Could there really be a workplace that (allegedly) turns a blind eye to rampant acts of sexual harassment yet would restrict their employees from an annual March pursuit that’s become nothing short of a national obsession — in part due to said firm’s urging? According to Connecticut Magazine’s Andrew Brady, Disney’s ESPN forbids staffers from competing in NCAA tournament bracket challenges.
It seems that a couple of years ago, an ESPN crew assigned to covering a tournament game left their filled-out brackets in a place where someone associated with one of the schools could see them. This led to an accusation that the network’s coverage of the event might be influenced by its employees’ picks. The accusation, of course, was worrying to company executives.
The solution? No more bracket betting pools at ESPN, at least not on company time. If that’s not March Madness, I don’t know what is.