It's NCAA Tournament time, which is one of the best times of the year for a sports fan. Don't let somebody else ruin it for you. Actually, don't be the guy who ruins it for someone else.
Here's how to avoid being that guy:
--Don’t bang your chest like Tarzan and tell me that you picked the 12 seed over a 5. Of course you did. Everyone did. My sister, who hasn’t watched a college basketball game in her life, did. It doesn’t mean you have balls. It doesn’t mean you’re smart. You picked the bare minimum upset. Don’t be proud of yourself.
--Don’t flip out when a number 1 seed goes down. “Ugh, I had them in my final four!” Yeah, so did everyone. If Zion and the Blue Devils lose, you’re not the only person who’s bracket went to crap.
--Don’t tell me which teams you put in your final four. I don’t care. If I did care, I’d ask. I don’t need to hear a hot take on why Houston was under seeded. I don’t need you to tell me why you think that this is the year a mid-major cuts down the nets.
--Don’t put your crappy school in the Final Four. Sure, it would be cool. It COULD happen. But it won’t. Unless you went to Duke or North Carolina it’s probably a pipe dream. Save it. I’m a WVU guy. Two years ago I picked them to lose to Gonzaga. Last year, I had them losing to Villanova. Your team will break your heart. Use it to your advantage.
--Don’t do more than one bracket and then tell me how many upsets you nailed. If you want to do more than one bracket, that’s fine. You’re just giving yourself a better chance of making some cash. I get it. Don’t act like you’re a genius though when you pick Gonzaga to lose to Syracuse in one out of your 2,000 brackets.
--Last year, a dude at work told me that he picked Virginia to lose to UMBC. He thought it made him look smart. No, you’re actually dumb. I know it happened, but it shouldn’t have. You had no reason for picking the upset. You just did it to be cute. I see right through you. Don’t pick a 1 to go down to a 16. Just don’t.
--Don’t copy an expert analysts bracket. Sure, they know more than you. It’s also a single elimination tournament. Crap happens.
--Above all, have fun. And join us at Shenanigans!