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Short version: This is mainly copied from last year. Which was copied from before. Etc. Sign up on ESPN this year. Doesn't matter who you are, just flipping do it. It's a big part of CoN culture, and it could use a shot in the arm, couldn't it? http://narshe.me/CoNCAA2016 Post your team name here.

Longer version, cribbed almost exclusively from last year's and the year before that:

I'm gonna be honest here - I've watched very little college basketball this year. I don't have much to say about the teams at the moment, and I need to get this post up, like, say, now. Looks like Kansas is really good again - gag - and that some of the smaller historical power schools are looking good, like Villanova and Xavier. Lots of Big Ten representation in the rankings, too, which makes me feel better about my alma mater being one of the worst colleges in the country for big-time athletics.

We're staying on ESPN for this year, as Yahoo will never again not suck. You can sign up for this year's tournament using an ESPN or Facebook account, or, if you played last year, renew your signup and be immediately put into the group. The link to initiate signup this year is: http://narshe.me/CoNCAA2016

If you're prompted for any further information, use this:

Group Name: CoNCAA
Group Number: 310266
Password: flanitor

Please post your bracket name in this thread, as always, or else it's hard to match up CoN names with other names. This year, Selection Sunday (the day we find out what teams are involved in the tournament) is on 13 March, and the games that count start on 17 March. That means you'll have the usual three and a half to four days to get your picks in, and we'll make sure to remind you.

Last year, we had twenty-one players. A few of them have gone away and probably won't be back; perhaps you could be a new member who wants in, or perhaps someone who's never done it before and wants to show up? The most fun games seem to have at least 20 players, so we'll hope for the best.

I'll say, as always, that you do not have to care one bit about basketball to do this. You could watch every game this year and still fare miserably, and you can also just make wild guesses and you'll still get one or two crazy upsets that nobody else gets right. The fun is in getting everyone else's "I can not frigging believe you got that matchup right!" reactions. CoN chatters or forumgoers will always give advice for picks, and if you're one of those who likes to pick based on the team's nickname, we can tell you what those are. Signing up and making all of your picks takes no more than 15 minutes if you aren't the researchy type and just want to get in to give it a try; if you log in via a social media account, you could probably reduce it to under ten minutes of total time taken.

Here's the list of who's in:

• Vanessa's Secret - Neal
• Duke B-Ball Be Trippin' - R51
• Red Hot Muffin Slammers - TheEvilEye
• Gibbles 'n' Bits - Gabe
• B****** Love Brackets - Quad
• Android Narshemallow - Lasz
• Hardly Globetrotters - Stiltzkin
• Chilli CoN Carne - Cefca
• Tidu's In-Process Name - Tidu-who
• My Mist-ake - LeviathanMist
• Prawns in Her Alley - Salamando
• Failure Is an Option - Del S
• Gary Payton the Third - Gears
• It's Inevitable - Sabin
• Snub Diego State - baralai888
• Pitino's Recruiting Party - Kappa the Imp
• Crane (Right) - Iain Peregrine
• LOL MD 8 - LOL 5 SEED - Super Moogle
• Matthew McConaughey - Death Penalty
• Buffalo buffalo Buffalo. - SSJ_Cloud
• wellWhateverThen - finalalias

Don't recognize some of those names? They're chatters (rather than forum users) or are just generally too lazy to come around any more. You, too, could aspire to that lofty goal.

This post has been edited by Rangers51 on 17th March 2016 13:51

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

As before - Hardly Globetrotters.

I will be using the same FF-themed pick system, and failing gloriously.

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We apologise for the inconvenience

You cannot defeat me. You can only hope to contain me.

Edit: Oh, I got third last year? I won almost every bracket pool I was in, thought I had a CONCAA repeat too. But the point STILL STANDS.

This post has been edited by Tidu-who on 9th March 2016 03:56

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The clouds ran away, opened up the sky
And one by one I watched every constellation die
And there I was frozen, standing in my backyard
Face to face, eye to eye, staring at the last star
I should've known, walked all the way home
To find that she wasn't here, I'm still all alone

-Atmosphere "Always Coming Back Home to You"

I'm in, apparently. This is for Hockey or something, right?

