New York Times: Dumb Economy Story Of The Week March 23, 2009 1:55 PM | permalink

Well, it didn't take long. I wrote a post last week about The New York Times and their somewhat obsessive focus on the economy, even in stories where it seemed like an odd fit, and facetiously suggested the following:

I'm guessing we'll get a crucially important story in a couple days from the Grey Lady about how "belt-tightening has led to less filling out of brackets in NCAA basketball office pools."

Well, I might not have nailed it word-for-word, but enjoy this passage from a Times article published today about the NCAA tournament:

Not one of the 16 teams remaining...could be considered a remote surprise to have advanced.The tournament has been as predictable as a 401(k)’s decline or Jim Nantz’s trying too hard to romanticize a story line.

And boom goes the dynamite!

While the pointless injection of the sour economy into a story about March Madness is certainly dumb, the article's assertion that this year's tournament is boring (if can insert my own financial term), is right on the money. Therefore, I have abandoned my bracket, and will instead attempt to forecast the content of the next New York Times article that shoehorns a mention of the crap economy in a random section of the paper. As I look at my calendar, I see that Passover is coming up, so I'm going to go ahead and forecast the following:

The Times will run a "Dining In" article claiming that the wounded economy has led Jews and non-Jews alike to use passover matzoh and matzoh meal all year round, because it is much more affordable than leavened bread. The article will include several recipes. 

I'll go ahead and say that article will drop in the first seven days of April. Will I go 2 for 2?

Stay tuned for further updates....