It’s once again that time when people all over the country stop doing what they are doing and feverishly consider their picks for the NCAA Basketball Tournaments so they can enter the TENTH Annual Big Johnson COED College Basketball Tournament Classic, sponsored by yours truly, on ESPN.
Here’s your umpteenth chance to Stick It To The Man - that’s me! A new 1080p Apple TV awaits the talented owner of the highest COMBINED score of the Men’s and Women’s Big Johnsons! (YOUR gender is irrelevant. I am referring to the separate basketball tournaments.) For the winner of EACH tournament, it’s a personalized 2GB iPod Shuffle (your choice of color). And as usual, anyone who gets more points than The Man will win something.
How difficult can this contest really be? Well, there might be upsets. Or not. And gee, there are only – uh, lessee, 64 teams in each tournament – okay, 126 total games. (Not counting the four men’s play-in games, which we don’t.)
And it takes a real man (or woman) to enter BOTH the Men’s and Women’s tournaments. Yes, I mean you!
The brackets are being set by the NCAA (Men’s Sunday March 11; Women’s Monday March 12). The men’s first round games start on Thursday March 15, and the women’s first games are on Saturday March 17 - and the brackets are locked shortly before the first game of each tournament. That doesn’t leave you much time, so GET GOING!
The Group Name on ESPN is “Big Johnson” for each tournament, and the group password is: kimsentme. That’s right, kimsentme, one word.
You can get there through the following URLs:
** Men’s Tournament Challenge: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage
** Women’s Tournament Challenge: http://games.espn.go.com/tcwomen/frontpage
I know some of you like to fake out ESPN with an alias and throwaway email, but please be sure I can identify you from your name or the name of your entry. Otherwise I will keep your prize, ha ha.
After you create your entry, be sure to join the Big Johnson group in each tournament! (you can have up to three entries, but ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON MAY BE IN MY GROUP). And, if you create your entry before the brackets are set, be sure to return in time to choose your winners before they lock. Most people will wait until a day or two before the tournaments start, but don’t forget! You will be humiliated as your entries with zero points sink inexorably to the bottom of the group . . .
ESPN tracks your points as the tournaments progress. I will weigh in every now and then with a Big Johnson update note.
FRIENDS ARE WELCOME, so you can forward this if you wish. Don’t forget your Significant Other - he or she may not have received this email directly, so be sure to forward it. Just be sure they identify themselves to me in their entry!
Best of luck to everyone!
This year’s Big Johnson champion, The Rev. Brian Johnson, is a repeat winner and will receive an Apple TV – plus, for winning the Womens side (and coming in 63rd nationally on ESPN) a personalized iPod Shuffle!
In second place – not by much – was my bowling buddy and teammate Keith Sun, who scored highest on the Mens side and will also receive a personalized iPod Shuffle.
