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The CougCenter Bracket Challenge

OK, folks: It's all set up for you over at ESPN.com, since a plurality of you (as of the time I wrote this) selected the four-letter network as our provider of choice. And as benevolent dictators, we sometimes like you to feel like you have a say in what goes on around here.

A few things to note:

  • This is open to anyone in the CougCenter.com community. The more, the merrier!
  • No, we don't have any prizes. I'm a teacher and HAVE YOU SEEN THE PROPOSED BUDGET IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON? Bragging rights will have to suffice.
  • It's a basic scoring system (correct responses in the first round worth 10, each successive round worth double). I can't change the scoring system, but that's what I usually do anyway (without the multiples of 10).
  • Only one entry per person.
  • You must title your bracket with your SB Nation username. It makes it a lot more fun to talk trash at each other when you know who you're actually talking about. For example, you all will be telling me how awful my bracket is repeatedly, because I always suck at this.

So, here are your steps (probably more detailed than most of you need, but hey -- I'm a teacher; leave nothing to chance):

  1. Visit ESPN.com's fantasy sports site. Click on "Tournament Challenge."
  2. Log in with your ESPN.com account, or create one if you don't have one.
  3. Click "Create Your Entry."
  4. Where it says "Name Your Entry," put your SB Nation username (mine was Nuss but is now Jeff Nusser)
  5. You can fill out your bracket now or sometime later, but just don't forget to do it before tipoff of the first game on Thursday. The play-in game is not counted.
  6. About a third of the way down from the top of the screen is a link that says "My Groups." Put your mouse over that and then click on "Create or Join a Group."
  7. In the search box, type "CougCenter." Click on the group when it drops down from the box.
  8. Under password, type "huskiessuck." (I just wanted to get that little jab in at our Husky friends who will be a part of the fun.)

That's all there is to it. Just make sure you settle on your picks before Thursday morning.

For those of you who just can't get enough, I also set up CougCenter groups for ESPN.com's two other games related to the tournament: the Hardcourt Challenge and College Hoops Pick 'Em. You know, for those of us who would like to have something to follow long after our bracket is obliterated.

That's pretty much it. I'll leave you with SB Nation's region previews to get you started, and I'll try to pass along other interesting NCAA Tournament stories along the way this week.

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A lot of people saying not to sleep on Baylor

therefore I will probably have to pick against Baylor

www.nwfan.com

by coug2828 on Mar 15, 2010 12:37 PM PDT reply actions  

My eyes hurt from looking at Pomeroy rankings for the hell of it

But it’s better than having my ears hurt from listening to Dickie V, Seth Davis, or any other talking head.

by Brian Floyd on Mar 15, 2010 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions  

Who won this thing last year?

That person must be really smart and handsome. And he must really enjoy his Bones Barry jersey and DVD of TR’s senior night. Whoever he is, we should all try to be more like him.

by Pman on Mar 15, 2010 1:38 PM PDT reply actions  

What about a CougCenter Trophy?

It would be cool if someone could pick one up at Goodwill, or something. If we can mail a couple flags all over the country every week during football season, do you think we could do it with a trophy once a year in April?

I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Ugh

by HitKing69 on Mar 15, 2010 3:59 PM PDT reply actions  

Aargh

That points system makes it completely impossible to win without picking the champion. It’s worth 630 points out of a possible 1920— almost one third of the points. Such a terrible scoring system.

Depending on how many entries you get in your challenge, it will probably render the first three, maybe four, rounds of the tournament utterly irrelevant to the outcome.

1/2/3/4/5/6 already gives MORE than enough credit for picking the eventual champion (21 points out of a possible 120). At least that way it’s conceivably possible (albeit unlikely) that someone could do well enough to win the thing without maxing out on points from the last two rounds.

Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."

by PaulThomas on Mar 15, 2010 4:42 PM PDT reply actions  

Dude, I'm in 1st place

I have no memory of my picks, I was in a zen-like trance or something. Unless I picked horribly, then disregard the previous.

by johnnycougar on Mar 15, 2010 10:11 PM PDT reply actions  

This is one of the worst fields in years.

I hate always picking the higher seeds, and usually there’s a 12 over a 5 and some other underdog/Cinderella I like. This year I’m not really in love with anyone. So it’s even more of a freaking crapshoot.

March Madness is so frustrating. You think you know sports/college basketball, and then your girlfriend does better on her bracket because she liked their colors and mascot.

by playerkyle14 on Mar 15, 2010 10:29 PM PDT reply actions  

I don't like anyone in the south region.

and since I suck at these brackets, here’s guessing the champ comes out of the south

www.nwfan.com

by coug2828 on Mar 16, 2010 9:40 AM PDT reply actions  

I was just thinking that

I have zero confidence in my South bracket, as opposed to about 5% in the rest of it.

by GoCougs on Mar 16, 2010 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'm in

And my wife wanted in as well. Of course she will end up winning, and you will all curse me. She is in under the name 02cougwife.

by 02Coug on Mar 16, 2010 6:55 PM PDT reply actions  

hollyweird is in as cougactor

Sorry for some reason I thought I was suppose to use a different monicker-
I wasn’t trying to be clever- pipes burst in my house and I am rummy and in a hotel w/ kids stacked like fire wood.

If you can't Go Cougs... don't go.

by hollyweirdcoug on Mar 18, 2010 12:15 AM PDT reply actions  

Dude, I am so sorry. That sucks.

If you get a chance, it’s pretty easy to change the name of your entry. That way, you can get proper credit for whipping me.

Grady, on the other hand, will be a different story. He kills this thing every year.

by Jeff Nusser on Mar 18, 2010 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions  

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