Who says tech folks don’t know sports?Software test engineer Russell Pleasant is living, breathing proof that the two worlds do overlap—and, occasionally, in gracious fashion.At the behest of his wife, Pleasant filled out his very first NCAA Tournament bracket on ESPN.com—he took part in an small office pool the previous year, but the ESPN.com Men’s Tournament Challenge was his first large-scale pool—and became one of four people who successfully predicted a perfect Final Four, according to ESPN Fantasy Games. There were more than 3 million brackets submitted. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe An avid fan of sports, Pleasant works for Englewood, Colo.-based online billing systems and cable services provider CSG Systems, ESPN reports. After Florida defeated UCLA on Monday, Pleasant won the ESPN.com contest and earned himself the grand prize of $10,000, according to ESPN.His advice for future Men’s Tournament Challenge participants? Pleasant told ESPN, “Go with your heart and don’t forget about the Cinderella [team].”Oh yeah. Also:“I will be back next year to defend my championship.”Sounds like a challenge …Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature Gen AI success starts with an effective pilot strategy To harness the promise of generative AI, IT leaders must develop processes for identifying use cases, educate employees, and get the tech (safely) into their hands. By Bob Violino Sep 27, 2023 10 mins Generative AI Generative AI Generative AI feature A fluency in business and tech yields success at NATO Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer speaks with Lee Rennick, host of CIO Leadership Live, Canada, about innovation in technology, leadership across a vast cultural landscape, and what it means to hold the inaugural CIO role at NATO. By CIO staff Sep 27, 2023 6 mins CIO IT Skills Innovation feature The demand for new skills: How can CIOs optimize their team? By Andrea Benito Sep 27, 2023 3 mins opinion The CIO event of the year: What to expect at CIO100 ASEAN Awards By Shirin Robert Sep 26, 2023 3 mins IDG Events IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe