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The Mascot Bracket

 
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beknighted



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
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Location: Lost in D.C.


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PostPosted: 03/21/19 9:08 pm    ::: The Mascot Bracket Reply Reply with quote

Even though I've been busy with other things, traditions must be upheld.

Same rules as always:

I pick winners and losers based on team nicknames and mascots. I use the names on the teams’ sites. To ensure that the results are as arbitrary as possible, I divide the mascots into five categories:

Occupations, which beat groups and mammals
Groups, which beat non-mammals and everything else
Mammals, which beat groups and non-mammals
Non-mammals, which beat occupations and everything else
Everything else, which beat occupations and mammals

When two teams are in the same category, I’ll pick the winner based on which one I think would win or, sometimes, which team it would be more amusing to have win. I try to avoid the temptation to flip a coin (well, usually).

I’m putting this bracket into the tournament challenge and will report on the results.

Here we go:

1st round

Albany

1 Louisville Cardinals over 16 Robert Morris Colonials – Cardinals are very aggressive birds
8 Michigan Wolverines over 9 Kansas Jayhawks – one of the times the rules give you what you’d expect
5 Gonzaga Bulldogs over 12 Arkansas Little Rock Trojans – their bite is worse than their bark
13 Boise State Broncos over 4 Oregon State Beavers – Beavers got stomped
6 UCLA Bruins over 11 Tennessee Lady Vols – a mauling
14 Radford Highlanders over 3 Maryland Terrapins – who knew what bagpipes do to turtles?
7 Rutgers Scarlet Knights over 10 Buffalo Bulls – it turns out lances are very effective against herbivores
15 Towson Tigers over 2 Connecticut Huskies – Huskies were nipping at the Tigers heels for a while

Chicago

16 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats over 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish – no big cats in Ireland
9 Michigan State Spartans over 8 Central Michigan Chippewas – Spartans appear to have helmets, so I give them the edge
5 Marquette Golden Eagles over 12 Rice Owls – close, but Eagles soared higher for the rebounds
13 Wright State Raiders over 4 Texas A&M Aggies – peaceful farmers were no match
6 DePaul Blue Demons over 11 Missouri State Tigers – they cast a spell
3 Iowa State Cyclones over 14 New Mexico State Aggies – blown away
7 Brigham Young Cougars over 10 Auburn Eagles – eventually the Eagles had to land
2 Stanford Cardinal over 15 California Davis Aggies – Aggies saw red

Greensboro

1 Baylor Bears over 16 Abilene Christian Wildcats – going with the bigger carnivore here
8 California Golden Bears over 9 North Carolina Tar Heels – Tar Heels got stuck
12 Bucknell Bison over 5 Florida State Seminoles – it was a stampede
13 Belmont Bruins over 4 South Carolina Gamecocks – don’t think about bears in chicken coops
11 Princeton Tigers over 6 Kentucky Wildcats – Tigers are bigger
3 North Carolina State Wolfpack over 14 Maine Black Bears – it was a group effort
7 Missouri Tigers over 10 Drake Bulldogs – seems like a lot of dog v. predator matchups
15 Mercer Bears over 2 Iowa Hawkeyes – took a while for Bears to catch the Hawkeyes, but then it was over fast

Portland

16 Southern Coyotes over 1 Mississippi State Bulldogs – Wily v. tenacious
9 Clemson Tigers over 8 South Dakota Coyotes– USD ended up with their tails between their legs
5 Arizona State Sun Devils over 12 Central Florida Knights – no magic for UCF
13 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles over 4 Miami Hurricanes – flew into the eye of the storm
11 Quinnipiac Bobcats over 6 South Dakota State Jackrabbits – pretty obvious
3 Syracuse Orange over 14 Fordham Rams – Orange just bounced around a lot
7 Texas Longhorns over 10 Indiana Hoosiers – the horns did it
15 Portland State Vikings over 2 Oregon Ducks – the longboats were a big advantage


