Mediocre March Madness

@sammydog01 pretty much did the same.

@sammydog01 If football picks (players and fantasy teams) are any indication, yes... You're gonna win this thing.

@christinewas Naw, I studied up on football and just randomly clicked for basketball. And I picked Oregon because ducks. I like ducks.

@sammydog01 with or without their heads in jars ?

@ceagee Let's keep their mascot away from Matthew until after the championship.

@conandlibrarian I don't even know what states most of those teams are from.

@therealjrn Your muse is a Colorado fan?

@sammydog01 I never said she was a particularly prescient muse. lol

@jsimsace You are soooo right!

@Barney Huh. I would have figured you as a Northwestern fan.

@bruceoite Uh... You are pulling my leg?

@Barney Can't imagine why I would think that

@Barney I guess Kansas State would have worked as well

@bruceoite Doh! I love purple, but I bleed crimson and blue.

@Barney
Just for you

@Barney I think Kansas is most likely to win it this year, so you could still do it.

@dopepeddler Create it. Slacker.

@producepimp Congrats?

@producepimp Way to be the first loser. AKA the winner from the community outside of mediocre employees. See you won, kind of.

@joelmw Picking an expert to copy is kind of like picking teams to win. Except... It's one decision instead of 63. Yeah... Good move.

@christinewas

@jml326 well trump you too, buddy D=<

@pooflady That's awesome! I should stop by and hang with you guys sometime.

@sammydog01 Please do. EBW, PWA. Basically just conversation.

@pooflady Hoo-boy, not going to be in the top three this year. Closer to the bottom three.

@f00l noon edt today. You've got time, but I bet your bracket isn't stupider than mine.

What I know about basketball:
1. You have to dribble
2. Throw the ball in the hoop
3. It helps if you're tall

I feel qualified to pick the winner based on this*!

*This vast knowledge not applied in any way when selecting teams.

@djslack
I know that basketball is a sport.
It is for tall people.
My brother, nephews, nieces play.
They are tall.

@christinewas
Perhaps you should pick and root as the family contrarian.

@christinewas I had to create my bracket with my team going all the way and winning it to make myself happy first. Then I went back in to make more realistic, much more personally depressing picks.

@f00l If I thought I could get them to buy that as reasonable, I might try. However, due to current political clashes, I think basketball is a worthwhile concession. Sigh... The things we do for family.

@christinewas My husband went to UVA- he and the kids picked them for the national champs in our family competition. So I picked UVA to lose in the elite 8. Passive aggressive much? Go Ducks!

@f00l I'll have you know that @christinewas comes from a family of contrarians--and proudly so. Although I do think we tend to do it agreeably--er, well, amicably and graciously and most certainly thinking of the general welfare of all involved (as opposed to being contrary for negative or even mostly indifferent reasons).

But, hell, she'll probably disagree with me.

@joelmw I actually have to agree on this one. Don't worry, though. We'll disagree soon.

Since you chimed in, I will mention the fact that you didn't show this same family loyalty for my team during football season. My whole team could have suffered season-ending injuries and you wouldn't have minded. As long as your fantasy team was secure. Thankfully, my team won when it mattered, despite your disappointing lack of support.

I have a weird affection for Gonzaga, but I didn't actually pick them to win.

I mean, not the whole thing. I picked them to win for a while.

@joelmw I only picked them to win the first round. I wanted to because I also have a weird affection for Gonzaga. But my math backed it up, so I can't pretend that didnt play a role.

@joelmw Also...
Thanks so much for sharing this when it couldn't help anymore.

@christinewas
@joelmw
Family Feud

@f00l @christinewas

(aka - )

@MEHcus I'm in the top half? Woo Hoo!

@sammydog01 I'm in the top of the bottom half. meh.

@MEHcus I thought the goal was Meh? At the moment I am 50/50 which somehow translates to 18%.

@MEHcus Stupid Yale. (... and Little Rock... and Butler. Hmm... maybe my bracket kind of sucks.) I get that 12s beating 5s is kind of a thing, but I picked both of those 5's to make the sweet 16. So... I'm a loser.

