March 16, 2009
I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to make my annual coin flip NCAA bracket. That's right, it's March Madness time again. Not Thomas has taken the lead and upgraded our experience to the CBS Sports site and has nebulously offered "great" prizes. He has also begun trash-talking habcous right in the group name. SOOO, will Mrflip have Cornell vs. Texas in the final? Will Zieglerfe ride 14 seed Stephen F. Austin all the way to the finals or will they fall to Texas in the semis? Most importantly, does Not Thomas really think Duke will let UNC beat them a third time this season?
I propose we once again crown 2 champions: first and second-to-last place. So get in there (pwd: boogers) and make those picks by 11AM CST on Thursday! I can already identify the failure modes in my bracket so I'm excited to watch that painfully pan out over the next few weeks!
Alright, we've got some people up in here! MORE MORE MORE.
Protip: make the account and throw a first draft bracket up now and then fix it if you feel like it later. That way you don't forget and miss out entirely.
Thomas may be the awesomest, but the West is the Best!
However, the email address for the bracket is uberbestawesome!
I switched my user name on the bracket to celebrate my accepting a position that will be bringing me back to TX in September. Holy shite, there's an end to being a student!
Holy crap yay! We'll hold a Westival in honor of your triumphal return.
Maryland will win the tournament, here's how I know.
I added Barack Obama's bracket to the mix. Unfortunately the site doesn't let you name them separately so it appears as "Natedogg (2)".
I don't know if we have Nate Silver to thank/blame but this CNN article talks about the many many statistical models on the nets trying to figure out who will win it all.
Oops, I didn't see that you added Barack's, Nate. I also added it, since I didn't want to think about a bracket.
What if Barack wins?
Oh hey lookit that -- the tiebreaker is final score total score of final, not winner's score. I am the only one who can't read, as I'm assuming Javelina is among those who can't care.
Is one of the doncarlo's a feeneyla?
JonTheGeek -- was your entry made as you, using O's picks? If so I propose that Natedogg's Obama picks get zeroed out and JTG contends on his advisor's merits.
Here's the final four and beyond matchups. I'm not going to calculate the max-points-remaining until we get to the final four; right now the last column is round-4,5,6-max-points. I went ahead and put it in likely finishing order, with me at the top, beckto, doncarlo and javelina at the bottom, and you also-rans grouped.
-- Final 4 -- | -- Semis -- | -Final- | Last 3 pts mrflip MchSt Pitt UNC UConn | MchSt Pitt | Pitt | 96 habcous Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn Pitt | Pitt | 96 WestIsOKIGuess Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Memph Pitt | Pitt | 96 Barack Obama ND2 Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 JonTehGeek Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 gilliss Louis Pitt UNC UConn | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 Sivraj Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn UNC | UNC | 96 Natedogg MchSt Pitt OK UConn | UConn OK | UConn | 96 doncarlo Kans Xavr UNC UConn | Kans UNC | Kans | 96 saucy Louis Vill Cuse Memph | Louis Vill | Vill | 96 beckto Wake TX Cuse TxA&M | TxA&M TX | TX | 96 javelina Dayt Xavr Mich x CSNor | Dayt Mich | Mich | 88 doncarlo USC x Minn SFAus Corn | Corn x Minn | x Minn | 40
I assume some of those Mich are supposed to be Mich St? Except for javelina's of course
Fixd, I think, but please check your brackets. --mgmt
Yup, as you probably see now, my Baracking was done as me. I figured if my Lord and Savior picks winners in a sport I don't care about, that's as good as me doing so.
Oh hey lookit that -- the tiebreaker is final score. I am the only one who can't read, as I'm assuming Javelina is among those who can't care.
Well, the bracket page says "Final Game Total Score". I remember it saying something different previously... like, difference between the scores of the two teams. Though, in this new incarnation I think the final game total score will be 193. That is, the sum of the scores of both teams. Total score.
This CBS site sucks a lot more than the ESPN sites of previous years.
Also, I do care. In fact, I care so much that I actually filled out the bracket. I care significantly more than the majority of registered Alkaline Earth users. That's how much I care.
