tourney.

The bracket shows went on for hours, Billy Packer is starting to get twitchy and the Bucks completed their championship two-fer.

And that, boys and girls, means it’s time for the much-discussed, highly anticipated Second Annual Uncle Crappy Official NCAA Final Four Challenge.

For those who participated last year, you’ll recall that it’s pretty simple. Submit to me 1) your picks for the Final Four 2) the two teams that will participate in the championship game and 3) the team that will take it all. Each correct pick gets a point, and a correct pick for the title game gets three.

The winner will receive Fabulous Prizes, hand-selected by Uncle Crappy … although it occurs to me at this moment that Uncle Crappy may not have actually handed out Fabulous Prizes — or prizes of any kind — after last year’s three-way debacle. Fred or Mr. Burns: do I still owe?

Anyhow, get your picks to me by noon Eastern on Thursday — a comment or an email would be fine — and they’ll be posted here for everyone to see. And then the fun begins. I haven’t yet looked hard at my possible picks, although I have noticed that the tournament selection committee, for the second-straight year, has set up a potential national semi-final between my Buckeyes and The Wife’s Tar Heels. Hooo…

Unlike last year, though, Ohio State finished very well, playing perhaps its best game of the year while dismantling Wisconsin in the championship game. Yes, Ohio State fans have a very recent — and extremely painful — lesson in the problem with taking wins for granted; having said that, I like the way our side of the bracket sets up, at least to the Sweet 16.

I don’t like the notion that we’re the tournament’s third seed overall, however. No. 1 in the RPI? No. 1 in both polls? Crushing Wisconsin — a top 10 team nearly all season — in the conference tournament final? Hello?

And the new uniforms? Ahh, they’re not bad. I actually think the jerseys are a little too plain — completely unadorned except for that strip of duct tape on the shoulders. I can live with them — and apparently the team can as well.

5 thoughts on “tourney.”

  1. Hey UC! Count your Florida family in. C and I will get picks to you asap. I love the uniforms…
    sleek, fast, shows muscle/strength/power…won’t they be hot though.

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  2. UC –
    I spent a good part of an hour, of which many more will be used in the next number of weeks, of my employers time to create my prediction – used si.com to review notable wins along with last 10 records – picked a couple of upsets – that were quickly beaten by the next favorite and came up with . . . . . .
    Final 4 – OSU, Florida, Kansas and North Carolina – Final – OSU beating Florida – wow – all #1 seeds – who could have figured – that’s my story, and I’m sticking with it.

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  3. uc–thanks for the invite. i missed phil’s mom’s picks today, so i’m just going to have to go with my gut.

    just printed a bracket off and filled it out in about 5 minutes. i haven’t payed enough attention to college basketball this year to warrant any more effort.

    final four–Wisconsin, Georgetown, Ohio State, Pitt.

    final–Georgetown vs. Wisconsin

    the winner–Georgetown

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  4. ahomer: Great to have you. I’ve been listening to the podcasts of the Kornheiser show, although The Wife made sure I didn’t miss Phil’s mom live this morning. Freaking hysterical. Her final four was UNLV, Holy Cross, Marquette — pronounced “markwet” — and Creighton — pronounced “cretin.”

    Is bhomer going to join us?

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