2016 NCAA Tournament

[PaulNewman]

People will say they do not care about +k / -k but they do. I actually like the feature especially now that I will only give explanations for a +/- when I used to freely just give them about without explaining why. If everyone would explain why they give the karma it makes for a better site and more discussion which is why the feature is their to begin with IMO. Rudy, you are not the 1st to question it and will not be the last but if you do get a +/- from me I will tell you why.

-K to the poster who expressed appreciation for your point of view and partially supported what you were saying???  OK.  Got it.  Object to contrarian?  How about provocative?  Or enjoying distinguishing your views from others?  Making a thing of thinking you are smarter?  Any of those fit a little better?

-K to you for giving out karma anytime anyone challenges you in the slightest and no matter how reasonably, as though you are the emperor who decides who and what gets blessed and who and what doesn't.  Now you're going to cry foul that you didn't see enough data.  Then maybe wait until you have the data before you spout off about what is just good "entertainment" on a Saturday afternoon in Philly or Friday night in Jersey.  You were WRONG on MSU and WRONG on UMass...and you were WRONG when you felt compelled to defiantly react to a benign suggestion that Midd might struggle to get beyond the 2nd round of the NCAAs by proclaiming Midd would host all the way to the Final Four.

[Sandy]

Slightly related to the UMB fiasco is something that illustrates the problem with PKs deciding who advances.

One of the philosophies behind a red card is to give the offending player's team a direct disadvantage in personnel for the remainder of the game. Does no one else find it incongruous that said disadvantage expires in PKs - especially in this specific case where UMB was playing TWO men down until PKs?

I can obviously see the counter-argument here; if someone's red comes as a result of a second yellow, should that team really have to go 5-on-4 in PKs? But perhaps in a situation where a team has drawn TWO reds, they ought to be at some sort of disadvantage in PKs, no?

The game is over at the end of overtime though. PKs are just a tiebreaker for tournaments. It goes down as a tie on the scoresheet. The disadvantages become irrelevant because the game is technically over.

[Brother Flounder]

The NCAA didn't deny UMB the home game out of punishment.  The fact is that they do not have a true "home" field.  They play their games nearby at Boston College High School in Dorchester.  If the altercation did not occur and they still won, the game would still be held at Tufts.

Messiah v Calvin----2-0 Messiah

Cortland St v F&M----3-0 F&M

Tufts v UMASS Boston----1-0 Tufts

Amherst v Brandeis------Amherst 1-0 but could see it 1-0 Brandeis

RUN v Oneonta St-----Oneonta St 1-0

Trinity(TX) v Kenyon-----Trinity(TX) 1-0 in a difficult and not too confident pick

Chicago v Redlands-----Chicago 2-1

St.Thomas v Benedictine----St.Thomas 2-1

[Mr.Right]

People will say they do not care about +k / -k but they do. I actually like the feature especially now that I will only give explanations for a +/- when I used to freely just give them about without explaining why. If everyone would explain why they give the karma it makes for a better site and more discussion which is why the feature is their to begin with IMO. Rudy, you are not the 1st to question it and will not be the last but if you do get a +/- from me I will tell you why.

-K to the poster who expressed appreciation for your point of view and partially supported what you were saying???  OK.  Got it.  Object to contrarian?  How about provocative?  Or enjoying distinguishing your views from others?  Making a thing of thinking you are smarter?  Any of those fit a little better?

-K to you for giving out karma anytime anyone challenges you in the slightest and no matter how reasonably, as though you are the emperor who decides who and what gets blessed and who and what doesn't.  Now you're going to cry foul that you didn't see enough data.  Then maybe wait until you have the data before you spout off about what is just good "entertainment" on a Saturday afternoon in Philly or Friday night in Jersey.  You were WRONG on MSU and WRONG on UMass...and you were WRONG when you felt compelled to defiantly react to a benign suggestion that Midd might struggle to get beyond the 2nd round of the NCAAs by proclaiming Midd would host all the way to the Final Four.

Ouch.....Someone is a little sensitive...I remember you complaining about karma and why it would be much better to explain why someone is giving it. I gave you my explanation and you fly off the handle..Then you complain about me giving karma for disagreeing and proceed to give it right back..PETTY....Cant have it both ways...I by no means think I am some sort of emperor and do not give negative karma to anyone that challenges me....That is silly. Wirz challenged me and I did not give him -k...Free speech baby I can spout during the game as much as I please as you often do...To be truthful it was good entertainment, stupid and petty but still good entertainment. Grow up

[Mr.Right]

Odds for Making the 2016 NCAA Final 4

Chicago                 -140
Messiah                 +125
Amherst                +125
Trinity(TX)             +135
Tufts                      +140
RUN                       +140
Calvin                    +150
Kenyon                  +150
F&M                       +150
Brandeis                +160
Oneonta                +175
St.Thomas            +200
Redlands               +225
Cortland St            +225
UMASS Boston      +350
Benedictine            +400

[blooter442]

One of the philosophies behind a red card is to give the offending player's team a direct disadvantage in personnel for the remainder of the game. Does no one else find it incongruous that said disadvantage expires in PKs - especially in this specific case where UMB was playing TWO men down until PKs?

