Go here: http://marchmania.usatoday.com/

The pool name is math1.

Tell me if it doesn't work.

And go Terps!

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2002

Answers

I just want to say that Alabama's first-round game is against Florida Atlantic, my late grandfather's late-in-life alma mater. Now, Poppy was never a big basketball fan -- he was all about the tennis; we were even watching tennis after the funeral -- but FAU wasn't supposed to get in (they had to beat a Georgia State team that has recently done much better, and was all set to go back) and I'd like to think he and Big Bill Lowe are doing some friendly back-and-forth somewhere.

Also, I suck mightily at bracket-building.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Yay! I'm so glad you set that up Mike. I actually watched the selection thing on CBS.

Go Bucks!

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Who knows, WG, Alabama could just give them that game. They pissed me off so bad against MS State, I nearly washed my hands of them. (Of course, we all know that would never happen, but still.)

I don't even know if I've ever heard of FAU, but I'm all for the little teams getting into the tourney. I still hope the Tide wins by 100, but good luck to them just the same.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Now, this may be a dumb question, but why do the number 1 seeds play the 16 seeds? That doesn't seem really fair. Is it so the top 4 seeds have a better chance of making it to the Sweet 16? And why is the West division so much stronger?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

I actually watched the selection thing on CBS.

Me too. I noticed they don't put cameras on bubble teams anymore -- just on teams like St. John's, which I don't think was in that much danger of getting left out. So I have my little homemade bracket.

As for little teams, I am so proud of Central Connecticut State, where I got to participate in an all-day chemistry tournament my junior year. Go CCSU! Make my geeky high school self proud!

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Since a #1 see always beats the #16 see, why have them meet in a future round, where the #1 team had to beat a better team then the #16 to get there.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Okay, I set my bracket up. Mike, why doesn't show me who the other players picked as their regional winners?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Okay, I am NOT very good at this, but my Final Four are: Ohio State, Duke, Kansas and Maryland.

Will we be able to see other players' brackets when the games start?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Hi, guys! I hope you don't mind me crashing the party, so to speak. I just loves me some college basketball, and wanted to jump in the pool, if there's room.

BTW, it's my understanding that they have the 1 seed play the 16 specifically so that the 1 seed will have an easier path to the final four. It's one of the perks of having a higher rank.

And while it hasn't happened yet, there is always a teeny tiny miniscule chance that the 16 seed will win. The 15 has beaten the 2 a few times. Just last year, Hampton beat Iowa State. Also, in the more distant past, I vaguely recall Richmond and Santa Clara winning their first round games, and they were also 15 seeds.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Alright, my picks are in!

H, I like the choice of the sentimental favorite for the Final Four, even though there are at least four teams in the West who can stomp all over Ohio State.

The question is, however, will a #15 seed beat a #2 and if so, which bracket will it happen in?

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

My Final Four picks are Cincinatti, Duke, Mississippi State, and Maryland.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

You realize that I HAVE to pick Ohio State, right? Just checking. And you never know. It could happen. The only team I think they'd have trouble with is Cincinnati, and then, come on. The Nati?

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I just loves me some college basketball, and wanted to jump in the pool, if there's room.

Oh, there's room for all.

I would love to put Alabama in the Final Four, but I am not deluded enough to think they could get past Duke to get there.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

However, I did go way out on a limb and have Alabama at least playing Duke, meaning I believe it's possible that they beat two teams to get there. And, people... I just don't know.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Of course, the last time I did this I had OSU in the final four and they got knocked out in the first round. But they're a better team this year. Even though the West is rough. (And sweet usatoday has Second Chance, meaning I can start over with the Sweet 16. I'll probably need that.)

I want to be able to see the rest of y'all's brackets!!

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I'm all about the upset and the underdog, but there just isn't much room in the West for Ohio State. To make it to the Final Four they would have to beat most likely Cincinnati, and either Gonzaga, Oklahoma, or Arizona.

Ouch. Mississippi State probably has a better chance of making it to Atlanta, and their chances are pretty slim.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I think we'll get to see other people's picks once the first round starts. But for now -- for now -- I have USC, Mississippi St., Maryland and Arizona. But I will change my mind about 300 times between now and Thursday.

