One Shining Moment

It's an NCAA Basketball tradition for this to be played. Here it is -- I only wish I could edit it and add a "TERESA WINS THE YOUNG FAMILY NCAA BRACKET CHALLENGE 2009!" to it... damn.

TERESA WINS!!!! HEELS WIN!!!

It's OVER!!! TERESA MATTERS WINS THE 2009 YOUNG FAMILY NCAA BRACKET CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



AND... THE HEELS WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!



In a game that was NEVER in question, the Heels moved on to take their 5th NCAA Championship, and sixth Championship (1 NAIA -- before NCAA) in program history!!!



TERESA MATTERS came out of nowhere and just dominated the Brackets. It's all about longevity in the Bracket Challenge and I'm so honored to announce my sister, Teresa, the winner of the 2009 Young Family NCAA Bracket Challenge! Congrats, Teresa! I'm so happy for you!



Everybody -- time to send your $5 to Teresa!!!



Here are the final standings:

1. Teresa -- WINNER -- 333 points

2. Bradley -- 319 points

3. Eric -- 299 points

4. Allison -- 293 points

5. Joe -- 280 points

6. Jeremy -- 272 points

7. Robert -- 263 points

8. Nathaniel -- 257 points

9. Heather -- 253 points

10. Boo Boo -- 250 points

11. Melissa -- 215 points

12. Lindsey -- 158 points

13. Matt -- 142 points

14. Mom -- 130 points



Congrats Teresa!!!!!



Brad came in second place for the second year in a row. Both to his older sisters.



Lindsey Abbott managed to finish in 12th place!!! Way to go, Doodle!!!! I'm so proud of you! Also, great job to Allison for coming in fourth! Awesome job. Way to go, Nathaniel for winning in your family!



Everyone did an awesome job. I'm a little sad to see this end, but there will be a few more posts including an interview with the winner and such.



Alright, everyone, I'm wrapping it up right now. I am going to get a few hours of sleep before I go buy my National Championship stuff! By the way, Franklin Street was INSANE!!!

The final prediction before the big show!

The Young Family Bracket Challenge 2009 met up with basketball expert, Allison Nicole Young before the big, final game between Michigan State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

So, Allison, tell me, what's the atmosphere like in the Young household on the cusp of tonight's game?
My Dad won't stop talking about it.

What's he saying?
He keeps saying it's really only between him and Aunt Teresa.

Does he think he's going to win?
I don't know. I think he does, though.

Why do you think that?
I don't know.

Now, Eric's your dad but is Teresa is your fun aunt, who are you rooting for?
Aunt Teresa!

Why?
Because it's against my dad and I think it'd be fun to mess with him.

So you're still cheering for North Carolina to win?
Yeah.

What do you think the Heels have to do tonight to win the game?
I'm not sure.

What are you going to do if your dad loses tonight?
I'm going to rub it in his face.

Any particulars ideas in mind on how you're going to do that?
I'm going to say, "Ha, ha! You lost!"

Are you going to call Aunt Teresa and congratulate her if she wins?
Yeah.

So, what do you think the final score of the game will be tonight?
105-95.

And of course with UNC winning, right?
Yeah!

Anything else you want to say?
GO UNC!!!

There you have it, folks. Our expert, Allison Nicole Young, predicts UNC and Aunt Teresa to win big tonight. Alright, everybody, Go Heels!!! I'm heading to my friend's house now to get ready for the game! GO HEELS!!!!!!!!!!

Updated standings... merely a formality ;-)

Here are the updated standings. Again, it's really only between Eric and Teresa as they both selected the final 2 teams correctly. Joe came close, but he cannot surpass either of them even if his selection is correct. But still, there could be some movement based on who wins the National Champion! Anyway... here are the standings.

1. Eric -- 299 points
2. Teresa -- 283 points
3. Joe -- 280 points
4. Jeremy -- 272 points
5. Brad -- 269 points
6. Allison -- 243 points
7. Melissa -- 215 points
8. Robert -- 213 points
9. Nathaniel -- 207 points
10. Heather -- 203 points
11. Boo Boo -- 200 points
12. Matt -- 142 points
13. Mom -- 130 points
14. Lindsey -- 108 points

It's down to the wire! Game's tomorrow!!! If you chose either UNC or Michigan State, you do have a chance to advance in the standings. If not, however, your score is final!

HEELS WIN!!! HEELS WIN!!!

The Tar Heels avenged last year's semifinal loss to Kansas, tonight, as they defeated Villanova 83-69 at Ford Field in Detroit.

