My friend Garrett Wheeler has this cool thing going on through Midmajority.com. He’s created an “As You Go” bracket.
Check out the pics. (A description of the project is below.) The nuts and bolts of this post though is that he’s one of the final 8 people who did this project with a chance to win a trip to Indianapolis for a conference that he’d love to go to. Please go to THIS WEB SITE and vote for him (he’s contestant No. 8 )
Here is Garrett talking about his project:
I decided to enter this contest with what I call The King of the Mountain Bracket. Unlike the other two-dimensial entries, I thought I’d have some fun with army men and a pile of dirt and put together a submission unlike any other bracket you’ve ever seen. As the tournament progresses, soldiers will attempt to claim the high ground as the official 2010 king of this hoops mountain. As there is only room for one champion, you’ll see the dead pile up round after round on the steep slope to victory.
Mid-major teams are represented by the blue soldiers, and as you can see, Bally is cheering, “GO BLUE.” Green soldiers represent the teams above the Red Line (power conferences) this year. I have attached a few photos of my bracket from the beginning and through the process. The final photo submission and voting information can be found at http://www.midmajority.com/2010/03/as-you-go-bracket-contest-the.php.
And here is the the write up describing the project from Midmajority.com:
INDIANAPOLIS (3/15/10)– I see you printing out that CBS blank bracket at work, starting to fill it out in pencil. (You like Murray State’s chances for the upset, I see.) I noticed that you’d opened a Fantasy account at ESPN,com, getting ready to fill out 10 different contingency entries. (But you’re definitely hedging those bets on Murray State, aren’t you?) Seriously, just stop right there. Don’t do it. Sure, it’s a shared experience with all your friends and online buddies, but stop. Do not enter the contest. There is a better way.
I’ve always believed that March Madness is more fun, and more mad, when the games are simply enjoyed for what they are — individual pieces of America’s most spectacular and dramatic sporting event. Putting myself in the middle of things, selfishly rooting for teams because a win would give me a certain number of pool points, detracted from that experience.
Filling in the bracket as the winners win allows you to experience the NCAA Tournament in a pure way, naturally and organically with no artificial additives. If you don’t know the two teams in any particular game very well, your rooting interest will develop based on who’s playing with superior intensity and guts, not based on who you thought had the cooler mascot back on Saint Patrick’s Day. There’s a better chance you’ll remember the moments for what they were, not because they helped you get bragging rights over Jim from R&D.
So be a conscientious objector. Opt out. Just try our way this year. It might even end up being a bonding experience for you and your son, father, mother, wife, girlfriend or neighbor. Or, perhaps, all of them together.
But I know that if your behavior is going to be altered, you’re going to have to be rewarded for it. That’s why we’re turning this into a contest.
We are proud to announce The Mid-Majority’s First Annual As-You-Go Bracket Contest. The person who puts together the most awesome, most creative, best-designed bracket will win a trip to the Season 7 Symposium (held in September) at our headquarters, the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Airport. It’s three days, two nights and one room paid by us, as well as round-trip airfare for two for the second annual season gear-up party/hoops chat/drinking contest/Sports Bubble Stadium tour/funfest weekend.
