The NCAA teams have been announced which means it is now time for fans around the world to fill out their brackets before the (real) games get underway on Thursday.
Everybody has a different way of going about their bracket. Most basketball fans pick their favorite team to go far and then overanalyze every other team. It’s really not that hard…or that easy.
This whole ordeal reminded me of Peyton Manning’s appearance on Saturday Night Live a few years ago. In one of the skits, he went back and forth with a ditzy secretary (Amy Poehler) has managed a perfect pool score by making picks that have nothing to do with sports knowledge. One team is picked because of their mascot and another on their team colors. And there was another selection made because the team name reminded her of a classmate she never liked.
Mandy Jensen: Oh, I would never pick Duke!
Chris Graham: Uh, why?
Mandy Jensen: Because, in college, I had a roommate named Duke — Catherine Duke. A total BITCH, and a WHORE. [ smiles awkwardly ] And I found out she’d been sleeping with, like, five of my boyfriends!
Another wrong way to make your picks is to overthink and compare statistics. Upsets and storylines are going to happen—that’s what makes this month so special.
In fact, rackets and upsets are the most popular part of the NCAA tournament. According to CNBC’s Darren Rovell, about $2.5 BILLION dollars will be bet, legally and illegally, on the tourney. Sportsbook.com is even offering $14 million if anyone has a perfect bracket. Of course that is nearly impossible, given that there are roughly 9.2 quintillion combinations.
Monday, former Indiana standout and current ESPN college basketball analyst Dan Dakich joined Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd on SportsNation. He joined the duo to talk about his surprise games in a segment dubbed, “Who Ya Got.”
"Make no mistake, the NCAA doesn’t want Tennessee moving on." Dakich said on the Michigan/Tennessee matchup. "They don’t want Bruce Pearl. So they move them to Charlotte in the 8/9 game, that’s where you send everybody that goes to die. I did it with Indiana when I took over Sampson’s program. We went to Raleigh to play in North Carolina’s bracket."
Dan has over 20 years of experience and has the knowledge to make quality selections. After all, that’s why ESPN asked him to tape the segment. It’s also not easy going out on a limb picking Wofford or Indiana State to win on national television. But Dakich has the pedigree and sack to do so. Watch the segment below:
The only claim to fame dakich has is one bad night by Jordan. He has squandered all the opportunities as a professional that one night afforded him.
please email a copy of dans bracket, unable to read the small print.
tried everything to enlarge but no success.
Brad,
This is a post of Dan’s thought from two years ago.