No, my second bracket is my (Mostly) Upsets bracket. I just saw in the settings that everyone was allowed 2 brackets and made a second one for myself. Feel free to disregard as it will stay at the bottom of the heap.
BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE! Right up until all my minor upset picks don't pan out over the next two days.
Holding a Wake for your bracket?
-- Final 4 -- | -- Semis -- | -Final- | Last 3 pts mrflip MchSt Pitt UNC UConn | MchSt Pitt | Pitt | 96 WestIsOKIGuess Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Memph Pitt | Pitt | 96 BarackObama ND2 Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 JonTehGeek Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 gilliss Louis Pitt UNC UConn | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 Sivraj x Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn UNC | UNC | 88 habcous x Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn Pitt | Pitt | 88 Natedogg MchSt Pitt OK UConn | UConn OK | UConn | 96 doncarlo Kans Xavr UNC UConn | Kans UNC | Kans | 96 saucy Louis Vill Cuse Memph | Louis Vill | Vill | 96 beckto x Wake TX Cuse TxA&M | TxA&M TX | TX | 88 javelina Dayt Xavr Mich x CSNor | Dayt Mich | Mich | 88 doncarlo USC x Minn SFAus Corn | Corn x Minn | x Minn | 40
So is the ordering of the table above meaningful? Like, is The Fucking Javelina!!!111omgbbq bracket really in second-to-last place? Cuz if it is, then my strategem is working brilliantly.
I checked out the standings in the Bracket Challenge at cbssports last night and there were 4 brackets with 31/32 correct. All four had picked Wake to win.
The 2d-to-last prize is Beckto's UNLESS ((Syracuse wins both its next two games) AND (Xavier does not win both its next two games)).
notthomas -- Is it true you can edit brackets? If so you could repair MsC's bracket, if you both cared to.
-- Final 4 -- | -- Semis -- | -Final- | Last 3 pts mrflip MchSt Pitt UNC UConn | MchSt Pitt | Pitt | 96 WestIsOKIGuess Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Memph Pitt | Pitt | 96 BarackObama ND2 Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 JonTehGeek Louis Pitt UNC Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 gilliss Louis Pitt UNC UConn | Louis UNC | UNC | 96 Sivraj x Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn UNC | UNC | 88 habcous x Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn Pitt | Pitt | 88 Natedogg MchSt Pitt OK UConn | UConn OK | UConn | 96 doncarlo Kans Xavr UNC UConn | Kans UNC | Kans | 96 saucy Louis Vill Cuse Memph | Louis Vill | Vill | 96 beckto x Wake x TX Cuse x TxA&M | x TxA&M x TX | x TX | 8 javelina x Dayt Xavr x Mich x CSNor | x Dayt x Mich | x Mich | 8 doncarlo x USC x Minn x SFAus x Corn | x Corn x Minn | x Minn | 0
I propose that we are not counting doncarlo's clear throwaway upsets bracket (it was his second entry anyway) which would mean that Javelina is 2nd to last UNLESS (above thing).
I also think that Not Thomas was making a "joke" about editing brackets to help himself win and those quotation marks are entirely intentional.
Also I think just about all I need is for UConn to kick all your butts to be a big winner. So let's go UConn, shall we?
I feel like the sports gal! I know very little about college b-ball and yet I seem to be on top. Nova! Nova! Nova!
Ok, I'm confused. If we aren't counting Doncarlo's second bracket, then aren't I in second to last? I'm so confused. When does this thing end? Can we tie for second to last?
A winner is me! Maybe. Pending rooling by da judjez.
I think the problem you both are having is that you are looking at mrflip's chart (which is not in any particular order) instead of the official standings.
waiting for roooling from judjez. does the "j lesar" bracket count?
wait, is it over? Who won? Are there more games or am I just completely out mathematically? I don't like basketball.
I meant, what school won the tournament.