@christinewas using the shawn codec for work I had Yale and Butler, but not Little Rock - not bad. where does shawn stand in the meh league?

@mfladd He's in a 19-way tie for 7th. (Out of 49.)

@ceagee That was hilarious!

My question would be, "Do you and the guys like to dress like highlighters when you aren't on the court?"

@ceagee By the way, I'm alive and stuff! Thanks for tagging me in that other post. It's the only reason I knew this was happening. (I'd been meaning to check, but... uh... never did.)

I've just been dealing with... life... and things. I've been overwhelmed, so not very social. I'm hoping, however, that this sportsy thing will help motivate me to crawl out of the hole I've been hiding in. Yay, people!

@christinewas Good to hear from you !
You have been missed. Worthy smack talkers needed for March Madness

Hey how do you like the new forum toy ?

@ceagee Thanks for this.

@ceagee Thanks. Comments have gotten more colorful, so I guess that's a good thing. I haven't really started playing with it yet. I've missed a lot!

@MrMark A whole of Brackets are busted! Just not mine :)

Who would ever have thought Michigan St would lose to Middle Tennessee?

@MrMark @mfladd Boom! Still think you deserved a #1 seed Tom Izzo?

@jqubed @MrMark

@mfladd @jqubed

@joelmw

I guess I'm just watching for fun now.

@jqubed

@joelmw Time to start caring more for the teams I want to win than what my bracket looks like

@MEHcus Yup. And, actually, it's kind of a relief. The disappointment was bound to hit at some point. Now it's done and I can have more fun. Bulldogs and underdogs for me.

@MEHcus And of course, I'll be happy to see any team from Texas lose, just because--despite my new-found respect for Taurean Prince (and he's out already anyway).

@joelmw This doesn't sit very well with me. Diehard, lifelong Longhorns fan here.

@MEHcus I forgive you. It's just funs anyway. At least you're not an Aggie (like half of the people I work with).

@MEHcus Get ready, my alma mater (UNI) is no pushover!

@joelmw

It's ok if you hate teams from Texas. After all, somebody has to.

@MEHcus Everyone knows basketball is a second class sport in Texas.

@jqubed That's what the people from Northern Iowa said :)

@f00l So, other than Oklahoma, I've noticed that the folks that hate Texas schools the most are . . . those from other Texas schools.

Just for instance (not meant to be comprehensive):
- the Aggies' primary motivation is to hate on the Longhorns;
- the Red Riders' is to hate on the Aggies
- and of course, the hatred (added with the sort of contempt one displays toward an obvious inferior whose purpose in life is to prove he's as good as you) is mutual.

A couple of my closest friends here are Aggies. I've been with them to football and basketball games. And, btw, just based on what one witnesses at those events, Texas A&M is some sort of weird homoerotic cult (which, yaknow, I'm totally okay if that's your thing, truly; it's just weird finding oneself in the middle of it); I was uncomfortable. But I digress. Half of the bizarre cheers at an Aggies game (complete with dance moves and lots of Aggies holding each other) are directed against UT. This has nothing to do with whether A&M is actually playing UT; they just want the world to know that they hate UT. Gig 'em, I guess?

I've told these friends (and other Aggies) that I think they belong to a cult. They just laugh the nervous laughter of someone who knows they've been found out. I didn't tell them about the weird homoerotic vibe, because, well, yeah.

I'm sort of joking about some of this (not the school-to-school animosity). And my Aggie friends have never made any moves on me or anything, just in case anyone was worried.

@joelmw
@MEHcus
The Aggies seem to have such a terminal case of Longhorn jealousy. They can't get past it, even when they pretend it's not there.

I also have Aggie friends, who loudly proclaim their Aggie loyalty, but i treat them kindly. One must be gentle with brainwashed refugees. They are good souls at heart.

(Btw the Aggie weirdness goes way back. Older relatives, during their college years, sometimes dated Aggies and went to games, tho of course none of my relatives married an Aggie. Stories were told to me that go back to the 1920's, as a kind of Longhorn cultural outreach. Aggieville was weird then too.)