Second round

Albany

8 Michigan Wolverines over 1 Louisville Cardinals – another #1 seed bows out
13 Boise State Broncos over 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs – more stomping
6 UCLA Bruins over 14 Radford Highlanders – Bears don’t mind bagpipes
7 Scarlet Knights over 15 Towson Tigers – Tigers get skewered2 South

Chicago

16 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats over 9 Michigan State Spartans – scratching and clawing
5 Marquette Golden Eagles over 13 Wright State Raiders – raptors get it done
6 DePaul Blue Demons over 3 Iowa State Cyclones – supernatural over natural
2 Stanford Cardinal over 7 Brigham Young Cougars – Colorblind cats couldn’t see Cardinal

Greensboro

8 California Golden Bears over 1 Baylor Bears – Golden is better, right?
13 Belmont Bears over 12 Bucknell Bison – another herbivore, carnivore matchup
11 Princeton Tigers over 3 North Carolina Wolfpack – bigger teeth
15 Mercer Bears over Missouri Tigers – might go the other way on another day

Portland

9 Clemson Tigers over 16 Southern Coyotes – bigger carnivore wins
13 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles over 5 Arizona State Sun Devils – hey, it’s what the rules say
3 Syracuse Orange over 11 Quinnipiac Bobcats – Bobcats paid no attention to the fruit, to their regret
7 Texas Longhorns over 15 Portland State Vikings – bigger horns than on the Vikings’ helmets


Sweet 16

Albany

8 Michigan Wolverines over 13 Boise State Broncos – they took out the weaker ones in the herd first
7 Rutgers Scarlet Knights over 6 UCLA Bruins – turns out riding a horse was an advantage

Chicago

16 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats over 5 Marquette Golden Eagles – seems logical
6 DePaul Blue Demons over 2 Stanford Cardinal – Illinois is a blue state

Greensboro – the all-mammal region

13 Belmont Bruins over 8 California Golden Bears – close all the way
11 Princeton Tigers over 15 Mercer Bears – Tigers were way more aggressive

Portland

9 Clemson Tigers over 13 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles – once they caught Eagles, it was all over
3 Syracuse Orange over 7 Texas Longhorns – you’d think they’d have been crushed, but apparently not


Elite 8

Albany

7 Rutgers Scarlet Knights over 8 Michigan – I swear this is how the rules say this comes out

Chicago

6 DePaul Blue Demons over 16 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats – fire and brimstone spooked the Wildcats

Greensboro

11 Princeton Tigers over 13 Belmont Bruins – see Sweet 16 game

Portland

3 Syracuse Orange over 9 Clemson Tigers – one quasi-plausible team makes it to Tampa


Final Four

6 DePaul Blue Demons over 7 Rutgers Scarlet Knights – superstition takes over
3 Syracuse Orange over 11 Princeton Tigers – see Elite 8 game


National Championship

6 DePaul Blue Demons over 3 Syracuse Orange – Doug Bruno gets a championship


bkmgr



Joined: 28 Apr 2009
Posts: 64
Location: CT


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PostPosted: 03/22/19 7:09 am    ::: Re: The Mascot Bracket Reply Reply with quote

beknighted wrote:
Even though I've been busy with other things, traditions must be upheld.


The Mascot Bracket - Yay!

This might be the reveal I look forward the most!


ClayK



Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Posts: 11105



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PostPosted: 03/22/19 9:32 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Always love the mascot bracket ... thanks.



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fanaticka



Joined: 02 Dec 2011
Posts: 101
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PostPosted: 03/22/19 1:05 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I ve been waiting for this! It is always fun.


Nixtreefan



Joined: 14 Nov 2012
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PostPosted: 03/22/19 1:37 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Well, trees help the birds, we are their foundation for rest and how many of these mascots can climb trees or provide shade. Some think they can chop us down but then we provide such benefits to the world whether we are growing or used for beautiful products. Then, there is our dancing abilities as we blow in the wind. But our best attribute is the confusion we provide as Card has nothing to do with trees. How many mascots have such a story to tell Cool



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Last edited by Nixtreefan on 03/22/19 2:30 pm; edited 1 time in total
beknighted



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 11050
Location: Lost in D.C.


