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4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 13th, 2012, 10:21 am
by Nathan Bransford
Whew! I'm back from the nerdfest that is South By Southwest Interactive down in Austin, Texas, which was quite an enjoyable time. Not least of which because I saw competitive eating legend Takeru Kobayashi eat 13 grilled cheeses in 1 minute.

No, really. I have the video.

Meanwhile, it's NCAA tournament time and we're back with the 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Who is the greatest literary bracket picker of them all?

You might be saying: "Wait. I know nothing about basketball." Well, you're in luck. You're absolutely going to win.

All you have to do is pick winners in a tournament field of 64 (er, 65, er, 68) and you're probably better off picking based on colors and/or mascots and/or funny names than anything resembling science.

The winner with the most points at the end of the NCAA tournament will win a query critique and a signed galley of JACOB WONDERBAR FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSE!!

Here's how to enter:

1. Go to the front page of the ESPN tournament challenge: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage

2. Make your picks.

3. If you have an ESPN username and password you can log in when you submit your picks, otherwise you may need to create a new user ID and password. But don't worry, it's not onerous and you can decline to receive updates in case you're spam conscious.

4. Hover over the link that says "My Groups" and then click "Create or Join a Group"

5. Search for "Bransford Blog Challenge." Enter the password, which is "rhetorical" and then click Join Group.

Then you're all set! You can make changes to your bracket by clicking on it until it locks on Thursday (and yes, there are play-in games before then, but the bracket still doesn't lock until Thursday).

Please limit yourself to one entry

Good luck!!

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 13th, 2012, 11:11 am
by aspiring_x
AW YEAH!!!!

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 13th, 2012, 12:22 pm
by The44
So few upsets, so much risk, so much reward!

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 13th, 2012, 3:27 pm
by dios4vida
Fourth Annual, already? Wow. I was a newbie at the Second Annual.

Now I feel old.

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 14th, 2012, 11:40 am
by CharleeVale
And once again my totally random bracket has been submitted!

CV

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 14th, 2012, 2:00 pm
by steelerdipwad
I figure picking brackets is good practice for the futility I'll face when sending out queries. It's my first time on Nathan's forum. (didn't know he had one) Any familiar faces on here? Anyone from critique circle, absolute write, scribophile, or kindle boards? (I'm vrabinec on those forums, I just used steelerdipwad because that's my ESPN alter ego)

Anyway, this'll offer a nice respite from that damn chapter that's currently drinking my blood. It'd be cool to get a copy of Jacob for President. It's the only reason I'd humiliate myself by making basketball picks again after the Syracuse incident of '92 (or some year like that)

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 15th, 2012, 1:29 pm
by Matthew MacNish
Nathan, I see you have Montana in the Sweet 16. I like your courage. It's going to be fun, even if the pool seems a bit smaller this year.

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 15th, 2012, 2:15 pm
by trixie
[Insert profanity-laced tirade, here.]

IT'S LOCKED?!?!!! Sonofamotherlessgoat!

Okay, who put Notre Dame (*cough* Caitlin) and Creighton (*cough* Sommer) to win?

And Syracuse? Really? Isn't their Center out on academic probation or something? Man. I *totally* should've logged on sooner. :(

Off to throw myself a pity party...

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 15th, 2012, 2:42 pm
by aspiring_x
c'MON K-State!!!!

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 15th, 2012, 2:57 pm
by hektorkarl
"IT'S LOCKED?!?!!! Sonofamotherlessgoat!"

I've been there before... usually the frustration fades after a day or two when you see how bad your picks are doing. :)

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 15th, 2012, 8:27 pm
by charlotte49ers
Picked Harvard to upset Vanderbilt (can't stand to see Vanderbilt win for personal reasons...) and was 9 points away from looking like a genius! :*(

My other upset is up almost 10 at the half. Come on VCU!!

Who did you guys pick as a Cinderella? I've got Creighton in the Sweet 16, which I'm still iffy about. But hey...it's what March Madness is all about, right?!

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 15th, 2012, 8:45 pm
by hektorkarl
Speaking of upset picks... I had Colo St... and I don't know why. They lost to Stanford, and any team that lost to a Pac-12 team can't be good. I really should have known better.

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 16th, 2012, 5:21 am
by Matthew MacNish
Being in first place is fun. Too bad it almost certainly won't last.

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 16th, 2012, 10:03 am
by hektorkarl
The South Region was not good to me...

Re: 4th Annual Blog Bracket Challenge!

Posted: March 16th, 2012, 3:37 pm
by 58Bryce Daniels
Well, gosh, I signed up cuz I wanted to try to defend my title. I really had hoped to pass on the prestigious award to second place if I had been so lucky to repeat. And I do mean prestigious. Nathan's input was great!

Now I, ummmm, see that this is no longer an issue. I have Ohio beating Michigan tonight and going on to the Elite Eight.
Must have been one of those fictional thingamajig moments.

Good luck to all!!!