying marriage? Did we get married and I didn't realize.
00:18:30
Speaker 3: Why don't keep saying no?
00:18:32
Speaker 2: But you did say yesterday that we should go ahead, and I didn't get that done.
00:18:36
Speaker 1: Oh man, we're just adding this so we can put this in our relationship feed.
00:18:43
Speaker 3: Folks.
00:18:44
Speaker 1: Enjoy your.
00:18:48
Speaker 3: Actually, that was funny, made you laugh. All right, folks, appreciate you listening as always. Enjoy your basketball watching. Go Hogs, go bull Dogs. Today we'll talk to y'allson.
00:19:00
Speaker 2: Thank
Speaker 1: Hey, the folks, it is Thursday, March nineteenth, the loneliest day of the year for many women married to men like me. Wait, we're not married yet. Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ folks. And just a slip there of the wedding hasn't happened yet. We're not doing a Tom and Zundeia thing.
00:00:21
Speaker 2: No, but we spend more time together. This is an absolute fact than ninety nine point nine percent of married folks. You might as well be Oh, yeah, we choose it. We choose.
00:00:33
Speaker 3: We're not forced to stay together. You can walk anytime, you know.
00:00:37
Speaker 2: I do, and that's it's not the beauty of it. But no, I have spent more time with you in the last three years than I have with any other living human being.
00:00:47
Speaker 1: Hey, if there was ever a time for you to choose to walk, I would be okay with now. Because today is the start of March madness. I hope you all get the sarcas and we talk to each other like this all the time. Nobody's taking it personally, but today is the start I mean of you have filled out your brackets. Of course you have, because nearly a third of the country, by some estimates actually feels out brackets March Madden. It starts into which you say, what rhades just the idea of it. If somebody said to your moms, hey, oh wow, the tournament's starting today, your response is wow, damn yeah, damn bro.
00:01:23
Speaker 2: Only because I know and look, it's it's something that you're passionate about. And so I have been the last several years. I have watched more matchups, more games and gotten into them, like genuinely speaking, when there is a game that has some sort of storyline, and so many of them do and you and you are actually a really good partner to watch a game with because you tolerate my just lack of knowledge about either the players or even some high rules of the game. I asked a lot of questions, I guess, is my point.
00:01:57
Speaker 1: Just like when I'm watching Bridgerton, I go, am I not annoying as hell? When you're trying to watch one of your shows, Gilded Age, and I have to ask everything about everybody correct.
00:02:05
Speaker 2: So yes, it's in reverse, and you are very patient because it's a fast paced game where if you turn your head away or you start answering my question, you might miss some amazing play, so I get that. So, yes, you have been good and I have watched a lot. However, I just know the next couple of weeks it is just like we can't go to the movies, going out to dinner with friends, like I know that all of that is completely non negotiable. So that's why I just go Okay. I mean, I've gotten to a place of acceptance, but there was a little bit of a learning curve.
00:02:35
Speaker 1: It's just two weeks Thursday through Sunday. What's the big deal? You said? But to your don't you feel though you will relate to this? A lot of couples and relationships. Do you think you're having to tolerate me? Or I think I'm annoying you because I'm asking questions? But doesn't it feel good to know that your partner, even though they might not be into that show or that game, is sitting right there next to you, watching it and asking the questions. Means they're actually giving enough of a damn and engaged in it. That's certainly how I feel when I'm watching a game with you, and I would hope, and I think a lot of you might feel that. Doesn't it feel good to know? Oh, he's actually asking questions.
00:03:11
Speaker 2: Yes, because I know how important it is to you this particular game and then this particular time of year where it's basically the Oscars for basketball fans, so to speak. Yes, I take an interest in it. I take an interest in it because I love you one hundred percent.
