2016 MeFi March Madness Bracket March 16, 2016 9:29 AM   Subscribe

It's March, and I'm mad, so let's do another MeFi March Madness Bracket.

An invite link is in my profile.

This year, I picked Big Points scoring, and then I made the points even bigger. It's going to be... what's that word for something really big?

Please feel free to enter up to ten brackets--one of them is bound to do better than the time I picked according to who had the best library school.

We'll have a prize TBD for the winner, and last year's winner kbanas will pass on the ceremonial Metafilter autograph basketball (no, seriously).

Enter now! Challenge brackets close on March 17, at 12:15 p.m. EDT.
posted by box to MetaFilter-Related at 9:29 AM (156 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite

Woo!
posted by kbanas at 9:48 AM on March 16, 2016


I just joined with the one I made for work!
It's the cute mascots one.
I'm mad that Florida isn't in it this year because what could be cuter than a couple fuzzy gators in love?
posted by phunniemee at 11:03 AM on March 16, 2016


Been waiting for one of these, but too lazy to organize it myself. Thanks box!
posted by Rock Steady at 11:09 AM on March 16, 2016




Yay this is fun, I'm in.
posted by Carillon at 12:05 PM on March 16, 2016


I've joined with my personal primatology bracket.

1. Does the school have a department of anthropology? (dedicated departments beat departments combined with sociology, social work, or something else)
2. Are there biological anthropologists on faculty?
3. Is there a primatologist on faculty?
4. Are there primatologists on faculty?
5. Do you have a dedicated place with a bunch of happy primates wandering around close to campus?

And that is how Duke University wins my bracket.

I've discovered that a lot of places that are good at basketball could really use a primatologist!!!!
posted by ChuraChura at 12:06 PM on March 16, 2016 [9 favorites]


I followed the link in your profile, but I still have no idea what this is. Best guess is that it's like a fantasy league for something like the mathletes in Freaks & Geeks. Am I close?

(I'm a Brit, so please forgive the cultural ignorance.)
posted by veedubya at 12:18 PM on March 16, 2016 [3 favorites]


I'm in. I have named all my brackets after the insightful culinary musings of Guy Fieri.
posted by Benway at 12:20 PM on March 16, 2016


Thank you for setting this up!
posted by kimberussell at 12:27 PM on March 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


It's the FA Cup for college basketball, except that the draws are all laid out ahead of time.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:36 PM on March 16, 2016 [3 favorites]


I made a bracket based on the percentage of people in each state who tell Gallup they eat produce regularly. Schools in higher produce states are predicted to beat schools in lower produce consuming states with ties resolved in favor of the better seeded school. I've got Gonzaga winning!
posted by Alluring Mouthbreather at 12:45 PM on March 16, 2016 [7 favorites]


I'm in with my actual serious bracket for now. Will add a couple of fun brackets this evening.
posted by COD at 12:48 PM on March 16, 2016


I followed the link in your profile, but I still have no idea what this is. Best guess is that it's like a fantasy league for something like the mathletes in Freaks & Geeks. Am I close?

Hoo boy. No, this is basketball, as played by collegiate teams in the US. At the end of each season, they have a single-elimination tournament (similar indeed to the FA Cup) notable for the fact that even relatively humble teams have a (theoretical) chance to beat even the giants of the sport (again, like the FA Cup). The "scholar-athletes" bit is a reference to the fig leaf of education that is draped over the sporting events overseen by the corrupt and greedy NCAA.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:49 PM on March 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


Thanks, Rock Steady!

How wrong can one person be? Very wrong is the answer to that question.
posted by veedubya at 12:54 PM on March 16, 2016


I did two, one where I actually made some guesses, and one where I used a method that rewards midwesternness and religious affiliation (religious schools, being smaller than state schools, fail at football but frequently punch above their weight in basketball), but it gave pretty nonsense results this year! I used to be really good at brackets but this year I'm like "I have watched zero games and I hate most of the 1 seeds" so I feel pretty meh about it. But I DO like trash-talking and this is always a good place for trash-talking!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 1:38 PM on March 16, 2016 [2 favorites]


PS, can you set up a women's bracket on yahoo too?
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 1:44 PM on March 16, 2016


You can.
posted by ChuraChura at 1:49 PM on March 16, 2016


Well, my alma mater (Texas Tech) made it to the tournament as an 8 seed. It's been far too long since they have been in the tournament after many bad years of coaching. So in my "probably going to be the worst out of eveyone" bracket....I have them winning the whole thing. Go Raiders!
posted by Benway at 1:54 PM on March 16, 2016


I'm in with a few so far. On one I have all 3 Iowa schools and Indiana going to the Final 4 because that would be crazy in a small area and have a lot of the country wondering where the Midwest is, so that'd be kinda fun. I have Iowa State winning. I used to work for ISU basketball, so there's that.

