Obama’s NCAA Bracket Goes Bust With Kansas Loss
EmailJoel Siegel and Karen Travers report:
President Obama should hope that the big health-care vote scheduled for Sunday turns out better than his N.C.A.A. tournament picks.
The First Fan’s brackets –- along with most of America’s -– were left in shambles when his pick for the national championship, top overall seed Kansas, was shocked by No. 9 Northern Iowa 69-67 on Saturday night.
Obama told ESPN earlier this week his selection of Kansas was motivated in part by wanting Health and Human Services Secretary -– and former Kansas governor — Kathleen Sebelius to be happy while working on health care.
"She is a fanatical Jayhawks fan, she's a maniac when it comes to the Jayhawks — talks trash all the time," Obama said then.
"I want her to be happy when she's working on these important issues here," he added.
Earlier Saturday, another of his Final Four picks, Villanova, fell to No. 10 seed St. Mary’s — another huge upset.
The Villanova game was concluding just as the president was supposed to be meeting with Democrats on Capitol Hill to give a pep talk on health care reform. Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, the president was late for the meeting.
Until Saturday’s games, Obama was enjoying a nice run in the tournament. “Obama’s strong First Round,” read a blog post by the New York Times.
He went 25 and 7 with his first-round selections, after correctly picking a number of upsets, including No. 13 Murray State over No. 4 Vanderbilt, and No. 12 Cornell over No. 5 Temple.
Obama also was on the money by correctly forecasting all three of the No. 10 seeds that beat No. 7 seeds in the first round.
Heading into the second round Saturday afternoon, all but two of his Sweet 16 selections were still alive; Georgetown and Marquette were his only busts.
And then it all came undone -– quickly.
Last year Obama correctly picked North Carolina to win the tournament and when the Tar Heels visited the White House a few months later, the president thanked them for "vindicating" him.
– Joel Siegel and Karen Travers
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Another loser from prez blamebush
Posted by: dugfresh | March 20, 2010, 9:38 pm 9:38 pm
I’m hoping the health care plan is as successful as Northern Iowa was. Republican sycophants standing against a plan that will keep us moving forward. Kinda like Kansas was.
Posted by: badmal | March 20, 2010, 9:53 pm 9:53 pm
This is a good reason to heap criticism on the President despite the fact that Northern Iowa’s win has killed everyone’s sheets with the exception of those that live in northern Iowa.
Posted by: plantain_11 | March 20, 2010, 10:35 pm 10:35 pm
Hahaha, Obama fails again.
Posted by: Mike | March 20, 2010, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
Speaking of sheets, I see the tea partiers had theirs out today.
Posted by: Flash Override | March 20, 2010, 10:53 pm 10:53 pm
Who cares what Obama thinks.
He’s always wrong, inept, a socialist and leading the brackets for the nomination of the worst President in history.
Posted by: ssquared | March 20, 2010, 10:58 pm 10:58 pm
Your health care bill will be like your Kansas pick. Have a nice weekend Mr. Prez.
Posted by: dwinnier | March 20, 2010, 11:27 pm 11:27 pm
People against this health care bill:
State now that you deplore todays racist actions or be forever tainted as racists yourselves.
Posted by: Flash Override | March 20, 2010, 11:36 pm 11:36 pm
get a real job mister pres. we really dont care who you pick!
Posted by: bforegolf | March 21, 2010, 12:03 am 12:03 am
Go Panthers!!! (And I don’t live in Northern Iowa)
Posted by: notacornhuskerfan in nebraska | March 21, 2010, 12:03 am 12:03 am
Wait.. seriously? The people who post on here that hate the president are going to attack him over his basketball picks? Really?!?
Posted by: Eric | March 21, 2010, 12:39 am 12:39 am
C’mon this was a no brainer that Kansas would get beat after odemon supported them. They lost just like Corzine, Deeds and Coakley. They all lost! That is what happens when you have a looser supporting you…you loose.
Posted by: Gregory | March 21, 2010, 2:32 am 2:32 am
Again the president stumps and his bad luck rubs on….to be honest, who cares what his picks are! Come on Obama! I’m not interested in your NCAA picks, I am interested in how you plan to jumpstart the economy and keep our country safe. This is not the time to watch basketball!!!!!
Our next American Idol has become the AMerican Idiot!!! Congratulations!
Posted by: TrueP | March 21, 2010, 3:24 am 3:24 am
I also expected Kansas to win, but that’s ok because I set up another bracket and picked – Villanova!
