I once appeared on a Chicago radio station to debate whether the Land of Lincoln or the Empire State had the most run-amok public corruption in the nation. The sense of competition made it at once depressing and rather exciting.

Everybody talks about New York having the worst ethical climate. But nobody does anything to try to figure out who exemplifies it the most.

Not until now, that is.

There isn't much in common between politics and college basketball — except for deep-seated corruption, I guess. But who are the Blue Devils or Cardinals of official bad behavior, as opposed to the mere Maine Black Bears of malfeasance?

Let's find out. For the first time ever, we are proud — or, uh, something — to bring you what we're calling March Badness, a week-long online tournament to determine the most odious ex-elected official or powerful public functionary.

» CAST YOUR MARCH BADNESS BALLOT BELOW

Here's how it works: Visit timesunion.com starting Sunday morning to cast your votes in the first round to pick the Non-Sweet 16; voting will run through Monday. The second round of competition, to determine the Egregious Eight, takes place Tuesday. Voting for the Final Maybe-Felonious Four happens Wednesday, with the pulse-pounding championship rounds on Thursday and Friday.

No trophy will be awarded, for a variety of reasons — primarily out of a sense of decorum, but also because of rules prohibiting such gifts in the federal correctional facilities where many of our competitors currently reside.

A few questions you might have:

How scientific is this poll? It isn't, not even a little bit.

Can I vote as often as I want? Not to answer a question with a question, but: You know this is Albany, right?

I don't see a lot of people who I think ought to be on here, including — OK, whoa, let me cut you off there: This list leaves out a boatload of sinners in the public sector, and paring the list of bad actors down to 32 over the course of the past decade or so was not easy.

In building this bracket, we tried to stick to people who were convicted or officially sanctioned for their misdeeds, or whose conduct was revealed to be an unquestionably shabby betrayal of their office.

Many thanks to Jeff Boyer for his layout, Cathleen F. Crowley for designing the online poll, and Chris Bragg for his work helping me determine seeds.

And thanks most of all to the men and women listed below, without whom none of this would have been possible.

And the prosecutors who helped make them what they are today.

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