I may well propose a Worst Bracket award. Whoever makes the most spectacularly wrong picks gets to wear the title of Dumbdumb McBracketnot.

In 1991, my father asked me to fill out his bracket. I was too scared to pick my beloved Duke, so I had Arizona v. Syracuse in the final. So.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Mississippi State probably has a better chance of making it to Atlanta

If I had my way, MS State would not ever be allowed back within the city limits of Atlanta. And by God, my picks reflect that. I have them losing in the regionals to Oregon.

We'll be able to read each others' picks after the deadline.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Is that a cowbell I hear ringing?

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I have them losing in the regionals to Oregon.

I mean, of course, losing in the 2nd Round.

Cowbells are not allowed in the arena, thank you. Nor are they allowed within 500 yards of Al Lowe. I have a restraining order.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

All I know is, I'm scared to death of Siena. And Alcorn State.

I love MD, and will probably pick them to win it because I needs to REPRESENT, but the Terps will have to play much, much better than they have over the past two weeks. Making a three-pointer would be good. So would guarding somebody.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I have to doublecheck, but yesterday my Final Four were Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga and Georgia. I think I've lost my mind.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Georgia?!

This is such a brutal year to pick. I'll be up forever filling out the office pool.

Naked Hannah, when Duke plays Southern Cal in the Sweet 16, who will you be cheering for?

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I'm dreaming big, so my final four are Duke, Kansas, Maryland, and Cincinnati, with Maryland against Cincinnati, and you know, maybe Cincinnati wins.

Really though, I'm also rooting for Maryland.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Mike, so hard this year. I think I'm going to have to see Utah play SC, and then SC against Duke. But my love for Coach K and his team far exceeds my love/hate relationship with Deadbeat Bibby and Clancy and the "Now you see him, now you don't" Bluthenthal.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

And I know, Georgia? A)I don't even think they think they're going to the Final Four and B)my family of GA Tech graduates would kill me if they knew. My dad's mad enough that I've got Gonzaga beating Oklahoma.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

Can I just say how much I love this time of year?

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

I changed: Duke and Oregon instead of USC and Mississippi State.

My family's doing its picks tonight. My father will take Maryland, because my father always takes Maryland. I always take Duke. I predict my little brother will get Bama. My mom, for something like the eighth straight year, will get screwed.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

I just did our little $2 pool (I'm doing either two or three others as well, for higher stakes). This was my crazy picks edition...

Are you ready, Hannah...

Maryland, Illinois, Gonzaga and Southern Car. Maryland-Southern Cal in the final.

Maryland winning.

Everybody enter the MATH+1 one! Go! Now!

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

Note: I wasn't talking about this pool in that last post. This one is free.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

This one is free.

Only in a monetary sense. Pride is not cheap.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

A very good point.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2002

The exchange last night:

Mom: I have first pick!
Me: Mom, if I were you I'd go with Maryland.
Dad: Let your mother pick on her own.
Mom: Actually, I think I will pick Maryland.
Dad: D'oh!

(I screwed her over last year by recommending some team that bombed early -- Carolina, I think -- so I thought I owed it to her this year.)

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Is it too late to edit our picks? Because the site is all funky. But I thought we had till noon today.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Man, it was crazy, but I did it. I have Alabama, Gonzaga, Maryland, and Kansas. Gonzaga/Maryland, Maryland wins.

I'm liking Texas Tech, too. Bobby Knight and whatnot.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

How do people feel about commenting on games as they happen? Would that be obnoxious?

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Nooooo! My picks didn't show up! I think I was past the deadline. So sad.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

I'm the only one who picked the Bucks to win the West. So sad. But I had to. I just did.

But almost everyone in our pool picked Duke to win their division. I think one person didn't.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

I don't see whywe can't have a running commentary on the games.

If you can't be a shit talking ball playa, why not be a shit talking ball watcha, yo.

Speaking of which, it appears that several of my first round upsets are holding up well going into the half.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

I just saw that Miami has a player named Paulo Coelho. Damn -- higher spiritual growth and understanding, all for Miami! If I'd known that I might not have picked Missouri.

But I think I have Valparaiso beating Kentucky and Oklahoma State beating Kent State. The race to the bottom begins.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Well, I'll see you there WG.