I guess I'm in. My Mist-ake - LeviathanMist

Quote (TheEvilEye @ 9th March 2016 08:34)

I'm in, apparently. This is for Hockey or something, right?

this post may be a joke, but Elena having that thought is why I won the tiebreaker in the first ever CoNCAA pool. The final score of the title game was indeed not 6-4.

In as Vanessa's Secret.

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Hey, put the cellphone down for a while
In the night there is something wild
Can you hear it breathing?
And hey, put the laptop down for a while
In the night there is something wild
I feel it, it's leaving me

Quote (Neal @ 11th March 2016 11:48)

this post may be a joke, but Elena having that thought is why I won the tiebreaker in the first ever CoNCAA pool. The final score of the title game was indeed not 6-4.

Wow, I'd forgotten all about that. That was fantastic.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

You're letting me come back? Huzzah! Here I thought you all got tired of pinning that golden CoNCAA medal to my profile year after year. Is three out of four years considered a dynasty, or should I wait until I win this year to make that claim? I wish everyone the best of luck in the race for 2nd place.

Bracket name: "It's Inevitable". Simple truths make the best titles, non?

[/False Bravado]

Seriously, though, here's to another good competition. Good luck to everyone. May your upsets be true and your Final Four teams make it at very least to the Sweet 16.

(Go UConn!)

Bitches *love* brackets

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Squenix games completed:

FFIII
FFIV
FFVI
FFVII
FFIX
FFX
FF Tactics: Advance 2
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Quest 8
Dragon Quest 11
Super Mario RPG

Thinking about sitting out this year. Why? Two reasons. First, getting as far as I did last time and losing was painful. Second, and most important, I CANNOT THINK OF A STUPID PUN! Seriously, I've tried.

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Praise Be To Helix!

And the brackets are now live.

I've been preparing to travel and traveling for the last few days, but it looks like everyone's handling it for me; like Cefca said, you can start making your picks any time now and they have to be done before the first games on Thursday. The games start a little before noon Eastern time, I think, but to be safe you should plan on getting them by around 10am ET or so that day at the latest.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I'm just pleased as punch with my bracket, which means I will lose my champion on Friday.

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Hey, put the cellphone down for a while
In the night there is something wild
Can you hear it breathing?
And hey, put the laptop down for a while
In the night there is something wild
I feel it, it's leaving me

I'm in.

Snub Diego State is bringing it home.

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"The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved."
- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

No pressure this year, just gonna send Maryland and forget about the rest. Sigh

Entry: Pitino's Recruiting Party

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I find your lack of faith disturbing...

Crane (Right)

The crane shakes the deck!

Got the list updated again above. Two days and counting down to register and make your picks!

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I don't think we have a single newbie in so far, which makes me pretty sad. If you've never done a bracket before, now's the time. Here, I'll even give you a link with some advice for making your first-ever bracket: http://adequateman.deadspin.com/how-to-bui...cket-1765037017

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I'm in, at long last, as Matthew McConaughey. Alright alright alright.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

I like you guys plenty, and would love to participate in...

What is this, Fantasy College Basketball? Are you betting who will win the NCAA championship? I don't get it.

...Anyway, the timeline of me caring about sports lasts from the 1993 NBA Championship Game up to the 2000 Super Bowl, where Nashville lost by 3 feet or so. I was so crushed that I kind of gave up on sports forever.

But I used to be quite the Baseball player. Hit a couple homers in my time. Almost exclusively "neighborhood" ball, but I did try little league for a couple games. Didn't care for the "win at all costs" attitude of the other guys. I was there to become a great baseball player, not necessarily win games, though that would be the intended side effect of my goal.

So uh...I guess you guys have fun, ok? Play nice!

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X is blue.

Quote (Spooniest @ 16th March 2016 13:00)

I like you guys plenty, and would love to participate in...