00:03:27
Speaker 1: But you also take an interest, and it's fun every single time. It never ever fails. I just give you a storyline and you're completely into the game. Now you're rooting for that kid on the bench. Now you're rooting for that coach. Now you're rooting for somebody in the stance who has a family member down on the floor. You always get into it, and then you end up and it's comical to me. Usually we were at the next game the other night. You're pointing out everybody's shoes. Shit, I never would have looked at before. Oh wow, those are cool kicks. And it becomes a different conversation, and you point out folks who are on the sidelines who are watching the game court side, like why is she wearing that? And all of a sudden, I miss the next two minutes of the game because I'm staring at somebody's at tire it's just how it goes, and you can do that with a friend.
00:04:09
Speaker 2: Yes, pro tip here, And I'm not trying to generalize based on gender because I know a lot of women are super into this, so I don't want to be stereotypical here. But for those women who are like me, who I guess need to find other things that make the game exciting. Yes, there are fun things to do, like talking about people's last names or what would be a good first name with that last name if people have their last names on their background. Some funds with fun with that. We have fun with. Yes, shoes, hairstyles, people in the audience, faces, people are making, the refs and the coaches, all of that. I have fun looking at everything going around the game.
00:04:46
Speaker 1: You turn, we play games within the game. I'm actually trying to watch. But it's fine if it means that is an easy sacrifice. Can I either be with you and a little annoyed or have you just gone for the next three weekends. I'll take your company now. A lot of what you said women and you didn't want to generalize there, but a lot of ways that some people aren't in the basketball get into this event. At least brackets haven't you every year filled out a bracket.
00:05:16
Speaker 2: I haven't filled out a bracket in a very very long time, and I think the reason is you don't fill out brackets. Now, this is interesting because, look, that has been a way to be invested, because now you've got your rooting for your bracket to go as far as it can, whether money's on the line or just pride. It's something that you feel like your gut skin in the game.
00:05:34
Speaker 3: Right.
00:05:34
Speaker 2: But I actually appreciate that you don't fill out a bracket because you get less stressed. I know when you were watching the razorbacks. Sometimes I'm amazed you. Actually, I think we figured out you're a highly sensitive person. You get so invested that you have to walk away, like you won't even be able to watch the last few minutes sometimes when it's tied and a buzzer beater might end up deciding the game, and I'm always amazed that you have to walk away from it. So my point being, when you aren't filling up brackets, you aren't as invested. That way, you enjoy the game more, which means I enjoy the game one.
00:06:09
Speaker 1: But I hate the idea of rooting for a bracket, right, if I filled out a bracket, obviously I would pick every number one seed over a sixteen seed, obviously, because that's gonna help. That's obviously, that's just a no brainer. But if I'm watching that game and I filled out a bracket and the sixteen seed is close to beating the one seed, I would still be stressed rooting for the one. If I didn't have a bracket, I would say, go you number sixteen seed, and you would be rooting for history or the little guy. Differently, I hate it. I've done it one year in my life and submit it to some whatever office I was working in. I hated the tournament because it took away from the beauty and rooting for a good story or Cinderella, and all I was doing was rooting for my bracket so I can possibly make some money. Hated it, so I don't do it.
00:06:56
Speaker 2: That's really why. And I think that's so interesting and to your point, when you fill it out, people try to do the strategy. They look at all of the stats, they see what that's fun. Sports insiders are saying. But I will tell you the only time I actually remember filling out a bracket, I was working for the Today show. We had a fun little behind the scenes thing. I won the pot, I got the highest points. Guess what I did, completely random, just pick teams. I liked the college, or I like the town, or I like the university, or I knew something about. There was zero sports analysis that went into any of my picks, and I came out on this.
00:07:32
Speaker 1: It's usually a safe bet because it made me laugh. It's what this tournament is. It just is You're not going to predict some of these upsets. So sixty to one hundred million, that's what the NCAA estimates how many folks in this country fill out brackets every year. Sixty to one hundred million. Now the sixty four team, This format we've had been around since nineteen eighty five. Question to be asked, has there ever been a perfect bracket since nineteen eighty five?
