Introducing "Nobracketology"
posted by LW, Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Somewhat similar to those nut jobs who've thought the world was going to end every year since 2000, I've always been a chaos man when filling out my NCAA Tournament bracket.
A good deal of craziness always unfolds during the tournament, but I've always gone overboard into armageddon in predicting the craziness.
And some of my non-sportswriter friends have delighted in annually taking money from a guy who's supposed to be an expert on this stuff.
So I tried something new last year, and it was quite the revelation.
Introducing "Nobracketology," whose premise is quite simple:
Leave the bracket empty, and have more fun.
Some of you who actually are used to enjoying some bracket success might want to disregard this advice. But for those of you whose egos -- and professional reputations, if you cover sports for a living -- have been shredded every March because of this bracket phenomenon, I urge you to give it a try.
It might sound patently un-American not to fill out a bracket. I submit that it's no less un-American than the totally lame act of filling out multiple brackets.
Seriously, I feel the need to combust around Sweet 16 time when I hear someone say: "Hey, I landed 15 of the 16 teams ... in one of my eight brackets!!!!"
It's actually kind of frustrating just hearing people talking about their brackets, period. Tell the truth here: How many of you act interested the 10 or 12 times a day someone tells you about their bracket progress, but really aren't interested at all?
The constant bracket updates are kind of like watching a football game and hearing someone say: "Man, great game, but that running back is on my fantasy team and he only had 52 yards rushing!"
And I'm supposed to care why, exactly?
Anyway, the Nobracketology thing is kind of cool because you get to experience unadulterated excitement at the upsets when you're unattached to a bracket (or brackets) that might not have predicted those upsets.
And besides, the brackets will soon be doomed anyway with the advent of the 96-team tournament.
Al Featherston of The ACC Sports Journal tackles a hypothetical 96-team field for 2010, proving that he has way too much time on his hands.
Featherston's first conclusion:
Scanning the matchups, it’s obvious that there will be a lot of unwatchable first-round games. Look at the list of Tuesday and Wednesday games. How many are worth watching?
North Carolina-St. John’s and N.C. State-Kent State have some local interest, but will either excite the national TV audience? I’d get pumped up to watch Siena take on a downtrodden UConn team. What else? Cincinnati-Ohio? Memphis-Murray State? South Florida-Texas Tech?
You know the prime supporters of an expanded field (coaches) are using the argument that there are a larger number of good teams than when the field was last expanded (1985), and that's just laugh-out-loud funny.
The early departures to the NBA have dealt a serious blow to the quality of college basketball. There's simply no comparison between teams that were considered good in the 1980s and teams that are considered good now.
Another observation from Featherston:
A lot of players are going to miss a lot of class. That happens now with Thursday and Friday games in the first round. But with Tuesday and Wednesday games now necessary, quite a few teams will be on the road for almost the full week.
The silly notions of "student-athletes" and "class" are cited as the main reasons we don't have a playoff in college football.
Refreshing, huh?
Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer is apparently Pro-Bracket and has yet to learn of the Nobracketology craze that's sweeping the nation.
He says he's actually putting some thought into his bracket this year.
I've tried that approach, Tom, and trust me. Doesn't work.
Looks like it was a great atmosphere last night at Carmichael Auditorium for North Carolina's NIT win over William & Mary.
The Tribe, by the way, dropped to 2-1 this season in ACC road games.
Man, Paul Hewitt is still pitching fits over criticism he's received for his prolonged mediocrity.
Actually, the term "mediocrity" is too kind. The Jackets haven't finished with a winning ACC record since 2004.
Nevertheless, Hewitt is outraged that some media members had the gall to point out his astounding sweetheart contract, which requires Georgia Tech to pay him $7 million if they decide to get rid of him.
"Don't make this contract situation look like I walked in someone's office with a gun and mask and said, 'Hey, sign this contract,'" Hewitt said. "We all knew what we were getting into."
Not sure Hewitt's current AD, Dan Radakovich, knew what he was getting into when he inherited Hewitt's contract from Dave Braine.
Carrick Felix's addition to Duke would give the Blue Devils their first JUCO addition since 1974.
For the first time in a long time, Florida State begins spring practice without Bobby Bowden napping in his tower.
In The Post and Courier, Clemson's basketball team tries to take the next step.
Bart Wright says this is another chance for the Tigers to prove they belong on the big stage.
All of which makes you wonder if this is a team with a bit of stage fright. Knowing they are trying to build winning into a program that has had very little of it in more than a decade, can the big stage be too big? Too intimidating?
Do they allow themselves to fall into a psychologically timid state of mind?
“We can't do that,” said guard Andre Young. “The whole thing of Clemson not having won for so many times is a burden that gets put on our shoulders, but this isn't the same team that was here last year or the last five years.
“We just have to go play the way we know how to play,” he said. “That has to be our focus.”
Dave Glenn of The ACC Sports Journal chats with Trevor Booker.
This columnist says Mike Anderson might've done his best coaching job this year.
And the Tigers' baseball team has no shortage of bats, but pitching is still an issue. That was evidenced in last night's loss at Charlotte.
The win is Charlotte's first against Clemson since February 2004. It also is the 49ers' first win against a ranked opponent at home since beating No. 20 East Carolina 4-2 on April 13, 2002.
Well at least Lane Kiffin has this going for him. A nomination for the sexiest woman alive.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Somewhat similar to those nut jobs who've thought the world was going to end every year since 2000, I've always been a chaos man when filling out my NCAA Tournament bracket.
A good deal of craziness always unfolds during the tournament, but I've always gone overboard into armageddon in predicting the craziness.