I made a second based on which name I'd rather name my baby. Iona won in the end. The West had very few names I'd want to name a person. I ignored modifiers like North or State.

This is more fun than I expected. Thanks for setting it up. I'd also rather do a women's bracket because I always followed them more than the men - though I don't really follow either too much now.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 2:30 PM on March 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm trying to find a place to set up a women's bracket, but I'm not sure Yahoo has the option this year. Assistance is extremely welcome.
posted by box at 2:46 PM on March 16, 2016


And that is how Duke University wins my bracket.

I can't think of a clearer example of a result proving the method is flawed.
posted by nom de poop at 2:49 PM on March 16, 2016


Well, my alma mater (Texas Tech) made it to the tournament as an 8 seed. It's been far too long since they have been in the tournament after many bad years of coaching.

(As an alum of a different Big XII Texas-based university) I was going to make a snarky Bobby Knight comment but then I looked and saw that Tubby Smith is coaching in Lubbock now and I grew up in Tulsa and have so much love for him, so my snark went away. Go Tubby! (you can tell how little attention I pay to college hoops these days)
posted by Ufez Jones at 3:12 PM on March 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


ESPN has a women's bracket challenge.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 4:26 PM on March 16, 2016


One of the things no one ever tells you when you move overseas is that March Madness is a particularly American thing. It barely registers outside of the states, and given time differences, following it is nearly impossible, as is finding a big enough group of people to actually have a pool with. So, thanks, seriously, for setting this up. I've entered, and picked the bracket as I vaguely remember things used to be, with Michigan State winning, because I want like to be the bracket I would like to see in the world.

Also, Spartans win on best mascot, though it's a close one, depending on how good the Stanford tree is this year.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:17 PM on March 16, 2016


with ties resolved in favor of the better seeded school

I see what u did there.
posted by rhizome at 5:20 PM on March 16, 2016


because I want like to be the bracket I would like to see in the world.


Ghidorah not English too good.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:35 PM on March 16, 2016


Oh ChuraChura, don't do that to me, I like you. The lemurs are the single non-loathsome thing about Duke, though, so good job finding that.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:51 PM on March 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm a Duke grad, but I am definitely going for Virginia to win it.
posted by 4ster at 6:39 PM on March 16, 2016


Well, would you rather see Stony Brook pull out the win?
posted by ChuraChura at 6:42 PM on March 16, 2016


Hey, that was fun - thanks for setting it up! I've never done a bracket thing for basketball before; I mostly picked places that sounded like they could be fun to live ...
posted by DingoMutt at 6:49 PM on March 16, 2016


Ok, I'm in. I know zero about basketball so mostly picked randomly.
posted by octothorpe at 7:05 PM on March 16, 2016


I'm a Duke grad, but I am definitely going for Virginia to win it.

You drank the water when you lived here, didn't you? I'm pretty sure that "run-off water blah blah blah zone" work they did here a few years ago was them adding special chemicals to the groundwater that makes us giddy at shot clock violations and a prolonged and abiding faith in Nolte, regardless of what happens.

I'm in.

I thought about doing a bracket based upon whose coaches could survive an attack by their mascots, but I got stuck on how plaid ol' Roy's jacket would be during the battle, and went into a spiral of technicolor nausea.
posted by julen at 7:16 PM on March 16, 2016 [2 favorites]


Julen, you know me all too well. As I like to put it, "Going to Duke got me into debt. Working with the UVA community got me out." WAHOOWA!
posted by 4ster at 8:04 PM on March 16, 2016


Thanks for the ESPN assist, but I won't have time to take the shot to set up a women's bracket. If someone else can pick up the offensive rebound, it's not too late to tip it in.
posted by box at 8:15 PM on March 16, 2016


Yeah, there might be some mixed metaphors there.
posted by box at 8:22 PM on March 16, 2016


Here is the link to the ESPN Women's Tournament Challenge Pool. If it's anything like the Men's pool, you may have to create your bracket first, then add it to the pool.

You can also look for "MeFi March Madness". The password is "beans".

Free hint: Always pick UConn.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:28 PM on March 16, 2016 [4 favorites]


I am in like Flynn on the women's bracket! I will even try to think of a suitable reward that's flat enough to mail for the women's bracket winner!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 9:04 PM on March 16, 2016


Ghidorah: One of the things no one ever tells you when you move overseas is that March Madness is a particularly American thing. It barely registers outside of the states,

You're not wrong. First time I've heard of it, and I can't say that I understand what's going on. It seems to be something about... watching sports? Y'all have fun.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:17 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


smug ignorance is weird
posted by nom de poop at 4:03 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


Well, would you rather see Stony Brook pull out the win?

I'm at best 50/50 on whether I'd rather see Duke win or zombie Osama bin Laden emerge from the sea to cut down the nets, so yes, Stony Brook would be fantastic.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 4:26 AM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]


Someone (probably my brother in law) sent me this link. Some of it is annoying, but it makes some good points. This?

You hate floor-slapping on defense, which you'd hate even more if you saw it done in pickup games in Duke's campus gym.

Little has ever filled me with hate like this filled me with hate.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 4:49 AM on March 17, 2016


y u jelly?
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 5:17 AM on March 17, 2016


So there is this game, called "basketball". People run up and down a wooden floor and try to put a ball in a hoop, and after 40 minutes, Duke* wins. Colleges have teams to play this sport, because this is something colleges have been doing since the 1800's.

At the end of the regular season, 68 of the 347 Division 1** teams are picked by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) Selection Committee to play in a single-elimination tournament to decide the National Champion. 32 of these teams are the champions of the 32 regional conferences, 31 of which*** have just had single-elimination tournaments of their own to choose their champion. In theory, any random team could go on the run of their life, win their conference tournament, and then shock the world and win the "Big Dance". Does this render the regular season utterly meaningless? Mostly. EXCEPT! There are 36 at-large spots, which the Selection Committee allocates to the best remaining teams, based on how they did in the regular season, and also based on whim (Hooray for Tulsa!!). The Selection Committee also sets up 4 seeded brackets (called "Regionals"), with each team seeded from 1-16. 1 is the favorite, 16 is the "worst". Once you get to the 12-13 seeds, you're looking at teams from smaller conferences who aren't famous basketball programs, and had to win their tournaments to get in. So they're tournament-tested, and ripe to (maybe) take down a big name.

There were 4 play-in games in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now we're down to 64 teams.

The first round is on Thursday and Friday, featuring 16 games each day, at a total of 8 sites. The games are staggered a bit, but there are usually 4 games going on at once. This is "March Madness". Winners of the first round play again Saturday and Sunday, to decide the final 16 teams which advance to the Regional Semifinals ("Sweet 16") the next Thursday and Friday, and the winners of those games advance to the Regional Finals ("Elite 8") for spots in the National Semifinals ("Final Four"), the week after *that*. Finally, a national champion gets crowned.

The first 2 rounds start in the morning, and continue all day. After that, there's a more manageable number of games, so they play in prime time.

Upsets in the first round are very common. The higher seed usually wears white jerseys, and the lower seed wears their road, colored jerseys. This makes it easy to know who you, as a neutral observer, want to root for. There are usually at least a few "Cinderella" teams that make the Sweet 16, and we all learn about this college and where it is and what their wacky mascot is, over the course of the intervening week. Usually (but not always!!) by the Elite 8 and Final Four, you're looking at traditional basketball powerhouses.

Since the tournament brackets are all set ahead of time, it's a fun annual game to try to pick who the winners of all these games are going to be. Everyone does it, just like everyone (regardless of football fandom) watches the Superbowl. Since there are so many upsets, you have just about as much of a chance to pick a bracket by using random mascot-related techniques as anybody who has been watching all year.

Also, because U-S-A! U-S-A! and we treasure equality****, there are both a Men's and Women's Division 1 Basketball Championship Tournament running in parallel.

*Duke University is a fancy expensive private school in North Carolina, founded with tobacco money. They're in the same vicinity as a bunch of other good basketball schools, notably the public University of North Carolina. It's an excellent school, but for a variety of reasons it's just more fun to root against Duke. Trust me.
**There are multiple divisions of college sports, based mostly on how big the schools are, and how much they spend on their sports. You can move up or down, but it's rare. Hardly anyone cares about any division other than Division 1.
***Everybody except the Ivy League, which just sends their regular-season champion. Because of course.
****For some values of "equality".

posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:34 AM on March 17, 2016 [10 favorites]


It's a tiny bit surprising to me that not-Americans aren't familiar with it, not because I think they should know what it is, just because the work slowdowns are so marked you'd think a lot of people in multinationals or having to work with American companies would notice it, like they notice Labor Day, just for the irritation value of not being able to get in touch with your necessary counterparts.

