March Metafilter Madness March 13, 2012 9:52 AM Subscribe
Metafilter NCAA basketball Pick'Em!
I started a March Madness Yahoo Pick'Em group.
The group number, name and password are 168614, 'Metafilter' and 'mathowie.'
Hey, take a shot--even if you don't know anything about college basketball, you'll probably make better picks than I will.
I started a March Madness Yahoo Pick'Em group.
The group number, name and password are 168614, 'Metafilter' and 'mathowie.'
Hey, take a shot--even if you don't know anything about college basketball, you'll probably make better picks than I will.
Cool. I am in, and y'all might as well give up. My Tobacco Road proximity gives me impeccable insight into college basketball.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:40 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by Rock Steady at 10:40 AM on March 13, 2012
I don't know anything about basketball, but what the hell.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:42 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:42 AM on March 13, 2012
I'm in! I always do better in the brackets when I'm not biased by the Terps being in there.
posted by gaspode at 10:43 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by gaspode at 10:43 AM on March 13, 2012
Every year I make my bracket using the rule that the school with the better math department always wins. I might be the only person in the US with a Harvard-Duke-Michigan-MSU final four.
posted by escabeche at 10:46 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by escabeche at 10:46 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
My Wildcats didn't make it in this year and so I'm really ambivalent. But maybe if I'm bored at work today I can put a bracket together. *sigh*
posted by carsonb at 10:52 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by carsonb at 10:52 AM on March 13, 2012
escabeche: "I might be the only person in the US with a Harvard-Duke-Michigan-MSU final four."
Actually, that's not an awful pick, aside from Harvard.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:55 AM on March 13, 2012
Actually, that's not an awful pick, aside from Harvard.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:55 AM on March 13, 2012
I'm in, punks.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:03 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:03 AM on March 13, 2012
I don't know anything about basketball, but what the hell.
Psst. LIU-Brooklyn. Blackbirds all the way. You can thank me later.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:05 AM on March 13, 2012
Psst. LIU-Brooklyn. Blackbirds all the way. You can thank me later.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:05 AM on March 13, 2012
I try to throw upsets in, but then they don't upset in the next round, so it's all for naught. Wah-wah.
posted by Madamina at 11:05 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by Madamina at 11:05 AM on March 13, 2012
I'm in. I know quite a bit about NCAABB, for a grey-haired grandma. My Memphis Tigers better not disappoint, and I'm a Calipari hater so my bracket is more emotional than fact-based.
posted by raisingsand at 11:05 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by raisingsand at 11:05 AM on March 13, 2012
At least I don't have to bet against Pitt this year.
posted by octothorpe at 11:43 AM on March 13, 2012
posted by octothorpe at 11:43 AM on March 13, 2012
Actually, that's not an awful pick, aside from Harvard.
But guess who I have winning it all!
posted by escabeche at 11:50 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
But guess who I have winning it all!
posted by escabeche at 11:50 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
I'm in. I will probably win as long as the games are decided by random coin flips rather than by real teams actually playing basketball.
posted by burnmp3s at 11:52 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by burnmp3s at 11:52 AM on March 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have just two words for any potential competition: Pittsnogle.
posted by antonymous at 12:19 PM on March 13, 2012
posted by antonymous at 12:19 PM on March 13, 2012
I like Memphis too, raisingsand. But really only 'cause Pastner was a Wildcat. I view his tenure at Memphis as a preparation of sorts for his long-term golden era career at UofA. Heh.
posted by carsonb at 12:27 PM on March 13, 2012
posted by carsonb at 12:27 PM on March 13, 2012
I'm in, with a half-assedly guessed bracket that wildly overfavors Georgetown because of personal bias.
posted by Navelgazer at 1:16 PM on March 13, 2012
posted by Navelgazer at 1:16 PM on March 13, 2012
troika's technical fouls are ready to take the first round in a surprise upset, then completely fall apart in the second round.
posted by troika at 1:17 PM on March 13, 2012
posted by troika at 1:17 PM on March 13, 2012
I don't know anything about basketball, so I shan't participate, but I am delighted that Alabama gets to go to the tournament for what seems like the first time in forever.
