Orange ya' glad?

I am! I thought the 'Cuse team of a few years ago was going to win it all, but then Arinze Onuako got hurt before the tournament. I've never quite gotten over that disappointment... until now. This surprise run makes up for it entirely.

I've been traveling and missing most games (even most of each Syracuse game), but thanks to all those carrying the load on the blog!

The Wisdom of Sila

          Silas asked, “What is so bad about losing?” This question is a good one, but Silas never stayed up late to make sure he understood the dynamics of all of the teams to ensure that he had the perfect bracket. Silas  reminds me of the old saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” That might have been the great baseball writer, Grantland Rice.  He apparently never entered McDow Hoops. Leo Durocher said, “Show me a good loser and I will show you a loser.”  Silas will never meet up to Durocher’s standard, but my guess he is going to do OK in life.

 

Clarkson

 

So long, Duke

Meredith and I are watching the Duke game with our kids.  Ever since Meredith's year in Durham at the below address, Duke has been her adopted team, as most of you know.  Silas keeps announcing the score and informing us that our team is losing.  Meredith is upset and keeps shouting at the TV.  Silas just asked, philosophically, "What's so bad about losing?"

Oh *uck!

Buck, that is. Oh Buck, I say. Oh Buckeyes, what happened? Gonzaga had fallen and the stage was set. But the same forces that felled the Zags had the Buckeyes on their heels most of the night. Not even Aaron at his craftiest could bring them back.

The fact that my brackets have flown South for the winter, makes me feel old. I look to the younger generation in hopes that they can make something from this topsy-turvy world we've left them. Maggie is still in first place, and the Raskin kids cling to second, but with no possible points remaining, it doesn't look good. Even for someone as optimistic as their father. If Duke can win tomorrow it may be Maggie or her Great Aunt Mary Ann. If Louisville prevails, the Mysterious Crawford rises again. He lurks in the wings and waits to strike. We shall see what happens.

Meanwhile, in the peanut gallery, Piers must have a big smile on his bearded face. The Orangemen continue to bounce along, victorious and the to Final Four once more.

And so it goes. Buckeye fans will have to wait for football season to see what kind of national distinction our fine student athletes can achieve with the pigskin. The air is out of the roundball.

Fantastic game Michigan

Somehow I mean that both sincerely and sarcastically since they just busted my bracket. What a comeback.

Erin

My children

Are in third place. But they're super-impressed with Maggie. Shows how much the rest of us old people know...

Death of a Bracket

          Pops Picks went to a better place earlier this evening.  After spending the last five days of his life on life support. Earlier today he was moved to hospice where he was given massive amounts of pain killers while watching the Indiana-Syracuse game.  Sometime during the second half he quietly and peacefully departed this life.  His good friend Bracketology also passed away the same day. He is survived by his faithful spouse Mary Ann’s Grandma Picks who is alive and well. She could not be reached for comment but her spokesman said she would not comment until after LaSalle throws in the towel in the Wichita State game. Pops Picks left his entire estate to the Ohio State fund to bail arrested athletes out of jail.  His last words were, “The Braves will win it all this year.”  The family requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the McDow Hoops Educational Fund which is working to establish scholarships for retired persons to return to school to further their studies in bracketology. The service to  flush the body down the toilet will be private.

 

Clarkson

 

(Poorly) Predicted Winners

I think this technique has proven to be fairly worthless in the past, but what the heck.  Here are the results of the following formula:  Current score + ((PPR)(Current score / total possible score)). In other words, I used Excel to take your winning percentage so far, multiplied it by possible points remaining, and added it to what you already have.

