[kieran]

Wow! This basketball season has gone by quickly. The conference tournaments so far have been amazing and will only get better with the Big East and ACC tourneys starting.

Villanova is my personal favorite (local connection) and they seem like they will go far in both the Big East and NCAA tourney.

Does anyone else follow the NCAA tourney? (not just for betting purposes) I never wager any money becasue it's so unpredictable and that's what makes it fun and exciting to watch.

Anyone else here excited for this?

[torifile]

Hell yeah!

My heels are going to surprise some teams. Of course since we'll likely be a 3 seed (a 2 for sure if we win the ACC tourney or if some other 2 falters), it'll be a while before we score an upset. Will Roy take us back to the final four? I think he might.

Last year we had a bracket here. I think alcimedes won. kieran, do you want to set one up for us?

[kieran]

That's fine by me. I was looking for a group to do a bracket with.

I've set one up on CBS Sportsline.

Bracket Challenge

Group Name is AppleNova
Password is: aisucks

Deadline for submitting your brackets is Noon on Thursday prior to the start of Round 1 games.

I've set up the scoring system the same way that Torifile used for last years bracket challenge.

Originally Posted by Scoring System (Thanks Torifile) First round: 1 Second: 2 Sweet Sixteen: 4 Elite 8: 8 Final Four: 16 Championship: 32 All rounds but the last have the seed of the winning team added to the points for the round. So if you pick an 11 to win in the first round, you'll get 12 points, etc. I thought that would make it interesting..

I've also added the option of filling out two brackets becasue I for one like to fill out a bracket with a lot of upsets and then fill one out with what I really think will happen. This accounts for people like me.

[colivigan]

Do you have to register as an individual first? I tried the link, and it brought up a registration page for which the AN group name and password didn't work.

[colivigan]

So I registered myself, and then got the page with the AppleNova banner but also this:

Error
This is a private fantasy league. You are logged in with userid 'unclejohn84', which does not have access to this league. If you think this is wrong, please contact the league commissioner and ask for an invite.

???

[kieran]

OK. Just send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you an invite. Sorry about that.

[kieran]

No One?

[Wyatt]

I'm not going to do an online one this year. I do two paper ones every year: one serious one and entirely derived from coin flips. I'll update when I get done.

[update]

My coin flip bracket was completely stupid as usual, but I guarantee I get at least a couple of games on there that I didn't get on my regular bracket (that's just the nature of the tournament). My coin flip final four ended up being West Virginia, Belmont, Illinois, and Monmouth, with WV over Monmouth in the title game. In my serious bracked, I don't even have Monmouth winning the play-in game against Hampton. My real final four is Syracuse, Pitt, Michigan State, and Floriday (that's right--no number one teams in my final four) with MSU over Pitt in the title game.

[MCQ]

*bump*

Is this still going on?

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by kieran23kk Password is: aisucks

Tsk, tsk.

[torifile]

I'm in. I'll put my picks in later tonight. Prepare to be pwned.

[kieran]

Deadline for submitting your brackets is Noon on Thursday prior to the start of Round 1 games.

Just thought I'd repost so everyone knows. If you want in, send me a PM with your e-mail.

[alcimedes]

Can you have more than one CBS bracket going?

My work folks already started one which I did. I'll try and sign up for one though tomorrow if I have time. I'm already doing three leagues. Getting confusing at this point.

[Moogs]

Go Hawks.

[torifile]

Alright, MCQ joined. I hope he didn't pick UF to go far again. We're getting to crunch time. Let's get more than just 3 people! Eric, you've got to join since you're the reigning champ!

[alcimedes]

Set it up as a non private group, that would help. I can't log in as is.

Besides which, my brackets are cracked out this year.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by alcimedes Set it up as a non private group, that would help. I can't log in as is. Besides which, my brackets are cracked out this year.

I would but it's kieran's thing. He said he'd look into it. I hope he does soon.

Anyway, you want cracked out? I've got San Diego State in my sweet 16. I won't give more away until after they close the brackets.

[alcimedes]

Honestly I think this is the weirdest set of brackets I've ever had. Although I guess we'll see. A lot of people are saying the same thing.

I had a 15 beating a 2, but I changed it at the last minute, didn't have the balls to leave it on there.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by torifile Alright, MCQ joined. I hope he didn't pick UF to go far again. We're getting to crunch time. Let's get more than just 3 people! Eric, you've got to join since you're the reigning champ!

Not as far as I picked them to go last year. I hope they go as far as I chose them to go this year to go though... I'd consider that a success

5 straight years of 1st/2nd round losses make me lose interest in March Madness very quickly.

[kieran]

I looked into setting it up as a non private...but I think once it's set up, it's how it is. Just send me a PM and I'll send an invite. It's simple.

[kieran]

*Bump*

Just letting everyone know, all brackets have to be submitted before 12 before the first games start at 12:30. Send me a PM with your e-mail and I'll send you an invite.

[BuonRotto]

Sorry, I'm in on another person's contest locally. I know squate about college basketball, but living where it is religion and annoying as hell, I just hope to ruin some people's tournies. BTW, Duke and UNC both out in the Elite 8 in my bracket.

[Argento]

Let me tell you why I'm in heaven.

I just got back from the liquor store where for some reason they thought that all 6'5" of me was under 21 so they kept asking for more and more forms of ID. They finally let me go but then they gave me a 12 pack of new castle for 9 dollars instead of the 16 it was going to be with tax.

I also have a pizza coming with breadsticks all for myself. I'm now going to sit here on my girlfriend's couch with her powerbook and enjoy the divine pleasure that is Spring break. I forgot to mention that they're also playing all my upset games on TV.

Heaven.

[kieran]

Damn, must be nice Argento.

I'm stuck in an office during my spring break because of Drexel's Co-Op, so i'll be sitting here at my desk pretending to do work for the next three weeks (then it's back to class)....

...well, i've been pretending to do work for the past six months...oh well.

[Argento]

Sorry to hear that. I'm in Indiana for my spring break visitng my girlfriend (I live in Minnesota, college there) so I get to enjoy mine. Don't worry though I'll have a drink for you and all the other poor working schmucks around here.

[psmith2.0]

Off to a rousing start:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes

[BuonRotto]

It just got the all-clear in San Diego though. That poor bomb-sniffing dog's gonna be fired for this, I just know it.

Gah, stupid religion of basketball here! I was stuck at lunch for 2-1/2 hours while we watched the first couple few games tip off. Wait, why am I complaining?

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by BuonRotto That poor bomb-sniffing dog's gonna be fired for this, I just know it.

Unless he's a union puppy.

He might get desk duty for a while, though. And maybe take a one week rip on pay.

He'll be at the dog bar tonight, with all his friends, recounting the story:

"Those bastards...I know what I smelled! Bah...hey Mike, give me another double!"

[Argento]

2 things

1. When you're watching the tourney and the underdog is up over say a team you picked in your bracketts, who do you cheer for? I was rooting hard for BC today even though I have them goign to the elite 8, and I find myself rooting for Winthrop over Tennese even though I have Tenn going to the sweet 16.

2. Do you want to kick a puppy when you see that God damn applebees commercial too?

[Maciej]

1. Go Marquette! I'm rooting for Winthrop, even though I had Tenn picked. I just don't like Bruce Pearl.

2. Yes.. I hate that commercial.