We'll probably lose to Creighton, but whatevs. We got there, dammit!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:17 PM on March 13, 2012
We'll probably lose to Creighton, but whatevs. We got there, dammit!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:17 PM on March 13, 2012
Is Creighton pronouced the same as cretin? Much trash-talking depends on it.
posted by troika at 1:19 PM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by troika at 1:19 PM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
We Will Shock You is in, in honor of the Wichita State Shockers, the team that would be my favorite if I were a sex-obsessed frat boy.
posted by Fister Roboto at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2012
posted by Fister Roboto at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2012
Nope. Creighton=CRAY-tin, cretin=CRET-in.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:10 PM on March 13, 2012
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:10 PM on March 13, 2012
cretin is also sometimes CREE-tin.
You say CREEtin, I say CRETin.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:11 PM on March 13, 2012
You say CREEtin, I say CRETin.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:11 PM on March 13, 2012
Creeters, keep on cretin.
posted by fleacircus at 3:41 PM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by fleacircus at 3:41 PM on March 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've put in a bracket that works exclusively off Nate Silver's predictions so we can all see how you do with against the 538 machine!
posted by Talez at 9:50 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Talez at 9:50 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Oh, good. I was afraid I wouldn't have enough places to put in my picks and astound and amaze the world with my superior prognostication skills. After all, anyone who picked Iona to win the play-in game, I mean first round game*, can't possibly get anything wrong.
* because making people who won their freaking conference championship play in a play-in game isn't at all something the NCAA would do. They're all about achievement and fair play. The fact that more than 30 teams who couldn't equal that feat get a bye past that first round is, however, oh, so eminently fair.
posted by julen at 12:03 PM on March 14, 2012
* because making people who won their freaking conference championship play in a play-in game isn't at all something the NCAA would do. They're all about achievement and fair play. The fact that more than 30 teams who couldn't equal that feat get a bye past that first round is, however, oh, so eminently fair.
posted by julen at 12:03 PM on March 14, 2012
I'm in! Go 'heels!
posted by pointystick at 2:18 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by pointystick at 2:18 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
as long as the games are decided by random coin flips
That's how I ended up with a Final Four of Xavier, West Virginia, Norfolk State, and Creighton. I hope Ike knows what he's doing...
posted by clorox at 7:09 AM on March 15, 2012
That's how I ended up with a Final Four of Xavier, West Virginia, Norfolk State, and Creighton. I hope Ike knows what he's doing...
posted by clorox at 7:09 AM on March 15, 2012
I'm in. I'll be rooting for Mizzou and the Tar Heels...until the championship game when it'll be all Tigers.
posted by schyler523 at 7:36 AM on March 15, 2012
posted by schyler523 at 7:36 AM on March 15, 2012
I've put in a bracket that works exclusively off Nate Silver's predictions so we can all see how you do with against the 538 machine!
posted by Talez at 11:50 on March 14
He doesn't have a bracket prediction model though - it's a probability model that gets adjusted based on how teams do in the tournament.
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:44 AM on March 15, 2012
posted by Talez at 11:50 on March 14
He doesn't have a bracket prediction model though - it's a probability model that gets adjusted based on how teams do in the tournament.
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:44 AM on March 15, 2012
I just got in before the deadline. I'm pretty superstitious about picking my Tar Heels to win, but I let myself do it in one bracket every year where it's plausible, and Metafilter is my bracket this year.
Now, I'm off to watch the 2009 and 2005 One Shining Moment montages and get misty eyed. Excuse me.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:05 AM on March 15, 2012
Now, I'm off to watch the 2009 and 2005 One Shining Moment montages and get misty eyed. Excuse me.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:05 AM on March 15, 2012
Murray State wins. My bracket is intact. Ya'll can suck it!
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:43 AM on March 15, 2012
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:43 AM on March 15, 2012
I had them, too, so now my bracket is besmirched. Dammit.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:24 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:24 PM on March 15, 2012
2 of 2. Suck it, people with non-perfect brackets.
