March Madness!

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bookworm
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March Madness!

Post by bookworm »

Image March Madness Bracket Contest! Image

It's that time again! Our group is renewed, go join it right now so you're ready to go when the brackets unlock this weekend!
ESPN Tournament Challenge Password: thetoo

Even if you don't really follow the games go ahead and do a bracket anyway! Even if you don't follow at all! The more participants there are the more fun it is, it doesn't matter if you actually know what you're doing. I don't! \:D/
This doesn't take any commitment after entry, it's a one time thing. You just join the group, fill your bracket, and that's all there is to it! No further involvement is required, or even possible. The brackets lock when the tournament begins, all that's left to do is sit back and watch how it plays out.
If you don't care or don't know anything about the sport that's absolutely fine! Just join to be nice to us who would like a big group playing! :) It's nothing to you; just advance random teams, it takes less than three minutes, then you can forget all about it. There's no reason not to do one!

This is the ToO's longest running unofficial annual event; we've done a bracket competition for all but the very first year of this community's existence! (2005 doesn't count because the site wasn't opened until April, and last year there wasn't a tournament because of the pandemic.) This is our 14th year! Come be a part of this great tradition!

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

Expand below for how to join the group if you need help:
You will need an ESPN account. Make one now if you don't have one already, it's very easy and fast. You don't have to provide identifying information. PM me if you have trouble or concerns making an account and I can make one for you.
  • Log in to your ESPN account and go to the page for our group linked above. Click on "Create a Bracket Now"
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  • Set a name for your bracket (it's nice if it has your ToO username in it somewhere) and enter the group password. Click "Create Bracket"
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  • If you are doing this after Selection Sunday you may recieve offers from other contests. Just leave them unchecked, unless you want to enter them. Click "Continue"
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  • It should automatically select ToO Madness as the group to join. Click "Continue"
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  • Don't need to do anything at the next screen, just click "Continue"
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  • If the brackets have not unlocked yet this is all you can do right now; log back in when they open to make your picks!
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  • If you are doing this after Selection Sunday then continue directly from here to filling out your bracket!
Expand below for instructions if you're confused about how to do the bracket:
It can be a little hard to understand what you're doing here at first because the website layout isn't the best, but actually it's really simple. You're predicting (or just randomly choosing) how the tournament's bracket will play out by selecting one team in each game to win and advance until there are only two left and you pick the ultimate winner.
  • If you had joined the group while the brackets were locked and are now coming back, log in to your ESPN account and go to the link for our group. Click on the name of your bracket in the list to start filling it out.
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  • If the brackets were already unlocked when you joined the group you should be taken straight to yours to start filling it.
How to fill out the bracket:
(These pictures are just examples of the process, the teams you see will be different.)
  • Start with the outermost layer of games and click on one team in each game. (The one you think will win.) That team will be moved up into the next round.
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  • Scroll down for the other half.
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  • When you have picked winners for all the games in that first layer there will now be a second level of new games between the teams you advanced. Repeat the process, clicking one team in each game in this new layer.
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  • Scroll down for the other half.
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  • Repeat for the third layer of games that is created.
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  • Scroll down for the other half.
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  • And repeat for the fourth layer.
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  • Scroll down for the other half.
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  • There are now just four teams left. In the middle of the page choose one on each side to advance into the final game.
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  • Choose which of the final two teams you think will be the ultimate champion. Then guess how many points each team will score in the final game. (This is used for the contest tiebreaker if one is needed.)
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  • Uncheck the extra offers, unless you want to enter them, and save your picks!
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That's it! You're all set! \:D/
PM me if you have problems or questions with anything.





Image March Madness Live Chats! Image

I've also set up a Chatroom channel for live chatting the Tournament! \:D/
Join #Madness if you're able to be online while you watch, especially if you are rooting for a team due to fandom or bracket picking! If you are watching but can't chat during the game maybe you can at least come by to check in during some commercial breaks!

This is a ton of fun when people come by! It's great sharing real time reactions as games go final, comparing the effects on our brackets. I really hope people come by! Everyone is welcome to come hang out of course, even if you didn't do a bracket.
I should be in there for Selection Sunday to kick things off, so come by if you're watching that, then once the tournament is underway stop in if you have one of the games on and see if anyone else is there. :) Or if you don't have a game on but want to follow what's going down.