This is what I get for not picking an Ohio team. Damn.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

I know Berman had Kent State picked to upset -- who else?

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Tell you what, Alabama had better show up ready to play on Saturday. Kent State is awfully good, and they play hard for 40 minutes.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

CBS Sportsline's stats? Crazy. According to their site right now, one Miami player has 49 points, but he's getting schooled by the Missouri player with 76 points. This despite Missouri going 1-57 in its field goal shooting.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Okay, I so wanted to do this but just don't understand it all. The Boy has suggested I pick the following for the Final Four: Southern Cal and Oklahoma, Kansas and Maryland - with OU and KU in the showdown.

People, I have no idea what I've just said.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Guess who picked both Kent State and Missouri?

Me! That's who!

Right now I'm a little worried about Alabama, though.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Fuck ALL. I knew I should have picked more underdogs!

The sweet days when I was good at this seem to have passed me by.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

At this point I feel obligated that while many of us may have you beat in the bracket-building skills, AB, you likely have us all covered in dust in the daughter-raising skills. Which seem slightly more important.

I don't think FAU has a chance in hell in the 2nd half. But I am so proud. And go Tulsa!

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Guess who picked both Kent State and Missouri?

Besides me, you mean?

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Y'all. If Ohio State loses, and they should as they're playing like ASS, I will go insane.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Well, of course, besides you Mike. I was asking all of those people who haven't had the luxury of being, you know, actual SPORTS JOURNALISTS!

It looks like my upsets aren't quite working out as planned however. Damn you, Pepperdine!

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

I had Wake in some pools and Pepperdine in others, but had I been in Vegas I'd have gone with Pepperdine. Wake is pretty banged up. I'm impressed with how they played.

I hate watching Marquette-Tulsa. On the one hand, I want the other good teams in the East to lose early, because that helps Maryland. On the other, it's bad karma to root that way, plus Kentucky looked awfully good today. They definitely have the talent to beat the Terps.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

'Bama is pretty much safe, but FAU played them hard for 32 minutes, which was 31 1/2 minutes more than I expected.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Down goes Marquette!

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

See, I have Marquette winning in my MATH+1 bracket, but in my family's setup I have Tulsa and my little brother had Marquette as a 5-pointer (meaning he thought it was a Final Four pick).

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Did I have Marquette? Of course I did.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Allison, the Tide won. You can start breathing again now.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Ohio State survives.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Damn, I can't believe Marquette lost. Maryland's got it in the bag for a while now.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Don't be so sure. Kentucky looked awfully good today.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT!!!

I knew I should have checked on y'all from home to see if you were getting into a pool. And now, it is too late...DAMN IT!!!

And I was so ready to put in my share of Terps love with Mike...

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

"Guess who picked both Kent State and Missouri? Besides me, you mean?"

And me, in my boyfriend's lousy office pool (although this one is for money, of course)

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Y'all, I'm in a course all day, everyday, from now until Monday afternoon! Argh! So, no trash talking and no daytime game listening!

Boo. It's up to you people to root for the Tide in my stead.

We're watching The Zags get schooled by uh... Wyoming. As of press time, an upset is possible.

Same with, can you believe it, the Kansas game? March is truly mad, folks.

And tomorrow? Who knows what will happen? Beware the Ides.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

The Zag-Wyoming game is all kinds of crazy right now.

It's madness! It's March!

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

Gonzaga lost. And Marquette. AND USC? Did I have all three of those teams, oh yes I did.

But at least the Bucks won.

Go Bucks!

I am in ELEVENTH place. Tied with Trejo. Poor Trejo. Tied with girls.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

How many games have I seen today? Twenty? A hundred? They're starting to blur.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002

How did I get to be last, again? Western Kentucky and UNC-Charlotte let me down.

Have HB, Al, and Julie stopped hyperventilating?

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

My Utes and my Trojans!!!!

And my cry all night last night at the crazy Korean brewpub with the TV the size of my apartment- Why, Why, Why must you break my heart, Gonzaaaaaaaaaaaaagaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Lord, y'all. I suck at this this year. I blame it on the valuable basketball space that the new Boy is taking up in my brain.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

Y'all, I was really tired last night, but I was watching the games with C - what team has a guy whose last name sounds like "A Taco"?

