The odd origins of loyalty

So, granted, I don't give a rip about college sports.
College, for me, was a place for figuring out who the hell you are without the stigma of sports or fraternities/sororities, etc.
Figures that I went to a college without a Greek system, and with one of the longest losing streaks ever in a football team.
(Although our women's soccer team turned out to be pretty spiffy - too bad I don't give a rat's ass about soccer.) But I digress.

I generally don't watch basketball, especially since the Celtics stopped being any good, oh, 18 years ago or so.
However, I do, intermittently get into NCAA basketball.
For absolutely no good reason.
Of course I have my brackets, but there's no money involved, simply a reason for me to stay remotely interested in the upcoming games.

Which is where I discover the aforementioned odd origins of loyalty.

I picked Notre Dame to make it to the Elite Eight, because of Charlie Weis and his football team.
So much for that, they lost.

I picked Illinois to make it to the second round, but no further, because, well, where do I live now?

I picked BC to make it a few rounds because, well, I used to live outside of Boston. Good enough for me. Go Eagles!

But, quite possibly the most irrational choice for random loyalty was my decision to take Southern Illinois to the Final Four. Not to win, mind you, but still.
I currently play on a pool team on Tuesday nights. We play out of a bar called Lincoln Station.
This is our first season out of there.
Prior to this season, we played at a bar called Saluki's.
That's right. The Southern Illinois Salukis would be the team I have advancing to the Final Four.

Meh, whatcha gonna do?
Like I said, there's no money involved and, so far so almost good.
We'll see.

Hey, if nothing else, it's a fine diversion for the last umpteen days until opening day, right?
Right.