couple competes in bracket challenge

mar. 21, 2009 logan, ut- mach madness is underway this week and as the economy continues to crush people's spirits- perhaps the best medicine around is a little friendly competition. coworkers, families and old high school buddies are all prepped for this year's dance with their carefully calculated tournament brackets and traditional bets. people from all over the nation are tuning in to see how their brackets are fairing and where they stand in their own set of rankings.

cade and ashley taylor, newlyweds and students at utah state university joined the bracket madness with a friendly wager of their own this year.
"i haven't ever been one to fill out a bracket before but i like the idea of getting a back rub and a candy bar if i win. i also like the idea of bragging rights," ashley told us as the couple filled out their brackets.
the couple agrees that the ncaa bracket challenge is a great tradition and a fun way to enjoy the games. it seems the only aspect of the tournament they don't agree on is how to pick a winner.

when it comes to filling in the slots of a bracket, some will do extensive research and look deep into statistics and trends. many fill their brackets with the top ranked teams and seemingly obvious winners. others like to see the underdog win and base their brackets around upsets, the sound of a university's name or even their mascot. perhaps the most intoxicating aspect of march madness is that even those who flippantly pick their winners still have a chance at beating those who have done their background work. you never know what will happen with all this madness in the air.

the taylors ran into this polarization in their picking processes as well. cade carefully looked through the statistics and compared previous wins of the teams he thought would succeed, while ashley simply went on gut feelings and old grudges. as the first round comes to a close- it looks as though the gut feelings are suprisingly paying off more than the research. ashley leads the competition by 40 points.
"i stink at picking brackets," cade told us after the first round had concluded. "what is the fun of picking all the top-seeds? i am caught between the heartbreak of a poor performing bracket, and the lack of fun it is to just pick the most likely candidates."
ashley is basking in the light of the early lead.
"although i overestimated my utah teams in these first few rounds, i really think that back rub will be mine."
so it doesn't matter how you pick your team or who you pick to win- in the end, the best part of march madness is a well deserved back rub and candy bar. may the best bracket win!