This might be the highlight of my bracket watching, let me have this.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:37 PM on March 15, 2012
This might be the highlight of my bracket watching, let me have this.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:37 PM on March 15, 2012
UNC-Asheville up 4 points at the half. Catch the 16 seed fever!
posted by Copronymus at 1:23 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by Copronymus at 1:23 PM on March 15, 2012
UNC-Asheville up 4 points at the half. Catch the 16 seed fever!
UNC-Asheville is like my fifth favorite UNC system school(after real UNC, UNCW, UNCG and ECU), and I picked against them in my bracket (obviously) but I'm still rooting for them.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:28 PM on March 15, 2012
UNC-Asheville is like my fifth favorite UNC system school(after real UNC, UNCW, UNCG and ECU), and I picked against them in my bracket (obviously) but I'm still rooting for them.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:28 PM on March 15, 2012
WORST OUT OF BOUNDS CALL EVER
UNC-Ashville 2012 - Never forget!
posted by Copronymus at 3:42 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
UNC-Ashville 2012 - Never forget!
posted by Copronymus at 3:42 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
You guys bet against a Wisconsin team to lose in the first round. WI and MU own the first round, then collapse in either of the next two.
posted by drezdn at 5:02 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by drezdn at 5:02 PM on March 15, 2012
Hmm, 3 out of 8 so far. Would have done better with coin flips. Or if I knew anything about basketball
posted by octothorpe at 5:49 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by octothorpe at 5:49 PM on March 15, 2012
Wichita WTF? They forget how to play basketball in that speed bump you call a state?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:49 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:49 PM on March 15, 2012
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue guess double-digit seeded upsets. However, that was my other bracket. Here, I only forgot about VCU and their great coach.
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:40 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:40 PM on March 15, 2012
I'm 10 and 1 so far tonight! I love Gonzaga, so I'm glad they won even though I picked West Virginia.
posted by raisingsand at 7:47 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by raisingsand at 7:47 PM on March 15, 2012
If I would have picked Gonzaga, I'd be 13/13...
Looks like none of us has a perfect set of picks anymore :(
posted by BlooPen at 8:48 PM on March 15, 2012
Looks like none of us has a perfect set of picks anymore :(
posted by BlooPen at 8:48 PM on March 15, 2012
Dead last right now. Not cool.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:37 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:37 PM on March 15, 2012
Oof. At least I'm beating the person that picked alphabetically.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:05 AM on March 16, 2012
posted by Rock Steady at 6:05 AM on March 16, 2012
UConn???? Give me a break! You win it ALL last year and drop the first game?
posted by raisingsand at 6:11 AM on March 16, 2012
posted by raisingsand at 6:11 AM on March 16, 2012
Well my Bruce Weber based bracket is performing well below my already low expectations, which is fitting I guess.
posted by burnmp3s at 6:54 AM on March 16, 2012
posted by burnmp3s at 6:54 AM on March 16, 2012
Why did I have to pick this bracket to pick UNLV to make a run? UNLV just can't stop pissing me off this year.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:11 AM on March 16, 2012
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:11 AM on March 16, 2012
And with that, Norfolk State ruins every bracket in America.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:01 PM on March 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:01 PM on March 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
I had Michigan, UNLV, and Missouri in the Final Four. I think I might lose to the alphabet bracket.
posted by burnmp3s at 6:50 PM on March 16, 2012
posted by burnmp3s at 6:50 PM on March 16, 2012
And now, holy crap, Duke is gone. Dude.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:56 PM on March 16, 2012
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:56 PM on March 16, 2012
I am now tied with the alphabet bracket.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:10 PM on March 16, 2012
posted by Rock Steady at 7:10 PM on March 16, 2012
This is the worst bracket I've ever made. Ever.
posted by raisingsand at 7:10 PM on March 16, 2012
posted by raisingsand at 7:10 PM on March 16, 2012
Although looking at my whole bracket, I am actually doing OK. I had Duke being upset next next round and Missouri losing to Marquette, so the bracket busters thus far are in regions I had predicted some chaos in, even if I didn't pick the exact upsets.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:15 PM on March 16, 2012
posted by Rock Steady at 7:15 PM on March 16, 2012
And with that, Norfolk State ruins every bracket in America.
And saved mine. Somehow they ended up winning four coin tosses so I have them in the Final Four. Let's go whatever their mascot is!
