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March Madness: Top Excuses to Miss Work for NCAA Tournament

By Mike Clark

Mar 14, 2016; Dayton, OH, USA; General view of team chairs on the court bearing the March Madness logo during a practice day before the First Four of the NCAA men
Mar 14, 2016; Dayton, OH, USA; General view of team chairs on the court bearing the March Madness logo during a practice day before the First Four of the NCAA men /
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March Madness is finally upon us, but you still have a job. Here are the top excuses you can use on your boss to get out of work for the NCAA Tournament.

Everyone loves March Madness, and everyone has a special affinity for the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

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You know, those first couple rounds that always seem to have those “One Shining Moment” moments when the little mid-major (whatever that means) jumps up and bites a No. 2 or 3 seed from the Big Ten or the ACC or one of the other power conferences.

But what is a hardworking stiff to do when working for a company whose boss may or may not be quite as much of a hoops fan as their employees? How do you manage to make your way to your favorite establishment for a few dozen wings and a couple beverages with your friends, and do it without raising suspicion?

Well, friends, you’ve come to the right place. Following are 10 time-honored excuses to offer up to your boss when what you desperately need is a few hours of quality tournament viewing:

  1. “Don’t forget, sir/ma’am, I have to pick up my wife/husband at the airport around noon. Of course, I’ll probably need to take her/him for a quick bite after such a long flight. I should be back by 4, maybe 5. Actually, how ’bout if I just see you in the morning?”
  2. “I felt it would have been very poor form for me to invite my eight closest friends to come to the office with me this afternoon for wings, beer, and a few basketball games. I just couldn’t do that to you. I have far too much respect for this place.”
  3. “You’ve seemed really stressed lately. Whaddya say I take you out for a nice, long lunch. I know a great little place. Awesome burgers. They have a few TV screens that show sports and stuff, but that shouldn’t be too much of a bother for us.”
  4. “Sir/Ma’am, would you mind if I took off a half day both today and tomorrow to watch the NCAA tournament?” (This is known in some circles as the “honesty is the best policy” approach.) Use discretion when considering this method.
  5. “If you’ll excuse me, I just need to run home for five hours.”
  6. “Over the years there have been countless studies showing the wonderful restorative properties of college basketball tournaments.”
  7. “Remember how you said that we’ve had too many people ask off for spring break already? Well, in lieu of spring break…”
  8. “I’ve been thinking. Today might be just the right time for me to test my theory about there being a marked increase in productivity when work is done in a loud, crowded bar.”
  9. “Holy Mackerel! Construction traffic is nuts right now, huh? OK with you if I cut out a little early today to beat the insanity going home? Maybe I could leave, say, 11:30/11:45?”
  10. “I just realized there are only ____ shopping days left until Christmas. You know how uptight I get when I wait till the last minute!”

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So there you go. Hopefully at least one of these is able to work for you and you’re able to consume as much March Madness as possible.

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