The other schools: Rice, TTech, Baylor, SMU, TCU etc just kinda hate on the school that's huge, loud, rich, and a sports power (not so much basketball tho.) Longhorns are to other TX school alumni as TX natives are to the rest if the world - rich, noisy, self-confident, friendly, sometimes oblivious and perhaps overbearing.

With OU, OSU, etc, it's a state vs state thing, understandable; and we generously bring $$$, civilization, and intelligence into their economy every so often. We are willing to get along and try to overlook the "Oklahoma" thing.

In spite of all, we are generous souls. I personally dearly love TCU also; and as for the rest, we really do forgive them for not being Longhorns.

@joelmw @f00l One of NC State's fight songs ("Red & White Song") features the lyric "Come over the hill, Caroline" but most people know the lyric as "Go to hell Carolina!" and loudly and enthusiastically sing that line and only that line, whether or not Carolina is the opponent. It seems like more people sing that line than the closing "Go State!" People will interrupt their conversations to make sure they get in a "Go to hell Carolina!" The level of hate for Carolina is all the more impressive given Carolina's commitment to not reciprocating it. Carolina tends to treat State more like an annoying little brother. One very effective way to annoy State fans is for Carolina to deny the rivalry altogether, often with the statement or now hashtag #NotOurRival. I've heard the rivalry used to mean more to Carolina in the past when State had better basketball teams than Duke, but that's sadly been a while.

@jqubed I must be psychic, because I posted that Northern Iowa comment before the game even started :)

@MEHcus I live in VCU territory, and we were sad to see Shaka Smart's new team lose. I lie- we were happy. Sorry Longhorns.

@sammydog01 Really? Honestly I thought you guys would be fans of Shaka. He put you on the map. Sure he left, but you can't be mad at him for that. Dude should be a legend in VCU territory forever.

@MEHcus That's a rational response, but

@ceagee I think I suggested last year that the "winner" should be exactly that. I mean, good God, people, don't we fucking stand for something around here?! Can we not be true to our values and what makes this place what it is!?

@joelmw Considering the odd number of entries, the most mediocre person should be easy to find, barring a tie.

@joelmw I don't care who gets a prize I want to win. WIIIINNNNN!!!!!!!

@sammydog01 yes, but can any prize be better than the plush Irks you made and gave out for FFB bracket ? You've set a rather high standard, with no one but yourself to blame. Well, of course, except for @stardate820926

@ceagee Aw, I'm glad you like him. Maybe I'll make one for myself.

@f00l I was happy when I got below a million.

@sammydog01
My nephew understands math well enough that he finds this not quite credible.

He lives and breathes sports tho....i think he missed on 2?? picks 1st round...

@f00l Yay randomness!

@f00l I was also doing the refresh thing constantly until I tired of it. Send him here - live time updates....no refreshing required.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/scoreboard

@studerc
That did hurt bigtime. Congrats, good game.

Also thx to your team for destroying much of what's left of my backet.

@f00l Me

@joelmw to find this out you must summon him/her first into the protective circle you have hopefully established.

We summon @DrWorm, We summon @DrWorm........

@joelmw My performance so far may seem impressive, about all I have done is (most likely) ensure a better final tally than the other suckers who picked Kansas as the national champion. I always seem to be in the upper 90+ percentile after the first weekend, and usually the second weekend. But individual games are worth so much in the final four, others will make up a ton of ground in the last two days. (FWIW, I am a he)

@ceagee Dumb luck. I put so much energy, time, and self worth into football that I decided to put a 5 minute time limit on basketball picks. That said, my husband is a huge college basketball fan so I may have picked up some stuff. Yukon? I've heard of those guys. Do they really play basketball that far north? Oh, Connecticut- that makes more sense. I also have seen some of these teams play- we go to University of Richmond games. Popcorn and free t-shirts, yay!

@sammydog01 So I screwed up by reading about the teams and trying to make educated picks. Good to know for next year.
Congrats to you !