BTW, Ike is batting .531 after the first round. Not bad!
posted by clorox at 11:19 AM on March 17, 2012
And saved mine. Somehow they ended up winning four coin tosses so I have them in the Final Four. Let's go whatever their mascot is!
BTW, Ike is batting .531 after the first round. Not bad!
posted by clorox at 11:19 AM on March 17, 2012
I would like to take advantage of this, likely brief, moment in time where I am on top of the bracket pool (alongside one other person) to say, WHOOOOOOOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Thank you. I will, likely, leave this post very shortly.
posted by NikitaNikita at 12:35 PM on March 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Thank you. I will, likely, leave this post very shortly.
posted by NikitaNikita at 12:35 PM on March 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
With NikitaNikita's example, I'm just marking my shared and likely brief ascendency to the top of the pool.
I swear, I haven't watched a minute of basketball this season prior to the tournament.
posted by BlooPen at 3:51 PM on March 18, 2012
I swear, I haven't watched a minute of basketball this season prior to the tournament.
posted by BlooPen at 3:51 PM on March 18, 2012
I'm pretty sure that this is the worst bracket that I've ever done.
posted by octothorpe at 5:27 PM on March 18, 2012
posted by octothorpe at 5:27 PM on March 18, 2012
As your leading contender, an the one surely to jinx herself right now, I would just like to say the following:
oontz oontz oontz oontz
posted by Madamina at 8:27 PM on March 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
oontz oontz oontz oontz
posted by Madamina at 8:27 PM on March 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
It's a good thing I don't care about my brackets, cause whoo that's some bad pickin'.
oontz oontz oontz oontz
DIY dance party, open in tabs:
Oonce, air raid, PEWPEWPEW.
posted by carsonb at 11:08 AM on March 19, 2012
oontz oontz oontz oontz
DIY dance party, open in tabs:
Oonce, air raid, PEWPEWPEW.
posted by carsonb at 11:08 AM on March 19, 2012
carsonb: "DIY dance party, open in tabs:
Oonce, air raid, PEWPEWPEW."
Don't forget to flick that lightswitch.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:15 AM on March 19, 2012
Oonce, air raid, PEWPEWPEW."
Don't forget to flick that lightswitch.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:15 AM on March 19, 2012
The system... is down.
The system... is down.
posted by Madamina at 12:15 PM on March 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
The system... is down.
posted by Madamina at 12:15 PM on March 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
Well, my bracket is terrible, currently 25 out of 52, but I've still got Kansas to win and only five other people have them too so if they go all the way, I might not end up too bad.
posted by octothorpe at 6:33 AM on March 23, 2012
posted by octothorpe at 6:33 AM on March 23, 2012
Good lord; I'm still in second place, but three of my Final Four picks (including those jerk-ass Spartans, whom I had picked to go all the way) are out. Blecch.
posted by Madamina at 8:04 AM on March 23, 2012
posted by Madamina at 8:04 AM on March 23, 2012
I've still got three of the Final Four, and the one I've missed is in the Region of Chaos, so I think I am still in the mix, as long as Kentucky can win the whole thing. My winning this bracket won't be tarnished when the Wildcats' season gets vacated in a year or two, will it?
posted by Rock Steady at 8:39 AM on March 23, 2012
posted by Rock Steady at 8:39 AM on March 23, 2012
Thanks to Yahoo's Scenario Generator, I know that I still have a chance to win if every single game left goes my way. Barely. But a tiny chance is still better than none, I guess.
posted by Copronymus at 1:48 PM on March 23, 2012
posted by Copronymus at 1:48 PM on March 23, 2012
Damn, I just checked in to see I'm in third place, and the only one with Louisville winning. I may be able to win this thing and all the glory that goes with it. The ten minutes I spent on my bracket will be so worth it!
posted by otters walk among us at 4:37 PM on March 24, 2012
posted by otters walk among us at 4:37 PM on March 24, 2012
I'm a little better than the mean, but with 1/2 a Final Four, probably out of luck.
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:13 PM on March 25, 2012
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:13 PM on March 25, 2012
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posted by box at 10:19 AM on March 13, 2012