March Madness!

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bookworm
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March Madness!

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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 on Sunday!
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 16th year! Come be a part of this great tradition!

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022

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 American Eagle »

Here's to another year of madness! \: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 bookworm »

Brackets are open!
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Post by American Eagle »

Good luck, everyone!!
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Post by bookworm »

Major upset in the very first round! #2 Arizona is knocked out by #15 Princeton! This is madness!! :mad:

That might be a new personal record for busted bracket; I had them as my runner up of the whole thing! :lol:


#13 Furman also upset #4 Virginia \:D/
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Post by American Eagle »

Yeah, upsets right off the bat!
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Post by Woody »

Whale, that's my bracket busted! \:D/

#16 Fair Dickinson takes out #1 Purdue in the first round. :mecry:
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Post by bookworm »

Only the second time in history a #16 has beaten a #1 team!! :mad:

That's two brackets' champion out, and the other two had them as the runner up and in the Final Four!
So it actually doesn't affect things really, competition-wise. I was hurt least by the upset, advancing them one less round than everyone else, so in theory I could have benefited from that if I got the Final Four match right... but I had them losing to Arizona there so nope! :lol:
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Post by Woody »

I'm enjoying a brief stint at the top of our rankings... Kansas' loss today sealed my bracket's fate as both my champion and my runner-up are now eliminated. :oops:
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Post by bookworm »

I only had Kansas into the Elite 8 so yay for me I guess. Crazy that another #1 is already out!

The Gonzaga/UCLA game is going to be big! Those are the two remaining champion picks in our group so after that only one will be left!
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Post by EK »

Nobody picked Houston? Wow.

In my work bracket I unfortunately picked Perdue, but I’m somehow at the top of the standings still.
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Post by bookworm »

It's Gonzaga!! Image

Absolutely unbelievable game! And it was the first one I've watched so far!
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Post by Woody »

Well, I have already reached my max score with no teams in the Elite Eight. Pretty sure this is an all-time low for my bracket. :')
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Post by bookworm »

This is the first tournament in history where no #1 seed reached the Elite 8! :o
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Post by American Eagle »

I didn't pick a single Elite Eight team correctly. :lol: Oh well, it's been fun watching all the upsets!
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Post by bookworm »

Woody wrote: Sat Mar 25, 2023 12:59 amWell, I have already reached my max score with no teams in the Elite Eight.
You have one team correct. You don't have them advancing any further though.

I have the most teams correct with 3/8! \:D/ Almanzo had two right.
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