Every time the announcer would say, "He's passing it to A Taco!" "A Taco saves the game!" I couldn't help but picture the joiner of the MOC and Al's true love, Puffy T.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

I have no idea who you are talking about, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Puffy Taco playing college basketball.

He is a pretty talented taco.

Today's first four games are, so far, going exactly as planned.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

Yep, my bracket is screwed.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

What the fuck is Florida doing? I guess that fight during the week messed them up.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

Oh, y'all quit whining. I had Gonzaga IN THE FINALS.

I suck rocks. And not the good kind, either.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

I do have Penn winning. If I call one upset correctly I'll have some pride back.

But that three-pointer? Well done, Creighton.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

I have lost both overtime games so far. It seems that my regimented personality doesn't mesh well with the overtime concept. Because, well, overtime isn't part of the plan, ya know?

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

My craziest pick is McNeese. Crazy like a fox!

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

Did I say Penn? I meant . . . sigh.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

Dammit! I had Penn too. I just wanted there to be a great Pennsylvania Game - Pitt versus Penn

Losers! Everyone!

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

Okay. Except for Gonzaga and Michigan State (Michigan State?! I had them all the way to the final 8. Michigan State?!) I'm still alive for the Sweet 16. That's good. And the teams left to play tonight (Maryland, I'm looking at you) should be okay.

I don't even LIKE basketball.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

Did I have St. John's AND Texas Tech? Am I the worst possible picker in the world or what?

But then again, did ANYone pick Southern Ill?

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

I picked S. Illinois!

And did you all see how beautiful Steve Logan is?

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

And in other news-- McNeese? Such high hopes I had. Such crazy, demented hopes.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2002

In addition to fucking my bracket all to hell, Quinn Snyder looks like the Terminator 2.

And while I picked Texas Tech to win their 1st round game, it makes me feel all warm inside to know that Bobby Knight has taken another 1st round exit. Ass.

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2002

Well. I'm out.

Buckeyes!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Al - there's room in my corner if you'd like to commiserate.)

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2002

HB, you hush. I checked the standings. You are not in 12th place.

The irony is that when I picked for my family's pool, I did far better -- of the four of us, I'm the only one with all four of my top picks (Duke, Oregon, Arizona, and UConn) still standing. If I'd picked for our pool the way I did for my family's, I'd be up there with Berman right now.

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

What did I tell you about Alabama? Damn them.

I'm going to start falling rapidly now that both the Tide and Cinci have fallen.

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

With the USAtoday pools, I think you can reselect now that we're in the Sweet 16. Which is good, as FIVE of my Sweet 16 teams are izzout.

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

I'm sorry. I meant to say SIX.

Who do y'all think will take the UCLA/Missouri match-up?

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

God, I hope Missouri. It boggles my mind that UCLA, of all the PAC 10 schools, should be getting this far. Their coach is so very dumb.

But y'all? How stupid were my picks this year?? Stupid. My color coded bracket has so much red on it, and not the good Ute kind, either.

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2002

When are the next rounds being played?

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002

The Sweet Sixteen rounds are on Thursday and Friday and the Elite Eight rounds are on Saturday and Sunday.

My boyfriend just called to let me know that he was offered a ticket to go up to Syracuse for the next rounds - that is where Maryland is playing (we are HUGE Terps fans). He wanted to get my permission to go. Permission? Is he kidding me? I said, "If you don't go, then I will, so you better get home and start packing!"

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002

Dawn, my jealousy is without end. Now that the Tide is out of it (booooo), I am concentrating all my efforts of fanship on MD, purely out of dedication to our dear Mike, and because I love the phrase "Beware the Turtle."

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002

I must admit, I was very happy to find another Terp Maniac in Mike.

I will let y'all know that I was rooting for Bama all the way because I know how many fans there are in this discussion thread. I also have the Longhorns going to the Final Four (I hope there are some Texas fans here) because they had some convincing overtime losses during the regular season.

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002

It's official, the boyfriend is going to Syracuse to root the Turtles on to a Final Four post! All I can say is that I better get a damn hat out of the deal.

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2002