# March Madness thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 19, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045 "2014-03-19T00:49:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/21 "2014-03-20T19:23:46Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > DAYTON WINS! DAYTON WINS! Go Flyers! You buried the lede. TheOSU loses! theOSU Loses. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/22 "2014-03-20T20:10:24Z")
WSU vs. KU for it all… wishful thinking from a Jayhawk fan. My Final Four: Arizona (but rooting for SDSU) Louisville Florida (Go Jayhawks!) Michigan State Sleeper picks: Tennessee wears out Duke in a close Blue Devil win so that Texas can get the upset SF Austin over VCU ND State over OU ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/23 "2014-03-20T20:30:26Z")
Go Crimson! That’s a HUGE win for Harvard! ETA: Albany holding their own with the Gators early! Keep it up, Great Danes! ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/24 "2014-03-20T20:49:53Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I thought Colorado was seeded high, but I don’t think even **SFP** would have hoped for a blowout like this. I was shocked. Happy, but shocked. They came out blazing and never stopped until the first half was over. Then they coasted. That was as great a tournament game I have ever seen Pitt play. Usually, they are on the other side of an upset. Man, it would be great to see them make it to the Sweet 16 as a 9 seed. I believe if they beat Florida, it will screw more people’s brackets more quickly than any other 1 seed upset. I doubt 10% would pick Pitt over Florida. My brackets so far make me look like a genius. I picked the Harvard upset, and the Dayton upset. Plus Pitt, of course. For the record, i have two brackets, the only difference in them is that in one I have Pitt going all the way and the other one I have Florida going all the way. I always do two bradkets, and the Pitt bracket always gets tossed first. Maybe this is the year that the Fink beats the Stomach! (No, it’s a couple of guys over here.) ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/25 "2014-03-20T20:52:07Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Go Crimson! That’s a HUGE win for Harvard! I was live-Facebooking with a bunch of college classmates the whole game. We are all pretty psyched 😃 They’ll play the winner of the next game I’m going to watch, Michigan St. vs. Delaware. Given that so many people think Michigan St. is going to the Final Four, I’m not hopeful. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/26 "2014-03-20T20:57:01Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > One reason is they want to put fannies in the seats. It isn’t like a bowl game where you have weeks to make travel plans, they want to make sure that the arenas are full for the first couple games where they have unattractive matchups. Sure, it’s totally unfair that Duke gets sucked up to nearly every year, but they also know they can fill the arena. I know this is what the NCAA says is the reason, but lets face it. Duke would sell out any arena it plays in. People either love to root for Duke, or love to root for the team playing Duke. That is always a game that will draw interest and basketball fans. Maybe buffalo is a harder place to draw in the crowds, so that’s why Syracuse gets the nod. I don’t know. I would think that the early rounds go to arenas that will fill up regardless of who is there. That’s why the NCAA rewards those cities with tourney games in the first place, right? If. I have the energy, I will tey to figure out what the capacity for each arena that hosted games for the last 5 years and see what the percentage of seats sold is for each location. I would think any city that drew poor crowds wouldn’t get the NCAA to come back any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/27 "2014-03-20T21:45:02Z")
Well, so far I am 2 (Syracuse and Wisconsin) for 5 Course my picks were pretty much random. I chose all the favorites in the South and randomly picked an upset in the other 3 This is at work - luckily there is a prize for 1st,s2nd,3rd,20th,32nd,43rd and 56th Hello 56th place… Brian ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/28 "2014-03-21T00:23:41Z")
My HS crush is a Harvard alum. Messaged her last year about Harvard wrecking brackets. Friends with CU alum. Told me she didn’t follow cbb, partly because CU isn’t very good. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/29 "2014-03-21T02:51:19Z")
B1G seeds: I don’t get how the selection committee came up with these. Wisconsin and Michigan at #2, Michigan State at #4? It seems to me that MSU and UM should have been 3 seeds and Wisconsin a 4 seed. Yes, Wisconsin had a very good RPI but that isn’t the only factor in the selection. That said, it looks like the 4 seed for MSU was a blessing since Harvard pulled the upset. There is little difference between 2 and 3 seed because after winning the first game you are in for a war. Then there is Ohio State. WTF is it with that team? They were ranked #2 in the preseason and could have ended up in the NIT. Then they lose to Dayton in their first game. I haven’t followed them closely but what’s the source of the disfunction? Is there dissension on the team. If so, why? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/30 "2014-03-21T03:11:58Z")
Who has two thumbs and picked Dayton, Harvard, and North Dakota State? THIS GUY. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/31 "2014-03-21T03:20:26Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Who has two thumbs and picked Dayton, Harvard, and North Dakota State? THIS GUY. This guy! (Sorry, Marley… You aren’t alone) I’ve only missed one game so far. UConn-St. Joes. I doubt my brackets will stay so pristine, but getting all 3 of the 12-5 upsets is the best first round I’ve ever had. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/32 "2014-03-21T03:26:49Z")
And I missed on St. Louis/NC State and probably Texas/Arizona State. Still, I’m proud of my [del]expert prognostication[/del] guesses. It’s always nice when you pick a team to lose just because you don’t like them and it pays off. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/33 "2014-03-21T03:35:03Z")
Just hear on SportsCenter that less than 1% of all brackets are still perfect after the 12-5 upsets today. That’s amazing, considering how many entries they had. Looks like Warren Buffet’s billion dollars is safe. Which team did you pick against that you don’t like? The only team I picked against because I had no faith in them was Ohio State. They are just one of those teams that seem to underachieve every year. And since I am a Pitt fan, I know under achieving teams when I see them. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/34 "2014-03-21T03:56:23Z")
I loathe OSU and I dislike Cincy. And Cincy is one of those teams that disappoints on a regular basis- so I had a feeling Harvard was going to get its Cinderella on. I just picked ND State because I think it’s good strategy to pick 12s to beat 5s. 5s and 12s tend to be similar in quality because they’re generally the last teams picked for the tournament. This year I only picked one 5 seed to win (VCU), which is kind of going overboard, but I was right twice. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/35 "2014-03-21T09:17:42Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > This year I only picked one 5 seed to win (VCU), which is kind of going overboard, but I was right twice. And after tomorrow you’ll still be right twice; ya shoulda picked Stephen F. Austin. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/36 "2014-03-21T17:01:49Z")
Mercer isn’t scared. They are hanging with Duke very well now that they went man-to-man. If they can just stop missing easy shots, they’ll be in this right up to the end. Today I have money on Baylor, UMass, OSU and SFA. And of course, as I mentioned before, I have money on Wichita State to win the tournament (@ 12-1). ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/37 "2014-03-21T17:53:08Z")
Mercer is poised to RUIN my bracket! (I have Duke cutting down the nets) ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/38 "2014-03-21T17:58:31Z")
K doesn’t even bother coaching during games anymore. Every single point those fuckers have scored in the second half are on threes and free throws. whoops, there goes one. First layup of the half at 5:40 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/39 "2014-03-21T18:08:46Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Just hear on SportsCenter that less than 1% of all brackets are still perfect after the 12-5 upsets today. That’s amazing, considering how many entries they had. > > Looks like Warren Buffet’s billion dollars is safe. Heard the radio guys this AM say there were 11 million entries, and halfway through the first round, there are only 17,000 perfect entries remaining. C’mon, who actually picked Dayton, ND State, and Harvard through actual _thought processes_? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/march-madness-thread/684045/40 "2014-03-21T18:27:23Z")
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