Player	Predicted Final
Maggie's Bracket Raquet, dodemand	1322.5
10's and 9's underdogs, Thomas F. McDow	1321.875
Mary Ann's Grandma Picks, 568McDow	1290
With my head, Yegor55	1265.625
March is for Baseball, Thomas F. McDow	1263.125
Jim_Goff 1, Jim_Goff	1263.125
Nate S., leonhardtfam	1237.5
Leslie's Winning Pix, lgmcdow	1236.25
Nellie2273 1, Nellie2273	1233.75
BHO44 Presides, dodemand	1233.75
Matt real bracket, MatthewMiller2373	1233.75
Higher Seed Wins, Will_McDow	1210
crawfordb11 1, crawfordb11	1178.75
Morris+Daph:NY Big Shots, raskings	1178.75
Yankee Interloper!, raskings	1178.75
For Mother, Go Hoosiers, nxj92g	1175
In the Abode of Dode, dodemand	1155.625
Todd's picks, keithleykeithley	1145.625
Lauren McDow, gte233v	1127.5
lets get...mad, erin_urquhart	1101.875
Personal, randmcgt	1101.875
Felix L, leonhardtfam	1075
Camp Pickums, jenkinsandamcdow	1021.25
With my heart, Yegor55	1000
Stamps Schools, randmcgt	999.375
Bea's picks, Yegor55	997.5
Get past 1st round, plz, Will_McDow	994.375
Mish's Wishes, Will_McDow	984.375
Pop's Picks, 568McDow	975
RandomPicks, MookMcD	975
Jonah L, leonhardtfam	956.25
Smackatology by Pops, 568McDow	877.5
Ella's Picks, Yegor55	860
Eva L, leonhardtfam	831.25
Laura L, leonhardtfam	820
grand ole hoopry, molvigo	768.75
13Tabatha 1, 13Tabatha	743.125
piersturner 1, piersturner	740
Mascot underdog, MatthewMiller2373	680
Maggie II's fast picks, MMGumby	670.625
JosAGuzinski 1, JosAGuzinski	618.75
David L, leonhardtfam	598.125
Bexley=Center o'the World, dodemand	536.25
sarahigo 1, sarahigo	433.125
Jolly Solly's Broken Hoop, dodemand	406.875
Tabatha's abc bracket, 13Tabatha	315
Franklin's Funkboat Teams, dodemand	273.125

 

PPR

Hope this post formats correctly for everyone.  I returned to Excel this morning and here are the players ranked by Possible Points Remaining:

Player	#1 Pick	PPR	Current Pts
Mary Ann's Grandma Picks, 568McDow	Duke	1280	430
10's and 9's underdogs, Thomas F. McDow	Ohio State	1240	450
March is for Baseball, Thomas F. McDow	Ohio State	1240	430
Nellie2273 1, Nellie2273	Miami (FL)	1240	420
BHO44 Presides, dodemand	Indiana	1240	420
Matt real bracket, MatthewMiller2373	Louisville	1240	420
For Mother, Go Hoosiers, nxj92g	Indiana	1240	400
Todd's picks, keithleykeithley	Louisville	1240	390
Maggie's Bracket Raquet, dodemand	Duke	1200	460
Leslie's Winning Pix, lgmcdow	Indiana	1200	430
crawfordb11 1, crawfordb11	Louisville	1200	410
Morris+Daph:NY Big Shots, raskings	Kansas	1200	410
Yankee Interloper!, raskings	Ohio State	1200	410
With my head, Yegor55	Indiana	1160	450
Nate S., leonhardtfam	Louisville	1160	440
Mish's Wishes, Will_McDow	Kansas	1160	350
Jonah L, leonhardtfam	Michigan St	1160	340
Higher Seed Wins, Will_McDow	Louisville	1120	440
Jim_Goff 1, Jim_Goff	Miami (FL)	1080	470
In the Abode of Dode, dodemand	Ohio State	1080	430
lets get...mad, erin_urquhart	Kansas	1080	410
Felix L, leonhardtfam	Indiana	1080	400
Camp Pickums, jenkinsandamcdow	Louisville	1080	380
Get past 1st round, plz, Will_McDow	Indiana	1080	370
Bea's picks, Yegor55	Duke	1040	380
Lauren McDow, gte233v	Florida	1000	440
Personal, randmcgt	Florida	1000	430
With my heart, Yegor55	Miami (FL)	960	400
Pop's Picks, 568McDow	Indiana	960	390
RandomPicks, MookMcD	Ohio State	960	390
Stamps Schools, randmcgt	Miami (FL)	920	410
Smackatology by Pops, 568McDow	Duke	920	360
Eva L, leonhardtfam	Florida	880	350
Mascot underdog, MatthewMiller2373	Oregon	720	320
Bexley=Center o'the World, dodemand	Ohio State	680	260
Ella's Picks, Yegor55	Gonzaga	640	430
Laura L, leonhardtfam	Gonzaga	640	410
piersturner 1, piersturner	Georgetown	640	370
grand ole hoopry, molvigo	Wisconsin	560	410
JosAGuzinski 1, JosAGuzinski	Gonzaga	560	330
13Tabatha 1, 13Tabatha	UNC	520	410
Maggie II's fast picks, MMGumby	Gonzaga	520	370
David L, leonhardtfam	Georgetown	520	330
sarahigo 1, sarahigo	Wisconsin	200	330
Jolly Solly's Broken Hoop, dodemand	Akron	200	310
Franklin's Funkboat Teams, dodemand	Valparaiso	120	230
Tabatha's abc bracket, 13Tabatha	Akron	80	280