Friday, March 16, 2018
NCAA Brackets: Everybody Gets One!
Remember that one Family Guy episode where Spiderman saved a young Peter from falling to his animated death? He subsequently saved Cleveland in a later season, repeating the same three words in the immediate aftermath on both occasions. Everybody gets one. Peter Parker was a smart guy, and my own spidey sense tells me he'd feel the same way about March Madness Brackets.
You heard me, everybody gets one. I understand I'm likely in the minority on this one, and I'll gladly stand alone in the corner with my pride. But, at least in my eyes, if you fill out more than one NCAA tournament bracket, you don't deserve respect.
I get it. It's a numbers game and hedging your bet gives you exponentially more chances to hit a big payday. I don't need Chris Fallica's mustard stained shirt to break that one down for me. You think you simplified the system — one of your brackets is sure to be the answer key.
I don't care, though. What ever happened to ride or die? If you have two eggs on ya, throw them in the same basket and make your picks. Go with your gut, go with the numbers, or go with whatever cheerleading squad makes you boom dynamite the quickest, it doesn't matter. You should be stressing and agonizing over every pick, not saying "screw it, I'll take Miami in this bracket, and Loyola in the other." You don't get the steak and the chicken. You can't like the Eagles and the Cowboys. You don't get two girlfriends that you can switch back and forth based on who's looking better at the moment. Hold on, Lou Williams just texted me.
If your top dogs go down on Day 1, then so be it. You can still lose tons of money betting on individual games. Don't go running to your other bracket for comfort, and then act like your best bracket was your "main" one. It should be the same way with other fantasy sports. I join one fantasy football league every year. One team I roll with. You won't catch me cheering for and rooting against someone at the same time. And you know that your boy cashed out. I hope all of your brackets blow.
Maybe I'll give you some freemium advice on how to win your bracket pool later in the week, but this is the most important rule for now. I know you probably won't listen to Spiderman; just remember he won't be there to save you when you and your brackets take a fall. Everybody gets one, besides pretty much everybody.