The Takes: This Bracket is too Obvious

I’m back baby.

It’s been over a month since I have last written a blog. Shit gets busy. No excuses time to get back on the grind!

I’m still available in free-agency, Barstool.

This. IS. March.

March Madness is always a blast. Easily the best three weeks in sports, I dare you to find a better stretch of sports on the calendar.

But what will get annoying, is all of these goddamn AT&T commercials. I’ve watched two of the first four games and I’m already sick of them. Lilly is a baddie, but god damn she never shuts up.

ANYWAY, let’s get to it. If you want to win money read this shit and totally take my advice as fact. I’m definitely a great gambler.

DON’T Trust Your First Instinct

The best advice anyone can give on making a bracket is to the minute you see the bracket for the first time, fill it out using your heart. Then, don’t trust your gut at all.

Like, I filled out my bracket almost immediately and realized I had so many upsets that 3 of the last 8 teams were a 1 or 2 seed. There will be upsets, one of the final four teams will more than likely be a 6+ seed.

Don’t bother trying to predict that team, you’ll probably be wrong and your bracket will get fucked.

DO Take a First Four Team to the Sweet 16

Since an 11-seed matchup started in the First Four, every year one of the 11 seeds that won their First Four game has made it to the Sweet 16.

It’s obvious that team is going to be ASU. They can shoot, have experienced guards, and play amazing defense. What else can you ask for in an underdog?

Pitt isn’t bad, so I wouldn’t hate that prediction of them making it to the second weekend, but I’m putting my money on ASU +1500

DO Trust Bama

If you haven’t kept up to date, Bama’s best player, Brandon Miller, is accused of delivering a gun that was used only a couple of hours later in a homicide. His vehicle was also used as a blockade to trap the victim in a parking lot.

Now, Miller was supposedly not at the scene of the crime, and claims he had no clue what the gun was going to be used for, he just didn’t want to be in possession of his friend’s gun any longer.

Now, I get where the kid is coming from. If I’m 19 and some dude leaves his gun in my car, yeah I’m doing everything I can to get it back to him. Fuck that, I don’t want anything to do with that.

But the reason why his car was used in the crime still makes no sense to me. Apparently, after he drove to his buddy to drop off the weapon, he then let him borrow his car. Like, did he just walk back home then? That isn’t sketchy?

Regardless, Miller has not done anything illegal. Since he is a star player, he gets special treatment. That’s the case for everybody special so don’t get all upset about that. What this has done for the Crimson Tide is put a lot of pressure on the team.

One of two things happens with pressure. It either exposes cracks or creates diamonds.

This team has formed into a diamond. Not only is it the best defensive team in the nation, but it is also easily a top 5 offensive team. The players in the locker room have come together and said “We are a family, we are in this together” That shit is some Disney Channel Movie stuff. They have come together as one and that is stupidly powerful come March.

DON’T Ignore the Obvious Storyline

The Final Four is in Houston this year. Jim Nantz, the legendary broadcaster and the voice of March Madness, is calling his last NCAA Tournament this year. His Alma Mater? Houston. What team is freaking great? Houston.

Houston is a grown-man team. They haven’t had much competition, and did lose at home to Bama this year, and did lose the conference championship, but that may not be a terrible thing.

Conference Champions have not faired well in the Tournament. Don’t put too much stock in Memphis for beating them, and don’t knock Houston too much for losing.

Houston does all of the fundamentals well. Grown-ass men that just rebound the fuck out of the ball. Nothing more deflating than giving up multiple offensive rebounds to a wide-open 3. That is what Houston does over and over again.

Sure, it’s chalk. But chalk wins brackets against your friends. Take the 1 seeds and have a great time watching them in the final. They’re both the best teams in the nation for a reason.

Underdogs to keep an eye on? I got a list.

Memphis and ASU are the ones that move the needle the most in the “OOOOHHHH” factory. Both playing great ball and are severely under-seeded.

I would love to see Providence get it together and make a run to the Elite Eight, and I don’t see that being impossible.

Duke is overrated as fuck so bet against them. Oral Roberts can easily make it to the second weekend.

Drake is sneaky good so take them over the canes and maybe even Indiana/Kent

Speaking of Indiana and Kent, Kent State is raw. Like, really fun to watch don’t sleep.

I like Crieghton, but I know they will rip my heart out again. I always love them and get sad every year.

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