The Time is STILL Nigh
...continued from earlier post
This post is long...very long. Any novices out there may be intimidated, but don't be. Playing actually only takes 3-5 minutes. And here's the thing, your picks are just as valid as the next person's. Let me try and ease your worry.
Remember this: everyone who plays will try and pick a perfect bracket, but this never happens. Everyone makes wrong picks. So don't worry about making a wrong pick.
Still not convinced? Alright, well think about this. For a small time commitment (3-5 minutes), you could be playing a fantasy sport game for three weeks. It takes so little and you are playing for so long. And you'd be participating in something that you may have known nothing about previously. Think of this as the start of a new knowledge base that only takes a couple of minutes of work. Where else can you better your self with so little effort?
To me, NCAA Pick 'em is the simplest, easiest, and most fun fantasy game available. And it can be played by everyone. And everyone who plays has an equal opportunity for success. Whether you are an adult professional that isn't interested in sports or a little kid that wants to feel like a a grown-up, this is the game for you.
I don't try and get people to play any other fantasy sport. Fantasy Baseball has a daily time requirement and should only be played by those who are die-hard sports fans. But Pick 'em can be played by people of all skill level and can be played all across the country, even the across the world. I hope, you'll give it a try.
Now if you still want a little advice about making picks, there are a few starter rules. These tips are if it's your first time to play. Veterans usually have a more sophisticated view of how picks should be made such as the author of this article. But for novices, here are a few jumping off points to make your bracket a little more competitive:
Pick A High Seeded Champ
The champion of the tourney is usually one of the higher seeds. It's been a number 1 seed twelve times & has dipped below number 3 only three times since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The last time it dipped below 3 was eight years ago when a number 4 won it all.
Keep The Final Four Around 11
If you add up all of the seeds of the Final Four teams in a given year, the average over the last 21 years is a little below 10 (9.95). Usually the Final Four is comprised of two number 1 seeds and two teams seeded 2-5.
Think Big Picture First
Fill in your Championship and Final Four teams first and then work backward. Teams in these two categories your are teams that you are (hopefully) going to be rooting for for the next three weeks. You want to be happiest with them. First round games are fun to get right, but in order to win, you need your picks to be right in the latter rounds.
Watch As Much Of The First Weekend As You Can
The first weekend is the most fun. The teams are whittled from 64 to 32 in two days and then from 32 to 16 in the next two days. Three-quarters of the teams are gone in the span of a weekend. And with each elimination, your bracket could be teetering on destruction.
Trust me, you may never have watched college basketball in your life, but after you fill out a bracket (which only takes a few minutes to do) you will be right there cheering like you have been following the teams all season. And if you can watch the games with someone you are playing against, then all the better.
So as we close in on another tournament, I extend to you an invitation. I want you to play in a league with me. Usually I pick one bracket an enter it into several leagues so I can only worry about one scenario. Each of the leagues I play in is a group of people I know. I have one for work, one for my in-laws, on for some friends I have in town, and so on. If I can fit you into one of these leagues, I will. If not, I'll start a new league.
Or if you are starting a group on your own, I'd love to join. So consider this as everyone's open invitation as well as my open acceptance to your invite. For those of you in leagues past, remind me of your participation as well as members that I may have forgotten. For those that have never played, send me a "post of intent" and I will set about setting things up.
And to all of you, good luck. May your picks be accurate and may your Final Four be intact through the first weekend.
This post is long...very long. Any novices out there may be intimidated, but don't be. Playing actually only takes 3-5 minutes. And here's the thing, your picks are just as valid as the next person's. Let me try and ease your worry.
Remember this: everyone who plays will try and pick a perfect bracket, but this never happens. Everyone makes wrong picks. So don't worry about making a wrong pick.
Still not convinced? Alright, well think about this. For a small time commitment (3-5 minutes), you could be playing a fantasy sport game for three weeks. It takes so little and you are playing for so long. And you'd be participating in something that you may have known nothing about previously. Think of this as the start of a new knowledge base that only takes a couple of minutes of work. Where else can you better your self with so little effort?
To me, NCAA Pick 'em is the simplest, easiest, and most fun fantasy game available. And it can be played by everyone. And everyone who plays has an equal opportunity for success. Whether you are an adult professional that isn't interested in sports or a little kid that wants to feel like a a grown-up, this is the game for you.
I don't try and get people to play any other fantasy sport. Fantasy Baseball has a daily time requirement and should only be played by those who are die-hard sports fans. But Pick 'em can be played by people of all skill level and can be played all across the country, even the across the world. I hope, you'll give it a try.
Now if you still want a little advice about making picks, there are a few starter rules. These tips are if it's your first time to play. Veterans usually have a more sophisticated view of how picks should be made such as the author of this article. But for novices, here are a few jumping off points to make your bracket a little more competitive:
Pick A High Seeded Champ
The champion of the tourney is usually one of the higher seeds. It's been a number 1 seed twelve times & has dipped below number 3 only three times since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The last time it dipped below 3 was eight years ago when a number 4 won it all.
Keep The Final Four Around 11
If you add up all of the seeds of the Final Four teams in a given year, the average over the last 21 years is a little below 10 (9.95). Usually the Final Four is comprised of two number 1 seeds and two teams seeded 2-5.
Think Big Picture First
Fill in your Championship and Final Four teams first and then work backward. Teams in these two categories your are teams that you are (hopefully) going to be rooting for for the next three weeks. You want to be happiest with them. First round games are fun to get right, but in order to win, you need your picks to be right in the latter rounds.
Watch As Much Of The First Weekend As You Can
The first weekend is the most fun. The teams are whittled from 64 to 32 in two days and then from 32 to 16 in the next two days. Three-quarters of the teams are gone in the span of a weekend. And with each elimination, your bracket could be teetering on destruction.
Trust me, you may never have watched college basketball in your life, but after you fill out a bracket (which only takes a few minutes to do) you will be right there cheering like you have been following the teams all season. And if you can watch the games with someone you are playing against, then all the better.
So as we close in on another tournament, I extend to you an invitation. I want you to play in a league with me. Usually I pick one bracket an enter it into several leagues so I can only worry about one scenario. Each of the leagues I play in is a group of people I know. I have one for work, one for my in-laws, on for some friends I have in town, and so on. If I can fit you into one of these leagues, I will. If not, I'll start a new league.
Or if you are starting a group on your own, I'd love to join. So consider this as everyone's open invitation as well as my open acceptance to your invite. For those of you in leagues past, remind me of your participation as well as members that I may have forgotten. For those that have never played, send me a "post of intent" and I will set about setting things up.
And to all of you, good luck. May your picks be accurate and may your Final Four be intact through the first weekend.
The Next Post Promises To Be Better,
James
James
posted by James at 8:01 PM
8 Comments:
Ready to play!
BOO! Hiss! BOO! Basketball? Basketball! Seriously? You are posting about basketball. Boo!
I thought you were cool.
unfortunately for you, your advice will be your own downfall. you now stand no chance of victory.
its spring break. everyone knows you have time to grace us with your writings. don't dissapoint your awaiting readers.
the time is no longer nigh... new post!
This blog is officially one month old! It's starting to smell like creem cheese left in the sun!
The mold on this blog has started to form primitive societies. I think I see people bargaining with a token economy and a primitive lathe.
today is april 11th! If nothing new is posted by April 17th I will burn this mother down!
Post a Comment
<< Home