Forgetting to do something small happens to everyone. About 39% of people forgot one basic piece of information everyday in the United States in the past week. One person’s forgetfulness, however, potentially cost them a lot of money.
James Kiki recently entered into a NCAA Tournament bracket challenge on Yahoo.com and has more correct picks than every single one of the three million contestants. With only three games left in the tournament, he has a great chance of winning the $50,000 grand prize. He will not win, however, because he forgot to pick a champion.
“I don’t even want to think about it,” Kiki said.
According to Deadspin, James Kiki, a South Sudanese refugee who works for On Point, a nonprofit organization in Syracuse, has never filled out a bracket before. He only did so in hopes of winning the $50,000 grand prize.
“Why,” said an upset Kiki, “Why would it let me submit my bracket or save it without filling all the contents?”
Kiki’s lack of a championship winner obviously holds the most importance because $50,000 was on the line, but two other contestants in Yahoo’s league, both tied for 28th place, forgot to place their championship picks as well.
The New York Daily News asked Kiki who he would have selected to be the winner. “Villanova to beat North Carolina in the finals,” Kiki said.
Kiki said he was just enjoying the tournament like the rest of us, not even knowing who he picked, until he started getting messages from other Yahoo users. “I was up top in the standings but had a message from someone else in the tournament that read ‘it must suck for Jahmo Syracuse for not picking the winner…”
Kiki’s few seconds of glory because he did exceptionally well, followed by the agony of the simple mistake he made, really shows just how “mad” March can be. He filled out his bracket in five minutes, and came so close to the money but was so impossibly far away.
At least now Kiki can root for Syracuse basketball to beat North Carolina and advance to the finals. After all, it’s everyone’s dream to cheer on the local basketball team instead of winning $50,000.