The Stinque Braquet 2017

Given how topsy-turvy these last couple months have been, maybe this is the year a 16-seed finally defeats a 1-seed. As with so many things, not holding my breath, though.

Poor Dodger, his Bruins are choking like crazy tonight.

@mellbell: Maybe I’ll pick all the 15th seeds to win just to be contrarian.

Did someone put up the Divided Donkey/Elephant batsignal for my fellow Ess Eff Stinquer & sports fan Dividist? If he’s not living on the golf course or the fishing boat, I’ll go find him.

@mellbell: @SanFranLefty: ‘ray Bucknell ?

@SanFranLefty: Well, that narrows my bracket position for UCLA to a choice betw 1st and 2nd round exits.

@mellbell: Can you set it up so we get bonus points for correctly predicting upsets?

@SanFranLefty: There are two options for awarding bonus points for upsets, and I chose the one that awards points based on the difference in seeding (so a 9-seed upsetting an 8-seed only nets you 1 extra point whereas a 16-seed upsetting a 1-seed nets you 15 extra points). The other option, in which each upset gets you an equal number of bonus points (whatever value the commissioner chooses), seemed like too blunt an instrument.

@SanFranLefty: I missed any messages, but made it back just in time. This was a lot harder than it needs to be. I forget my passwords between annual visits.

@libertarian tool: I think maybe you skipped 2016 and the auto-invite went out to last year’s crew. Happy to have you on board again.

4 Novas
4 NC
1 Florida Coast 14 seed to go all the way for the first time in the history of the universe
1 Abstention

I am just going to go out on a limb here and assume that all the NC’s are using Barry’s picks.

@libertarian tool: Not me. I had settled days ago on the Villanova/UNC rematch with Villanova winning again and only switched to UNC when my brother pointed out just how rare back-to-back titles are. That being said, I did check Obama’s bracket last night, just out of curiosity, but didn’t make any changes based on it.

@libertarian tool: Top Seeds, because I’m lazy. Also, clueless.

Oh for fuck’s sake. My bracket didn’t save. I’m the idiot abstention.

I picked Nova, BTW.

And my tie breaker was like 50 something to 60 something and I saved the damn thing. Or not.

GODAMMIT

@JNOV: I’m sure MellBell and/or Nojo will present you with a participation trophy.

@libertarian tool: Well, makes today’s loser easy to shame.

I’m 0-1 on upsets so far (Princeton almost took down Notre Dame, dammit!), but East Tennessee State may yet sink Florida (down 1 at half).

@mellbell: Florida is pulling away :(

@mellbell: You have to pick at least one of these 12-5 upsets to come through. I didn’t pick them, but Middle Tenn is looking good up 14 against Minnesota right now.

I took Nevada as my 12-5 against Iowa State tonight.

@libertarian tool: Middle Tennessee came through for me.

The Saint Mary’s team is sooooooooo white. (edited to fix my embarrassing mix-up)

@nojo: shurrup

@libertarian tool: I just want a red MAGA hat – but preferably with the scalp of an original birther still attached.

@libertarian tool: shurrup

@Beggars Biscuit: This is my favorite variant…
https://twitter.com/LizaCorsillo/status/839644098499858433/photo/1

Well shit, glad I picked UNC to beat Villanova in the championship game.

Busted. Fucking Nova.

Just heard a collective cry of agony in the neighborhood. The first weekend is always a symphony of trap doors.

@libertarian tool: The gym rat/attendant where I live keeps an original MAGA cap right next to the lockers. I live in Asia, and he’s a fucking Aussie.

@ManchuCandidate: Well, that’s it then.

Despite currently residing in the Basement Bracket of Shame (excluding only the JNOV Bracket Self Immolation Category), I am feeling much better about my life since Nova went down in flames.

I am comfortable knowing that I will ultimately only be surpassed by the 3 other NC picks, giving me a virtual lock on the “Slightly Above Average” Trophy.

For the rest… perhaps you will find solace and comfort in a brief musical interlude.

@libertarian tool: Shurrup

@Beggars Biscuit: No Hatch Act issues b/c an Aussie, eh? Our office said away with MAGA bullshit once fucktard filed with the FEC.