The Tar Heels will now meet Michigan State, Monday, in the National Championship game. The Heels and Michigan State have already met once this year. Coincidentally at the Ford Field in Detroit in which the Final Four is at right now.

The Heels won 98-63 in a drubbing victory that saw the most points scored against Michigan State ever.

However, do not expect that kind of victory. The game is going to be tough. It's going to be fast. It's going to be FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright, so it is now only down to Eric and Teresa. Sorry, Joe, you are technically "in the running" but you have the same result as Eric and he's got more points than you.

So, it's going to come down to the FINAL game for the Young Family NCAA Bracket Challenge 2009!

Michigan State vs. North Carolina...

Eric Young vs. Teresa Matters...

THE SHOWDOWN OF $50 PROPORTIONS!!!


Go Heels! And Go Teresa!!! (No offense, Eric, but she has my Heels winning it all -- she's a smart woman!)

Michigan State advances to National Championship

Michigan State took the home-court advantage and dropped UCONN 82-73 to get its spot in the National Championship game on Monday night.

With this, Jeremy is out as he had UCONN winning the whole thing. Brad is out as well as he had UNC playing UCONN in the Finals and winning.

He loses any chance because Eric, Teresa and Joe all had Michigan State taking on UNC in the Final Four. So, no matter what happens, only one of those three can win.

Congrats, guys! Next game begins in 30 minutes....

GO HEELS!!!

Highlights from this game:

Today.... is huge.

Today is huge.

FINAL FOUR -- Michigan State takes on UCONN.

Villanova takes on UNC.

Jeremy, Brad, Eric, Teresa, and Joe vying for the bracket will be cut to just two or three people.

It's wrapping up, people.

This is when it gets good!

(Oh, thanks Heather for sending me your "Ask the Experts" reply -- but since you were the ONLY one to send me one [tisk, tisk, tisk -- shame on you all!], I couldn't really go with the article. Sorry :( )

BREAKING NEWS! Mandatory Drug Tests required for Young Family NCAA Bracket Challenge 2010

This just in... amid the OBVIOUSLY INCORRECT allegations against Bradley Young and his apparent "drug use" that leads him to be a BALLER at the bracket challenge in 2009, the Board of the Young Family Bracket Challenge has implemented a new policy to take affect in 2010.

All participants, included but not limited to anyone with a connection to the Young family, no matter their race, age, sexual orientation, gender, or beliefs will be tested for drugs preceding the Young Family Challenge.

The test will require turning in a urine sample, blood sample, a hair follicle, a recent head shot photo, and $30. Tests will screen for steroids, HGH, milk, precognition (click here to explain), NyQuil, Bud Select, Starbucks, Pepsi, coffee, Sprite Zero, wine, and Mt. Dew. The tests will NOT screen for the "badassness" gene primarily found within the Young Family... nor Diet Pepsi.

"I think that it's an excellent idea," says Heather Abbott, 2008 winner and recent addition to the Young Family Bracket Challenge Board (See Rule #3 below). "And I'm glad I won before it became mandated -- 'cause now you can never prove anything."

In order to be fair and to protect the sanctity of this event and to avoid future issues such as this to occur, the Young Family Bracket Challenge Board finds this more than fair and will implement this rule in 2010.

** Rule 3 -- Past winners become Board Members following their victory. Brad is only a Board Member because he began and implemented the Challenge.

Bradley Young: Response

"I am completely and utterly in disgust over the allegations made earlier stating that I cheat and take steroids. I am here to clear the air and set the record straight: I have done nothing wrong.

As a true sportsman, I love sport and I have always been an advocate of truth to the game. To insinuate that I, in any way, shape or form have taken away from sport is appalling. To suggest that I would cheat is disgusting and truly an attack at my character.

Instead, it seems that this alleged report is a personal attack towards me. It is saddening to think that someone would would publish such slander and expect to be believed. Those who are involved know the type of person I am and know that such allegations are fabricated and outrageous.

I will go through the publication and point out misrepresentations: "Many have cried and voted against allowing Mr. Young from participating and possibly winning both challenges, citing favoritism, cheating, and the fact that Mr Young is on the board RUNNING the Young Family Challenge."
-- No such comments were made. The only comments made were claiming that "He sucks" and "Brad should not be eligible to win two bracket challenges in a row" There is no mention of cheating, favoritism nor my position as the creator of the Bracket Challenge. Instead this is just a made-up accusation.

"Some have disclosed the possible use of substances for "bulking up" via steroids." -- This was an allegation made only by the writer, as I have confirmation that he did not speak with any other members of this challenge in regards to my victory in the USA Baseball challenge.

