Within minutes of the announcement of the 2006 NCAA Tournament brackets, people all over the country began filling out their own brackets for various tournament pools. They concocted their own Final Fours. It is pretty likely that thousands of hours of productivity were lost at offices across the country due to workers filling out their brackets while at work. Whether they’re in a pool that has a cash reward for finishing at the top, or if they’re just playing for pride, Americans definitely take their NCAA Tournament pools seriously.
In most years, I am definitely one of those people who take their brackets seriously. Yes, I said brackets, as in the plural. Normally, I fill out multiple brackets and monitor their progress by using two different colors of highlighters. I sit there by the TV with my brackets and highlighters and bemoan any results that aren’t identical to my predictions. Usually, by the end of the first weekend of the tournament, I am convinced that my bracket is shot. If it does, however, get to the point where I actually have a chance heading into the Final Four, then I really get excited about the possibilities.
This year, however, I am taking a different approach to the NCAA Tournament. I was somewhere on a highway in Tennessee, North Carolina or South Carolina during the announcement of the brackets, and I only got a cursory glance of the tournament field a few hours later. I was out of town, so I didn’t analyze the field or fill out any brackets. I actually didn’t get a full view of the tournament field until I bought a newspaper on the first day of the tournament, solely so I could have a bracket in my hands.
While it was far from ideal for a person like me who hears Andy Williams singing “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” in my head whenever I think of the NCAA Tournament, it definitely is a more relaxing way to watch the tournament. Now, instead of rooting for teams solely because I stand to potentially gain financially as a result of them winning, I can sit back and root for whatever underdog or interesting story I want. I could root for 14, 15 and 16 seeds against 1, 2 and 3 seeds, instead of cringing when a tournament favorite shows signs of weakness. I have to say, it’s kind of fun.
Despite the virtues that I have extolled concerning not participating in a pool, I still miss the anticipation of each game and whether or not I will correctly predict the results. I spend all season watching games so I have a good knowledge of who to pick and who not to pick.
The NCAA Tournament offers me a chance to measure just how much I know; so not participating in any pools in a way takes away that measuring stick that I set up for myself. I also seem to find myself a little less interested in the results of games, even though I still want to watch as many games as I can.
I’m sure there are many of you who have entered NCAA Tournament pools, and out of that number, a relatively decent percentage of you that have declared your brackets dead. First of all, let me advise you to not give up until it is certain that you can’t win.
I remember thinking that my bracket was in shambles last year, but I ended up winning the pool in which I was participating. Second, if in fact you have been effectively eliminated from your pool, then just sit back and relax. Maybe you should root for one of the many Cinderella stories, as opposed to one of the favored teams. You might end up deciding that this is the best way to watch the tournament.
Even though I have definitely enjoyed this more relaxing way of watching the tournament, I still prefer the excitement of participating in a pool. The excitement of the first couple of days of the tournament is magnified by feeling like you have some kind of involvement in the tournament. So, if you are sitting in front of the TV this weekend stressing over how each game will affect your bracket, have some fun with it. At least you haven’t shredded your bracket-yet.
