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- Siwale Chabala
Madness, Pools and Bracketology
*Photo via USA Today
Can you feel it? The excitement, the buzzer beaters, the upsets, the thrill of victory, and the tears and agony of defeat from college basketball teams, fans and everybody else's in the United States. Like Dick Vitale would say, its March Madness baby!!!
March is the best time of the year and probably the most electrifying sporting event. What makes this the marquee event is not just the games but it's the brackets. Everyone and their moms, including the President of the United States, Barack Obama get caught up in bracket fever. it has even manifested itself into a name, Bracketology. March is the season of Bracketology. There is nothing like filling a bracket whether it is for your friends or office pool. There's no limitation; you can fill out as many brackets as possible, despite any unwritten rules about having a "sheet of integrity", which is always broken. Who can blame people for doing multiple sheets? The key to this is winning and bragging rights. I used to be that person with the whole " sheet of integrity" thought process, but after losing all those years, I decided to go against my morals and get a second bracket sheet. Yes, this is getting serious.
With the college basketball tournament being so unpredictable and crazy, (it is basically a 1 playoff elimination game and anything can happen)It has been proven in the past that the more you know about college basketball or basketball in general, the more likely you will do terrible in the March Madness pool. It defies logic and common sense.In fact, its usually the players that know the least that win these pools. It doesn't take a science or expertise when it comes to Bracketology. Every individual has a different style or method to picking teams on their brackets. Some might pick by favorite colors, others favorite mascots or animals of the team. Many will pick through being affiliation or being alumnus and school they graduated from (if their school is in the tournament). Even pick teams through some sort of connection or sentimental reasons. You can make these picks blind folded and still have a great shot at winning your March Madness pool. There is no rhyme or reason when it comes to Bracketology and that's what makes it fun, exciting, gut wrenching and sometimes depressing. Anybody has a chance to participate and win like the lottery (with better odds).
*Photo via Getty Images
Since the NCAA selection show this past Sunday (which I think CBS should go back to an hour instead of the two hours) there have been days of stress, sleepless nights and dreams of brackets. I tend of overthink it when it comes to March Madness since I watch so much college basketball. The teams that are supposed to win, usually end up breaking my heart as well as their fan's. That's the great thing about the tournament, every team you pick, you instantly become a fan of that team so when they win there is a whole lot of love, but when they lose, anger and depression. My style of selection is always look for the upsets so the five/twelve, four/thirteen, three/fourteen and six/eleven match ups are parts of the brackets I look at. I always have to pick one of each in my pool. I always have to remember to select Xavier University to go to the sweet sixteen. For some reason, they always get there every year no matter who is playing for the school. Note to self: avoid Villanova at all costs. These guys seem to disappoint every year. This year, I will hopefully leave them alone. A couple teams I am blindly in love ever year are Arizona and North Carolina. This year though might be a problem. I have to stop picking with my heart. Anyways t-minus 4 hours until the madness starts and I am still trying to make last minute changes to my two brackets. This year will be insanity because it will be a wide open race. So to all of you participating in the madness, good luck, hope your brackets are intact and win your pool. I know I will be, HOPEFULLY.