Next year, I'll do it differently. I don't think my system for having the boys pick March Madness winners highlights their prediction skills very well. How do I know? Here it is, Sunday afternoon, nearing the end of the first weekend of this year's tournament, and the boys' bracket is busted. I know, I know...LOTS of people's brackets are busted after the first weekend. This year, busted bracket predictors can blame traditional powerhouse teams like Duke, Syracuse, and Kansas for not surviving the first weekend. The difference is, our boys' bracket was busted before the first game was even played. Let me show you why...
The boys first predicted the South portion of the bracket (upper left). I placed the matchups from the first round side by side in random spots downstairs.
Cody chose #16 seed Albany over #1 seed Florida... (keep in mind that no #16 seed has EVER beaten a #1 seed)
Jaden followed that pick by choosing Colorado over Pittsburgh.
Jaden continued his poor picking by taking Tulsa over UCLA.
Hey! Cody chose a winner by taking #12 Stephen F. Austin over #5 VCU.
Our future scholar athletes show that they're serious about the "scholar" part. Sometimes reading is more important than Daddy's ideas for our fun.
March Madness is never sad when Ohio St. loses, even if Cody chose them to get to the Sweet 16.
The boys narrowed the South side of the bracket down to two teams--#16 seed Albany and #2 seed Kansas.
Who would be their first Final Four pick? Daddy was too slow with the camera, but Jaden chose their first of two #16 seeds to make it to the Final Four...Albany!
Even if I thought my system wasn't flawed after that first set of predictions, I was quickly humbled and disappointed again as the boys methodically chose #16 Weber State and #15 Wofford to come out of the West and Midwest parts of the bracket to make the Final Four. Only the East part of the bracket to go...
Jaden and Cody narrowed the East field down to four teams in the Sweet 16 round...#4 Michigan State, #1 Virginia, #7 UConn, and #14 North Carolina Central.
Jaden predicted North Carolina Central would be yet another tournament "Cinderella" and make it to the Elite 8.
He then chose Virginia to face them.
Again, the boys' three Final Four teams to this point were #16 seed Albany, #16 seed Weber State, and #15 seed Wofford. It seemed like #14 seed North Carolina Central was destined to be their final choice.
Cody surprisingly chose #1 seed Virginia!
This picture represents the boys' busted bracket's Final Four...sad.
Jaden looks a bit unsure, but he chose Wofford and Virginia to make it to the National Championship game.
So, who's your champion, Cody?! Let's hear it for...WOFFORD!
Oh, boys, if only you understood that your predicted champion had to face our beloved Michigan in the first round. I am happy to report the boys clapped and cheered along all weekend as Michigan advanced to the Sweet 16. Thank you, boys. Thank you for not understanding enough about March Madness to cheer for the team, OUR team, that knocked your champion out in the first round. Next year, I'll do it differently. Next year, I'll let them pick mascots.
This is fantastic - I love it! Will you remind me in early March next year to try the same thing? Oh, and I also love that they are so optimistic about the underdogs in the competition. Too bad those teams didn't live up to Cody and Jaden's high expectations. :(
ReplyDeleteWhat humble little fans our little Montanans are! Someone HAS to cheer for those many, many, many UNDERDOGS! Grandpa and I DO know how much Jaden and Cody love "underdogs"! O.K., those maybe WERE at the playground, if we stretch the "underdogs'" definition. We predict that the boys WILL be great at choosing high-ranking teams like Michigan (and Michigan State) sometime in the future. GO MICHIGAN!!!
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