(Like, I know when UK bank holidays are just because of all the wailing and gnashing of teeth of friends who have to deal with UK banks when suddenly their Mondays are messed up.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 5:50 AM on March 17, 2016


it's a fun annual game to try to pick who the winners of all these games are going to be. Everyone does it, just like everyone (regardless of football fandom) watches the Superbowl.

I think this might vary quite a bit regionally. This is the first time I've ever filled out a bracket and it really isn't a thing at my office or in the media here like it was when I lived in other states. Part of that could be that there are no local teams who ever do much basketball-wise. I've also noticed the difference in college sports following in cities where that's the most professional team. In the Twin Cities there are MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, and other professional teams competing for views with collegiate teams. When I lived in Ames, IA and Manhattan, KS the college teams were the only local professional sports. I know they're not 'professional' but the money, production, facilities, media coverage, promotion, etc. are very much professional level.

I've also only seen a couple Superbowls, but that's not regional. That's just me not caring about it. Everyone here does get into the Superbowl.

I'm in on the Men's and Women's brackets and this is fun. I'm not trying to be snarky. I just think it's interesting the differences in 'everybody knows about and participates in this' vs. 'what is this thing?'
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 6:47 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


I know they're not 'professional' but the money, production, facilities, media coverage, promotion, etc. are very much professional level.

Not in Ames or Manhattan, haha.
posted by nom de poop at 7:06 AM on March 17, 2016




I picked Maryland to win it because TERRRRPSSSS
posted by josher71 at 8:18 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


Tip-off of the first game is in about 15 minutes. You can watch live at the NCAA's March Madness site (probably region-locked and there are limitations on what you can watch without a cable subscription).
posted by Rock Steady at 9:01 AM on March 17, 2016


I did a serious bracket, a location based bracket (where would I most like to live? some real Sophie's choices in there. Nacogdoches vs West Virginia?), and a mascot based bracket which, I believe for the second year, came down to Cyclones or Hurricanes.
posted by maryr at 9:03 AM on March 17, 2016


Live in the Mountains! (I now wish I'd done an elevation-based bracket.)
posted by Alluring Mouthbreather at 9:13 AM on March 17, 2016


Huffy Puffy, thank you! And seriously, y'all have fun.
posted by Too-Ticky at 9:33 AM on March 17, 2016


I followed Nate Silver's predictions the first year I filled out a bracket because I'd never really paid attention before, but was desperately trying to get in with my advisor and the all-male lab. And I won! Our department IT guy, who was good buddies with my advisor, was like "You probably picked based on which team had the cutest players, huh?" I didn't say anything, I just fixed him with a steely glare and then walked away - and from then on I got SO MUCH respect from the IT Guy. That was back in 2012, but earlier this semester he was bringing other IT Guys in to the department for a tour. He stopped at my lab and regaled them with this tale and the other guys all started shifting around nervously, and one of them told him "You're lucky she didn't bring you to HR!!!" and he said "Yes, but THAT STARE!" and I was proud. And I came out $115 ahead.
posted by ChuraChura at 9:45 AM on March 17, 2016 [7 favorites]


Blast, already on Yahoo, but didn't see this until the deadline passed.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:52 AM on March 17, 2016


I like Nate Silver's predictions, but Five Thirty Eight stands alone in adjusting their predictions for every single level of the bracket, which is very confusing.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:53 AM on March 17, 2016


Let this be the last game of the last of the Plumlees.
posted by nom de poop at 9:54 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


UNC-Wilmington leads easy-to-root-against Duke 43-40 at the half.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:06 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


I'm stuck in hearing, but it's great to see the good news on my lunch break.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:08 AM on March 17, 2016


Grayson Allen even looks like a young Ted Cruz. The universe is telling you to root against them.
posted by nom de poop at 10:12 AM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]


Looks like Cruz, plays like Trump.
posted by LionIndex at 10:32 AM on March 17, 2016


538 is also doing live win probability updates, if you want to season your despair with the illusion of precision.
posted by nom de poop at 10:41 AM on March 17, 2016


Sorry, Bulgaroktonos. Coach Krzyzrewskzkrysi must have given them quite the talking to at halftime, because Duke is up by 10.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:45 AM on March 17, 2016


Other side decided to call no witnesses, are two St. Patrick's Day gifts too much to hope for?
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:24 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


90-85 Duke with a minute and a half to play.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:29 AM on March 17, 2016


Oh good, now I'm officially in last place in all of my pools, just barely eking out a win over the handful of "no picks." Fuck you, Duke, and your terrible un-cute mascot.
posted by phunniemee at 11:39 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]


Fuck you, Duke, and your terrible un-cute mascot.

