Monday, March 13, 2006

From Madness to Sagedom


Behold! What you most likely cannot read above is the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship bracket. I'm sure many of you will be playing in your own office pools - for entertainment purposes only, I'm quite aware - but it's not like these games won't be being played within the Realm, now is it?

Yet here, alas, we may only pick for bragging rights. HOWEVER, we can still play, and the winner shall aptly be referred to as the REALM SAGE.

It's too much, probably, to ask to fill out a whole bracket, but how about noting your Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, Championship Game pairing, and ultimate Champion in the comments. You'll probably have to get an actual readable bracket off the Net or in a news rag.

For scoring, each team you name that has reached the Sweet 16, you get a point. Two points for those in the Elite 8, four points for each correct Final Four participant you name, eight points for any of the two you pick in the Championship and twelve points for the Champion.

All entries, of course, will have to be in prior to Thursday before the first games (besides the play-in game tomorrow) tip off. And just so you know, and you probably do realize, I'm laying my own title on the line here as the REALM SAGE. Of course, I don't think I'm in any danger of losing it as I'm sure I'll have the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four, and the rest of them picked perfectly.

As always, trash talking is welcome... to a degree. Good luck in your -- for entertainment purposes only -- bracket contests outside of the Realm as well (unless you're in one of the same pools, er, I mean contests, that I am).

7 comments:

Rich said...

My Sweet Sixteen:
Atlanta Region
Duke
LSU
Iowa
Texas
Oakland Region
Memphis
Pitt
Gonzaga
UCLA
Washington DC Region
UConn
Illinois
UNC
Tennessee
Minneapolis
Villanova
B.C.
Florida
Georgetown

My Elite Eight:
Atlanta Region
Duke
Texas
Oakland Region
Pitt
UCLA
Washington DC Region
UConn
UNC
Minneapolis
B.C
Florida

My Final Four:
Duke
UCLA
UConn
B.C.

My Finals:
Duke
UConn

My Champion:
UConn

Anonymous said...

My Sweet Sixteen:
Atlanta Region
Duke
LSU
Iowa
Texas
Oakland Region
Memphis
Kansas
Gonzaga
UCLA
Washington DC Region
UConn
Washington
UNC
Tennessee
Minneapolis
Villanova
B.C.
Florida
Georgetown

My Elite Eight:
Atlanta Region
Duke
Texas
Oakland Region
Kansas
UCLA
Washington DC Region
UConn
UNC
Minneapolis
Villanova
Georgetown

My Final Four:
Duke
UCLA
UNC
Villanova

My Finals:
Duke
UNC

My Champion:
UNC

DougALug said...

Atlanta Region
Duke
LSU
Iowa
Texas

Oakland Region
Memphis
Kansas
Gonzaga
UCLA

Washington DC Region
UConn
Illinois
Michigan St.
Tennessee

Minneapolis
Villanova
B.C.
Florida
Ohio State

My Elite Eight:

Atlanta Region
Duke
Iowa

Oakland Region
Memphis
Gonzaga

Washington DC Region
UConn
Michigan State

Minneapolis
Villanova
Ohio State

My Final Four:
Duke
Gonzaga
UConn
Ohio State

My Finals:
Duke
UConn

My Champion:
Duke

Sigh... The brackets are already shaking and quaking!

Diabolical Genius said...

My picks, though posted after the first round were selected before the first tip-off:

My Sweet Sixteen:
Atlanta Region
Duke
LSU
Iowa
NC State
Oakland Region
Bucknell
Pitt
Gonzaga
UCLA
Washington DC Region
UConn
Washington
UNC
Seton Hall
Minneapolis
Villanova
Nevada
UWM
Ohio State

My Elite Eight:
Atlanta Region
Duke
NC State
Oakland Region
Pitt
UCLA
Washington DC Region
Washington
Seton Hall
Minneapolis
Villanova
Ohio State

My Final Four:
NC State
UCLA
Washington
Villanova

My Finals:
UCLA
Villanova

My Champion:
Villanova

Rich said...

Updating scores with those that made the Sweet 16:

Rich: 11
Carson: 12
Dug-a-lug: 10
Ken: 7

As of right now, our current leader has lost his champion, so his lead most likely will be short-lived.

The current Realm Sage is holding firm in second with his Final Four still intact.

Dug-a-lug's Big Ten boot-licking has put him in a bit of a hole, but he's still in the game with three of his Final Four.

Ken's Duke-hatred has blurred him enough that he chosen NC State to make it to the Final Four. Alas, the Wolfpack has faltered. Not so, though, with the other three of his Final Four. And I must admit, Washington appears strong while my own pick of UConn has played very weak for a team I named as champion.

All in all, I feel good about holding on to my Realm Sage title, but the ground might be giving way just a bit with UConn's poor play. Of course, the name of the game is survuve and advance, and UConn has done that. I have no love for the Huskies and quite a bit of distaste, especially for their coach, Jim Calhoun. But in the Tournament you pick with your head, not your heart. So states the sage.

Rich said...

Now, after the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games have been played, most brackets busted, leaving us with as unlikely a Final 4 as I've seen in a while, the scoring is as such:

Rich: 23
Carson: 22
Doug: 14
Ken: 15

The only bracket not totally busted in Ken's with UCLA going onto the Finals. Since he doen't have them going on any farther than that, so the Realm Sage title will stay safe in my grasp until another contest erupts. Ken can, however, tie me, which would leave a bitter taste in my mouth, so best the LSU goes and beats UCLA like a drum.

Doug, thanks for playing. You came in last. That's what all that Big 10 bootlicking does for a guy. ;)

Rich said...

Uh, I won.