March Madness: editors’ bracket busted!
Tension builds as Tennessee wins
So…I was wrong. As you can see on page 15 in issue 13, my bracket was garbage, and I am here to admit it. Yes, sports fans, garbage.
I was swayed by personal bias, and I suffered as a result of it. I am a die-hard Syracuse fan, bleeding orange and blue, and it definitely blinded my picks — a true fan has a tough time saying no to a number one seed with a seemingly easy bracket.
Other sports section staff, however, were more fortunate with their picks. Here’s a shout-out to Nydia L. Ruleman ’12, who predicted Tennessee would make it into the Sweet Sixteeen. I feel myself choking over the fact that her Volunteers, in that despicable, knockoff orange made it further than my Orangemen (sorry Tennessee fans — you have us in every other sport, can I get this?).
Now, in the Final Four are: a number one seed that everyone loves to hate (Duke), the fifth overall team in the tournament, led by an eccentric coach (West Virginia), a mid-major team who toppled my boys in Orange with a bunch of no-names that have great team chemistry (Butler), and a five seed that follows one of the greatest coaches in the game without their best player (Michigan State).
The upsets, despite annihilating my bracer, have provided one of the most Mad Marches in recent years. The national semifinal games this weekend seem to be great match ups, and will hopefully be as exciting as the first sixty games been.
Michigan State and Butler square off as two polar opposite programs: the McDonald’s All-Americans, the prestige, and the history of the Spartans against the unknowns from Butler, wannabes who dreamed of being recruited by a program like Michigan State.
The Duke-West Virginia match up will pit two of the top coaches in the country against each other, each with completely different styles: Bob Huggins and his black jumpsuit against Mike Krzyzewski, the former Team USA coach perfectly dressed at every game.
I would offer my picks for games, but my performance in prior rounds has embarrassed me too much …
Editor’s Note: Russell Spivak picks Michigan State and Duke, with Duke winning the championship. Make fun of him at sports@tech.mit.edu after his picks fail again.