It's amazing how different the roads were that we took to this same sentiment.
posted by carsonb at 12:13 PM on March 17, 2016


I thought about doing a bracket based upon whose coaches could survive an attack by their mascots, but I got stuck on how plaid ol' Roy's jacket would be during the battle, and went into a spiral of technicolor nausea.


The uglier Roy's jacket, tie, and pocket square combination, the better UNC plays. As such, I have a great deal of fondness for that plaid jacket.

Also, UNC-W, why do you have to let me down?
posted by damayanti at 12:36 PM on March 17, 2016


We might be heading for Yale vs Duke in Round 2. I will root for a meteor strike that destroys North America.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:46 PM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]


Join me in jumping on the UB bandwagon!
posted by everybody had matching towels at 12:46 PM on March 17, 2016


I wonder if Baylor's Day-Glo high-visibility unis lead to an increase in getting whistled for fouls? The referees' eyes must be drawn to them more than the relatively drab outfits of their opponents.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:57 PM on March 17, 2016


Now that they've gotten rid of their Duke alumni coach, I have no qualms about endorsing the University of Buffalo (their women's team made it for the first time ever this year, too) and their mascot Victor E. Bull, which is a name I love.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:59 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


If you get tired of the basketball, you can vote for the birds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's March Migration Madness. Please go vote for the California Quail (requires facebook, alas).
posted by gingerbeer at 1:33 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


California Quail goes out in the second round to Belted Kingfisher, obviously.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:36 PM on March 17, 2016


30$ on the Kingfisher.
posted by clavdivs at 1:40 PM on March 17, 2016


Barred Owl has Cinderella potential.
posted by Rock Steady at 1:44 PM on March 17, 2016


That Quail's plume is awesome.

In human competition, I can't believe we've already had our first Coach down, and it's not even dinnertime on the first day!
posted by julen at 1:46 PM on March 17, 2016


Eh, I wasn't as impressed with State Bird as I thought I'd be, quail or no.
posted by maryr at 1:47 PM on March 17, 2016


(Although the "‘world peace’ peanut muscovado milk" was one of the best things I've ever eaten.)
posted by maryr at 1:48 PM on March 17, 2016


I'm really torn on that upper left quadrant: cardinals are overplayed, but it was my state bird growing up so I've got a soft spot. Cedar waxwings are a great bird, but I also just love all woodpeckers. I think on the strength of childhood memories I go woodpecker.

My final four: Pileated Woodpeacker, Great Blue Heron, Green Wing Teal, Belted Kingfisher
Green Blue Heron's just got much size inside for the Kingfisher to handle in the final.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:53 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


I do kind of wish they'd used more birds beyond Cardinals that are also team mascots, like the Roadrunner. There is an owl and an eagle, though, and you can count the Teal as a duck, certainly. No idea what you do with the imaginary birds like Jayhawks or Hawkeyes.
posted by gingerbeer at 2:10 PM on March 17, 2016


Hummingbird has a sick first step and an amazing handle. If she can run the fast break, she is unstoppable.
posted by Rock Steady at 2:12 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


And the Yale players' time as lovable underdogs (for the only time in their lives) continues for 2 more days!
posted by Huffy Puffy at 2:42 PM on March 17, 2016


Yeah...screw you Butler. Now my beloved dream of a Texas Tech National Championship have been thwarted. Well that bracket is dead (Are we having prizes for the worst bracket? cause that one is in the running)
posted by Benway at 2:54 PM on March 17, 2016


Go, University of Arkansas at Little Rock!

I have one bracket that's still perfect, the last time you made the NCAA tournament was in 1990, the one and only time you won a game in it was in 1986, and your nickname is 'Trojans.'
posted by box at 3:16 PM on March 17, 2016


they're trying!
posted by nom de poop at 3:50 PM on March 17, 2016


also i wish kansas would murder a governor irl
posted by nom de poop at 3:50 PM on March 17, 2016


They did it! Double overtime!

