Thursday, March 15, 2012

SIXTY-THREE LOSSES TO GO:  Our annual ESPN NCAA Men's Division I basketball bracket challenge group remains open until the first tip-off today.

Those of us who've otherwise replaced in-season college basketball viewing with other pursuits could use some context for this year's tournament -- so, please, give us your predictions.  (To give you an idea of how out of it I've become, it wasn't until around Groundhog Day that I realized "Fab Melo" wasn't a nickname honoring the talents of a player from the same school as Carmelo Anthony, but in fact a guy named Fabricio de Melo.)

6 comments:

  1. Carmichael Harold9:27 AM

    I'm not going to be able to give any context to this year's tournament, as I think I know less about college bball this season than any season since I was 8.  In fact, I had never heard of Fab Melo until he trended on twitter earlier in the week.  I've taken the emotional hedge approach to my bracket, and just picked the school I like least in nearly every game after the first round.

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  2. I've found my news feed very confusing this winter, trying to keep all of Melo (Fab) and 'Melo's (Carmelo) exploits straight. It always helped when there was a Linsanity reference to keep the 'Melo in context. It doesn't help that they both started at Syracuse. 

    I think I'm cursed by knowing too much about college bball. Every year, my company sponsors a pool to win gift cards (no gambling!), and every year, I end up at the bottom. The person who wins is someone who chose based on colors of uniforms, cuter team mascots or some other random thing. But I gave it my best shot this year and made choices based on actual basketball knowledge and tried to keep my heart out of it.

    As a Jayhawk, I thought it was very noble of me to "let" Mizzou get to the Final Four. Usually, I keep them at one game and out--hate! My Final Four? Kentucky, Ohio State, Mizzou & North Carolina. I love my Jayhawks, but I doubt they'll be able to string more than 2 or 3 victories in a row this year. They tend to have a brainfart game every 3rd or 4th game this year, and I don't see that trend ending in the next month.

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  3. The Pathetic Earthling10:02 AM

    I don't even remember who I picked for my Final Four.  With Cal out in the play-off round, there won't be any emotion attached here, although I'm definiately rooting for St. Mary's, which is the next town over, and where Mrs. Earthling got her MBA.

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  4. Benner10:51 AM

    I just learned that on March 15 at 10:46 am. I do feel very strongly that Drexel should have made the tourney, though. Nobody should listen to my sports opinions.

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  5. If anyone wants to join a women's bracket tourney, my blog is sponsoring one: http://games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket-women/en/group?groupID=2187

    Winner wins a book on Title IX.  Entries open until tomorrow's first game.

    In regards to the men's tourney, I hate that I picked 2 #1 seeds for the final.  Makes for a boring March.

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  6. Watts1:19 PM

    Fabricio de Melo - you make that with Midori, right?

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