That’s right. We’re not going to let a little virus stop us, are we? Thanks to the magic of technology, Mudville Analytics will be organizing a March Madness bracket pool! The only difference is, the games will be simulated by a computer.
How does that work? It’s a trade secret, but trust me… the good teams usually win, and the bad teams usually lose.
The bracket is based on Joe Lunardi’s final ESPN Bracketology bracket.
The scoring is as follows:
- 1st Round – 2 pts per correct pick
- 2nd Round – 3 pts
- Sweet 16 – 5 pts
- Elite 8 – 8 pts
- Final Four – 12 pts
- Championship – 16 pts
The maximum possible score is 224.
The tiebreaker will be the combined number of points scored by both teams in the championship game.
We will NOT be picking the winners of the First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday. But, if you like, you can wait to see who wins those games before submitting your bracket.
To enter, download the Excel bracket template below, fill it out, save it, and send it to me at thesnac@hotmail.com. All brackets must be received by 12:00 PM on Thursday.
I will send out scoring updates by email and, if I can get my act together, will also post standings on this site.
My plan is to run the simulations and post the results on the actual days that the games would have been played. So the First Four will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the First Round will start on Thursday. I’m working on being able to provide real time scores on this site that will make it look like the game is actually being played – you will see the score changing during the “game”. Not promising anything but that’s my goal.
The entry fee is an optional donation of any amount. All proceeds will be given to a charity that I and the winner will select. There are 3 ways to pay:
- PayPal to thesnac@hotmail.com (preferred)
- Zelle
- Mail a check to 3020 Shaker Dr., Charlotte, NC 28210
Here’s the entry form: