WSUScottie edges out competition to win our Bracket Challenge

by Jeff Nusser on Apr 6, 2010 2:54 PM PDT in Miscellaneous Blog Stuff

Although the outcome of the championship game was in doubt until the final seconds, the outcome of our Bracket Challenge was not -- in fact, WSUScottie had wrapped up the title before the ball even went in the air last night.

Only five people picked Duke to win it all, and perhaps to support PaulThomas' assertion that too much weight is given to the final two rounds, those five people finished 1-5. However, what separated WSUScottie from second place finisher JimTheCoug was four picks in the first round and one pick in the second round. A slim margin, indeed.

Here are the top 10 finishers:

RNK	ENTRY, OWNER	R64	R32	S16	E8	FF	NCG	CHAMPION	TOTAL	PCT
1	WSUScottie 1, S. Moore	270	200	200	160	160	320	Duke	1310	99.9
2	JimTheCoug, J. Haendiges	230	180	200	160	160	320	Duke	1250	99.7
3	philkid3, R. Griffin	210	160	200	160	160	320	Duke	1210	99.3
4	spencer peaty, S. Peaty	250	200	160	80	160	320	Duke	1170	98.6
5	brlogan, B. Logan	240	180	120	80	160	320	Duke	1100	96.6
6	C Street Coug, M. Akers	240	160	200	160	160	0	Kansas	920	93.1
6	nycoug, T. Penman	240	160	200	160	160	0	Kansas	920	93.1
8	cfischer01 1, C. Fischer	210	160	200	160	160	0	Kansas	890	92.4
9	couginthepink, D. Rogers	260	200	160	80	160	0	Kansas	860	91.3
10	Grady, G. Clapp	240	180	160	80	160	0	Kansas	820	89.4
10	Rowsmasterflex, R. Rowsey	200	140	160	160	160	0	Kansas	820	89.4

What does WSUScottie get for all his prognosticating awesomeness? Before the contest, we advertised this as a bragging-rights-only exercise. Well, for the second consecutive year, the generosity of a reader has come through in the clutch -- WSUScottie is the proud new owner of a commemorative 1998 Rose Bowl football, which was donated by one of you. It's one of those with three white panels for autographs. Pretty cool. Send me an e-mail to cougcenter@gmail.com with your mailing address, and I'll hook you up.

As for the authors? Well, we all comported ourselves pretty well. For the second consecutive year, Grady finished in the top 10 after finishing second last year. (Note to self: consult Grady on next year's bracket.) Craig finished 15th, I finished in a tie for 20th after my abysmal showing last year and Brian finished in a tie for 34th. Not bad.

One other interesting thing: 49 of our 72 brackets (68 percent) finished in the 50th percentile or higher. Further evidence that we just have dang smart fans around here.

We'll take a look at making some tweaks for next year, including probably moving back to Yahoo! where we we can customize our scoring and also use the scenario generator. Thanks to everyone who participated! Full standings after the jump.

RNK	ENTRY, OWNER	R64	R32	S16	E8	FF	NCG	CHAMPION	TOTAL	PCT
1	WSUScottie 1, S. Moore	270	200	200	160	160	320	Duke	1310	99.9
2	JimTheCoug, J. Haendiges	230	180	200	160	160	320	Duke	1250	99.7
3	philkid3, R. Griffin	210	160	200	160	160	320	Duke	1210	99.3
4	spencer peaty, S. Peaty	250	200	160	80	160	320	Duke	1170	98.6
5	brlogan, B. Logan	240	180	120	80	160	320	Duke	1100	96.6
6	C Street Coug, M. Akers	240	160	200	160	160	0	Kansas	920	93.1
6	nycoug, T. Penman	240	160	200	160	160	0	Kansas	920	93.1
8	cfischer01 1, C. Fischer	210	160	200	160	160	0	Kansas	890	92.4
9	couginthepink, D. Rogers	260	200	160	80	160	0	Kansas	860	91.3
10	Grady, G. Clapp	240	180	160	80	160	0	Kansas	820	89.4
10	Rowsmasterflex, R. Rowsey	200	140	160	160	160	0	Kansas	820	89.4
12	StraightOuttaPullman, M. Hagensen	240	160	160	80	160	0	Kansas	800	88.1
12	hawkncoug, s. hmmm	200	160	200	240	0	0	W Virginia	800	88.1
14	Big Wood, K. Sherwood	240	180	120	80	160	0	Kansas	780	86.7
15	Dancing Football, C. Powers	250	200	160	160	0	0	Kansas	770	85.7
16	GHWSU11 1, G. Hansch	220	140	80	160	160	0	Kansas	760	84.9
16	Eramm, E. Rammelsberg	220	180	120	80	160	0	Kansas	760	84.9
16	DCinSEA, D. Curry	220	220	160	160	0	0	Kansas	760	84.9
19	Roy Weaver Stuckey, c. singh	270	200	200	80	0	0	Kansas	750	84.1
20	Jeff Nusser, J. Nusser	240	180	160	160	0	0	Kansas	740	83.2
20	MattGSeattle, M. Gardner	240	180	160	160	0	0	Kentucky	740	83.2
20	Zombie Hobos, j. carleton	240	220	200	80	0	0	Kansas	740	83.2
23	LeaveItToWeaver, m. larson	230	180	160	160	0	0	Kansas	730	82.3
24	Cougar999, J. Hodge	250	180	200	80	0	0	Kentucky	710	80.1
25	bertel, R. Bartels	180	120	80	160	160	0	Kansas	700	78.9
26	rcm_rx7 1, R. Mc	230	180	200	80	0	0	W Virginia	690	77.5
27	Cougfan45, C. CRIDER	240	160	200	80	0	0	Kansas	680	75.9
27	02cougwife, S. Walker	240	240	120	80	0	0	Kentucky	680	75.9
27	Bucherbp, B. Bucher	280	160	160	80	0	0	Kansas	680	75.9
27	NoeChill, N. Luna	240	120	80	80	160	0	Kansas	680	75.9
31	ClosetCoug, W. Pickett	210	140	160	160	0	0	Syracuse	670	74.1
31	evanr, E. Reyes	190	120	120	80	160	0	Kansas	670	74.1
31	jj_fekl, E. Owers	250	180	160	80	0	0	Kentucky	670	74.1
34	GoCougs , J. Collier	240	180	160	80	0	0	Kansas	660	72.2
34	Bson25, B. Beason	240	220	200	0	0	0	Kentucky	660	72.2
34	cougfan, B. Floyd	240	140	200	80	0	0	Kansas	660	72.2
37	907coug, S. Haggart	210	200	160	80	0	0	Kansas	650	69.9
37	Coug State, R. DeFant	210	200	160	80	0	0	Kansas	650	69.9
39	TrueCoug, B L	240	240	160	0	0	0	Kentucky	640	67.5
40	SoCalCoug, J. Malstrom	250	180	200	0	0	0	Kentucky	630	64.7
41	Brett the 49er, B. Gleason	240	180	200	0	0	0	Kentucky	620	61.8
42	PlayerKyle14, K. Rancourt	230	180	120	80	0	0	Kentucky	610	57.5
42	cockle, A. Cockle	210	160	160	80	0	0	Kansas	610	57.5
42	dflynnwsu, D. Flynn	250	200	160	0	0	0	Kansas	610	57.5
45	wazzustudent2 2, M. Rogstad	220	220	160	0	0	0	Kentucky	600	54.3
45	cougactor 1, S. MacDonald	200	160	160	80	0	0	Kansas	600	54.3
47	hitking69 1, M. Bylsma	250	180	160	0	0	0	Kansas	590	51.1
47	ConnorOSU, C. Pelton	250	140	120	80	0	0	Kentucky	590	51.1
47	02Coug, J. Norris	250	180	80	80	0	0	Kansas	590	51.1
50	Cougars Hunt and Kill, S. Ward	240	140	120	80	0	0	W Virginia	580	47.6
51	cordodor 1, C. Cordodor	230	180	80	80	0	0	Kansas	570	44.2
51	fosterj314, J. Foster	230	140	120	80	0	0	Gonzaga	570	44.2
53	PalousePosse, M. Drevniak	200	160	120	80	0	0	Kansas	560	40.8
54	PrimmTime, E. Primm	210	180	160	0	0	0	Kansas	550	37.4
54	Cougar_Patrick, P. Jones	190	160	200	0	0	0	Kentucky	550	37.4
54	wazzucougar02 3, J. Winkey	190	160	120	80	0	0	Kansas	550	37.4
57	coug2828, S. Heineman	260	160	120	0	0	0	Kansas	540	33.9
57	I Remember Richie Zisk, C. C	220	160	160	0	0	0	Kansas	540	33.9
59	displacedcoug, L. Bibo	240	160	120	0	0	0	Kansas	520	27.1
59	PMan, P. Mullenix	200	160	160	0	0	0	Kansas	520	27.1
59	bibamusmoriendumest 1, W Hargaw	200	160	160	0	0	0	Kentucky	520	27.1
59	geraldr416, g. reynolds	220	100	120	80	0	0	Kansas	520	27.1
63	johnnycougar, J. Yeager	200	180	120	0	0	0	Syracuse	500	21.1
64	ChrisGTE, C. GTE	230	140	120	0	0	0	Kansas	490	18.2
65	cougdave1 1, D. VITZTHUM	200	160	120	0	0	0	Kansas	480	15.8
65	pberish , P. Berish	220	140	120	0	0	0	Kansas	480	15.8
65	KirklandCoug 1, J. Krohn	220	140	120	0	0	0	Syracuse	480	15.8
68	busch the coug, N. Busch	170	140	160	0	0	0	Kansas	470	13.5
69	Wazzy Willy, r. wilson	220	160	80	0	0	0	Syracuse	460	11.4
70	B Money, B. McLean	230	140	80	0	0	0	Kansas	450	9.6
70	num204, J. Rasor	150	140	160	0	0	0	Kentucky	450	9.6