I reminds me of the time local Baltimore TV weatherman Norm Lewis’s house burned down. He said the only things he was able to save were two tickets to Wolf Trap – a concert hall which itself had just burned down!
Actually, I’ve got two more, with Duke and Maryland winning. And, with Kansas out of the way, both have an excellent chance of reaching the Final Four.
Posted by: The_Mick | March 21, 2010, 4:38 am 4:38 am
Let’s hope Obama’s failed pick for Kansas to win-it-all in the NCAA basketball tournament is reflective of how his pick will go today for universal deathcare passing the House of Representatives. Regardless of its passage, please do YOUR part in bouncing out the door in your primary & in Novermber all tyrants in the House and Senate who vote for this bill.
Posted by: Andrew | March 21, 2010, 7:18 am 7:18 am
Obama supports a bill that threatens massive fines and jail time if you don’t buy insurance.
And you care whether he picked KU or not?
Posted by: Joe White | March 21, 2010, 8:56 am 8:56 am
Everything this moron president touches turns out bad.
Posted by: mark | March 21, 2010, 9:56 am 9:56 am
One can hope that Obama’s 6 and 0 ‘kiss of death’ support, re; New Jersey,Virginia governor races, Massachusett’s Senate race. two trips to Coenhagen for Olympics and global warming and the NCAA champion continues today on Obamacare.
Posted by: Patrick49 | March 21, 2010, 10:14 am 10:14 am
What is this, ABC? Comic diversion? America is in deep doo-doo and you think Obama’s picks are the story?
Posted by: TexGEOas | March 21, 2010, 10:37 am 10:37 am
Kiss of Death Continues…
1)Dan Rooney & Pittsburgh Steelers
2) Indianapolis Colts
3) USA Mens Hockey Team
4) USA Womens Hock Teams
5) Marcia, I mean Martha Coakley
6) Creigh Deeds
7) Jon Corzine
8)Chicago Olympic Bid
9)Copenhagen
10)Kansas Jayhawks
Who else seeks Obamas support, endorsement, or predictive victory?
BTW, Jake I will be waiting for you to substitute on This Week. I though Cristianne was great co-starring will Woody Allen in “Bananas”, or did she just borrow the khaki wardrobe ?
Posted by: pauldia | March 21, 2010, 10:39 am 10:39 am
Since Obama can’t get a win without bribes, threats, and begging I guess he didn’t have time to use his “magic” on Northern Iowa to assure a Kansas win.
Posted by: ollie | March 21, 2010, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
Did Obama believe Kansas was too big to fail.
Probably what he believes about himself too.
We shall see.
Posted by: tyler | March 21, 2010, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Wow, I’ve never seen so many illiterate Right wing mouth breathers in one place before.
Posted by: SuperDelfin | March 21, 2010, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
Rep. Dreier(R-CA) becomes the first Republican to denounce the racist tea party rally. It took 24 hours, but at least it happened.
Posted by: Flash Override | March 21, 2010, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
Rep. Dreier(R-CA) becomes the first Republican to denounce the racist tea party rally. It took 24 hours, but at least it happened.
Posted by: Flash Override | Mar 21, 2010 4:19:53 PM
finally. Good for him. Earlier this morning I read the following at TPM:
“Rep. Nunes (R-CA) on slurs and epithets …from Tea Partiers in the Capitol yesterday. His take? Basically, you brought it on yourselves. “When you use totalitarian tactics, people begin to act crazy. And I think, y’know there’s people that have every right to say what they want. If they want to smear someone they can do it….” (Josh Marshall, and there’s a link to a video).
Posted by: progressive mama | March 21, 2010, 4:37 pm 4:37 pm
Keep changing the subject away form our Marxist president to talking about basketball picks.Great job.
Posted by: bobmac | March 21, 2010, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Does he know health care better than he does basketball?
Posted by: Ruth | March 21, 2010, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
Dont focus on the players, make this about Obama….typical media fluff.
Posted by: Red sox | March 21, 2010, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
Sounds like Northern Iowa came to play, and Kansas may have been too full of themselves before realizing that Northern Iowa wasn’t going to roll over and play dead.
Posted by: Al | March 22, 2010, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
Smith and his CBS Sports colleague NCAA basketball analyst Clark Kellogg will shoot hoops with Obama on the White House basketball court.
So when will Obama man up and accept the 2-on-2 challenge from Scott and Ayla Brown?
emini
Posted by: Herry | January 4, 2011, 6:53 am 6:53 am