"Sadly, when calling for a statement, the Brad Young camp could not be reached." -- Also untrue, the phone call made to my cell phone by the writer was at 1:14 PM, the article proclaiming Brad's victory in his work pool was written at 1:39 PM. Therefore the call was completely and totally unrelated to this news.

Also, as questioned to coincide with the drug-use allegations are my calves. I apologize for my beastly, amazing and ridiculously large calves and their affect on people. However, if for one second you would like to bring my calves into question to tie them in with possible steroids talk, I implore you to take 4 years of marching band -- one of which was spent as drum major where you were marching backwards on your tip-toes -- and then see how ridiculous your calves get.

Again, I find this disgusting and discerning and I call for an apology and retraction from the writer."

Until then, precautions must be made towards this obviously false allegation and the board of the Young Family NCAA Bracket Challenge 2009 will evaluate the situation and will then pass judgment that is not limited to suspension, disqualification, or a beat down on the writer claiming Brad Young is a cheat.

Favorite in NCAA 2009 Bracket Challenge Faces Accusations of Cheating and Steroid Use

It was less than 24 hours ago when Brad Young, considered a heavy favorite towards winning the coveted Young Family NCAA Bracket Challenge, was celebrating a large victory in the USA Baseball Bracket Challenge. With this win, however, comes the cries of those who feel that this consistently amazing performance might very well be tainted.
Many have cried and voted against allowing Mr. Young from participating and possibly winning both challenges, citing favoritism, cheating, and the fact that Mr Young is on the board RUNNING the Young Family Challenge. Some have disclosed the possible use of substances for "bulking up" via steroids. Congress, after hearing allegations, has convened to discuss matters revolving around Mr Young.
To the readers of this blog, we will keep you posted as to whether Mr Young will be allowed to be victorious in both Challenges, as well as to maintain an unbiased outlook towards presenting you, the reader, with the news. Sadly, when calling for a statement, the Brad Young camp could not be reached.
Could it be that Bracket Challenges may now be faced with the use of unfair substances to gain an advantage? Is it possible that the winner of the 2009 Young Family Bracket Challenge might have to go down in the history books with an asterisk (*)? We will be bringing you up to date information as we continue monitoring the situation.

Brad wins the USA Baseball NCAA Bracket Challenge!

It was announced today that Bradley Young won the 2009 USA Baseball NCAA Bracket Challenge.

Being the only member of the office to predict 3 of the Final Four teams in the tournament set Brad apart from the pack and put him in a position unable to be passed.

"It's amazing," says Brad. "I never thought that I would win since everyone in the office watches Sports Center religiously."

Brad won $45 as the buy-in was only $5 this year. But even after receiving his $$$, he still seemed incredulous about his victory.

"One of my Final Four selections lost in the first round," Brad continued, "who really thought I'd win after that happened? Not me."

Don't worry, Brad, I still believed in you! ;-)

Standings!

Here are the standings update:

1. Jeremy -- 242 points
2. Bradley -- 239 points
2. Eric -- 239 points
4. Teresa -- 223 points
5. Joe -- 220 points
6. Allison -- 213 points
7. Melissa -- 185 points
8. Robert -- 183 points
9. Nathaniel -- 177 points
10. Heather -- 173 points
11. Boo Boo -- 170 points
12. Mom -- 130 points
13. Matt -- 112 points
14. Lindsey -- 78 points

OK, so... this is where it gets interesting. Realistically, it is down to Jeremy, Brad, Eric, Teresa and Joe. Jeremy and Brad have UCONN taking on UNC in the Championship game. But, Jeremy has UCONN winning it all while Brad has UNC winning it all.

Eric, Joe and Teresa have Michigan State taking on UNC in the Championship game, yet Eric and Joe have Michigan State winning it all while Teresa has UNC winning it all.

So, it's ridiculous to even predict who is going to win. If Michigan State beats UCONN it'll go down to Teresa, Joe and Eric. If UCONN beats Michigan State it'll be down to Jeremy and Brad. Either way, it's going to go to the Championship game to figure out who will win!

This is a lot more intriguing than I thought it was going to be!!!

GO HEELS!

Tar Heels head to Detroit!

The Tar Heels are going too! In a game that was never in question, UNC jumped to a 7-0 lead and never looked back and dropped Oklahoma!

So the Final Four is set:

Michigan State vs. UCONN & Villanova vs. UNC

Games begin next Saturday!

Here are the highlights from the UNC game:

Michigan State is in...

Michigan State took control of Louisville and did something I hadn't seen all year -- nearly humiliate Louisville. Michigan State punches its ticket to the Final Four where they will be only 70 miles away from their campus.

Here are the highlights:

Talking with Nathaniel Royce Abbott

We talked with Nathaniel Royce Abbott, today, about the Young Family Bracket. Abbott, currently in 11th place with 137 points, Nathaniel had UNC, Memphis, Pittsburgh and Michigan State in the Final Four and only has UNC and Michigan State still alive (Both teams play tonight with a trip to the Final Four on the line).

B:How do you think you’ve done so far in the bracket challenge?

N: Pretty good, because I have got most of them.

B: I saw you had Memphis going to the Final Four, how did you react when you saw that they lost to Missouri?

N: Umm, I put my head under my pillow and cried.

B:You still have UNC and Michigan State alive to head to the Final Four. Do you still think that they are going to make it to Detroit?

N: Yes.

B: So, now that Memphis is out, who do you think will face UNC in the Finals?

N: Louisville – because so far they have won all of their games and I think they may beat Connecticut. I’m going with my gut.

B: Have you been having fun with the Bracket Challenge?

N: Yes!

B: What has been your favorite part so far?

N: Umm, I really do not know. Getting up and seeing who has won and lost has been fun.

B: Have you been watching a lot of the games?

N: Yeah – I’ve probably seen about five or six. We watched Connecticut, UNC, Ohio State, Siena and others.

B: You’re only down by 16 to your Mom but you’re up by 45 over your dad… is there anything you’d like to say to them?

N: I think Daddy is going to lose and Mommy may beat me.

B: Alright, so who do you think is going to win the Bracket Challenge this year?

N: Either Uncle Brad or Uncle Jeremy. I really don’t know because you two are really close. I’d say Uncle Brad to win since UNC will win the Championship.

B: Maybe… will you want to play again next year?!

N: Yes!

B: Do you have any parting comments to everyone who is reading this blog?

N: No, not really.

Villanova upsets PITT -- Final Four half way selected.

VILLANOVA beats PITTSBURGH at the Buzzer and punched its ticket to the Final Four only hours after UCONN did. Villanova will take on the winner of UNC vs. Oklahoma next Saturday in Detroit.

Before I go into the standings, I have to say that some people are coming out of nowhere to make a competition out of this bracket challenge. And by that I mean, Allison and Teresa. Allison has been doing well all along and has really come into her own in the past 2 rounds and currently sits in fourth place behind Jeremy, Brad and Eric. Great job, Bug! You're a future bracketologist.

Teresa, on the other hand, went from being near the bottom and has now put herself in 5th place and in a good position to win. It all depends on Michigan State advances for Teresa. Teresa has started to kick some butt, way to go sis!

1. Jeremy -- 222 points

2. Bradley -- 219 points

3. Eric -- 199 points

4. Allison -- 193 points

5. Teresa -- 183 points

6. Joe -- 180 points

7. Melissa -- 165 points

8. Robert -- 163 points

9. Heather -- 153 points

10. Boo Boo -- 150 points

11. Nathaniel -- 137 points

12. Mom -- 130 points

13. Matt -- 92 points

14. Lindsey -- 58 points

Tomorrow will make it interesting. Depending on how tomorrow pans out, it's going to be a three or four person race. Nobody will have all four teams in the Final Four. The most interesting matchup is between Jeremy and Brad. Jeremy is up by just a few points and they both got the same amount of Final Four picks. Right now, it could go down to the Championship game for the both of them as Jeremy has UCONN winning with UNC as the runner up and Brad has UNC winning with UCONN as the runner up.

Also, if Michigan State makes it to the Final Four, enter Eric and Teresa into this equation. Teresa has UNC winning over MSU in the Championship while Eric has MSU over UNC. But if Louisville wins and goes to the Final Four, Ali will be close with Brad and Jeremy. Her difference maker is that she has Louisville losing to UNC in the Final Game. So, this possibility could crown Ali in the Final Four game between UCONN and Louisville.

It's still up for grabs, everybody!!! This is incredible! WOO! Our family kicks ass!

Villanova vs. PITT highlights:

UCONN has punched its ticket to Detroit

UCONN defeated Missouri to reach the Final Four. The first team to punch their ticket to Detroit, UCONN won 82-75 over a pesky Missouri Tiger team.

The second game being played tonight is Pittsburgh vs. Villanova. In the only meeting this season, Villanova beat the Panthers by 10 points. Pitt, who has had trouble in the tournament thus far has only reached the Final Four once, in 1941.

UCONN vs. Missouri Highlights:



Tomorrow the Final Four will be set.

Elite 8 set... another new leader

Well, the Elite 8 is set and again, we have a new leader -- Jeremy.

