Tournament Pick'em

So I listed my bracket back on page 3. How's it look in comparison to wiz/blacksheep? It's looking pretty decent although I've only got Louisville left in this thing.

dholcombe wrote:So I listed my bracket back on page 3. How's it look in comparison to wiz/blacksheep? It's looking pretty decent although I've only got Louisville left in this thing.

Well, you would have 63 points, which is one point more than me. Since we both have Louisville winning it, you would have won. Thanks for not playing

Well...I haven't made it to Vegas for the tournament any of the past years yet, so it's better that someone who can collect wins. I still need Louisville to win out and a Michigan loss WIN in order to get 3rd (I think) where I'm actually playing that bracket.

I'll be in Vegas for work @ the end of July, but I suspect there won't be any basketball....just a blazing sun.

Well, NBA has their summer league in Vegas around that time.... So you might be able to catch some of that...

While his bone was sticking out of his leg, all Louisville’s Kevin Ware said was "Win the game! #TeamFirst

Day 1, and less than a year out from rejoining his teammates in competiton.....

I wonder if the NCAA makes exceptions in situations like this... like if someone donated time on a private jet to fly Kevin home (or to a hospital near his home) with his medical equipment (and staff if needed) sooner than he'd otherwise be able to get on a plane.

It was the NCAA tournament. The NCAA are making $9,000,000,000.00

They should pay.

But knowing the NCAA, they will want his travel money back because it wasn't booked through the NCAA travel office.

dholcombe wrote:I wonder if the NCAA makes exceptions in situations like this... like if someone donated time on a private jet to fly Kevin home (or to a hospital near his home) with his medical equipment (and staff if needed) sooner than he'd otherwise be able to get on a plane.

Yes & No! There are provisions for such things....but I do not know any of the particulars. Louisville can legally pay for all his transportation and all short and long term care…..but I doubt anything can be “donated,” so the aircraft provider would have to be reimbursed a “reasonable” amount for the services rendered.

Also, the NCAA SAOF (Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund) has a provision to pay for his parents to be with him. (Someone else will have to check out all the rules).

Someone else will have to analyze our bracket challenge, but here’s ESPN’s report on its bracket…..

ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge
Brackets in ESPN.com’s Men’s Tournament Challenge presented by Allstate, Acura and Taco Bell revealed only 47 brackets of 8.15 million correctly picked all four Final Four teams in the tournament while 0.46% of all brackets went 3 for 4. An analysis of all brackets submitted also reveals:

• #1 Louisville is the biggest favorite in the Final Four, with 39.7% of brackets picking them to advance to the championship game and 21.9% have them winning it all

• 4.9% of brackets have #4 Michigan moving onto the championship game with 2.7% picking them to win the title

• Just 3.5% of brackets picked #4 Syracuse to advance to the championship game and 1.5% have them winning it all

• Only 0.08% of brackets have the biggest underdog #9 Wichita State moving onto the championship game with 0.03% picking them to win the title

When I was younger I once witnessed a similar injury at the park. Kid fell off his bike and something similar happened to his forearm rather than his leg. Broken bone protruding out of the skin. Not a pretty sight.

I knew Louisville (or their Athletics dept. insurance) could and should pay for medical expenses and normal travel. I kind of figured the line was drawn somewhere short of renting a private plane or chopper though...just not sure where and I'm not a rules lawyer.

I also it witnessed one of these as a climber. A guy fell six feet. It took three of us two hours to get him to a trailhead and ambulance.

He unfortunately got gangrene (rich guy, great health plan) and had to have the lower leg amputated.

Kept climbing, though. Had a special climbing shoe prosthetic.

dholcombe wrote:I knew Louisville (or their Athletics dept. insurance) could and should pay for medical expenses and normal travel. I kind of figured the line was drawn somewhere short of renting a private plane or chopper though...just not sure where and I'm not a rules lawyer.

It wasn’t always so regarding aid coming from universities to pay for on-the-job injuries to student-athletes.

Again, I haven’t done the research, but I recall situations at UP not more than 10 years ago where the parents of the student-athlete had to use their insurance to pay for surgeries and hospitalizations.

Maybe someone with UP ties or knowledge of current policies can chime-in here to give the current provisions for such situations.

As he should if he enjoys climbing...falling six feet. Not a huge mistake, one wouldn't expect that to happen. Not really his fault, bad luck mostly. No reason to let it stop you from doing something you like to do.

DoubleDipper wrote:

dholcombe wrote:I knew Louisville (or their Athletics dept. insurance) could and should pay for medical expenses and normal travel. I kind of figured the line was drawn somewhere short of renting a private plane or chopper though...just not sure where and I'm not a rules lawyer.