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Comments

I think the weight is pretty appropriate.

In the pools I’m in, the winner tends to be the person who picks the right champ, and the differences tend to be minute differents in picking games. That sounds right to me.

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on Apr 6, 2010 2:57 PM PDT reply actions

Also, I was in nine pools that I would consider important to me.

Outside of this pool, only two other people in ALL of those pools combined picked Duke. One was a Duke fan, and another was my girlfriend copying my bracket.

And That Happened: Sports with a Hint of Sarcasm

by philkid3 on Apr 6, 2010 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions

I nominate myself for the Clueless Award

First off, am I the only person who didn’t realize cougfan was an official author? I guess I just thought he was an exceptionally devoted commenter…

Second, I finished 63rd, logically making me one of the not-smart fans, ominously implicated above by Jeff. I hereby vow to spend more than three minutes on my next bracket, to make amends for my pathetic showing.

by johnnycougar on Apr 6, 2010 3:10 PM PDT reply actions

Well, I finished near the bottom last year

So I’m right there with you.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Apr 6, 2010 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Holy Crap!

Honestly, I stopped looking at my bracket after the first and second round. I remembered picking Duke, but I just assumed that my overly conservative picks in the first two rounds had me sunk early on. I never bothered to look at the results because I never get close to winning these things. This silver medal finish just brightened my day!

by JimtheCoug on Apr 6, 2010 4:56 PM PDT reply actions

Many Thanks

Nuss, thank you for putting this all together! I’ll send you my contact information via email…
And, well done with the " prognosticating awesomeness" description. I couldn’t be prouder…

Finally, to the generous individual who donated the football: Many, many thanks to you, as I will display this proudly in my classroom! GO COUGS!

by WSUScottie on Apr 6, 2010 4:59 PM PDT reply actions

That's the best place to display it

Influence young minds.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Apr 6, 2010 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Hey, at least I was right about something!

(Picks weren’t so right, though. I didn’t enter this one but if I had used the picks from the one I entered at CGB, I’d have finished about halfway down the standings.)

Personally, I like 1/2/3/4/5/6, although perhaps my ideal weight would be one in which every round would be worth 1.5 times the previous round. (1/2/3/4/5/6 gives too much weight to round 2 and too little weight to rounds 5 and 6.) Which is frickin’ hard to turn into whole numbers… I think the smallest point values that would satisfy that condition and still have whole-number point values for every round would be 32/48/72/108/162/243.

Not exactly beer-and-pretzels-approved.

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 Apr 6, 2010 5:05 PM PDT reply actions

I'm thinking about 1/2/4/7/12/20

I don’t know if that makes any sense mathematically, but the point increases as you move along are relatively incremental, rather than doubling.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Apr 6, 2010 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions

That's a pretty good ratio

It’s similar to what we had except it takes a little less emphasis off the last 2 rounds. I think part of the beauty of march madness is picking some of the first and second round upsets. A setup that has the final four account for 1/3 of the total points seems to take the steam out of that a bit.

by spencer peaty on Apr 6, 2010 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't know how those percentile rankings work at all

I got 50% of the elite 8, and 25% of the final four. I did have the champion, but does that sound like a bracket that was better than 98.6% of entries? I don’t think so. Then again, a final four with two 5 seeds isn’t exactly a high percentage pick. But still…

by spencer peaty on Apr 6, 2010 10:40 PM PDT reply actions