Who Needs a Bracket?

Sure, I made my Final Four picks for this year's tournament (LSU, UCLA, Villanova, and Illinois) but I did not fill out a bracket. That's right, there is no gambling involved for me this year. Some may say that it's fun to fill out the bracket because it makes the games more fun.

I beg to differ.

Through one and a half days of tournament basketball (I don't count the play-in game), I have thoroughly enjoyed just about every second of the games, I believe MORE so than in the past when I've competed in a pool. Why? Simply because it allows me to not get stressed out if one my teams I picked loses and messes up my bracket. I admit I may be in the minority, but I really do love just watching the games from a non-biased point of view and enjoy the competition. I'll root for some teams depending on the match-up (call me a Texas A&M fan in round one) but overall I'm rooting for good, intense games that come down to the wire.

However you watch the tournament, whether you have money riding on it or not, enjoy the ballgames!

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A thought about the Play-In Game. I admit I'm sometimes slow to like some new ideas, and this may be one of them. I have grown to like the idea of having a pair of teams play each other to get that final 16 seed spot. These are schools that don't get the national attention and they get the main spotlight for one night for a chance to get into the tournament, something the players will talk about for years to their children and grandchildren. Here are my ideas on how to improve on the idea, without going with the "every school gets to play in a nationwide tournament" idea.

• Since it is called the "Play-In Game", two teams who did not win their conference tournament/championship, should have to play in the game. For all but two conference champions, an automatic spot in the tournament is guaranteed. Why should two small conference champions battle it out for the final spot?
  
• Expanding the "play in game" philosophy should be expanded to each region. Pick eight teams, two in each region, and have them play each other for that final spot in each of the tournament's regions that year.