UNC trounced Gonzaga, Oklahoma trounced Syracuse, Louisville slaughtered Arizona and Michigan State made a valiant comeback against defending champions, Kansas, to finish off Round 3.

Only Eric and Allison have their Final Four still in tact. Way to go, Ali-Bug, you're making your way up the standings. Also, Teresa is beginning to creep her way up into the thick of the hunt as she has made a substantial jump through the Elite 8! Keep it up, Teresa!!

Before I list the standings, there was a miscalculation yesterday. I accidentally gave Jeremy 4 extra points -- hush, I'm terribly sick -- however it didn't affect his standings last week.

Here are the standings:

1. Jeremy -- 182
2. Bradley -- 179
2. Eric -- 179
4. Ali -- 173
5. Teresa -- 163
6. Joe -- 160
7. Heather -- 153
8. Boo Boo -- 150
9. Melissa -- 145
10. Robert -- 143
11. Nathaniel -- 137
12. Mom -- 110
13. Matt -- 92
14. Lindsey -- 58

Games begin Saturday to see who's going to the Final Four! Pittsburgh takes on Villanova (GO NOVA!) and UCONN takes on Missouri.

UNC will take on Oklahoma and Michigan State will take on Louisville on Sunday! This is when the games become more intense... These are THE Games to start watching if you haven't been watching already!

Watch out for Ali-Bug, everyone. She's making her way up there. And she didn't get any help from her neighbor [Cough, Eric]! Keep bracketing and GO HEELS!!! Oh, Jeremy, you suck! :-)

Dook lost, so did Memphis and there's a new leader!

Well... All is right in the world right now. It is my proud honor to tell everyone that shall be reading this blog that tonight, that shitty ass university that is only a mere 8 miles away from the most amazing school in the country lost. Dook lost to Villanova by 23 points! I will refrain from continuing to talk about this because it is always a possibility that my team could lose the next day. However, I will soak in the moment to see a Dook loss. :-)

Also, a HUGE upset for our bracketeers -- Memphis lost to Missouri. Only 2 people chose Missouri to beat Memphis, Bradley and Teresa. Everyone else had Memphis going on -- some even had them in the final (sorry, Boo, Doodle and Nathaniel).

Here are the standings after the first night of Round 3:

1. Bradley -- 149 points

2. Jeremy -- 141 points

3. Heather -- 123 points

4. Boo Boo -- 120 points

5. Eric -- 119 points

6. Teresa -- 118 points

7. Melissa -- 115 points

8. Ali -- 113 points

9. Nathaniel -- 107 points

10. Joe -- 100 points

11. Robert -- 98 points

12. Mom -- 95 points

13. Matt -- 77 points

14. Lindsey -- 28 points

So the first four games to decide the Elite 8 have been played and four more will play tomorrow. It's still anyone's game! Now, officially, Ali, Eric and Jeremy are the only people who have their Final Four still in tact.

My lead will be short-lived I'm afraid, seeing as I had Wake beating Louisville. Yikes!

Keep watching, guys! Some more big games coming up. Tomorrow UNC will take on Gonzaga, Syracuse will take on Oklahoma, Louisville takes on Arizona, and Kansas takes on Michigan State.

Keep bracketing!

Sweet Sixteen is set -- we have a new leader!

Heather has made her way to the lead position after Round 2. Heather selected 14 of the possible 16 selections to move into first place. The defending Champion is not messing around -- only one team she selected for the Elite 8 has been eliminated. However, Ali, Eric, Jeremy, Joe, Robert and Teresa have all of their Elite 8 selections still alive. However, I believe Eric should be docked a single point (or 30) because a little bird [cough - his daughter] told me that he had help with his bracket from his neighbor -- whom follows College Basketball very closely. Hmmm... ;-)

OK, so here are the standings following Round 2:

1. Heather -- 93 points
2. Jeremy -- 92 points
3. Beth -- 90 points
4. Bradley -- 89 points
4. Eric -- 89 points
6. Joe -- 85 points
6. Melissa -- 85 points
8. Allison -- 83 points
9. Nathaniel -- 77 points
10. Teresa -- 73 points
11. Robert -- 68 points
12. Mom -- 65 points
13. Matt -- 62 points
14. Lindsey -- 28 points

CRAZINESS!! I FREAKING LOVE THIS STUFF. I believe that we might be the coolest freaking family on the Earth! Oh, that, and the most competitive family, too.

Well... we have a few days off. Games do not begin again until Friday -- YIKES! So, Heather gets a few days to soak in the lead and a chance to brag. It's OK, she's going down soon ;-).

Keep commenting and checking the blog. We might have a few interviews up on the site!