What is this, Fantasy College Basketball? Are you betting who will win the NCAA championship? I don't get it.

Yes, that is exactly it. So, if you'd love to participate, you have a little under 24 hours to do so.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

Quote (Rangers51 @ 16th March 2016 15:25)

Quote (Spooniest @ 16th March 2016 13:00)

I like you guys plenty, and would love to participate in...

What is this, Fantasy College Basketball? Are you betting who will win the NCAA championship? I don't get it.

Yes, that is exactly it. So, if you'd love to participate, you have a little under 24 hours to do so.

Errrrrrr

I would love to because it would involve interacting with people socially which I like, but it would also involve sports, which I have no desire to revisit.

Thanks anyway, though.

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X is blue.

wellWhateverThen

I'm not sure I did it right, since I seem to be the only one that picked a champion (or is it that I can only see my own pick?)...

Anyway, if I don't have time for fanart anymore at least I can do the yearly bracket.

This post has been edited by finalalias on 17th March 2016 03:01

Quote (Spooniest @ 16th March 2016 20:11)

I would love to because it would involve interacting with people socially which I like, but it would also involve sports, which I have no desire to revisit.

Ooooooookey dokey then. I mean, in the time it took you to post here twice about not doing it, you would have been done doing it, but hey.

Quote (finalalias)

I'm not sure I did it right, since I seem to be the only one that picked a champion (or is it that I can only see my own pick?)...

Yeah, you can only see your own picks until the first game starts, because after that people can't make changes and it's not unfair to see what other people did. I should really remember to make a note of that for next year's thread.

Anyway, we got up to twenty players and one bot, so that's not terrible! If you haven't locked in your picks (all the way up to the champion), or if you want to get in late, you've got just a couple hours left as of the time I write this.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I can't wait to be the only one who picked Duke when they win again this year.

--------------------

Squenix games completed:

FFIII
FFIV
FFVI
FFVII
FFIX
FFX
FF Tactics: Advance 2
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Quest 8
Dragon Quest 11
Super Mario RPG

Quote (Rangers51 @ 16th March 2016 06:34)

I don't think we have a single newbie in so far, which makes me pretty sad. If you've never done a bracket before, now's the time. Here, I'll even give you a link with some advice for making your first-ever bracket: http://adequateman.deadspin.com/how-to-bui...cket-1765037017

Would I not qualify as a newbie? I'm never around, and I've never participated in this thing before.

Quote (Rangers51 @ 17th March 2016 08:56)

Yeah, you can only see your own picks until the first game starts, because after that people can't make changes and it's not unfair to see what other people did.

Oh ok that makes sense. Thanks!

I picked my alma mater to win this year (again), but if we lost to Michigan State (AGAIN) for the 3rd time in 4 years I might need to be put on Solitary Island watch.

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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

Quote (LeviathanMist @ 17th March 2016 20:18)

Quote (Rangers51 @ 16th March 2016 06:34)

I don't think we have a single newbie in so far, which makes me pretty sad. If you've never done a bracket before, now's the time. Here, I'll even give you a link with some advice for making your first-ever bracket: http://adequateman.deadspin.com/how-to-bui...cket-1765037017

Would I not qualify as a newbie? I'm never around, and I've never participated in this thing before.

You must have participated in the past, because I had you in my list of people to PM about it. Maybe you signed up last year or the year before but never put in picks? I dunno, and I'm currently too lazy to go look.

Looks like this year we had two people fail to make picks, one of whom was pretty surprising. Poor Gears. One was not. Silly Del. Among everyone else, we have eight unique champion picks, seven if you don't count the insane mental function of Salamando. That's a pretty good spread, but it might make for a pretty tight race at the end if it comes down to Kansas and Michigan State.

Lasz and SSJC are in the lead after a pretty wild first day.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I hate Purdue and I want to die.

--------------------

Hey, put the cellphone down for a while
In the night there is something wild
Can you hear it breathing?
And hey, put the laptop down for a while
In the night there is something wild
I feel it, it's leaving me