It seems appropriate to celebrate with a Boilermaker.
posted by box at 5:49 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


One of these days I'd like to see USC play USC - Trojans vs. Gamecocks - in the NCAA Tournament. And see how long the commentators can resist the innuendos.
posted by needled at 6:14 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


Short ride on that UB bandwagon!
posted by everybody had matching towels at 6:39 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


Women's tournament tips off at 12:05 Eastern time, so there's still time to fill out more brackets!
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:01 AM on March 18, 2016


I picked "Silent All These Years" over "Mad World", though I'm kind of regretting not doing my homework on "This Woman's Work".
posted by eamondaly at 10:07 AM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]


Looked up President Obama's picks. They look ok, and for once, he did a 'homer' pick picking Hawaii to win one.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:29 AM on March 18, 2016


Mysteriously Hawaii's first round opponent, Cal, suffered a setback as one of their guards suffered a hand fracture yesterday and will miss the tournament. (DNP drone.) So let's dispel with this notion etc.
posted by nom de poop at 11:53 AM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


Um, MSU, how are you losing to Middle Tennessee?
posted by maryr at 1:10 PM on March 18, 2016


Wow everything bounced MTSU's way on those final possessions and Sparty never had a chance. MTSU sacrificed to the correct gods.
posted by nom de poop at 2:00 PM on March 18, 2016


Oh, this is great!
posted by ChuraChura at 2:13 PM on March 18, 2016


well that's bollocks for my bracket.
posted by Carillon at 2:14 PM on March 18, 2016


I'm enjoying my (likely very brief) time at the top. I really don't know what I'm doing, which will become very obvious in the next rounds.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 2:42 PM on March 18, 2016


Mr. Freedom will likely rend his garments when he gets home from the show tonight to find that MSU lost, in the first round, to a 15 seed. My bracket is trashed!
posted by chainsofreedom at 2:49 PM on March 18, 2016


Middle Tennessee? Seriously?! The one team I actually try to keep up with is out in the first round, and my homer-esque bracket is dead. I will cling to my first day share of first place as if it was the sporting highlight of my year. Given the teams I follow, it probably will be.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:44 PM on March 18, 2016


And down goes West Virginia.

Yeah. Not great, Bob.
posted by kbanas at 6:48 PM on March 18, 2016


Unless the rest you die in a plague, this is probably not my year. So I guess there's a chance.
posted by kbanas at 6:48 PM on March 18, 2016


Well it was pretty entertaining to watch someone who could be a future mefite destroy WVU.
posted by nom de poop at 7:04 PM on March 18, 2016


I thought about staying home to watch Pitt but I'm glad that I went to the movies instead. 47 - 43? What kind of score is that?
posted by octothorpe at 7:25 PM on March 18, 2016


What kind of score is that?

That is the score of a very, very bad basketball game.
posted by kbanas at 7:35 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


Or an amazing one, if you happen to be 1937.
posted by Etrigan at 8:14 PM on March 18, 2016


The ending of the Texas/UNI game was so glorious.

I think once you've seen a buzzer beater in the course of play, after that it's really hard not to be a little bit of a basketball fan, I've found.
posted by nom de poop at 9:46 PM on March 18, 2016


I'd like to point out that I am tied for third in this pool and that is probably the best I have ever scored in any March Madness bracket pool ever.
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:50 PM on March 19, 2016


You are tied for first in this pool!

(Good news: I am tied for sixth. Bad news: it's the bracket where I just copied 538. Those guys have not been having a great year.)
posted by box at 4:39 PM on March 19, 2016


Holy butts! I did pick some good upsets though (Gonzaga, Syracuse, VCU. All schools that I have family members who attended, so it's not like I know anything about basketball).
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:48 PM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONE! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Although I picked Michigan State to win it all in that bracket so my kingship lasts until tomorrow or so. But I shall trash talk you all until then!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 9:11 PM on March 19, 2016 [4 favorites]


Wow, you are also leading the women's bracket!
posted by Alluring Mouthbreather at 3:57 AM on March 20, 2016


:D I actually know some shit about women's college basketball, whereas most people know no shit about it, so I'm not as impressed with myself for that one, and I expect to eventually lose as I always pick Notre Dame to win it all on the women's side because SOME YEAR THEY WILL, but probably not this year, UConn is, as usual, depressingly good.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:54 AM on March 20, 2016


I knew that my lifelong dislike of Michigan State would come in handy one day!
posted by ChuraChura at 7:31 AM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Them's fighting words in this household, ChuraChura! Are you a Wolverine?

