NCAA Div 1 Men's B-Ball Brackets

[TonyPSchaefer]

I don't follow sports. Seriously, I don't. I'll watch a Cubs game if it's on TV and I'm available - I love going to Wrigley Field - but I can't name all the player nor do I know the team stats. Likewise, I watched or listened to every single White Sox playoff game once they made it into the post-season. So while I understand the rules of sports and enjoy some sports enough to watch a game or two, I don't "follow" sports. In fact, while watching "March Madness", I have to ask my wife which color I'm for.

So imagine my and my coworkers' amazement when I'm currently second in the office brackets! We don't play for money because that would be illegal. But on the line is nearly 300 "bragging rights" for first place. Second place provides more than 150 "bragging rights".

Here's my Final Four Picks: UCLA, LSU, UConn, Villinova. Of course, UConn and Nova are out.
My Finals: UCLA and UConn
Champion: UCLA

Most of the people - including the person currently leading - picked UConn all the way. No one had George Mason and Florida so that entire side of the bracket is no longer an issue.

Here's how it breaks down for me:
1) If UCLA wins their next game, I will win by 1 with 97 points even if they lose the championship.
2) If they win the whole thing, I win with 129 (second place would have 111).
3) If LSU goes on to the Champion game and doesn't win, I finish tied for third with 81 points and a "Total points scored" tiebreaker. At worst, I get fourth.
4) If LSU wins the whole thing, I again tie for third with 81. At worst, fourth.

Third place offers 96 bragging rights and fourth place offers 64 which is not as many as 300 but still better than losing.

So who did you pick, how are your brackets performing, what's your point count?

[Danny]

The leader in our bracket competition is a novely bracket - the "Fewer Letters Wins" entry. That's right - if LSU wins Saturday night, we'll all lose to a novelty bracket.

[ghostofjk]

I skipped my usual pool this year. I won it last year (100 "bragging rights" ) and am still basking in the glow from that.

Obviously, this year, with all the top seeds gone, it's "anything can happen" time. Therefore, it's the perfect time for a Cinderella team to go all the way and stir the imagination of true sports fans with a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, as the Red Sox did two seasons ago. Who can forget what Boston pulled off?

GEORGE MASON all the way! I think any of the others are more likely winners, with a slight edge to LSU and their muscle. George Mason is the Cinderellaiest Cinderella ever. Ten years from now, people would say "Wasn't it Perry Mason, or James Mason that stole the NCAA's back in '06?" But the students at GM would have a trophy to admire, good for the next 50 years, at least.

GM's coach, as startled to still be here as anyone else in the country is, was quoted today as saying, "I can't tell you how much fun I'm having." That must be doubled by each of his players. Isn't it a great sports story?

[galaxee]

well, i think the entire lab here was out as of last weekend, but we were all hurting after we lost to LSU.

i'm rooting for Mason. i wanna see LSU get whipped.

[TonyPSchaefer]

Someone told me that they were listening to ESPN radio this morning and they said that on their online brackets there are four people who got the Final Four picked correctly. Those people have to be playing multiple brackets. There's no way anyone could have picked this Final Four as their only bracket.

[Betelgeuse]

Originally posted by TonyPSchaefer@Mar 27 2006, 09:11 PM
Someone told me that they were listening to ESPN radio this morning and they said that on their online brackets there are four people who got the Final Four picked correctly.  Those people have to be playing multiple brackets.  There's no way anyone could have picked this Final Four as their only bracket.

[snapback]231147[/snapback]

Yeah. I actually read that on ESPN (linked off of Fark). 4 people got it right, out of 3 MILLION brackets played (and, yes, several people played multiple brackets).

[TonyPSchaefer]

Here's how it breaks down for me:
1) If UCLA wins their next game, I will win by 1 with 97 points even if they lose the championship.
2) If they win the whole thing, I win with 129 (second place would have 111).
3) If LSU goes on to the Champion game and doesn't win, I finish tied for third with 81 points and a "Total points scored" tiebreaker. At worst, I get fourth.
4) If LSU wins the whole thing, I again tie for third with 81. At worst, fourth.[/b]

SCO-O-O-O-O-O-ORE!!!!!!!!

With the UCLA stomping delivered to LSU last night, I have officially won the office brackets!

And no, I have no intentions of sharing. Except that I have to reimburse my wife the entry fee she paid for her losing brackets.