00:07:57
Speaker 3: Do those numbers for me? How far are we from eight to forty years?
00:08:00
Speaker 2: Forty one years?
00:08:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, forty one years, So in forty one years and that many millions of brackets filled out every year? Would your guest I think you know the answer now, But do you think your guest would have been what would you have said? That?
00:08:13
Speaker 3: Of course, one has been or help.
00:08:15
Speaker 2: You know, before I knew the answer, which I was shocked by, I would have guessed maybe a handful less than five is what I would have guessed.
00:08:24
Speaker 3: That's fair.
00:08:25
Speaker 1: And again, given the numbers, it seems like maybe some year somebody would have gotten.
00:08:29
Speaker 2: People win the lottery. So you know, that's what I'm thinking. Those are astronomical odds. So if people can win the lottery, why couldn't someone have a perfect bracket.
00:08:36
Speaker 1: It's weird to think how much better your odds are of winning the lottery than they are of getting a perfect bracket in the NC Double A.
00:08:43
Speaker 3: No.
00:08:43
Speaker 1: No one has ever in the history of this tournament filled out a perfect bracket, verifiable. I'm sure somebody in some office somewhere you're talking to your boys and they yeah.
00:08:52
Speaker 2: I didn't submit it. I promise I didn't fill it out afterwards.
00:08:57
Speaker 3: Whatever bruh never been proven. Has ever ever.
00:09:00
Speaker 1: In the history of this tournament done a verifiable perfect bracket. In fact, the best anyone has ever done wasn't that great? It's pretty impressive. Forty nine games. That was a guy in Ohio back in twenty nineteen. Normally robes most years, folks get up to the perfect bracket'll be somewhere thirty. They get to mid thirties. If it's a really good year, somebody might get to forty perfect games. But what we're talking about is most brackets are shot after the first weekend.
00:09:29
Speaker 2: That's hilarious. Shit. I mean I knew that, I guess, I just didn't realize that. No one, and this is even with a billion dollars dangling in front of you. Didn't Warren Buffett begin that in twenty fifteen. Yeah, he offered a billion. That's how sure he was. I will give something hot one billion dollars if they get a perfect bracket.
00:09:48
Speaker 3: Yeah. I don't know a lot about him, but I hear he's good with numbers.
00:09:51
Speaker 2: I hear he knows a little bit about making a good bet.
00:09:54
Speaker 1: There's no way in hell anybody is going to ever ever get a perfect Bracley bracket. You will not I get a perfect bracket this year, I assure you. And the numbers are pretty astronomical to the point of hilarious. So what are we talking about?
00:10:10
Speaker 3: Quintillion? You know what that is?
00:10:11
Speaker 2: Yes, And I don't know what that is.
00:10:14
Speaker 1: One in nine quintillion, So I need to add up how many zero, three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen eight, So that's a nine with eighteen zeros behind it. If you were to just flip a coin guessing every single game, you would have a one in nine quintillion chance. Now, if you pick on your own, they have a way of doing this, but one in one hundred and twenty billion if you picked on your own. Still astronomical. The nine point two quintillion robes they put you see those examples here of how they put it in context. I don't know what that means. But researchers at the University of Ohio, I don't know how they excuse me. Hawaii estimated there are only seven point five quintillion grains of sand on planet Earth.
00:10:58
Speaker 2: That's hilarious. One like a tiny grain of sand.
00:11:02
Speaker 1: There's only seven point five quintillion grains of sand. So if I tell you robes go out there and find the particular grain of sand that I need, you'd have a better chance of doing that than getting a perfect bracket.
00:11:16
Speaker 2: A grain of sand that could exist on one of seven continents anywhere, that's exactly under the sea as well.
00:11:23
Speaker 1: Those are your chances. Also, put in context, there are three trillion trees on planet Earth. If I tell you, robes, go out there and find this one particular acorn and you only get one shot to pluck the right one, you have a better chance of doing that than getting a perfect bracket.