And some of my non-sportswriter friends have delighted in annually taking money from a guy who's supposed to be an expert on this stuff.
So I tried something new last year, and it was quite the revelation.
Introducing "Nobracketology," whose premise is quite simple:
Leave the bracket empty, and have more fun.
Some of you who actually are used to enjoying some bracket success might want to disregard this advice. But for those of you whose egos -- and professional reputations, if you cover sports for a living -- have been shredded every March because of this bracket phenomenon, I urge you to give it a try.
It might sound patently un-American not to fill out a bracket. I submit that it's no less un-American than the totally lame act of filling out multiple brackets.
Seriously, I feel the need to combust around Sweet 16 time when I hear someone say: "Hey, I landed 15 of the 16 teams ... in one of my eight brackets!!!!"
It's actually kind of frustrating just hearing people talking about their brackets, period. Tell the truth here: How many of you act interested the 10 or 12 times a day someone tells you about their bracket progress, but really aren't interested at all?
The constant bracket updates are kind of like watching a football game and hearing someone say: "Man, great game, but that running back is on my fantasy team and he only had 52 yards rushing!"
And I'm supposed to care why, exactly?
Anyway, the Nobracketology thing is kind of cool because you get to experience unadulterated excitement at the upsets when you're unattached to a bracket (or brackets) that might not have predicted those upsets.
And besides, the brackets will soon be doomed anyway with the advent of the 96-team tournament.
Al Featherston of The ACC Sports Journal tackles a hypothetical 96-team field for 2010, proving that he has way too much time on his hands.
Featherston's first conclusion:
Scanning the matchups, it’s obvious that there will be a lot of unwatchable first-round games. Look at the list of Tuesday and Wednesday games. How many are worth watching?
North Carolina-St. John’s and N.C. State-Kent State have some local interest, but will either excite the national TV audience? I’d get pumped up to watch Siena take on a downtrodden UConn team. What else? Cincinnati-Ohio? Memphis-Murray State? South Florida-Texas Tech?
You know the prime supporters of an expanded field (coaches) are using the argument that there are a larger number of good teams than when the field was last expanded (1985), and that's just laugh-out-loud funny.
The early departures to the NBA have dealt a serious blow to the quality of college basketball. There's simply no comparison between teams that were considered good in the 1980s and teams that are considered good now.
Another observation from Featherston:
A lot of players are going to miss a lot of class. That happens now with Thursday and Friday games in the first round. But with Tuesday and Wednesday games now necessary, quite a few teams will be on the road for almost the full week.
The silly notions of "student-athletes" and "class" are cited as the main reasons we don't have a playoff in college football.
Refreshing, huh?
Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer is apparently Pro-Bracket and has yet to learn of the Nobracketology craze that's sweeping the nation.
He says he's actually putting some thought into his bracket this year.
I've tried that approach, Tom, and trust me. Doesn't work.
Looks like it was a great atmosphere last night at Carmichael Auditorium for North Carolina's NIT win over William & Mary.
The Tribe, by the way, dropped to 2-1 this season in ACC road games.
Man, Paul Hewitt is still pitching fits over criticism he's received for his prolonged mediocrity.
Actually, the term "mediocrity" is too kind. The Jackets haven't finished with a winning ACC record since 2004.
Nevertheless, Hewitt is outraged that some media members had the gall to point out his astounding sweetheart contract, which requires Georgia Tech to pay him $7 million if they decide to get rid of him.
"Don't make this contract situation look like I walked in someone's office with a gun and mask and said, 'Hey, sign this contract,'" Hewitt said. "We all knew what we were getting into."
Not sure Hewitt's current AD, Dan Radakovich, knew what he was getting into when he inherited Hewitt's contract from Dave Braine.
Carrick Felix's addition to Duke would give the Blue Devils their first JUCO addition since 1974.
For the first time in a long time, Florida State begins spring practice without Bobby Bowden napping in his tower.
In The Post and Courier, Clemson's basketball team tries to take the next step.
Bart Wright says this is another chance for the Tigers to prove they belong on the big stage.
All of which makes you wonder if this is a team with a bit of stage fright. Knowing they are trying to build winning into a program that has had very little of it in more than a decade, can the big stage be too big? Too intimidating?
Do they allow themselves to fall into a psychologically timid state of mind?
“We can't do that,” said guard Andre Young. “The whole thing of Clemson not having won for so many times is a burden that gets put on our shoulders, but this isn't the same team that was here last year or the last five years.
“We just have to go play the way we know how to play,” he said. “That has to be our focus.”
Dave Glenn of The ACC Sports Journal chats with Trevor Booker.
This columnist says Mike Anderson might've done his best coaching job this year.
And the Tigers' baseball team has no shortage of bats, but pitching is still an issue. That was evidenced in last night's loss at Charlotte.
The win is Charlotte's first against Clemson since February 2004. It also is the 49ers' first win against a ranked opponent at home since beating No. 20 East Carolina 4-2 on April 13, 2002.
Well at least Lane Kiffin has this going for him. A nomination for the sexiest woman alive.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Donnie Patterson. Donnie Patterson is the founder of Patterson Tax Service, located in Easley, S.C. He has been active in tax preparation since 1970, and offers a full range of tax and bookkeeping services.
Larry Williams. Larry has covered the daily beat at Clemson since 2004. Williams, who worked for the Charleston Post & Courier from 2004-08, joined Tigerillustrated.com in November of 2008. He may be reached by email at ldubya08(at)gmail.com. Replace (at) with @.