March 22 JUST HOW MAD IS MARCH MADNESS?

March 22

JUST HOW MAD IS MARCH MADNESS?

It's that time! March Madness takes over the nation. The NBA and NHL must sit aside and jealoulsy watch as the NCAA takes over coveted TV ratings and media coverage. And, every March, people debate about the basketball tournement. Is the Madness a good thing or a bad thing? And no where else is the madness more contested than the dreaded OFFICE POOLS. Every March, new studies and articles abound about the pros and cons of this controversial matter.

It's the same articles every year. In 2010, the amount of 'unproductive wages' lost to workers doing March Madness Pools stands at a whopping $1.8 billion. It's estimated that 45% of corporate employees participate in some form of a pool. Many workers recieve scary e-mails about the evils of the pools. Most notable this year was one from the Department of Defence, where Major April Cunningham warned that pools are: "NOT AUTHORIZED OR PERMITTED."

And, every March, there are studies and articles in support of the pool. Most notable this year was one from Kansas State Univiersity. It determined that the pools "improve worker morale." It's hard to achieve a happy workplace, and the pools help employees do the elusive bonding that supervisors treasure. The KSU report referenced a Dallas painting manufacuturer who found that although work time was undoubtedly lost, employees checked on things even when 'not on the clock.' With texting and twits, workers remained in touch with each other at night during the games. Talk about Madness!

But nothing about MARCH MADNESS was more disturbing than a report by the ABC NEWS affiliate in Chicago. They interviewed local surgeons and found that vesectomy operations double during the month of March. Why? Because recovery from the procedure requires men to stay in bed, icing their testicles for a week. Now guys have a MEDICAL REASON for taking sick leave during the basketball tourney. The report also mentioned that a vesectomy is a reversable procedure, so you could do this every March.

NOW THAT'S MADNESS!!