Methods in the Madness
What's that smell? What's that anticipation crackling through the atmosphere? Is it Dick Vitale?
IT'S MARCH! Bring on the college hoops.
I was very sad to see Lipscomb come so close to the A-Sun bid and get dropped by loathsome Belmont, but I have one more shot for glory in Nashville. The SEC tourney starts tomorrow at the GEC. Winning is Vandy's only shot for a bid, but the good news is that it's toughest comp have their bids locked up. Maybe Vandy can exploit their laziness.
Historically, I do rather poorly on the Brackets and Pools I enter. Despite reading ESPN.com everyday, watching more than a few games and sneaking around the watercooler, I still don't usually find any secret, victorious insight.
This year, I've decided to test my karma and tempt fate. I'm going to fill out my bracket just as it would look if I had my way in the universe. Vandy wins. SEC teams go as far as possible before having to beat each other as directed by my deeply ingrained, yet subtle prejudices. Then every one else gets sifted out depending on my affection for their school, city or state or region, according to their relative value in my heart. For instance, the South will always beat the East Coast. The East Coast usually will beat the West Coast, with a few exections. UNC beats Duke. Schools I'd send my kids to will beat schools to whom I will not pay money. The ACC usually will beat the Big East. The Big 12 usually will beat the Big 10. At the bottom of the barrel, Texas teams beat California teams.
This is confessional. What will be your methods? I need some help.
P.S. My SEC hierarchy of rooting interests, in descending order, in all sports:
1. Vanderbilt
2. Tennessee
3. Mississippi State
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Arkansas
7. Auburn
8. Georgia (sorry, Eby)
9. South Carolina
10. Kentucky
11. LSU
12. Florida
IT'S MARCH! Bring on the college hoops.
I was very sad to see Lipscomb come so close to the A-Sun bid and get dropped by loathsome Belmont, but I have one more shot for glory in Nashville. The SEC tourney starts tomorrow at the GEC. Winning is Vandy's only shot for a bid, but the good news is that it's toughest comp have their bids locked up. Maybe Vandy can exploit their laziness.
Historically, I do rather poorly on the Brackets and Pools I enter. Despite reading ESPN.com everyday, watching more than a few games and sneaking around the watercooler, I still don't usually find any secret, victorious insight.
This year, I've decided to test my karma and tempt fate. I'm going to fill out my bracket just as it would look if I had my way in the universe. Vandy wins. SEC teams go as far as possible before having to beat each other as directed by my deeply ingrained, yet subtle prejudices. Then every one else gets sifted out depending on my affection for their school, city or state or region, according to their relative value in my heart. For instance, the South will always beat the East Coast. The East Coast usually will beat the West Coast, with a few exections. UNC beats Duke. Schools I'd send my kids to will beat schools to whom I will not pay money. The ACC usually will beat the Big East. The Big 12 usually will beat the Big 10. At the bottom of the barrel, Texas teams beat California teams.
This is confessional. What will be your methods? I need some help.
P.S. My SEC hierarchy of rooting interests, in descending order, in all sports:
1. Vanderbilt
2. Tennessee
3. Mississippi State
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Arkansas
7. Auburn
8. Georgia (sorry, Eby)
9. South Carolina
10. Kentucky
11. LSU
12. Florida
posted by JRB at 12:58 PM
6 Comments:
Of course there is always the ole standy by of letting your wife pick for you based on how much she likes the uniforms. My wife has done a good job in the past with those sort of criteria.
Man oh man I can't wait till the big dance starts. But I am putting my Final Four Madness in check for the moment. The ACC tourny still has to be played. The brackets are set up so that its entirely possible that UNC and Duke could play for the ACC Championship. Seeing as how they split their regular season games with Duke winning at Chapel Hill and The Heels winning at Cameron Indoor I can't wait to see what happens on a neutral court.
Go Heels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff, I very much like your bracketology for this year. I wouldn't change a thing other than having Big 10 teams (other than Michigan) beating Big 12 teams and of course having UNC come out on top with the ACC teams making the run rather than the SEC teams. I have thought long and hard on this and I am with you on the Texas v. California teams.
Go 'Heels
Go Illini
Go 'Dores.
Sadly, my 'Dores went out hard to LSU in the SEC tourney. Probably, they won't make the big dance.
The real reason, I think, that I have decided to pick this way this year is because I hate the conflict of interests in my soul when I find myself rooting against a team I prefer just for bracket points. School pride and rooting interests are a prime mark of manhood and honor, in my book.
"School pride and rooting interests are a prime mark of manhood and honor, in my book."
That's why Floyd on the Andy Griffith show rooted for the basketball team from the State Barber College.
What a great show that was. Two of the greats from there, Don Knotts and Howard Morris (Ernest T Bass, and a writer for the show) died within the past year. I am in mourning.
Good luck with the picks.
I've been thinking some more about radec's suggested method. While it sounds good, I really don't think it's credible. Otherwise we'd see a lot of teams switching their mascots to Gravity, Anti-Matter, Quarks or Eschaton.
No thanks!
Go Eschaton! Kill the Tigers!
Well, my bracket is going to look rather silly with an all-SEC Final Four, but I'm ready to make some history. Pursuant to the aforementioned hierarchy, I'm picking a University of Tennessee national championship, disposing of the University of Alabama in the final at the Hoosier Dome.
Crazier things have happened. For instance, in our daughter's beautiful life, Vandy has beaten UT in Neyland Stadium and UK in Rupp Arena and swept UK in the season. (That's right, beware the Cats. . . ) She's the fifth element, and I'm a man of my word.
So Geaux Tigers, Go Hogs, Go Gators, Go 'Cats, Roll Tide and Go Vols.
You're probably right.
Crap.
Post a Comment
<< Home