@sammydog01 And I'm up to : PCT 64 << we are tied ! But you have your team still in final and some of the other numbers are better. Basically, what I am saying is I am more mediocre than you.

@ceagee I'd say we're both mediocre.

@f00l I don't understand this points thing. Why if you are 100% aren't you ranked #1 or tied for #1.
Are some games worth more than others ?
This seems a bit more confusing than FFB -- why it's almost madness, and in March none the less !

@f00l Who does your nephew have in the championship? Please let it be Oregon?

@ceagee Ten points per game won in first round, 20 points per game won in second round, 40 in third round, etc. Pretty simple actually- every round has the same total points.

@sammydog01 Thanks. I missed that somewhere.
But if people are tied at 100% -- that means they've gotten all games correct - how can they have different scores /ranked differently ?

@ceagee In our league they have everyone tied but list them by PPR. My guess is that's the first tiebreaker. They must have some other tiebreakers. We all have a discreet rank. Mine is 1,625,367. Doesn't sound so good now. I think the % is percentile- how many people are below you. No one had a perfect bracket after day 1.

@ceagee
No one has a perfect bracket; that was gone after Round 1.

I am not up on all this (what is basketball?), but i think the % is percentage among all player brackets on espn, and the Rank is your absolute numeric rank.

In other words, if i have it right, he is in the top percent of brackets on espn (ie 100%), and his absolute rank is in the top 100.

If i messed this up, somebody pls speak up.

@f00l No, you and @sammydog01 have it. With over 13 million participants, anybody in the top 6,500 is in the 99.5 percentile (and will be rounded to 100%) In addition, even though my bracket shows as 99.9% on our group page (rounded to nearest tenth), the "front page" of the contest rounds to the nearest whole percentile, and therefore designates me as 100%. That sounds impressive, but I only rank 8097 (not as impressive).

@sammydog01
I will only say that my incredibke nephew appears to have allowed emotion and long-standing loyalties to triumph over risk assessmemt in his final four choices and outcomes.

So perhaps his ranking will fall a bit in the end.

@f00l So UVA? Like everyone else in my house?

@sammydog01
Kinda. :)

I went w UVA over Duke for the final in my 2nd chance humiliation bracket.

The important thing in 2nd chance bracket was to kill off the Aggies immediately, and OU asap after that.

BTW i am Spock when i do these picks. Zero emotion, pure rationality.

@DrWorm I'd say that 8,097 out of literally millions of entries is pretty damn impressive. And in reality, that ranking of 8,097 is actually a tie for some number much lower than that, likely in the double digits.

@sammydog01
Am v sad re Oregon. They were spozed to destroy OU. :(

@f00l Me too.

@sammydog01 @fool Not according to the shawn bracket. And I love that picture.

@f00l I'm at 92% in the second chance bracket! I'm leaving that here because it's very likely to go down and I want to document it.

@sammydog01 I forgot to fill mine out : (

@ceagee OK, I'm up to 97%. Definitely going down before the end of the night. Sorry you forgot.

@f00l NO! Kansas must fall! Go NC!

@mfladd
NC is allowed to win this round. I'll root for them.

I did pick NC to win this game in 2nd chance. In main bracket, got both entries wrong i think.

However, please allow me to sweetly and gently emphasize that OU must be slowly dismembered, put thru a trash compactor, and covered with acid, sans anesthesia, on national television.

Evil must be vanquished and civilization must triumph.

@f00l is your OU hate based on a Texas thing? Just wondering as it is not looking very good for you right now.

@mfladd
I was raised on goodness and light and the virtue of supporting the home team at what is now called Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.

My take on NCAA sporting competitions is purely rational.

@sammydog01 Thanks, but my most accurate prediction was after the second run where I said it doesn't matter how well you do if you don't get the national champion correct.

@ThCrawford I think yes, you should win something, and hold them to that. You picked the correct bracket for us, so very cool!

@ThCrawford Maybe they'll box up my fantasy football prize at the same time. Probably not.