March Madness!

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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 tonight!
ESPN Tournament Challenge Password: thetoo

If you don't care or don't know anything about the sport, that's absolutely fine! Please just join to be nice to those of us who like to have a big group playing! :) 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!

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 at all 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.

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 we didn't open until April, and there was no 2020 tournament because of covid.) This is our 15th year! Come be a part of this great tradition!

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021

Expand below for how to join the group if you need help:
You will need an account on espn.com, make one now if you don't have one already. It's very easy and fast and 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

For those who do follow the games, 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!

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. Anyone is welcome to come hang out of course, even if you didn't do a bracket. Once the tournament is underway drop in if you have one of the games on and see if anyone else is there. :)

Schedule of games, dates, times, and channels
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Post by E II »

I am back to defend my crown!
Or have my champion get upset in round 1. One of the two \:D/
I am confused
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Post by bookworm »

The teams are decided and the brackets are open, please fill one out if you're reading this! You have to join by Wednesday!
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Post by KnittingFun14 »

I filled mine out! \:D/
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Post by American Eagle »

I'm in too!
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Post by bookworm »

Thank you to all who have joined so far! Anyone else, you have until the end of today!
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Post by Woody »

Who just filled in a last-minute bracket after forgetting the last several days because he was writing an essay that shouldn't have been assigned over spring break? This guy. \:D/

P.S. Thanks for the PM, bookworm. ;)
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Post by bookworm »

We're underway! \:D/

I picked Duke to win it all so Coach K ends his legendary career with a championship!
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Post by EK »

I didn’t do this one but I definitely filled out my work one… it has a $1000 1st prize so I couldn’t not.

The Kentucky upset really hurt me. I picked Auburn to win it all because nobody EXPECTS them to win, but they’re the best non-popular pick with a chance.
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Post by bookworm »

#2 Kentucky loses in the first round! They were in my Elite Eight! \:D/
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Post by E II »

I got lucky that Kentucky was the team who got upset, as i had them losing in the next round anyway. Shouldn't have picked against the Peacocks!
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Post by bookworm »

-- March 18th, 2022, 10:14 pm --

They were Nini's pick for champion. #-o
AE's (Iowa) was also upset in their first game.

-- March 25th, 2022, 10:54 am --

Why is no one posting about anything; this tournament has been nuts! :mad:

#1 Baylor loses in the second round! That takes out Woody's champion; I had them in the Final Four.
Saint Peter's gets another upset and is just the third ever #15 team to make the Sweet Sixteen!
Two more #1s lose in the Sweet Sixteen! I had both in the Elite Eight.

Also, one of my other Final Four lost their second game. I think this is my most busted bracket ever! \:D/
Yet I'm in 3rd place because this has been crazy for everyone!
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Post by Catspaw »

bookworm wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:54 am
Why is no one posting about anything; this tournament has been nuts! :mad:
Does total lack of interest in the sport as a whole count as a good excuse? ;) I'm glad that exciting stuff is going for on the folks who do care!
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Post by bookworm »

Catspaw wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:13 pmDoes total lack of interest in the sport as a whole count as a good excuse? ;)
Sure, but I was directing that at the people who are in the contest group. Big upsets like these usually get posted about by the people with affected brackets, but this year there's been an unusually low amount of reactions to an unusually high amount of tournament drama.
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Post by Woody »

I was quite crushed by Baylor's defeat. :mecry: I picked them for sentimental reasons this year, so it hits a little harder than usual. But I also am holding to my rule of never watching a game because it keeps my picks purely based on historical performance data, my own personal preference/sentimentality, and who has the coolest logo. 8-)
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Post by bookworm »

Saint Peter's does it again! First ever #15 team to make the Elite Eight! :o \:D/
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Post by American Eagle »

I didn't post because Iowa was the first of my bracket's many miserable failures haha. Not my year but the tournament has been a lot of fun.
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Post by bookworm »

The Cinderella run has ended, setting up North Carolina vs Duke in the Final Four. This is the first time those two teams have ever faced each other in the tournament which is surprising.


After all the madness in the early rounds, my bracket actually did not too bad later on. I had nine of the Sweet Sixteen right and moved into first in the group at one point. Only had three of the Elite Eight though and dropped back to third. Got two of the Final Four!
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Post by American Eagle »

Nice climb at the end!
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Post by bookworm »

I had the potential to jump back up if Villanova had made the final as everyone above me had Kansas there, but Kansas did win so those three stayed together and I dropped to fourth from my third place tie.

The only bracket that can score anymore is ByeByeBrownie's which has Kansas winning the championship. If that happens she would jump all the way to first place; if it doesn't the current standings are the final standings.
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