The Concordian

The year 2010 has started off pretty good…for sports anyway. The U.S. dominated in the Olympics, this summer’s basketball free-agent class is going to include stars like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Amar’e Stoudemire and Joe Johnson, which should make for a very interesting season this fall (depending on whether Cleveland wins a championship or not).

Baseball and golf are in full swing right around the corner. The Super Bowl was a disappointment for me, though it was nice to see a change.

We have NHL playoffs coming up (keep your fingers crossed for the penguins), and perhaps my favorite time of the sports year with March Madness this month.

I think I may take the tournament to the extreme because I will watch every game that’s televised and I won’t hesitate to miss any important event to do so.

Maybe Concord should add a new major to its roster called braketology? Because, trust me, if you have ever made a bracket then you realize the science behind the tournament.

I spend way too much time and effort on my bracket each year, only to be disappointed in the end most of the time. But aren’t the upsets the best part?

Upsets (or “shouldnt’s” as I like to call them) are a huge in the NCAA tournament, there’s always one or two that breaks hearts.

I’m sure that when #14 Weber State beat #3 North Carolina back in ’99 more than a couple brackets were shot.

I can see the tears in the eyes of the fallen comrades, or when #8 Villinova beat #1 Georgetown ’85 and we can’t forget ’83 when North Carolina State beat Houston for the NCAA championship. 

The thing about sports is nothing’s a sure thing. There’s going to be a competition in the paper this year and I have a few tips for anyone who wants to get brave and try to beat their bracket pool.

My first tip: no team ranked lower than 11 has made it to the final four, so get rid of those guys before then and you’re good.

Tip #2: most teams ranked #1 fall around the third or fourth round, except for last year as I stated earlier, so don’t bank on top seeded teams.

Tip #3: teams that struggle against lower ranked teams and barely get by are weaker teams, so it’s not the quantity of teams they’ve beaten it’s the quality.

Tip #4: guys that make a living doing this tell you to work from the finals back, but I disagree, work your bracket in order for the best chance.

There you have it. Just follow those few simple tips and I guarantee bracket success this year.