NCAA March Madness Pools
Really, the only thing I truly miss about working is having co-workers. I actually genuinely enjoy the social aspect of working. Of course, a big part of that experience is near-professional levels of sports spectatorship.
The gambling is a corolary to this. I love fantasy football and I love love love NCAA college hoops pools.
However since I am not working anywhere I am not participating in any pools. No, you don't need to pity me and invite me into your pool; it just isn't the same. I need to be able to strut around the office when I am doing well and openly sulk when I am not. But, for those of you who are in on the action, I offer freely my sure-fire system. You will either light up your pool or crash and burn miserably (the only thing sure is the fire part)--there will be no in between either. Are you really in it for the cash? Or just the fun?
So, for the men's bracket, use this simple preference system for each head-to-head match-up. Number one's never get beaten in the first round, and occassionally the second--they are the only ones that can trump the system. By the third round, the system must be followed.
1) Any team whose mascot is the Wildcats
2) Jesuit colleges (this is not a Catholic preference--it is a very strange fact that in addition to all their other contributions to the world Jesuits coach some very fine ball)
3) African American coaches
4) Rick Pitino
5) Any college with an associated Seminary or Divinity School (can be stretched to mean any Catholic college, too, or at the very least any school with the word Saint in the name, but you do that at your own risk)
6) Non-animal kingdom mascots
7) States whose geography is largely determined by right angles
I used to have at number 4 Dean Smith and an eighth category for former assistants to Dean Smith. That category got too complicated for me to follow so I just dropped it.
If your workplace or group of friends are progressive enough to play the women's bracket, too, here goes
1) Any college that has a strong football tradition
2) Tennessee
3) Any Feline mascots
4) No Men's final four team, except UCONN
5) Landgrant colleges
6) Any religiously affiliated college, with some cautious preference for Jesuits
7) This is a wild-card category--I just pick a weird favorite team and this year I like Temple.
Okay easy enough?
The gambling is a corolary to this. I love fantasy football and I love love love NCAA college hoops pools.
However since I am not working anywhere I am not participating in any pools. No, you don't need to pity me and invite me into your pool; it just isn't the same. I need to be able to strut around the office when I am doing well and openly sulk when I am not. But, for those of you who are in on the action, I offer freely my sure-fire system. You will either light up your pool or crash and burn miserably (the only thing sure is the fire part)--there will be no in between either. Are you really in it for the cash? Or just the fun?
So, for the men's bracket, use this simple preference system for each head-to-head match-up. Number one's never get beaten in the first round, and occassionally the second--they are the only ones that can trump the system. By the third round, the system must be followed.
1) Any team whose mascot is the Wildcats
2) Jesuit colleges (this is not a Catholic preference--it is a very strange fact that in addition to all their other contributions to the world Jesuits coach some very fine ball)
3) African American coaches
4) Rick Pitino
5) Any college with an associated Seminary or Divinity School (can be stretched to mean any Catholic college, too, or at the very least any school with the word Saint in the name, but you do that at your own risk)
6) Non-animal kingdom mascots
7) States whose geography is largely determined by right angles
I used to have at number 4 Dean Smith and an eighth category for former assistants to Dean Smith. That category got too complicated for me to follow so I just dropped it.
If your workplace or group of friends are progressive enough to play the women's bracket, too, here goes
1) Any college that has a strong football tradition
2) Tennessee
3) Any Feline mascots
4) No Men's final four team, except UCONN
5) Landgrant colleges
6) Any religiously affiliated college, with some cautious preference for Jesuits
7) This is a wild-card category--I just pick a weird favorite team and this year I like Temple.
Okay easy enough?
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