00:11:45
Speaker 2: Wow.
00:11:46
Speaker 1: So they tried to give context to where this is not ever going to happen. But they also and you hear the numbers every year, just how much just how much productivity, how much money is being lost in offices and companies around the country because everybody's watching the tournament. Well we have that number too. But it's okay, folks. It is a national holiday, and this is the one day it's okay to go to your office and tell your boss I did not come here to work. Stay here, we continue here on this March madness. This is a national holiday episode of Amy and TJ. Might as well close the post office, might as well close banks, close it all, Close Wall Street. Well, yeah, some people would prefer to close Wall Street given what we're seeing here sometimes, but this is a national holiday. March madness is getting underway. We see these numbers all the time, brogues. I know in this industry we've been in all our lives. We do this story every year about just how much lost productivity? Do you notice it throughout your career in offices that the start of March madness, attention seems to kind of go that direction and there's a loss of productivity.
00:13:01
Speaker 3: Would you say.
00:13:02
Speaker 2: Yes for sure? Now I would say among And again here I am being stereotypical, but it's been my experience and it's mostly the dudes. A couple of girls. You might have some skin in the game, but it is like I see you know, in fact, we have some alone time to gossip and do girl things. I'll probably get my nails done this week more than I would have, maybe get a massage, maybe go out lunch with my girlfriends.
00:13:23
Speaker 3: You're doing today while the tournament started.
00:13:25
Speaker 2: Going to my aesthetition to get just some refreshers.
00:13:29
Speaker 3: You're going how long time?
00:13:30
Speaker 2: Come for a couple hours as long as I can take how many? I think I'll be gone for three hours?
00:13:36
Speaker 1: See this, folks, on the day that the tournament is starting, What time was your appointment?
00:13:40
Speaker 2: One?
00:13:41
Speaker 3: Right around tip off?
00:13:43
Speaker 2: I did plan it. I did plan it.
00:13:45
Speaker 3: This is real.
00:13:46
Speaker 1: She actually planned this other stuff around the around the tournament, even though I was talking to City Swing was walking in school this morning. She always calls and I say, hey, swing by after the after school, come by before you go hang out with you friends.
00:14:01
Speaker 2: And can I guess what she said? Nah, she gets it, got planned.
00:14:07
Speaker 1: She's seen this every year. I have had people do I mean welfare checks on me during tournament days. This is this is it. I'm charging iPads. I am getting everything set in here right now.
00:14:19
Speaker 2: You had a lot of for somebody who doesn't have it. Well, you obviously are rooting for your Arkansas Razorbacks. They play when.
00:14:27
Speaker 3: Today for forty five.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: Okay, I will be back for that. I will be here for that game, start to.
00:14:33
Speaker 3: Finish the game.
00:14:34
Speaker 2: See, I don't know if I'm gonna make it. I love you Georgia Bulldogs, but I don't know my sleep. I have prioritized that tool. It depends on when they are their tip off is.
00:14:42
Speaker 3: So if oh it's nine, it's after nine o'clock.
00:14:45
Speaker 2: That's my bedtime.
00:14:46
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:14:46
Speaker 1: So so so you're telling me if Kirby's smart had a kickoff time after nine o'clock, you wouldn't watch that.
00:14:53
Speaker 3: I'd watch that.
00:14:54
Speaker 1: Oh, Bulldogs disown her. That is ridiculous. They're in the n C Double A TI Tournament one and done.
00:15:01
Speaker 2: You know what, but my sleep. Look, I have to say I have made a major effort this past year, and I really have a boundary and I will It takes a lot. Like Ava has a show, She's got a gig on Monday night at nine pm. I am debating whether or not I'm going.
00:15:20
Speaker 3: To see her performing kids, because.
00:15:21
Speaker 2: It's nine pm that's my cutoff.