Schedule of games, dates, times, and channels
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Post by American Eagle »

Joined!

The brackets open at 8:00 PM EST tonight! And then closes at noon on Friday. So get your picks in early. \:D/
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Note: My past posts do not necessarily reflect my values. Many of them were made when I was young and (in retrospect) misguided. If you identify a post that expresses misinformation, prejudice, or anything harmful, please let me know.
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Post by E II »

I'm in! Maybe my champion wont lose in the first round this year?
I am confused
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Post by MinatoArisato »

I'm in! (btw this is Monty, I forgot both my email and my password for my last account so. . .Made a new one!)
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Post by 321tumbler »

So I did two things for this bracket. For the top half, I picked the animals (or the simplest if neither were animals) and then I picked my favorites of those. The bottom half was just random because I didn't want to do the animal thing for the whole time.
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Post by bookworm »

E II wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 7:06 pmMaybe my champion wont lose in the first round this year?
Bob's and Steve's just did! \:D/ And I had them in my Elite Eight.
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Post by E II »

Took a whole 6 games for all of our brackets to be wrong
I am confused
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Post by bookworm »

E II wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:58 pmTook a whole 6 games for all of our brackets to be wrong
It's madness! :mad:

-- 20 Mar 2021 10:59 am --

ByeByeBrownie's champion has also lost their first game!

And the two upsets that I picked both won! \:D/

-- 20 Mar 2021 6:49 pm --

First no contest due to covid. Hopefully there aren't any more.
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Post by American Eagle »

Definitely a wild start!
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Note: My past posts do not necessarily reflect my values. Many of them were made when I was young and (in retrospect) misguided. If you identify a post that expresses misinformation, prejudice, or anything harmful, please let me know.
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Post by E II »

a very fitting first round for this years march madness! my second day was better than my first, i made up some good ground, and my champs are still in it. pretty happy so far
I am confused
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Steve
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Post by Steve »

After watching my brackets sink lower and lower in the standings, I have come to the conclusion that I know very little about basketball.
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Post by E II »

Steve wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:38 am After watching my brackets sink lower and lower in the standings, I have come to the conclusion that I know very little about basketball.
dont worry about it, everyone makes a bad bracket from time to time. its mostly luck.
speaking of luck, i called the first 1 seed losing, Illinois
I am confused
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Post by bookworm »

So many upsets in the first round!
15 over 2, 14 over 3, 13 over 4 twice, 12 over 5, 11 over 6 twice

Two of my Final Four are already out! \:D/

-- 22 Mar 2021 10:32 pm --

Oral Roberts did it again! Only the 2nd ever 15th seed to make the Sweet 16!
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Post by E II »

Sad to see Oral Roberts lose today :(
On a different note, I was checking my bracket and was suprised to find that it's currently in the top 400 on the entire site, out of over 14.5 million. \:D/ So that's pretty cool
I am confused
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Post by Catspaw »

E II wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:03 pm Sad to see Oral Roberts lose today :(
On a different note, I was checking my bracket and was suprised to find that it's currently in the top 400 on the entire site, out of over 14.5 million. \:D/ So that's pretty cool
Whoa, that's amazing! Congrats! I don't care about March Madness but for whatever reason I read this thread sometimes anyway, and this made it worth it. :D
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Post by American Eagle »

E II wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:03 pm Sad to see Oral Roberts lose today :(
On a different note, I was checking my bracket and was suprised to find that it's currently in the top 400 on the entire site, out of over 14.5 million. \:D/ So that's pretty cool
You are still in the top 1%! That's incredible! If Baylor keeps cruising, this ToO league is basically all yours.
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Note: My past posts do not necessarily reflect my values. Many of them were made when I was young and (in retrospect) misguided. If you identify a post that expresses misinformation, prejudice, or anything harmful, please let me know.
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Post by bookworm »

I got 7/16 and only 3/8 right. Best I can get is 2 of the Final Four.
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Post by E II »

well, i now only have 2/4 of the final four, but as long as gonzaga keeps winning my championship game is still possible
I am confused
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Post by bookworm »

I did end up with two of the Final Four right, and they are the two I picked to be in the championship game.
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Post by E II »

Baylor vs Gonzaga should be a great game for the championship. I called this in my bracket, and chose Baylor, because I'm a fan of Gonzaga, this way if they lose I can still kind of be happy about something :)
I am confused
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