Every March the spectacle that is March Madness takes over and seeps into nearly every imaginable facet of life. Hockey is no exception. Over the past few days we have seen numerous NHL players unveil their brackets. In typical form, Alex Ovechkin’s is the most memorable as well as the most fun to analyze.
The D.C. Sports Blog unveiled Ovechkin’s selections which culminate with a title game between Alabama and Kentucky. His Elite Eight selections? Kentucky, Duke, St. Louis, Norfolk State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Alabama and Georgetown. Bold picks, to say the least.
Amazingly, Ovechkin was able to correctly predict that #15 Norfolk State would bring down #2 Mizzou despite the fact a #15 seed had only bested a #2 seed four times heading into the contest. Lucky guess, or did Ovechkin know something we all didn’t?
As you can see above, Ovechkin opted not to fill out his bracket in the traditional manner where you write in the school’s name or mascot. Instead, he opted to use circles and lines – a gesture that speaks volumes of his personality. He also signed his bracket “OVI8”, a move that we can’t help but chuckle at. Did he really believe it was necessary to include his jersey number?
To be fair, Ovechkin has made it known that he doesn’t enjoy writing in English and at times struggles at it. In the manner of saving time and effort on something that is just for fun, Ovie decided to use a creative method in showing which teams he was selecting. We can’t really fault him there.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a better image of Ovechkin’s bracket but what you can decipher from the above is that Ovechkin’s loud personality speaks volumes even when it’s on paper. The nickname and sweater number. The circles and dots that look like a child may have scribbled in their selections. The randomness and unpredictable nature of the bracket.
If Ovechkin really did take time on his selections, power to him for predicting one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history. If he just randomly made his picks, or rushed through them (hence the lines/dots), then that speaks to the enigma that is Alex Ovechkin – a personality that overwhelms his play on the ice and one that is captivating to the neutral NHL fan.
With that, we return you to your normal NHL coverage and promise not to speak about basketball on this blog until next year’s March Madness when Ovechkin submits his selections in crayon – or soaking in booze.
Photo courtesy of D.C. Sports Blog
