Like his predecessor, President Barack Obama is a sports fan. But unlike George W. Bush, who once owned the Texas Rangers and loved riding his mountain bike, Obama is often shown hooping it up. In fact, his special assistant, Reggie Love, even played basketball at Duke University.
With March Madness upon us, Obama, as he has done the previous two years in office, released his NCAA Tournament brackets on both the men's and women's side.
We'll save you the suspense: the president likes the UConn women's team to win the whole thing, which would be their third consecutive national title, and the second three-peat in school history.
Obama doesn't think the men will have quite the same success, but given what this team has been through in 2010-2011 -- the NCAA sanctions, growing pains that accompany youth and inexperience, uneven play and, ultimately, a late-season resurgence culminating in an improbable run through the Big East Tournament -- it's not a bad way to top off what Jim Calhoun has called one of his most rewarding seasons as a coach. The president has UConn defeating Bucknell in the opening round, then beating No. 6 Cincinnati and No. 2 San Diego State before falling to top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight.
In case you're wondering: Obama correctly predicted that UNC would win in 2009 but didn't have 2010 eventual champ Duke in his Final Four a year ago.
