It’s one of the more wonderful times in the year in that it’s NCAA tournament time — just about the only time the Modern Gal pays attention to the college basketball scene at large.

Somehow this year at work I inherited the job of my former office’s bracket commissioner, a job that previously belonged to my former boss who’s since moved on to bigger and better things in the NYC.

I gave explicit instructions to my co-workers and some assorted friends who are spread across the country on Monday: have your bracket faxed to me by noon EDT Thursday, about 15 minutes before any of the games start. The former bracket commissioner did a good job of preventing bracketeering and fraud and I was damned determined I would too.

I received the following pleas for bracket filing extensions:
1. I’ve been on the couch since Tuesday with strep throat (yes Jay, I’m calling you out 🙂
2. I have a lung infection.
3. I may have torn my rotator cuff when I fell walking to the hockey game, and now I have to go to the doctor.
4. Work got in the way.

I allowed Nos. 1 and 2 to e-mail their picks in. No. 3 is going to get docked a couple of points and No. 4 is denied. Work NEVER gets in the way of the NCAA tournament.

It’s worth mentioning that the colleague who’s on vacation managed to get her bracket in on time.

Modern gal tip: Do your bracket on Sunday night as they’re being announced. Then you have three and a half days to get that bracket to the appropriate bracket commissioner.