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OFFICE BETTING POOLS: SINK OR SWIM
By Kevin Quinn
Every March, there is a phenomenon that transforms the average sports fan into a self-proclaimed psychic.
March Madness, or the National College Athletic Association basketball championship tournament, takes place for two and a half weeks and sees 65 of the nation’s top men’s teams battle it out for the right to be called national champion.
In addition, millions of people across the world battle it out in office betting pools to see who can predict which teams will be victorious.
To these people, the tournament is about something more than watching great basketball; it is about filling out a better bracket than your friend or co-worker, and winning a cash prize and bragging rights until next year’s tournament.
Avid sports fan Travis Tellitocci feels says that anyone can get involved in a tournament betting pool.
“Everyone fills out an office pool bracket,” said Tellitocci, adding, “It doesn’t matter if your Dick Vitale or Bill Gates.”
According to Capital News 9 sports director, Damien Andrew, office pools contribute significantly to the popularity of the tournament.
“The NCAA Tournament has become the largest sporting spectacle besides the Super Bowl and a large reason why is because of the craze of office betting pools,” said Andrew.
The way in which someone fills out their bracket often dictates which teams they will root for throughout the tournament. It is less and less about which team they like better, and more and more about which one they picked to win.
Bracket pool participant, Matthew Galvin used to enjoy seeing unlikely teams triumph in the tournament. However, since he became involved in betting pools a few years ago, Galvin is more concerned with the outcome of his bets.
“I usually love seeing an underdog win,” said bracket pool participant, Matthew Galvin, adding, “but if I didn’t pick that upset for my bracket, I’ll root against the Pope if I have to.”
The simple fact is, like the teams competing in the games, the fans participating in the pools want to win. Many fans’ motivation to watch the games is no longer for the excitement of amateur basketball, rather, it is to see if they were “genius” enough to foretell the future, and pick the right teams to win the right games. Many participants research statistics, results, and expert’s opinions for hours, thinking that it will help them make the right decisions on which teams to pencil in as the winner for each round.
However, the art of “bracketology” is not limited to the knowledgeable sports fan. Many times, a person who has never watched a basketball game in their life can come out on top.
Skidmore College sophomore, Elaine Whitaker, is winning the bracket pool that she entered this year. This, despite the fact that she is going up against many dedicated college basketball fans, and has never watched a full basketball game in her life.
“I just picked the teams at random, sometimes going by if I had a friend at the college or if I liked the color of the team’s uniforms,” said Whitaker.
In a tournament that sees incredible upsets every year, everyone has a shot at office pool glory.