TDZ's March Madness - To Boldly Go...

Thanks to all the contributors to the first March Madness Melee here at TDZ! Now that I have some competition in the bracketology department, you enter upon a brave new world for my blog. It's a land where hubris is cheap, and the local currency is tears.

Without further ado, let's introduce the contenders:


James T. Kirk

Matt-O entered the TDZ tournament with a certain bravado and swagger that would make Shatner proud, submitting his bracket early in the week. With few upsets past the round of 32, however, I'm foreseeing a no-win Kobayashi-Maru scenario, and there's no hacking this game. Unless you slingshot around the sun a la Star Trek IV and cheated time, in which case kudos on your impending victory, but I hope you at least had the decency to take some humpbacks to the future while you were at it.

Spock

It appears that Will is playing purely by logic, as all 1-4 seeds make it to the Sweet 16. In a group that doesn't give bonus points to upsets, this bracket may yet live long and prosper. However, with the unpredictable nature of this past season, you don't have to mind-meld with Father Time to know that there's going to be some Cinderella stories emerging. Self-administered Vulcan nerve pinches will help you get through the losses without letting them anger your (green) blood.

Second bracket submission (most recent)

Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott

The affable engineer is ready to rumble with a slew of upsets pervading his picks even into the Sweet 16. With Cinderellas such as Montana and Long Beach State making strong runs, Freddy could put quite a few light-years between himself and the competition if they pan out. After running a quick level 5 diagnostic on this piece of engineering, however, I'm seeing some blatant homerism in the East Region ODN relays, with Syracuse somehow reaching the Final Four minus Fab Melo. By the Sweet 16, I'm guessing this bracket won't have the power (Duracell battery excluded).

Deanna Troi

Like the Counselor, Lexie must be using some 6th sense that the rest of us don't have as she decided to forgo some upset bonus points in favor of practical selections. Oh yes, that's what it is: common sense. Even as a biased Syracuse alum, she sees that the Orange will be bounced early. This may be the most formidable bracket I have to deal with, but trusting Michigan State to escape the wild West region and win it all is about as silly as Troi's title of "Ship's Counselor." Have some chocolate handy to get over the 2nd place finish.

Data

I may not have Data's positronic matrix, but my analytical abilities are the nearest human equivalent. It took me only 24 non-consecutive hours of research to arrive at the primo picks below after neglecting college hoops for virtually the entire season, and hearing buzz on the teams second-hand. Following a disappointing finish last year in which I severely underestimated Butler and VCU, I adjusted the parameters of my selection process to better reflect the scrappy potential of higher number seeds, and you can toss me out the nearest airlock if Long Beach State and Belmont don't reach the Sweet 16.

Best of luck to all the contenders (mostly me).