Related, since the hiring freeze, our disability claim backlog has increased by 100K (same shit went down when Clinton pulled attrition crap), and the only San Diego County positions on USAJobs are for Homeland Security (A LOT), a ton of stuff on bases (esp Naval Special Warfare Command), VAMCs staff…I mean, if anyone ever wants to see what’s going on in the executive branch, just check out job openings on USAJobs.gov.

@ManchuCandidate: Should’ve been me.

That was a close one with UNC. I have a new goal. In addition to the “Slightly Above Average” Trophy, I hope to secure the “Best Stinquer EssEff Bracket” Trophy.

Which means I have to beat @SanFranLefty. Since she’s already lost half of her final four, I’m feeling it.

It’s good to have goals. It’s even better to have goals that are already locked up. It helps promote self-esteem.

@libertarian tool: Look. One year I won, which means I really lost. So go ahead and be a loser.

I AM NOT BITTER

And WTF – pellet stove? I need to buy my dog and cats a house, and some of them in the boonies have pellet stoves. I Googled it, so I kind of have a clue, but I can’t tell if they kill the air or not.

@JNOV: I don’t think there’s much difference in environmental impact between a pellet stove and a wood-burning fireplace–pellets are just easier to deal with. Very popular around here, where a lot of old house don’t have central heat.

So many losers, we should form a punk band.

Post information has been updated for the second-chance Losers Braquet, because you can never suck enough.

@nojo: “Fail better” is the name of the game.

@Mistress Cynica: Ah. Thanks. NorCal has “Spare the Air” days where they ask that people don’t drive, burn leaves, or use wood-burning fireplaces.

Here, the air is pretty nice, unless you’re living on a rez near a refinery. In that case, everything is poisonous and generally jacked up.

I’d rather not run the thing 24/7 in the winter, but it might be cheaper than running a gas line to a house.

Things that go bump in the night morning…

Just under 8 1/2 hours left to get your second-chance brackets in, y’all.

That’s right! I picked the Ducks to win it all. Yup. yupyupyup

@JNOV: You can endure my Facebook feed if they go to the next round.

@nojo: I work with a Duck; he’s like a billion years old. He tells people to wear Hawaiian shirts. Yesh. Anyway, he will not shut up about the Trilateral Commission and Stanford. O_o I have no idea what point he’s making.

@JNOV: Trilateral Commission? That’s ollllllllld school. And definitely not unknown when I was in school.

@nojo: He acts like it’s some conspiracy funded by stanford.

@JNOV: I thought the just-departed David Rockefeller waa behind it.

Me, I don’t recall any Stanford conspiracy theories from the Seventies. Only that we were intensely jealous of the Stanford band for getting away with shit.

Didn’t manage to watch any of yesterday’s match-ups, but three out of four were single-possession games, which is always fun. Only Kansas dominated their opponent, Purdue. And tonight we’ve got UK vs. UCLA, which may lead to some trash-talking between Dodger and me.

@mellbell: YES

I’m listening to arguments on the House floor, and I’m hearing them tell me how great it is that my premiums will go up because I am a woman, and I’m over 50 years old. I know it’s gonna get killed in the Senate, but it’s time to fax more hate mail to Reichert. Bag of lying dicks.

Isn’t the long name of this bill something like The Best Healthcare Bill Ever in the History of the 6,000 Year-old World?

REPUBLICANS PULLED THE BILL

Every time I see “These picks”, I think “Deez Nutz.” You’re welcome.

@libertarian tool: Where are you?

First Tall Firs reference!

The Jesuit college theory holds! Gonzaga, the pride of Spokane, prevails over South Crack-o-lina. Will the Ducks win and make it an all-PNW final? (And salvage my second chance braquet).

Oh gawd, my Facebook feed right now…

DAMNDAMNDAMNDAMN

Oh, shit. I forgot to call my parents and tell them I’m pregnant. Meh. I’ll call my kid.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! I woke him up and he believed me! Funniest is that he was asleep – can’t hang, that one.

ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO