Bracketology 2019

[adamw]

Based upon the deluge of dumb tweets and emails I receive on a regular basis, particularly around this time of year. Also based upon - anecdotally speaking - the traffic numbers we see for these things, compared to my assumptions of how many "in the know" people there actually are. For example, how many people, in hard numbers, actually post on this message board on a regular basis? 20? The readership of each article is upwards of 10,000 - probably more when you combine USCHO/CHN/NCAA sites. The vast majority of people who read the sites are not active, long-time college hockey die hards - let alone ones with institutional knowledge, so to speak, of these things.

I'll quote myself to add, that it's also, to some extent, based upon how I see people discussing these articles. Again, not necessarily here.

[Trotsky]

But of course as soon as last night's BC @ PC game got played, this prediction was completely moot regardless of the outcome.

That particular game appears to have changed nothing, but sure things continue to evolve.

I wouldn't call these things predictions.  I'd call them training to show people how to understand and create a bracket in preparation for the real one.  They're like math problems -- nobody thinks you're going to get the identical problem set at work someday, but they teach you how to perform the algorithm.

You understand them to be that way. The vast majority do not.

As with everything else, the vast majority are morons, so fuck em.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

But of course as soon as last night's BC @ PC game got played, this prediction was completely moot regardless of the outcome.

That particular game appears to have changed nothing, but sure things continue to evolve.

I wouldn't call these things predictions.  I'd call them training to show people how to understand and create a bracket in preparation for the real one.  They're like math problems -- nobody thinks you're going to get the identical problem set at work someday, but they teach you how to perform the algorithm.

You understand them to be that way. The vast majority do not.

As with everything else, the vast majority are morons, so fuck em.

"Hear, hear!  Well spoken, Bruce!"

[upprdeck]

Wisc beating PSU helps
MSU almost took down ND

Verm ties lowell

not sure CC beating Denver does much even if they do it again

west Mich
bowlin green
ND
PSU
North Dak

all the teams below us would be nice to see lose

[Jim Hyla]

Not in Fargo, but tougher first game opponent.

Code Select Expand


[b]West Regional (Fargo):[/b]
16 American International vs. 1 St. Cloud State
10 Arizona State vs. 7 Denver

[b]Midwest Regional (Allentown):[/b]
13 Western Michigan vs. 3 Minnesota State
[b][u]12 Cornell[/u][/b] vs. 6 Ohio State

[b]East Regional (Providence):[/b]
[b][u]14 Harvard[/u][/b] vs. 4 Minnesota Duluth
9 Providence vs. [b][u]5 Quinnipiac[/u][/b]

[b]Northeast Regional (Manchester):[/b]
15 Notre Dame vs. 2 Massachusetts
[b][u]11 Clarkson[/u][/b] vs. 8 Northeastern

[b]Conference breakdowns[/b]

[b][u]ECAC Hockey — 4[/u][/b]
NCHC — 4
Hockey East — 3
Big Ten – 2
Atlantic Hockey – 1
Independent – 1
WCHA — 1


[Trotsky]

I'd take that bracket in a heartbeat.

[marty]

I'd take that bracket in a heartbeat.

St Cloud's collective heartbeat would be faster if this is their draw.

[jtwcornell91]

But of course as soon as last night's BC @ PC game got played, this prediction was completely moot regardless of the outcome.

That particular game appears to have changed nothing, but sure things continue to evolve.

I wouldn't call these things predictions.  I'd call them training to show people how to understand and create a bracket in preparation for the real one.  They're like math problems -- nobody thinks you're going to get the identical problem set at work someday, but they teach you how to perform the algorithm.

You understand them to be that way. The vast majority do not.

When I used to do this, I called it "If the season ended today" which seems like it describes the role pretty succinctly.

[Trotsky]

But of course as soon as last night's BC @ PC game got played, this prediction was completely moot regardless of the outcome.

That particular game appears to have changed nothing, but sure things continue to evolve.

I wouldn't call these things predictions.  I'd call them training to show people how to understand and create a bracket in preparation for the real one.  They're like math problems -- nobody thinks you're going to get the identical problem set at work someday, but they teach you how to perform the algorithm.