I can obviously see the counter-argument here; if someone's red comes as a result of a second yellow, should that team really have to go 5-on-4 in PKs? But perhaps in a situation where a team has drawn TWO reds, they ought to be at some sort of disadvantage in PKs, no?

I could agree with this, although I do see the counter-argument as well.

On a somewhat related note, for all of the excitement it features, I personally dislike OT without a chance for the other team to reply (sudden death). I propose an alternative: the team who scores first has almost won the game, but - time-permitting - the other team gets one attack from the kickoff to try and equalize. If the team who scored clears the ball past the halfway line ("hoofing it" is OK as long as the ball stays in bounds), the game is over. Sure, bad bounces or flukes are part of the game, but I think it does make sense to give the other team at least one opportunity to salvage something. Might be an unpopular opinion without probably a snowball's chance at becoming a thing, but I know that many dislike sudden death OT as well.

[Mr.Right]

Odds For Winning the 2016 National Title:


Chicago                   +200
Messiah                   +225
Trinity(TX)               +275
Amherst                   +280
Tufts                        +300
RUN                         +300
Calvin                      +325
Brandeis                  +375
F&M                         +400
Oneonta                  +400
Kenyon                   +500
St.Thomas             +800
Redlands                +1000
Cortland St            +1000
UMASS Boston      +1600
Benedictine            +2000

[Mr.Right]

Also,

Hooksleft it seems you are very confident that Amherst will repeat as NCAA champions. Let's put your wallet where your mouth is..I'll even give you better odds tahn I have projected...If interested you can email me and we can discuss the details.

[PaulNewman]

Ouch.....Someone is a little sensitive...I remember you complaining about karma and why it would be much better to explain why someone is giving it. I gave you my explanation and you fly off the handle..Then you complain about me giving karma for disagreeing and proceed to give it right back..PETTY....Cant have it both ways...I by no means think I am some sort of emperor and do not give negative karma to anyone that challenges me....That is silly. Wirz challenged me and I did not give him -k...Free speech baby I can spout during the game as much as I please as you often do...To be truthful it was good entertainment, stupid and petty but still good entertainment. Grow up

LOL.  That's sad. 

First of all, you still usually DO NOT give a reason.  And secondly, you act like giving a reason inoculates you in some truly bizarre way when your reasons almost always are infantile and inane.

[Mr.Right]

Again...You are way to sensitive...Now your complaining about my reasoning and the level of it...Give me a break...You complain about everything...Just let it go and move on...I have shifted my focus to the games coming up and you and others keep bringing it back to UMB and my reasoning skills...Move on and tell us about the Kenyon matchup with Trinity which would be more helpful for the rest of us who do not know much about Kenyon

[NEPitch62]

So Mr. Right, you give Tufts a +140 chance to make it to the final 4 but no odds to win it all?

[Mr.Right]

So Mr. Right, you give Tufts a +140 chance to make it to the final 4 but no odds to win it all?

My bad.....Thanks for the heads up....I just fixed it

[blooter442]

Benedictine            +2000

Still better odds than Leicester! Get your Benedictine bets in now.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Redlands at +1000... I'll bite only because of the possible path.  I could see St. Thomas PKing their way in to a FINAL FOUR if they get Chicago. 

Second bite, Trinity +275... based off potential match-ups.  Still leaning with original prediction of Trinity over Tufts (per my bracket).

I'd put Brandeis at about 6/1... Amherst / RUN or Oneonta / Messiah/Calvin/F&M/Cortland is a very very tough draw.  I'd wager that Amherst DOES NOT reach the Final Four.  I've do RUN in my final four, but Oneonta St should beat them and secure the spot...

Messiah should have just enough depth to get passed Calvin and then beat F&M or Cortland 2 or 3 - rock.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

MAF Predictions: Sweet 16 Edition

Messiah v Calvin----2-1 Calvin

Cortland St v F&M----1-0 F&M

Tufts v UMASS Boston----4-2 Tufts

Amherst v Brandeis------Amherst 1-0 OT

RUN v Oneonta St-----Oneonta St 1-1 2OT (Ononeta advances in PKs 5-4)

Trinity(TX) v Kenyon-----Trinity(TX) 2-0

Chicago v Redlands-----Chicago 2-1 OT

St.Thomas v Benedictine----St.Thomas 2-1