The Big Dance! March Madness! The NCAA Tournament is finally here!….almost.
Whether we are days or hours away, it's important to prepare for the most exhilarating event in American sports. Whether you're a bracket busting veteran who is looking for a new tip or two or a newbie looking to be caught up to speed, we have you covered on what you will absolutely need to do to in order to make March your new favorite month.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him @JHelmuth or "like" CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
March Madness Survival Guide
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Have your mother fill out your bracket
...or your wife...or daughter. That's right. You read that correctly. Go ahead and fill one out for yourself, but have one of the aforementioned fill out a bracket as well. While you're at it, turn them both into a money pool. I can almost guarantee your female family member will win because if one thing has held true for decades it's this: the least you know about the NCAA Tournament and the teams competing in it the better you will do, therefore girls almost always win bracket pools -- it's a scientific fact...Think anyone had Florida Gulf Coast making the Sweet 16 last year? Some chicks in SoFla did. Or how about Gonzaga back at the turn of the century before anyone knew who Blake Stepp and Mark Few were? My buddy's mom did -- because she thought Few was cute. Won hundreds..... Of course if you already know absolutely nothing about the tournament already then ignore this and move on, because you're a lock already.
Photo Credit: Getty
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Check ESPN.com's coverage
This may sound like no-brainer. But even leading up to the tournament, Joe Lunardi and company are some of the best in the biz at breaking down each team and previewing how likely they are to fair in the tournament. Following Selection Sunday, they have some of the best preview coverage on the web.
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Pick up USA Today's March Madness Preview
I know. You're thinking I'm living in the dark ages. Picking up an actual newspaper? What the heck is that?!... I'm telling you, they do a great job. If you hunt one down it's worth it. Their giant preview comes out the Monday morning following Selection Sunday every year. The preview breaks down all (now) 68 teams, dishing out stats and facts you didn't even know existed. Who were Arizona's most impressive wins this year? Who were Duke's worst losses? What did Jabari Parker eat the night before his last 30 point game? They'll have it all.
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Fill out your bracket on Yahoo for a chance at $1 Billion
Not sure if you read the story or not, but last month billionaire Warren Buffett announced he would team up with Quicken Loans and give out a billion dollars to anyone who correctly picks all 63 games of the NCAA Tournament (I think it's still 63 right? The play-in games don't really count after all). Well Yahoo announced March 4 they will be the official host of the competition. It's worth a shot to enter, but when I say good luck, I mean it more than you could ever fathom. According to Business Insider the odds of picking a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion. That number looks like this: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808
Go to Yahoo here to sign up!
Actually, fill out a few of them.
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Laminate your bracket
You know, if you're hardcore and want a keepsake... or if you just want to keep it from being ruined from all the spilled beer...your kids...yettis...
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CBSsports.com
You'll need to know this website. It will be your savior on opening weekend. Sure, you can watch one game at a time on your flat screen, or even two if you have PIP, but you'll be able to stream games live on your computer here. You can still stream games airing on other stations here as well, just be sure to confirm your cable provider first.
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NCAA.com/MarchMadness
Need instructions on how to watch the game on just about any device, including your phone, or simply get started on looking for tickets to the games? This is your home base.
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Take a personal day
...or call in sick. Tell them your dog ate your homework. Whatever it takes! There will be 32 games played within the first two days. That's more action than you've seen the last 5 years of your marriage, combined. I apologize, I don't even know what that means. I'm not married.... Really you just don't want to get busted at work. Just take the day off and everyone wins.
Photo Credit: Getty
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Represent your school
Rule #1: Unless you're at the beach, no man over the age of 18 should be wearing a jersey. That being said, pick your favorite teamwear and represent during the tournament! You can check out the NCAA's official online shop; I personally have always liked EastBay -- Not only do they have a huge selection but buying from them makes me feel like I'm in the 7th grade again, which is both fantastic and terrifying.
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Stock up the fridge!
Got the beer ready? Food? Friends? You're all skipping work and ignoring your family to watch 18-year-olds play basketball. Enjoy the party. It will be your last for awhile.
Btw, reading this article is a binding contract you owe me at least 1% of your billion dollar winnings. You're welcome.... or I'll just take a beer.
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FiveThirtyEight's Bracket Forecast
[Update!] Released following Selction Sunday, this bracket model calculates the odds of each team making each round through the entire tournament through the use of composite power rankings, pre-season rankings, injuries, geography and something called an S-curve. There's also a table option if you find that sort of thing more visually stimulating.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/march-madness-predictions/
