Join the 2017 TGT Tournament Challenge group & Tourney Discussion!

[cdj]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3683/33278289321_23e6211b8b.jpg

March Madness is upon us and that means it is time for the 2017 TGT Tournament Challenge on ESPN.com. It is free to join the group and the winner of the Tournament Challenge group will receive their choice of either a $20 PSN, XBL, or Nintendo card if they are not a site Donator. If a site Donator wins, they will receive a free game (up to $60 value). (Must be Donator by March 22, 2017.)

Feel free to invite friends and family to join the group. The more, the merrier! Click here for a direct link to the Tournament Challenge group.

In addition to the Men's Tournament Challenge group, there is also TGT groups for the Women's Tournament Challenge. There is no prize for that group, simply pride.


ESPN (Men's) Tournament Challenge - Winner receives choice of $20 PSN or XBL Card

Get in on the excitement of this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Compete against other fans as you fill out a bracket and earn points for every correct pick! If you score the most points, you'll have a chance to win the grand prize of a $10,000 Amazon Gift Card and a trip to the 2017 Maui Invitational. Best of all, it's free to play and win. [Printable bracket available here - PDF (http://i.turner.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/external/printable-bracket/2017/bracket-ncaa.pdf)]

Get in the action now! Group: The Gaming Tailgate (http://games.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/en/group?invitesource=email&groupID=44442)



ESPN (Women's) Tournament Challenge

Get in on the excitement of this year's NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Compete against other fans as you fill out a bracket and earn points for every correct pick! Get a group together and earn plenty of bragging rights amongst your friends by winning it all. Best of all, it's free to play and win.

Get in the action now! Group: The Gaming Tailgate (http://games.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket-women/en/group?invitesource=email&groupID=5220)

[bdoughty]

there is also TGT groups for the Women's Tournament Challenge. There is no prize for that group, simply pride.


Sending copy of this comment to NOW (http://now.org/). :P

[cdj]

Sending copy of this comment to NOW (http://now.org/). :P

:D At this point, that bracket is simply picking who loses to UConn.

[bdoughty]

Filled out the Men's bracket and went with a lot of upsets, including West Virginia choking, like they did in the Big 12 Championship and in Football and in life...

[bdoughty]

:D At this point, that bracket is simply picking who loses to UConn.

UConn's second team might be the only one that could keep it close. Though playing in a weak conference could hurt them as they are used to 40 point blowouts.

[cdj]

Went 'Nova, 'Zona, Kansas, Kentucky in the Final Four with VU repeating. Needless to say I'm not too content or happy with my picks, so I'll be revising them tomorrow & Tuesday.

'Nova was a consistent underachiever so I'm worried I am forgetting their past by picking them to win again.

[SmoothPancakes]

Damn, time for this already. Time to see if I can make it a perfect 3 for 3 sweep after winning the NFL Pick'em and the Bowl Mania contests.

And I have a feeling I'll be changing my picks multiple times. There is just no one I'm likely to be happy with, no truly far and away better teams like in some years past.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[bjrod9]

After a long time of hiding, I will be participating in this contest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[bdoughty]

Women's bracket is up. I only picked one upset in the first round, wonder how that was. :P

UConn smashes ND in the finals.

[SmoothPancakes]

Even if one was interested in watching the women's tournament, there is pretty much zero reason to do so, because UConn is just going to make everyone their bitch like every year.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[bdoughty]

Even if one was interested in watching the women's tournament, there is pretty much zero reason to do so, because UConn is just going to make everyone their bitch like every year.

I always keep an eye on it, especially when OU is in it. They are a 6 seed this year, so not expecting much but are in the OKC region.

UConn has had a few close calls, even struggled to beat Tulane on the road. I would prefer to see Notre Dame (of all teams) beat them. Poor Irish have lost 4 of the last 6 title games.

Screw it, I just changed my bracket having Notre Dame beat UConn in the title game, 72-70.

Win one for the Muffet!

[JBHuskers]

My Final Four is :Duke: :Gonzaga: :Kansas: :UCLA:

Finals are :Kansas: beating :Gonzaga:

And :Gonzaga: is already in trouble with the 16-seed South Dakota State :D

First two games today go down to the wire, that's what I love about this time of year!

[bdoughty]

West Virginia did not choke, my bracket is officially screwed. The Mount is holding it's own against Nova early.

[cdj]

Not enough upsets on day one for my blood, but hopefully there will be some today.

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, too much chalk so far, though my bracket is happy. Only missed Northwestern, Virginia and St. Mary's.

And even that only hurt very little as I had Vanderbilt, VCU and UNC Wilmington all losing in the next round,

Today is where it may hurt depending on the outcome of two or three games.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[cdj]

It may just me, but the tourney doesn't feel the same or as exciting/fun now that it is so commercialized.....generic courts, huge March Madness at midcourt, everyone and their mother doing brackets/pool analysis, ESPN with non-stop coverage following bracket reveal (including that mind-numbing 24-hour bracket show), the NCAA even promoting brackets, etc. It's almost like since everyone who doesn't follow college sports thinks the tourney is cool, it's not as cool anymore. The games are fun, it's just everything else around it that's not so much IMO.

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, I've been noticing that. Now it seems like every single sports related site does brackets. Before it was only Yahoo, ESPN, maybe CBS, now you get bombarded by like 50 different websites and apps about how you can fill out brackets on their site or app.

Even just 10 years ago it was nice, just a small pool with friends, now everyone does a bracket, every workplace seems to do pools, you see people filling out brackets for their damn dogs and other dumb stuff. Or when they fill out brackets, they pick teams based on colors, or how cute the nickname is or something equally stupid in my opinion. When I do a bracket, I'm trying to legitimately pick based on which team I actually think is better and will win, not which is cuter between the Bobcats and Jackrabbits. I don't know, maybe that makes me a sports snob, but I enjoyed it better when everyone involved was involved for the love of the game and the challenge of trying to pick a successful and winning bracket based on knowledge of the teams, records and stats.

And I agree aboit the courts. The NCAA has literally killed all individuality about the venues. They all look exactly the same in layout and will every step of the tournament, just different colors and maybe a slight addition or word change here and there. Watching games yesterday, just based on TV, I couldn't even tell where any of the damn games were being played at! Before, the location was always prominently display, the court identity of the host school and their logos were still incorporated into the design, now it's just an ugly, ungodly bland and boring court design with essentially zero identification of location or host school.

And I've completely ignored the bracket talk last couple years. That stupid stuff on ESPN, I even completely skipped the bracket unveil this year, I just waited until afterwards to see the entire bracket for myself and see the last four in/out.

For me, I'll always follow March Madness, I'll always do brackets, because I follow and love the sport. I watch college basketball all season, hell, I try to watch as many of the games as I can when they do that 24 hours marathon in November with games playing all night and all morning and afternoon at campuses around the country. Some of those 2 or 4am mid-major showdowns actually end being pretty entertaining!

Every year, I take the first two days of the tournament off so I can just relax at home and watch 12 to 13 hours of nonstop basketball. Add in my yearly ritual of spending the first day's noon games at a sports bar with a couple friends, watching the entirety of the first game or two and finally leaving around 3 or 4pm and head home for more basketball and more beer. Even in years when those friends couldn't make it, hell, I still went and sat up at the bar instead of a normal table for a couple hours, enjoy some lunch and some beer and watch some basketball. That's how I spent the entire Notre Dame-Princeton game yesterday.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

And the blood bath begins. SMU just screwed me right in the ass. :fp:

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[cdj]

6 Creighton loses to 11 Rhode Island, but this seemed to be the most predicted/likely upset heading into the tournament.

[SmoothPancakes]

Yep, I had Rhode Island as my top expected upset, followed right behind by Xavier over Maryland and Mid Tennessee over Minnesota, thankfully all three didn't let me down. If only UNC Wilmington and Kansas State had been able to do the same.

Now, since I forgot to dial things back a little bit and change my second round pick from Rhode Island to Oregon, they better keep it up and reach the Sweet 16.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

There we go! First game of the day, and Notre Dame just shafted the hell out of me. There goes my first Elite Eight pick. :fp:

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

Also, an interesting fact, I was listening to ESPN Radio while driving home from work this morning. I have no clue who the hell it was on air, some guy and Mel Kiper (just searched Google, apparently a guy named Dari Nowkhah?) and while talking about the NCAA tournament, they talked about how Northwestern got its first ever tournament win.

Then this Dari guy asks Mel a trivia question that apparently there is only a single team left from the power conferences, (so think ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, etc) who has yet to win a NCAA tournament game after Northwestern got their first win the other day.

Out of every power conference team in college basketball, the only team that has yet to win a NCAA tournament, is our trio of overlords favorite, Nebraska!

In fact, turns out there was even an article about it from Omaha.com

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/blogs/nebraska-now-the-only-major-conference-team-to-never-win/article_50c1d9a8-0a8c-11e7-9435-13571bb2369b.html

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

And Wisconsin just shafted millions of people!

All the pretty things are broken!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[JBHuskers]

Didn't shaft me! I picked it!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[JBHuskers]

Actually I have Wisconsin going to the Elite 8

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[cdj]

Had a feeling Villanova would resort to their old ways of underachieving, but thought they'd go further than the second round.

[jaymo76]

I'm in great shape moving into the next round... as long as Kentucky can hold on.

[SmoothPancakes]

And the blood bath continues, as Michigan screws me out of another Final Four team. My only remaining hopes are Arizona reaching the Final Four and North Carolina winning the whole damn tournament.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[jaymo76]

And the blood bath continues, as Michigan screws me out of another Final Four team. My only remaining hopes are Arizona reaching the Final Four and North Carolina winning the whole damn tournament.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk



My wife took Arizona to win it all. I'm riding Kentucky.

[SmoothPancakes]

Well, I'm nearly fucked. North Carolina is playing like crap and losing to Arkansas with less than 3 minutes to go.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

Oh thank you baby Jesus. North Carolina goes on a 12-0 run over the last 3 minutes or so and pulls out a 72-65 win over Arkansas. My hopes and chances are still alive. On life support, but still alive nonetheless.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

Another potential upset in the making. Rhode Island leads Oregon 46-38 at halftime.

Even though my bracket is in full meltdown, if I can get my Rhode Island to the Sweet 16 pick to come true, I will still be happy after this weekend.

And after looking at the TGT group, myself and TigerJustin13 were the only two people to pick Rhode Island to make the Sweet 16. Now they really gotta pull this off! :)

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

And those Rhode Island assholes let me down...

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[cdj]

Rhode Island and Arkansas did everything but win the game. The refs down the stretch for UNC-Ark were not exactly the best I've ever seen.


Duke only up 1 with 15 min to go in second half versus mob boss Frank Martin & South Carolina.

Cincy up 4 on UCLA midway through first. Along with Alford (underachiever when picked to go far), have to think Ball might shoot them out of the tournament as he works to help his dad get that $1B shoe contract.

[bdoughty]

http://i.imgur.com/ESUJBzU.jpg

[cdj]

- Happening way too often in the tournament, Michigan goes for a three when it only needed a two to win. :fp:

- West Virginia only down two to Gonzaga, but could/should be ahead. Do they not teach counting in WVU? They have gone to the hoop when trailing in numbers (1 on 2, 1 on 3) so many times and with little (seems like nothing) to show for it.

[bjrod9]

- Happening way too often in the tournament, Michigan goes for a three when it only needed a two to win. :fp:

- West Virginia only down two to Gonzaga, but could/should be ahead. Do they not teach counting in WVU? They have gone to the hoop when trailing in numbers (1 on 2, 1 on 3) so many times and with little (seems like nothing) to show for it.

Agree...Michigan should have driven in, they were not thinking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[cdj]

West Virginia...:fp:

[SmoothPancakes]

Well, I'm dead in the water. Literally my only remaining chance at correct picks and at any points are Kentucky winning tonight and North Carolina winning the whole tournament.

And with that, I fail to pull off the trifecta of the NFL Pick Em, Bowl Mania and Tourbament Challenge. Mathematically, I just can't find a way that I get Kentucky and UNC and yet still catch up to the top of the board. Too many teams left alive for those people that even if one pick loses tonight, they have another pick or three still alive to get them more points this weekend. It would take an impossible combination of results for me to catch up and yet have no one in the top 5 gain any further points.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[jaymo76]

Who saw a South Carolina victory today? Wow! A team that was on nobody's radar is now in the final four. Now I need Kentucky to step up and pull off the upset.

[SmoothPancakes]

And it comes down to four people.

Bjrod would win right now if North Carolina and Gonzaga both lose next weekend. To guarantee a win, he needs North Carolina to lose to Oregon.

CLW would win by 20 points over bjrod if Gonzaga beats North Carolina in the championship game. That is his only chance, if North Carolina loses in the Final Four, he won't have enough points to catch bjrod.

Myself and TigerJustin13 MUST have North Carolina win the entire tournament AND have South Carolina knock off Gonzaga in the Final Four to have any hope of passing bjrod and CLW and ending in a tie for first place.

Somehow, the impossible combination of wins and losses came to fruition for us thanks to South Carolina shocking the nation.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[jaymo76]

Damn you NC! I was leading the group pretty much non stop... and now it's over. Grrr! I was looking forward to a second victory in our NCAA group... but no such luck.