Mr. Freedom has mostly recovered from the embarrassing first-round loss, but hopes that MTSU wins the whole shebang to make up for it.
posted by chainsofreedom at 7:55 AM on March 20, 2016


I live a challenging life of collegiate sports - I grew up in Michigan family housing in the days of the Fab Five while my dad was getting his PhD, and I'm geting my PhD from Ohio State. Disliking Michigan State brings my father and me together.
posted by ChuraChura at 8:14 AM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


I think I've seen your father's face under "disappointment" in the most recent OED.

I kid, I kid.
posted by Etrigan at 8:18 AM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm geting my PhD from Ohio State. Disliking Michigan State brings my father and me together.

That picture made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. How could you? How.... could you?

(GO BLUE.)
posted by kbanas at 8:23 AM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


You could bond over hating Indiana, I suppose! Although that would also lead to a fight in my house since my sister went to IU.

Basically we can never be sports-friends, is what I'm saying.
posted by chainsofreedom at 8:25 AM on March 20, 2016


How have I never realized that it's chainsofreedom, not chainsoffreedom?

And is it Chains O'Freedom, or Chains Of Reedom?
posted by Etrigan at 8:36 AM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]




Hah! I like Chains O'Freedom.

The name comes from an old, defunct Livejournal I kept where I wrote about my teenage angst-pain. When I opened the Livejournal, someone else was ALREADY "chainsoffreedom". The nerve. I decided to use the name again here because it's different from my other online handle, and I wanted a bit of anonymity, and I was already used to dropping the second F.
posted by chainsofreedom at 8:40 AM on March 20, 2016


*whines* boxxxxxxxx, the URL in your Profile is gooooone. I don't wanna look it upppppp
posted by maryr at 12:07 PM on March 20, 2016


Whoomp, here it is.
posted by box at 12:17 PM on March 20, 2016


*brightly* Thank you!
posted by maryr at 5:00 PM on March 20, 2016


Last night somehow Texas A&M managed to score 14 points in the last 35 seconds of their game against Northern Iowa, which is exactly what they needed to not-lose. Once in a generation level of crazypants.
posted by nom de poop at 5:43 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


UNI blew a 99.99% win probability.
posted by Etrigan at 6:28 AM on March 21, 2016


The announcers don't even realize the comeback is on until it's half way done. Crazy. Was that edited or was that also a comeback without interminable fouling?
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:30 AM on March 21, 2016


No fouling, Bulgaroktonos.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:40 AM on March 21, 2016


Well, half of my final four (Michigan State, Iowa) is out. Thanks for nothing, Big Ten. Or am I really supposed to write B1G?
posted by Ghidorah at 6:45 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


No fouling, Bulgaroktonos.

Cool! I hate that fouling for the obvious aesthetic reasons, and it's nice to see how those comebacks should work. This is why you only see one deliberate foul like that in the greatest comeback in college basketball history.

(Also I checked the Women's Bracket and I discovered you are now my sworn nemesis for the rest of the week)
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:13 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


Seth Davis at CBS does a thing on Twitter where he goes Sharpie on a game. He's been doing it for years. Basically, it's a way of saying, "This isn't over, but it's over" - you know, writing the winner down in sharpie. Sometimes it's 30 seconds before the buzzer, sometimes it's 10 minutes... but he's never, ever been wrong. Not in the many years he's been doing it across many, many sports.

Last night.... Well, last night was the end of an era.
posted by kbanas at 8:08 AM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]


And just a few minutes later Wisconsin won on a buzzer beater. Then Oregon nearly got caught by Saint Joseph's, but St. Joe's screwed up and didn't get a shot off in a crucial possession. Pretty fun! I mean unless you're Bill Murray.

I hate that fouling for the obvious aesthetic reasons

People try to think how to fix the fouly fouly endgame. Here's one of the more interesting proposals I've read. The TL;DR is: instead of counting down the clock, at some threshold (like 2 minutes remaining) the clock is turned off. At that time, say the team with the lead had X points; after that, the winner of the game is the first team to score X+7 points. If you were down 12 when the showdown started, you'd need to score 19 before the other team scored 7.

The idea is that teams would just play basketball normally from then on out. There'd be no extra deliberate fouling and clock monkeying-with. There'd be no buzzer beaters, but each game would end with a made basket which would be pretty exciting. OTOH, Pitt and Wisconsin might still be playing their game from Friday. I don't know if it would work but I'd really love to see some games played with those rules.

Or am I really supposed to write B1G?

