Those of you who have been following this year’s NCAA men’s college basketball tournament don’t need to be told how exciting and improbable it has been. Mighty, second-seeded Michigan State lost in the first round. Seemingly abysmal Syracuse, relieved on Selection Sunday to even be included in the field, has advanced to the Final Four. I am heartsick and saddened and also excited. That’s how it goes this time of year.

Apologies for not posting progress on a day-by-day basis. If I had, some of you would have enjoyed fleeing moments in the spotlight. But all that matters is the grisly present. Here is the leaderboard as it stands heading into the Final Four. Notice how few of us have any hope of seeing our chosen champion crowned. Behold and internalize the grim portent of the strikethrough.

Although I (Invisible_Horse) currently sit at a respectable fourth place, notice that I have no more points possible remaining (PPR), having banished the unseemly UNC from my bracket out of sheer loyalty to my now-vanquished Blue Devils. Once Duke exited the stage, I had been hoping for a Virginia victory. They seem like pretty nice guys. But the aforementioned Syracuse dashed those dreams last night.

If you find your name on the list above, take a moment and relish your relative success in predicting the vagaries of this wild ride. But do not get too comfortable. Notice those two UNC fans lurking with 480 PPR. Though I wish against it with every atom of my being, they may yet have the final laugh. Such is the nature of this tournament.

This is, as they say, why we play the game.