[bjrod9]

And it comes down to four people.

Bjrod would win right now if North Carolina and Gonzaga both lose next weekend. To guarantee a win, he needs North Carolina to lose to Oregon.

CLW would win by 20 points over bjrod if Gonzaga beats North Carolina in the championship game. That is his only chance, if North Carolina loses in the Final Four, he won't have enough points to catch bjrod.

Myself and TigerJustin13 MUST have North Carolina win the entire tournament AND have South Carolina knock off Gonzaga in the Final Four to have any hope of passing bjrod and CLW and ending in a tie for first place.

Somehow, the impossible combination of wins and losses came to fruition for us thanks to South Carolina shocking the nation.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

It has been a lucky run.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[cdj]

I think I'm in the 'anyone but UNC' camp. I like having new bloods in the Final Four instead of the Kansas' Duke's, etc.

[SmoothPancakes]

It has been a lucky run.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Yeah, you've had good picks and some lucky endings to a couple of those close games.

I also gotta give you credit with the Gonzaga pick. I just couldn't pull the trigger on them and had picked them to lose to Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen. I've picked them to go fairly far the last couple years and always would get burned when they would end up losing in only the second round or Sweet Sixteen, so you made a great call on picking them all the way this year. If they're gonna win a national championship, this year is the one to get it done.

I know thing, next weekend is gonna be fun to watch!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[bdoughty]

Miss St beating UConn was easily the best game of both tournaments. A team that UConn beat by 60 points in the Sweet Sixteen last year comes back to break the streak. Watched the whole game and when it went to OT and Miss St lost their best scorer I thought it was over. Neither team shot the ball worth a flip but Miss St was the aggressor and hit the offensive boards. Not to mention State having the female version of Muggsy Bogues making the game winner, plus scoring 40 against Baylor to beat them in the previous game. If you missed this the Final should be a really good matchup.

SEC SEC SEC, kidding of course.

[cdj]

After the terrible flagrant foul call, I thought UConn was going to win it. However, when they took that quick shot instead of holding for final, they basically asked MSU to pull it out.


South Carolina tried, but they were in a hole too long today and just couldn't keep the lead once they had it briefly in the second half.

Oregon-UNC has been a really good game so far.

[SmoothPancakes]

OK, so my math was off. It's down to three. CLW wins the pick em with a Gonzaga victory Monday night with 1330 points. Bjrod would finish second with 1310. There's no way for Bjrod to catch up to CLW now.

However, if North Carolina wins, myself and TigerJustin13 will jump both CLW and Bjrod and finish tied for first with a final tally of 1110, beating CLW by 100 points.

I miscalculated the amount of points for a correct Final Four pick so I thought Gonzaga winning would screw me and TigerJustin13 out of catching up to CLW, but we are still within distance to jump him with a North Carolina championship.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[souljahbill]

Congrats to North and South Carolina. Since a victory in one state makes the other happy, there are a lot of excited people in United Carolina.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bdoughty]

Congrats to North and South Carolina. Since a victory in one state makes the other happy, there are a lot of excited people in United Carolina.

Let's just hope that this appeases the fine people of Charleston.

[cdj]

Congrats to Smooth Pancakes & TigerJustin on winning the tourney! Please PM me to claim your prize.

[souljahbill]

Let's just hope that this appeases the fine people of Charleston.

I thought Clemson beating Bama would be enough but the pain clearly runs deep.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

Congrats to Smooth Pancakes & TigerJustin on winning the tourney! Please PM me to claim your prize.
Thanks Chris!

I don't know how, it took some major miracle magic, but somehow pulled off the trifecta! Swept the NFL Pick Em, Bowl Mania and now March Madness/Tournament Challenge. What a time to be a Pancake!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[steelerfan]

Thanks Chris!

I don't know how, it took some major miracle magic, but somehow pulled off the trifecta! Swept the NFL Pick Em, Bowl Mania and now March Madness/Tournament Challenge. What a time to be a Pancake!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Congrats.

I suppose being a smooth pancake is a helluva lot better than being a blue waffle. 😂🤢

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[souljahbill]

Congrats.

I suppose being a smooth pancake is a helluva lot better than being a blue waffle. [emoji23]🤢

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

So gross! [emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SmoothPancakes]

Congrats.

I suppose being a smooth pancake is a helluva lot better than being a blue waffle. 😂🤢

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
:D

I would have to agree with you there! :D

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[bdoughty]

I was not familiar with the term "Blue Waffle."

http://i.imgur.com/YbEllpe.gif