I like the B1G logo. It's an illustration of how the old "10" is now deformed by overall BIG-ness into a nonsensical mess. So it captures the essence of the thing it represents, which is exactly what you want from a logo. The official name, though, is Rutgers Athletic Conference.
posted by nom de poop at 2:23 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


Well now that my men's bracket is so COMPREHENSIVELY busted, I can just return to uncomplicated cheering for my Irish and not worry about who's getting through where and just be like DUDE HOW DID WE EVEN MAKE THE ELITE EIGHT?

PS, I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 2:49 PM on March 27, 2016


Wow, what an implosion I had. Fortunately, I didn't engage in too much bragging.
posted by ChuraChura at 3:38 PM on March 27, 2016


I am solidly ranked in the Top 50 of this group, and I'm pretty sure I didn't get a single Final Four pick right.
posted by Ghidorah at 8:26 PM on March 27, 2016


I guess that Irish Catholic Good Friday magic doesn't work on Easter Sunday.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:17 AM on March 28, 2016


My "Legit" bracket still has legs if Oklahoma can run the table.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:46 AM on March 28, 2016




...I expected that to be The Onion. Poor guy!
posted by maryr at 3:03 PM on March 30, 2016


I can't believe my winning pick went out in the first round and I am still in 15th place in the MeFi pool. You guys are bad at this.
posted by maryr at 3:06 PM on March 30, 2016


Guys it's 12 hours until the final starts and I can't handle it. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. I thought it would help to have some coffee and rewatch old montages of Carolina teams that won the title and it didn't help, it didn't help at all.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:18 AM on April 4, 2016


I'd also like to take a moment to publicly curse/congratulate Alluring Mouth Breather who I'm 99% sure has a lock on the women's bracket, and definitely has a lock to beat me by ten points, which seems to mean one opening round game.

Ugh. You are my most hated foe.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:38 AM on April 4, 2016 [1 favorite]


" I thought it would help to have some coffee and rewatch old montages of Carolina teams that won the title and it didn't help, it didn't help at all."

Take two Plumlees and call me in the morning.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 7:17 AM on April 4, 2016


So glad that I won't be hearing that name in the future. It feels like it can't really be over, like maybe Mrs. Plumlee is going to have octuplets who are all born 6'10 and with immediate eligibility.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:43 AM on April 4, 2016


So glad that I won't be hearing that name in the future.

Until one of them replaces Coach K.

Or, dare I say it, Coach Williams?
posted by Rock Steady at 9:19 AM on April 4, 2016


Well, looks like I won again. Go me! I'm the best.

After Michigan State lost, I really thought I was done for, but it's funny how things turn out.

Just kidding!

Congratulations, Burn MP3s! Great job!

If you want to MeFi Mail me your address, I will package up the celebratory mini-basketball and send it your way. Then you can add your signature to it and hold on to it for the next year!
posted by kbanas at 7:18 AM on April 5, 2016


Congratulations to burnmp3s and his psuedo-random guesses, which seems like as good a way as any to sum up this year's results.

Send me a MeMail, and I'll mail you a prize that is, still, TBD.
posted by box at 7:31 AM on April 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


Yes congratulations to anyone managing to eek out a little happiness in this world of misery and despair.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:04 AM on April 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


* eke

Well, that's how I manage.
posted by Etrigan at 8:07 AM on April 5, 2016


Spelling doesn't matter, everything is sorrow.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:09 AM on April 5, 2016 [2 favorites]


That's a rough way to go out, Bulgaroktonos.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:28 AM on April 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


Wow I can't believe I came in third! This was a crazy, crazy year.
posted by Carillon at 9:46 AM on April 5, 2016


Woo! I did not realize there was a prize to this thing until I came back and checked this thread. In previous years my bracket was busted by the end of the second round so winning isn't something I generally have to worry about. I mainly credit my lack of time to come up with good guesses this year, along with my inability to remember if I had previously decided to never bet on Gonzaga or always bet on Gonzaga, for my success.
posted by burnmp3s at 3:44 PM on April 5, 2016 [1 favorite]


And Alluring Mouthbreather won the women's bracket! (Ekeing it out by 10 points over Bulgaroktonos in another last-second heartbreaker, not his year.) The prize is a weird/cool flat vase that when you fill with hot water you can mold into vase shape and freeze in place with cold water for your flowers, and then when you're done get it warm again, flatten it, and store it in your filing cabinet because WHY NOT. Anyway, memail me your address and I will mail you your prize!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 1:04 PM on April 6, 2016 [3 favorites]


Yeah! I'm going to pretend that wasn't dumb luck.
posted by Alluring Mouthbreather at 5:10 PM on April 6, 2016 [1 favorite]


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