It is once again that time of year to plant myself on a couch, swear at the television, drink to excess and pin my happiness on the success of Gonzaga’s basketball team. Yes, it is NCAA tournament time.
I’m pleased to announce that the second annual Zillionaire pool is up and running. This contest is 100% free, mainly because the prospect of collecting money from each person would entail pulling off the biggest upset in tournament history. Consequently, since this contest is free, there are no prizes whatsoever. Instead, the winner will be lionized on this website and have the freedom to be an insufferable braggart for an entire year.
Please note, by submitting picks, you are subject to ridicule on this site for any of the following transgressions:
1. Horrible picks
2. Losing to my wife
3. Failing to pick a single upset
4. Lack of creativity on user name
5. Neglecting to trash talk others below you in the rankings
Go here to sign up. The deadline to enter is one millisecond before the tip-off of the first game (Thursday Morning, approx 9am).
The group name is: Internet Zillionaire
The password is: Zillionaire
Also, make sure to read up on the scoring system when you sign up, as there are bonus points awarded for correctly picking upsets. The justification for this is that if you are willing to make a high-risk pick, there should be a high-reward for doing so as well.
Best of luck to everyone.
I will do anything for bragging rights.
Also, it should be noted that college basketball is about the only exciting sport on television. (Pinball isn’t televised, yet.)
So come out of the woodwork and join us in madness of March.
okay, i’m staging a protest to transgression #4. i already had an existing sportsline ID and that is what the site automatically used as my bracket name. i don’t want to get penalized for the computer making decisions for me.
maybe you could do an extra NCAA post so that we could showcase how cleverly we would have christened our brackets.
if i’ve just blindly skipped over the instructions on how to name my bracket, please ignore this post…
Phone rings.
Me: “Tech support. This is Dave, can I help you?”
Amy: “How do I change my bracket name?”
Me: “Go to options -> personal when you are looking at the zillionaire bracket. you can change it in there!”
Amy: “Cool. Thanks Dave. You are a huge nerd.”
Me: “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go spell words using numbers on my calculator.”
And cut!
End scene.
CBS Sportsline actually appears to have come through. I like how it set up a message board just for our group. I think it has some other features that auto-update for our pool as the tourney progresses. I’m cautiously optimistic that CBS might be unreal for once.
BYU is already out. Does that mean that the Church is not true or just that it impossible to find enough Mormons that are good at basketball? Or both?
Some quick tourney thoughts:
1. It’s a shame WSU lost. They had a great season, and now will probably see their coach (Tony Bennett) leave for a better coaching job. It’s not just that he’s a competent coach. He’s also young and incredibly handsome. Frankly, much too handsome to be coaching WSU. Everyone knows that a Washington State Cougar coach needs to be homely and elderly. Hopefully their next coaching hire will fit the mold we’ve come to expect.
2. I’m getting demolished in the pool by an eleven-month old baby that filled out a bracket by pointing to toys representing the various teams in the tourney.
3. Look for me and Mrs. Centaur at the tourney games today in Spokane. I’ll be in the 17th row, most likely with my shirt off (not as a sign of support for a particular team, but just so my navel can breathe a little.)
I wish i’d read that reply post a few days ago, now i just don’t care as much to change it because i’m not winning. but thanks, Dave, for being a tech geek and helping me out. no one else seemed to care that i was throwing a small fit…typical
my bracket title had something to do with this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GianETEHqhk
hey booth, nice work for starting logan off right in the field of competitive gambling. that’s a good look.
Well, my bracket is an unholy abomination. I am fully expecting an angry mob with torches and pitchforks to assemble any minute now to destroy my twisted creation.
Yes, it is especially deflating once you factor in that I was the one that developed the scoring rules for this tourney in the first place. I decided to award picking upsets with special bonus points, and I filled out my bracket accordingly.
And naturally, this has been the most upset-free tournament ever. Good God, what possessed me to put Long Beach State
going to the Sweet 16?
I know most people are mathematically eliminated at this point, so let’s just make one final round of predictions for
the final four… Here are mine:
I’m going with Florida over Georgetown, 78-70.
Other tournament-related predictions:
1. I will call my Dad on April Fool’s day and announce Spencer Hawes is going Pro, and subsequently visit him in the hospital later that night.
2. I will spill some form of dip or melted cheese on my shirt during the title game.
3. I will breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I have mathematically assured myself of besting my wife’s picks. Sadly, that’s what I’ve been reduced to.
If Booth were to send the Hawes item to me, I wouldn’t have questioned it. Tim is too kind hearted to do such an evil trick! Matt how could you even think of such a hurtful idea?