Boiled Sports Bracketgasm Update

Devoted Recruiter

Two rounds are now complete -- sorry, three rounds -- and so it's time to take a quick look at your Bracketsaster and see how things are shaping up.

Oh, and as a quick aside on this second round/third round nonsense, I just have to give a big F U to the NCAA for continuing to insult people's intelligence. Thursday and Friday were not the "second round." They're only the second round if we expand the bracket to 128 and give 60 teams a "bye" into the second round. And isn't that just...ridiculous? Of course it is. Those are play-in games, or "opening round" games works, too. They can even go with their kitchy "First Four" and I'm fine with it. It would actually make sense when you look back in ten years and see that, oh yeah, that one year VCU played in the First Four and still made the Final Four.

But now? Now the NCAA has muddied the waters when you want to look back at a coach's history, for example as this link to Jaime Dixon's record shows. Do you immediately know when the second round became the first round? And thus when Dixon's Pitt teams actually advanced? I would imagine it's hard for Pitt fans to know. Although it's easy to assume when it comes to Pitt's performance in the tourney.

Why do I care? Because I don't like stupid crap that makes things less clear all because what? We don't want to hurt the feelings of the teams in the play-in games? Who cares? They're playing basketball and they have a shot at the big prize. I know many Boilermakers who would have gladly taken a slot in the First Four.

Anyway, as to the BS Bracketstravaganza, we've got leaders in the clubhouse who are on their own right now. There is no tie at the top, as entry "robertmw1789 3" sits alone. He (I'm assuming a he) has three of four Final Four teams remaining with only Georgetown out (eek). His title game is IU over OSU, so I think it's safe to say we're all rooting against him. Sorry, Robert.

Alone in second place as of now is "indyhudson6 5," who also has three of four Final Four teams in play, with their one miss being New Mexico (seems bdowd and I weren't the only ones wooed by Steve Alford's beautiful hair) and a title game of Duke over Kansas.

After those top two, we have glut of entries tied at third. Leading the BS staff pack is the Panda, who is hanging tight at 14th place, though he deserves far worse for picking Gonzaga to go to the Final Four. He does, however, have his other three FF teams, with da U over Louisville for the title.

Games in this tournament resume Thursday evening, but you of course have the option of seeing your boys in Black and Gold tonight at 7 PM on...well, AXS.tv (formerly HDNet) has been covering the CBI, but my DirecTV channel guide tells me I get Houston/George Mason tonight, followed by Western Michigan/Wyoming. So if anyone has any intel on where to see the Boilers tonight (aside from Mackey Arena), please feel free to share.