-- Final 4 -- | -- Semis -- | -Final- | Score Max Remain Max Possible mrflip MchSt Pitt UNC UConn | MchSt Pitt | Pitt | 70 96 166 gilliss Louis Pitt UNC UConn | Louis UNC | UNC | 69 96 165 Natedogg MchSt Pitt OK UConn | UConn OK | UConn | 65 96 161 saucy Louis Vill x Cuse x Memph | Louis Vill | Vill | 74 80 154 Sivraj x Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn UNC | UNC | 65 88 153 habcous x Wake Pitt UNC UConn | UConn Pitt | Pitt | 59 88 147 WestIsOKIGuess Louis Pitt UNC x Memph | x Memph Pitt | Pitt | 64 72 136 --eliminated-- JonTehGeek Louis Pitt UNC x Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 67 88 155 BarackObama ND2 Louis Pitt UNC x Memph | Louis UNC | UNC | 67 88 155 doncarlo x Kans x Xavr UNC UConn | x Kans UNC | x Kans | 67 32 99 javelina x Dayt x Xavr x Mich x CSNor | x Dayt x Mich | x Mich | 37 0 37 beckto x Wake x TX x Cuse x TxA&M | x TxA&M x TX | x TX | 27 0 27 doncarlo x USC x Minn x SFAus x Corn | x Corn x Minn | x Minn | 13 0 13
Becky: you lost. Ben: You win. Consult the PhD degree on your wall for more details.
I would like to thank all the little people that made this glorious event possible. You like me! You really like me!! The paper on my wall tells me so.
Ok, it was that next to last column I was missing. Got it. Good job Ben :)
Dominated: JonBama (by gilliss), doncarlo (by everyone)
-- Final 4 -- | -- Semis -- | -Final- | Score Max Remain Max Possible mrflip . MchSt x Pitt . UNC . UConn | MchSt x Pitt | x Pitt | 94 16 110 Sivraj x Wake x Pitt . UNC . UConn | UConn UNC | UNC | 81 64 145 gilliss x Louis x Pitt . UNC . UConn | x Louis UNC | UNC | 85 48 133 saucy x Louis . Vill . Cuse x Memph | x Louis Vill | Vill | 82 48 130 Natedogg . MchSt x Pitt x OK . UConn | UConn x OK | UConn | 81 48 129 --eliminated-- JonTehGeek x Louis x Pitt . UNC x Memph | x Louis UNC | UNC | 75 48 123 BarackObama ND2 x Louis x Pitt . UNC x Memph | x Louis UNC | UNC | 75 48 123 doncarlo x Kans x Xavr . UNC . UConn | x Kans UNC | x Kans | 83 16 99 habcous x Wake x Pitt . UNC . UConn | UConn x Pitt | x Pitt | 75 16 91 WestIsOKIGuess x Louis x Pitt . UNC x Memph | x Memph x Pitt | x Pitt | 72 0 72 javelina x Dayt x Xavr x Mich x CSNor | x Dayt x Mich | x Mich | 37 0 37 beckto x Wake x TX x Cuse x TxA&M | x TxA&M x TX | x TX | 27 0 27 doncarlo x USC x Minn x SFAus x Corn | x Corn x Minn | x Minn | 13 0 13
MchSt Vill MchSt flip MchSt UNC MchSt flip UConn Vill UConn nate UConn UNC UConn nate MchSt Vill Vill soku UConn Vill Vill soku MchSt UNC UNC GMcD UConn UNC UNC ~tom
damn, i can't even get the penultimate loser award.
at least the Sparty's are still in it!
Posting this eCard while I still can...
"Beware, Flip," says the outside, impartial observer who did exactly what Nate warned her not to do and therefore can't be engaging in any trashtalking of her own.
Yes, yes, that is why I said "...while I still can".
Oh, sorry to cause the confusion w/empty bracket. I didn't log in til after the tourney started, and then just to see the standings. Silly me, i should've known i could follow along here. :)
Congrats GMcD and Javelina!
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Oh yes, also new this year is not just streaming games to your office computer but streaming in HD! Time to upgrade that RAM!
posted by natedogg at 03:09PM CST on March 16