We've got a decent sized group of folks, about ten or so, but we're always looking for more.
If this is your first time, you picked a good year, because anyone's guess is pretty much as good as anyone elses at this point - the bracket's kind of crazy, in my humble opinion.
So, check out some sports sites, read some game previews, and make your selections! Only a day or so more before selections are locked and final!
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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And just to let everyone know - I really suck at these, so you're guaranteed a non-last place finish Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Also, I am planning on winning, so you're also more or less guaranteed a non-first place finish. (Note the use of "more or less" in case I need to adjust the meaning of this statement in a few weeks.)
Seriously folks, join now - ESPECIALLY if you don't know anything about basketball. Since it is mostly guessing anyway, you have a good chance of doing well. If you lose then you can always say you know nothing about basketball. And if you win you can hold it over those of us who follow this stuff.
There's only one big rule: #1 seeds are the most favored teams. #2 seeds are slightly less favored. #3 slightly less than them, and so on. #16 seeds are the least favored. Pick #1 seeds to win much more often than #16 seeds, unless you just want to see gigantic upsets. (No #16 has EVER beaten a #1 seed.)
Now you have no excuse not to join.
Posts: 8120 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Oh, and I think in every year of the tournament at least one #12 seed has beaten a #5 seed.
Otherwise, I think I like ESPN's mascot method (can't find a link). Basically, it breaks down like this, with the upper mascot always beating the lower.
Supernatural or underworld being Human with gun Human with non-gun weapon Ferocious Animal Human with no weapon Nonferocious animal Inanimate object Plant
In ties, dog mascots beat cat mascots. Cat mascots beat bird mascots. The scarier dog will beat the less scary dog, and the same for cats and birds. Plants never win.
12 over 5 is always the best "upset" bet.There's one every year. Except for one #4 seed, 1,2,3 (overwhelmingly 1s) have won. The only time a 16 beat a 1 was in the women's tournament. Only once has anything under a 4 seed gotten to the finals (or final 4?) and it was #8
Do these statistic ever stop me from betting that some podunk #16 will take it all? No, no they don't. Last year I had Old Dominion going all the way because I liked the name.
Our mascot is the Maroon. I have no idea how that figures into your system FlyingCow, but as our only Div 1 sport is quizbowl, I don't think it's much of a concern Posts: 484 | Registered: Feb 2006
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Just for those that think you shouldn't bother if you don't know basketball - we held a bracket challenge at my workplace years back and the people who won were not those that spent hours reading online notes about each time and agonizing over each and every pick. It was two girls who never watched basketball and picked teams based on whether or not they had ever heard of them. Seriously, they would pick North Carolina over Hofstra because they'd never heard of Hofstra.
That's a pretty good strategy in the NCAA tournament, incidentally.
Thanks for the thread, Flying Cow. Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'm such a girl about my picks, I admit. It's all about names, funny mascots, and hot basketball players. Oh, and I'm originally from CT so blind state pride (since we don't have any other sports team) usually dictates the rest.
But I did pick the Elite 8, Final Four, Finals, and winner at one point so who knows (and yes, that was the year that CT won).
Posts: 484 | Registered: Feb 2006
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A woman I worked with consistently scored in the upper half of the people participating... by letter her dog choose. She would repeatedly put two bowls of identical food on the floor, with a name taped to each. Whatever bowl the dog picked, that would be the winner.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Can I ask a really stupid question? In terms of this tournament, what does seed mean? Why do they use the word seed in basketball? It seems weird to me. I get that it seems to be some sort of rating.
Posts: 66 | Registered: Jan 2006
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Seeds are rough rankings within each division. The No. 1 seed is the top ranked team in their division, while No. 16 seed should be thankful they made it at all.
The advantage is that in the first round, all the No. 1 seeded teams play the No. 16 seeded teams, meaning it should be as easy a game as possible, and the highest chance to advance to the next round.
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Hey, you guys hear they are evacuting one of the arenas in California due to a bomb scare? Alabama and Marquette are set to tip off in less than an hour and they can't even get into the arena.
Of course, they need to check everything out, but it's going to be really funny if someone just left a backpack behind in a locker room.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Okay, so my overall winner was one free throw away from losing three hours into the tournament... no problem! That's why you shoot those every practice, right?
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See? I told everyone I was going to suck at this
The thing of it is that when I watch the games, I don't even consider my bracket. And as it turns out, I actively cheer against my bracket. Come on - who else really wanted Winthrop to beat Tennessee? And who wasn't cheering for Montana?
I love March basketball.
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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That's awesome. I remember skipping class in high school to go to the library, where, of all places, there was a big-screen TV. The library would pretty much shut down while we were in there - and by "we," I mean "whoever was able to con a teacher into letting that person out."
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My brother is very angry at Northwestern State for beating his school (Sam Houston State) in the conference championship and keeping them out of the tourney.
Yeah, I do that, too. For me, it's not a gigantic conflict. I have no problem rooting for a team, particularly the underdog, even though I chose differently on the bracket. Seriously, a few games won't make a difference.
In short, I usually pick to be correct, but I cheer for whoever I want. Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I've lost three games so far, but none of them are a bracket killer - all teams that I hadn't chosen to win more than one game.
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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I totally picked Montana to whup on Nevada.
Though I must admit I was rooting for Winthrop, but I had Tenn going out in the second round anyway.
The Marquette loss, though... it's my conference, and one of my final four picks. Bracket = shambles.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Then again, Cuse was playing without McNamara, for all intents and purposes.
But still.
Marquette should have won, if it weren't for Felix. Cuse should have won, except for a groin injury. Seton Hall? Well, yeah, I had no hopes for them in the tourney.
Here's holding out hope for G'town and WVU runs, and UConn and Nova pushes to the Final Four.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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