ugacrew

Is anyone participating in a bracket pool or even interested in it at all? I know I am going to be forming my bracket once the top 64 going to the tourney is announced. I know this question is going to get very few if no responses at all, yet I'm still curious.

geeandtee

I'm afraid I'll be busy rearranging my sock drawer during March Madness. However, I'll be rooting for my old Alma Mater...Pitt.

Paul S

seriously

Titchski

I already had my March Madness fix, see my post about last weekend at the in laws

ugacrew

I'm gonna steal that LOLcat! Fantastic!

BritGuyTN

boys or girls?

Irn-bru

OK is it just me or whats going on?

I learned what socerette was (well mostly) but what on earth ugacrew are you doing with brackets?

Too many weird things going on I don't understand here..now spill

ugacrew

Okay! Here's the 411 on what March Madness is. March Madness is a term given to the NCAA Men's (and Women's) Basketball Tournament (College-University Level Sport). It's also called the 'Big Dance'. March 16 is the date that the top 64 teams in the country will be chosen and placed within a bracket. (sample bracket below).



During this time in March and early April, the teams play single elimination style play to the point where two are left and the winner of that match is crowned the champion. The fun part about this is that this is pure sport competition. The teams that are playing are doing it with passion and pride and not much regard to monetary gains. The universities may gain monetarily due to ticket sales but that's just about it.

As a spectator the part that makes it fun is predicting the outcome of brackets. Meaning that you have to pick who wins out of each game and pick the final winner and the point spread. Most people like to get together in groups at the office or within the family and form a bracket pool. The one that has the most accurately predicted bracket wins the pool. Also people can enter contests online and win lots of cash and prizes.

During the Tournament you might hear things like 'Sweet 16' (what happens after 2 rounds of play), 'Great 8' (third round), 'Final 4', (fourth round), and then you have the Final. Of all the sporting activities in America this one tops them all in terms of enthusiasm, support, purity, and excitement.

Here's more information: March Madness

BritGuyTN, I'm participating in the Men's bracket. I've got my SlingBox ready to go for watching the games.

Irn-bru

Ah ta for that - both are about sports so that explains why I don't know about it

Haven't heard the term brackets before re sports team knocking other teams out. Seeing your graph I completely understand.. just hadn't heard that term before, am just used to 'who do you think will be in the 2nd round' or quarter finals etc.
Must be a US term, would you use it in US football etc?
But I have never been 'in' betting so maybe its a UK term that I've never heard before.

ugacrew

It's a term associated with tournament style of play. Because March Madness is the end-all-be-all of tournament play here in the US, it's mostly associated with that sporting event.

paddingtongreen

You didn't explain that it's by invitation and who does the inviting, or about "seeding" did you?

Scaredy cat

ugacrew

No. I didn't have to since I provided a link to an in depth description of it. Frankly it wasn't a matter of being scared, it was a matter of not being arsed to do it.

elfman

I like to think of it as the time of year during which my father in law yells at the telly and frightens the dog.

augigi

Woohoo - I love march madness!! Me and the boys from work will be starting it off next Friday with a day of drinking, then we'll hit the brackets. Last time I was in the US and I entered with my (female) housemates, we came 1, 2, 3 in the pool. The workmates were not happy haha.

I'm also going for Pitt!

Kaffy Mintcake

It is fun to go to the games though. I saw my alma mater in the Sweet Sixteen tournament once - the year after I graduated. We also saw Magic Johnson at the game (his alma mater MSU was playing) ... there were many of us and we yelled "MAGIC" and he turned and waved.

Not far from you actually Uga - St. Louis.