It wasn’t always so regarding aid coming from universities to pay for on-the-job injuries to student-athletes.

Again, I haven’t done the research, but I recall situations at UP not more than 10 years ago where the parents of the student-athlete had to use their insurance to pay for surgeries and hospitalizations.

Maybe someone with UP ties or knowledge of current policies can chime-in here to give the current provisions for such situations.

Well I imagine the policies are written to work something like 1) family/personal policy 2) University/athletics policy 3) somebody has to cough up the cash.

“3.2.4.8 Certification of Insurance Coverage. An active member institution must certify insurance coverage for medical expenses resulting from athletically related injuries sustained by the following individuals while participating in a covered event: [D] (Adopted: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05)
(a) A student-athlete participating in a covered event in an intercollegiate sport as recognized by the participating institution; and
(b) A prospective student-athlete participating in a covered event who has graduated from high school and signed a National Letter of Intent or an institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid to participate in an intercollegiate sport at a participating institution.
3.2.4.8.1 Amount of Coverage Insurance. Such insurance coverage must be of equal or greater value than the deductible of the NCAA catastrophic injury insurance program and may be provided through the following sources: [D] (Adopted: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05)
(a) Parents’ or guardians’ insurance coverage;
(b) Participant’s personal insurance coverage; or
(c) Institution’s insurance program.
3.2.4.8.2 Athletically Related Injuries. For purposes of this bylaw, athletically related injuries are injuries that are a direct result of participation in a covered event. (Adopted: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05)
3.2.4.8.3 Covered Event[…]”

Excerpt From: NCAA. “2012-13 Division I Manual.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

PurpleGeezer wrote:I also it witnessed one of these as a climber. A guy fell six feet. It took three of us two hours to get him to a trailhead and ambulance.

He unfortunately got gangrene (rich guy, great health plan) and had to have the lower leg amputated.

Kept climbing, though. Had a special climbing shoe prosthetic.

And, of course, there's Hugh Herr who lost both legs and continues to climb using prosthetics....but I know you know him, or at least know of him.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Herr

PurpleGeezer wrote:“3.2.4.8 Certification of Insurance Coverage. An active member institution must certify insurance coverage for medical expenses resulting from athletically related injuries sustained by the following individuals while participating in a covered event: [D] (Adopted: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05)

Good! So, it's been on the books less than 8 years....a much needed and welcome change IMO!!!

Note it doesn't say the school has to provide it, just that they have to certify it exists...

DoubleDipper wrote:

PurpleGeezer wrote:I also it witnessed one of these as a climber. A guy fell six feet. It took three of us two hours to get him to a trailhead and ambulance.

He unfortunately got gangrene (rich guy, great health plan) and had to have the lower leg amputated.

Kept climbing, though. Had a special climbing shoe prosthetic.

And, of course, there's Hugh Herr who lost both legs and continues to climb using prosthetics....but I know you know him, or at least know of him.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Herr

I climbed with Hugh a few times. I couldn't really keep up with his energy, though. That was back when he was 17 or 18.( I was a LOT older) he went through climbers in shifts-wear one out, then get another to finish the day. The key was to be the last guy in the chain.

I got Hugh in touch with the other guy and Hugh helped him design his climbing foot.

He became an MIT prof working on active leg technology

Since I like to bash the Big East, I should at least recognize that they got two teams in the Final Four.

So the national champion, the best team, will come from this group: the 2nd place Missouri Valley team, the 4th place Big Ten team, and the 5th place or 1st place (tied) Big East team. None of these teams won their league outright. And Michigan was two games back, while Syracuse was three games back.

Pray for me.

I have Louisville and Michigan in my bracket at the local Irish cantina (aka the house of Pliny goodness).

One win and I'm in Pliny for the year.

PurpleGeezer wrote:Pray for me.

I have Louisville and Michigan in my bracket at the local Irish cantina (aka the house of Pliny goodness).

One win and I'm in Pliny for the year.

Very noice!

PurpleGeezer wrote:Pray for me.

I have Louisville and Michigan in my bracket at the local Irish cantina (aka the house of Pliny goodness).

One win and I'm in Pliny for the year.

I think we need to pray for you if you win. I'm not sure you can survive a year of all you can drink Pliny. I sure hope you get to try though

PurpleGeezer wrote:Pray for me.

I have Louisville and Michigan in my bracket at the local Irish cantina (aka the house of Pliny goodness).

One win and I'm in Pliny for the year.

No problem. I have Louisville as my winner (and only remaining team) and my competition has Syracuse in the final. Louisville and Michigan wins sound good to me. I can still rally to 3rd.