00:15:23
Speaker 3: Do you want bring the kids into it?
00:15:25
Speaker 2: We'll see. I'll let you know tomorrow. If I stay I'm on the fence.
00:15:29
Speaker 1: You should stay out anyway. But yes, how much, just how much productivity is lost? They say, ropes. It is in the billions, and not just low billions. A lot of companies are going to lose a lot of money over the next few weeks.
00:15:44
Speaker 2: Really, twelve billion dollars.
00:15:45
Speaker 3: In productivity they estimate.
00:15:47
Speaker 1: Really, yeah, this company out of the Challenger Gray and what is it, I don't know, the finance company or whatever, the company out of Chicago. They do this thing every year where they are able to estimate based on how much much time we're going to spend watching the tournament over the next few weeks, and they say we are on average each of us is going to spend three hundred and eighty two point five minutes, or that's about six and a half hours over the next three weeks either calling out sick or watching at work being distracted. They add all these things up and they say that results in companies losing twelve billion dollars.
00:16:24
Speaker 2: Wait, are they averaging six and a half hours basically of calling out or watching games at work per person, per employee, per person over the that's actually less than I thought over the next couple of weeks. How many hours would you say that you will be watching games over the next.
00:16:40
Speaker 3: Couple of weeks, Well, twelve today.
00:16:43
Speaker 2: Right, So the six point four hours seems excessively low.
00:16:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know what those really low.
00:16:48
Speaker 2: People like me who like might watch thirty minutes a day, Well, yeah, you.
00:16:53
Speaker 1: Check in your any moment you spend filling out a bracket or talking about it or looking at it instead of working during work hours, they calculated that's low.
00:17:03
Speaker 2: Six and a half hours is low? Really, I think it's more than that for you. No, well not for me, but for you like you are offsetting me in a significant way. I'm just saying I know what I've seen when I was in the office on a day like today and tomorrow. The distraction level is like if you I'm saying, if it was one day, six and a half hours today, I believe for the next couple of weeks, you're saying you're only distracted on average six and a half hours during March madness.
00:17:31
Speaker 3: When you added up.
00:17:32
Speaker 1: But most people all going to spend six hours or two hours not doing work.
00:17:36
Speaker 2: But can you give me a number of how many hours you think you will spend watching basketball over the next couple of weeks?
00:17:42
Speaker 3: Twelve today, twelve tomorrow, six on Saturday, six on Sunday. So what does that right now?
00:17:50
Speaker 2: At thirty six, right now, there will.
00:17:52
Speaker 1: Be no doubt thirty six hours of me staring at a screen through Sunday.
00:17:59
Speaker 2: In just the next four days through.
00:18:00
Speaker 3: Sunday, one hundred and fifty.
00:18:04
Speaker 2: All right, Well, if anyone is lonely wants to go to lunch, let me know. I'm I'm free. Apparently I'm free.
00:18:10
Speaker 1: You are also free to grab a seat right next to me.
00:18:14
Speaker 2: I will in the good games, and definitely the last two minutes.
00:18:17
Speaker 1: If they're all good games. Maybe they're all good games. Folks enjoy the tournament. We certainly are going to enjoy it. Here, we'll make that marriage counseling. Why don't keep saying marriage? Did we get married and I didn't realize.
00:18:30
Speaker 3: Why don't keep saying no?
00:18:32
Speaker 2: But you did say yesterday that we should go ahead, and I didn't get that done.
00:18:36
Speaker 1: Oh man, we're just adding this so we can put this in our relationship feed.
00:18:43
Speaker 3: Folks.
00:18:44
Speaker 1: Enjoy your.
00:18:48
Speaker 3: Actually, that was funny, made you laugh. All right, folks, appreciate you listening as always. Enjoy your basketball watching. Go Hogs, go bull Dogs. Today we'll talk to y'allson.
00:19:00
Speaker 2: Thank