I promised yesterday that I would tell you my simple rules for filling out the brackets, so here they are:
Only one sheet is allowed - There are actually people out there who will fill out several sets of brackets. If that's what you enjoy then I'm happy for you, but don't tell me that you picked UMBC to upset Georgetown because you had it on sheet #32! Even if you fill out multiple brackets you have to choose one to go with before the games begin on Thursday.
You can't choose all four #1 seeds to be in the Final Four - Last Sunday night I watched ESPN's bracketology show that came on right after the seedings were announced. At the end of the show the panel (Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis, Digger, Dickie V, Bobby Knight) all revealed their choices for the Final Four. Jay Bilas went first, and he chose all four #1's to be the last four teams. Not only that, but he choose the four #2's to round out the elite eight. What wimpy picks! First, all four #1's have never advanced to the Final Four, and second it's too easy to pick like that.
No matter what you've written on your sheet, you still must pull for the underdog - This rule is in place to enhance your enjoyment of the tournament. The best part of March Madness is the first weekend of games, and getting to see some team you've never heard of advance to the sweet 16. Even if you have Texas winning the whole tournament on your (one) sheet, you still have to pull for St.Mary's to win if they are leading the Longhorns in the closing minutes of their second round game. It's just more fun if those lesser known teams win.
Leave school loyalty at the door - My loyalty wants me to pick Clemson to lose in round one against Villanova, but I have chosen them to be in the sweet 16. You've got to try and be realistic. Even though it might hurt.
So there they are. Follow those rules and your enjoyment of this year's tournament will increase exponentially. By the way I've got UNC, Georgetown, UCLA, and Texas in the Final Four with UCLA winning it all, but I'd really rather see a Final Four consisting of St. Mary's, Davidson, San Diego, and Boise State.
3 comments:
Or, you could choose your winners alphabetically (like Emily does). Even better, you could choose Kent State to win it all because Kent Bateman is a good friend of yours (like Grace does).
Who cares about the #1 seed or the underdog when logic is on your side? - Sherry
I agree with the one sheet rule with this caveat. I fill out one main sheet and that's what I go by and that's what I turn in for the big $$. Then I enter a couple others on-line to see how they do. But those don't get credit.
I'm usually an underdog type but when it affects my wins and losses I'm all business.
I can't help but point out that you omitted Winthrop from your Final Four underdogs. As much as I hate them in conference I pull for them to represent. The reverse goes for Davidson since the SoCon gets too much love down here.
i agree with everything except the last rule. last year - because of my deep hatred of duke and coach k - called the VCU upset. not because i thought that VCU would win - i just wanted duke to lose that bad.
you have to pull against those rivals... and then you have to believe that your pulling against them will have an affect. i believe that when i pull against duke - they miss some shots that they would have hit.
that beings said - i have them in the elite 8. i want them to be able to taste and smell victory only before they lose on a buzzer beater from kevin love.
GO TAR HEELS!
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