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PostPosted: 03/22/19 2:06 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Nixtreefan wrote:
Well, trees help the birds, we are their foundation for rest and how many of these mascots can climb trees or provide shade. Some think they can chop us down but then we provide such benefits to the world whether we are growing or used for beautiful products. Then, there is our dancing abilities as we blow in the wind. But our best attribute is the confusion we provide as Card has nothing to do with trees. How many mascots has such a story to tell Cool


This is why I have arbitrary rules: so I don't have to think about such things.


Nixtreefan



Joined: 14 Nov 2012
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PostPosted: 03/22/19 2:29 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Laughing Laughing



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CBiebel



Joined: 23 Dec 2004
Posts: 1054
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PostPosted: 03/22/19 3:08 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Nixtreefan wrote:
Well, trees help the birds, we are their foundation for rest and how many of these mascots can climb trees or provide shade. Some think they can chop us down but then we provide such benefits to the world whether we are growing or used for beautiful products. Then, there is our dancing abilities as we blow in the wind. But our best attribute is the confusion we provide as Card has nothing to do with trees. How many mascots have such a story to tell Cool


So I see this post, then when I got into my main page of my browser, I see a link to this article and think "Wow, that's a weird coincidence..."

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-wisdom-of-trees-walt-whitman-on-what-our-silent-friends-teach-us-about-being-rather-than-seeming


FrozenLVFan



Joined: 08 Jul 2014
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PostPosted: 03/22/19 4:47 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I love the Mascot Bracket!


Nixtreefan



Joined: 14 Nov 2012
Posts: 2539



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PostPosted: 03/22/19 7:48 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Aww that was some nice poetry.



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beknighted



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
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PostPosted: 03/24/19 3:49 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Through one round, the Mascot Bracket correctly picked half of the games, for a total of 160 points, which puts it in the bottom 3%. I have high hopes of ending up much worse, though, because:

9 of 16 Sweet 16 teams;
5 of 8 Elite 8 teams;
3 of 4 Final Four teams;
1 of 2 National Final teams; and
the National Champion

lost in the first round.


beknighted



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 11050
Location: Lost in D.C.


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PostPosted: 03/26/19 6:59 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I am sorry to say that the Mascot Bracket correctly picked UCLA and Stanford to make the Sweet 16, but every single Elite 8 team it picked has been eliminated after 2 rounds. I count that as a success.

The Mascot Bracket is now in the bottom 1% of the Tournament Challenge, somewhere around 73,000 spots away from first. And since it can't get any more points, it can only finish worse.


beknighted



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 11050
Location: Lost in D.C.


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PostPosted: 03/30/19 7:45 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The Mascot Bracket is now ranked 72,903. The downward slide continues.


beknighted



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 11050
Location: Lost in D.C.


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PostPosted: 04/01/19 10:05 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Through the Elite 8, the Mascot Bracket is now ranked 73,097, down 194 spots since the Sweet 16 games, and now is in the bottom 0.9%, or 664 spots from the bottom if I've done the arithmetic right. I suspect that most of the brackets worse than the Mascot Bracket actually weren't completed, but there's no way to tell.*


*It's still possible for a bracket with fewer than 200 points to have a live team - if you got, say, Notre Dame right and picked every other game wrong you'd have 150 points, but it seems pretty unlikely that there would be more than a handful of those brackets. We'll see.


beknighted



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 11050
Location: Lost in D.C.


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PostPosted: 04/08/19 7:02 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The Mascot Bracket finished ranked 500,503, in the bottom 0.9%. At sometime in the past week, ESPN discovered another 425,000 or entries in the Tournament Challenge, since it was ranked around 73,000th on April 1.


summertime blues



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PostPosted: 04/08/19 10:02 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Well, the Bears mauled the Fighting Irish leprechauns......



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