'March Madness' Fans Make a Break for Viewing Out

Fans who have caught part of March Madness fever are finally popping in at local pubs.

These sometimes-scattered groups of basketball fans come in part to cheer on a favorite team, but just as often watch to see how their bracket predictions turn out.

Vernon Little of Ellisville stopped by The Corner Pub and Grill to watch the University of Connecticut Huskies play the San Diego State University Aztecs. The Huskies won, 75 – 67.

“I stopped here because I can watch the game in relative peace,” he said. “No wife or kids interrupting me.”

Little admitted that he was rooting for the Huskies win, but had hedged his bet anyway by filling out more than one bracket.

The Chesterfield and St. Louis Corner Pub and Grill are the official bars of St. Louis’ University of Missouri alumni chapter, so conversations there centered on the recent departure of head men’s basketball coach Mike Anderson.

At Frailey’s Pub and Grill in Ellisville, the bar was full of customers getting ready to watch University of Arizona eventually beat Duke University after a surprising and severe halftime turnaround. University of Arizona will play U-Conn on Saturday.

Some fans admitted that since playoffs are in the final stages, their bracket-predictions now are next to worthless.

Jim Keller of Ballwin said his went into the trash as soon as Louisville lost in a first-round upset to Morehead State.

“I ripped it up and tossed at that point. I'm just a fan of the game at this point.”

VCU vs. Florida State, 8:55 p.m. TBS

University of Arizona vs. U-Conn. 5:55 p.m., CBS

* teams in Bold won and will advance to the 'Elite 8'

You can watch the tournament on the above broadcast networks, or online at MMOD.NCAA.com