You understand them to be that way. The vast majority do not.

When I used to do this, I called it "If the season ended today" which seems like it describes the role pretty succinctly.

Yes, that is perfect.

[Beeeej]

But of course as soon as last night's BC @ PC game got played, this prediction was completely moot regardless of the outcome.

That particular game appears to have changed nothing, but sure things continue to evolve.

I wouldn't call these things predictions.  I'd call them training to show people how to understand and create a bracket in preparation for the real one.  They're like math problems -- nobody thinks you're going to get the identical problem set at work someday, but they teach you how to perform the algorithm.

You understand them to be that way. The vast majority do not.

When I used to do this, I called it "If the season ended today" which seems like it describes the role pretty succinctly.

Yes, that is perfect.

You mean sort of like including in the headline "...if NCAA tournament started today" and including in the text "Bracketology assumes that the season has ended and there are no more games to be played..."? Yeah, it really sucks that Jayson doesn't do anything like that. Terribly misleading to the vast majority of people. :-|

[djk26]

You mean sort of like including in the headline "...if NCAA tournament started today" and including in the text "Bracketology assumes that the season has ended and there are no more games to be played..."? Yeah, it really sucks that Jayson doesn't do anything like that. Terribly misleading to the vast majority of people. :-|

All true, but it's somewhat undercut by this:

It's our weekly look at how I believe the NCAA tournament might look like come selection time, using what we know now.

[Beeeej]

You mean sort of like including in the headline "...if NCAA tournament started today" and including in the text "Bracketology assumes that the season has ended and there are no more games to be played..."? Yeah, it really sucks that Jayson doesn't do anything like that. Terribly misleading to the vast majority of people. :-|

All true, but it's somewhat undercut by this:

It's our weekly look at how I believe the NCAA tournament might look like come selection time, using what we know now.

Listen, I'm willing to take as an article of faith that there are some dumb people out there. But not understanding what Jayson is doing - especially when what Adam does later is not materially much different - requires a seriously willful level of dumb.

[ugarte]

You mean sort of like including in the headline "...if NCAA tournament started today" and including in the text "Bracketology assumes that the season has ended and there are no more games to be played..."? Yeah, it really sucks that Jayson doesn't do anything like that. Terribly misleading to the vast majority of people. :-|

All true, but it's somewhat undercut by this:

It's our weekly look at how I believe the NCAA tournament might look like come selection time, using what we know now.

Listen, I'm willing to take as an article of faith that there are some dumb people out there. But not understanding what Jayson is doing - especially when what Adam does later is not materially much different - requires a seriously willful level of dumb.

hahaha you think that maybe there is not much that seems like willful dumbness in the world

[Jim Hyla]

You mean sort of like including in the headline "...if NCAA tournament started today" and including in the text "Bracketology assumes that the season has ended and there are no more games to be played..."? Yeah, it really sucks that Jayson doesn't do anything like that. Terribly misleading to the vast majority of people. :-|

All true, but it's somewhat undercut by this:

It's our weekly look at how I believe the NCAA tournament might look like come selection time, using what we know now.

Listen, I'm willing to take as an article of faith that there are some dumb people out there. But not understanding what Jayson is doing - especially when what Adam does later is not materially much different - requires a seriously willful level of dumb.

hahaha you think that maybe there is not much that seems like willful dumbness in the world

According to "FiveThirtyEight" it's about 41.6% right now.::bolt::

[adamw]

You mean sort of like including in the headline "...if NCAA tournament started today" and including in the text "Bracketology assumes that the season has ended and there are no more games to be played..."? Yeah, it really sucks that Jayson doesn't do anything like that. Terribly misleading to the vast majority of people. :-|

All true, but it's somewhat undercut by this:

It's our weekly look at how I believe the NCAA tournament might look like come selection time, using what we know now.

Listen, I'm willing to take as an article of faith that there are some dumb people out there. But not understanding what Jayson is doing - especially when what Adam does later is not materially much different - requires a seriously willful level of dumb.

Have you looked around?