Oh it’s that time of year again! I love March Madness! I do love college basketball. It’s a passion that started when I became a cheerleader at good Ol’ Milligan College and I fell in love with the excitement and thrill that comes with watching basketball. Sure we never made it to the Big Dance, but it was enough to get me hooked onto March Madness.
And I will also admit- I am a horrible college basketball fan throughout the season because there always seems to be something else more important, so I usually end up making up for lost time and become a psychosuper fan for the next couple weeks.
ANYWAYS- enough with reminiscing…back to what’s important….your bracket! I’m sure theres plenty of buzz going around the water coolers about office pools and bracketology…who’s the cinderella story and who’s the dark horse….who’s your elite 8 and your upsets? I’m always amazed at the scruitiny and analyzing that goes on during this time!
However- you shouldn’t let the over-analytical thinking get you down and discourage you from entering a bracket into the office pool! They are so much fun! And the best thing about it is everyone has an equal chance once the games start….and usually the guy that was bragging about his stellar picks ends up with the bleeding bracket. If anything- that is worth entering the pool for!
So over the years I have come up with my own way of making my bracket picks…and I don’t mean to sound like that one guy by the watercooler, but I have held my own when it comes to the office pool! I have won at least 10 bucks every year for the past 3 years! And the best thing….my methods have NOTHING to do with stats!
So this year- I thought it might be nice to share some of my theories and methods when it comes to bracketology. Sure I maybe jinxing myself, but I’m more than ok with the thought of passing along the knowledge to those that don’t know.
(Disclaimer: if you are a true sports fan, from here on out this blog may make you cry. continue at your own risk)
SBC’s BRACKETOLOGY 101:
- go with your gut- write your choices in PEN! I know! I’m going against every grade school teacher’s philosophy that I had when I say that, but it’s true. Overthinking causes doubt and leads to those “ARGH! why didn’t I go with my gut?” moments that we all hate. AND it also saves you from those cheaters who write their choices softly and half erase them and try to say “oh well I had that down!” Facebook also has a fun bracket application that you can use and will lock in your choices by thursday.
- it is OK to fill out many brackets! – when Syracuse or UK are in the Dance, I fill out two- one as my dream bracket- with one of those said teams going all the way to win. The second one being more realistic and thoughtful with my choices. though you can only turn in one bracket per pool….it’s fun to have several to follow and keeps you into the tournament longer. This year’s case….I will have two because SYRACUSE is a 3 seed!!!! holla!
-be sure to allow some upsets- I know I said earlier I don’t go by stats- but the little tiny numbers are sometimes smart to go by in the first couple rounds. Your 8&9, 5&12, 7&10 and 6&11 games are going to be where most of the upsets happen….so be sure you allow a couple of those….1 for each region maybe? and the best way to choose these is to base your decision on:
- school location – would you rather vacay in Cali or Maryland? or did you have a bad experience with some cheese in Wisconsin?
- school mascot – if those two mascots were in a fight for realsies…who would win? (PS- worst school mascot is Alabama – the Crimson Tide…. it’s discrimination against women even though you really shouldn’t mess with us during that time of the month….)
- school popularity – have you even heard of said school? I will admit I didn’t know who VCU was when I first looked and that did influence my decision. and I did choose Cornell for a 3/14 upset just because Andy Bernard is a Cornell alum…
because really…..they’re gonna be some upsets…so you may as well base your decision on silly reasons.
- the coolest names are always the safest bets!- Who can’t love a school called GONZAGA!! Seriously- part of me wants to go get a second degree from there and become important enough to change their mascot to GONZO! Marquette and Villanova are always fun names too….and you never hear of Wake Forest until tourney time…so it’s nice to give them some credit.
- family alma maters personalize your bracket - have family that went to Purdue or Butler? you best be putting them down to make it to the second round! Family that lives in Boston? Boston College is your choice! Or even if you are like me and your school was a mile away from East Tennessee State, you can choose them too! (although I might not since they are playing a #1 seed….you can still dare to dream!)
- when in doubt- its all in the team colors. – Did you really think I could get away with writing a blog and not apply fashion to the subject? I personally can’t stand UT’s shade of orange. It makes me sick. I do however love Syracuse’s shade of orange and the navy blue and white as an accent (bias? maybe, but it’s still way better than a stadium full of fans wearing Home Depot orange…). and make note of team jersey styles. I want to strangle the person who thought it was ok to give IU clown warm-up pants. thank goodness they aren’t in the tournament for that very reason. And even though I was only in 6th grade at the time….it still makes me mad….UK should have been disqualified for showing up to the tournament with denim jerseys! yuck!
ewww- nasty-ness!
So there ya have it! SBC’s Bracketology 101! Hope this guide will help you in your bracket choices….and if it doesn’t, at least you had fun filling it out!
Have a wonderful Spring Break week! Go enjoy the weather! I wish I could!
Keep It Rockin!
Sara Beth 
Looks like Milligan College didn’t realize they were training students in not only communications, but sports bracketology too