Scuttleball in its 30th Year

After weeks of speculation surrounding the potential March Madness field, the brackets for the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament are official and the task now is to choose which team will remain standing after the Finals on April 2.

Now in its 30th year as the hoops pool where sailors go to ball, Scuttleball co-founder Jonathan Bartlett reflects on last season as we prepare for the next three weeks.

The 2017 edition had 12 U.S. states playing along with Canada. Last year’s Scuttleball winner – Bruce Nairn of T2P TV – played the previous 29 years before he won. Like most sailors, Bruce never gives up. Talk about persistence.

Speaking of persistence, all the funds raised via the 2018 tournament pool will go towards helping Jim Hahn from Ronstan who recently suffered a catastrophic accident that has left him paralyzed from the waist down. There may be only one winner in the pool, but we’ll all be cutting down the nets for Jim.

Last year’s Ron Burgundy Award winner was Sue Mikulski who just beat out John Dodge for the DFL recognition. Are they the early favorites to repeat? They are always perennial front runners for the Anchorman, demonstrating that rare consistency to be near the bottom every year.

On a somber note, we need to mention the passing of Katherine “Moos” Mason who left us this past week. She loved college basketball and especially her ODU Monarchs! She attended multiple games and rooted hard for any team from the old dominion state.

Moos commented often and didn’t hold back on the message site of Scuttleball. Don’t be surprised if the Cavaliers of UVA are the last ones standing this year. Moos, we love you and will miss you.

So you think you can win Scuttleball? You really can’t but I’m gonna give you my five tips to win the pool…

Select at least one 12 vs. 5 upset
A 12-seed has upset a 5-seed in the NCAA tournament nine of the past 10 years, with at least two 12-seeds winning in six of the past 10 years.

Find a No. 1 seed to ride to the Final Four
With the exception of 2006 and 2011, at least one No. 1 seed has made it to the Final Four every year since 2000.

Always pick a favorite underdog
Underdog stories are half of the intrigue of March Madness. Watching a perennial powerhouse get toppled by a feisty mid-major never gets old for fans of college basketball. It seems as if every year there is at least one team who defies our expectations and makes it deeper into the tourney than we imagined they could. This year, watch out for Rhode Island and Nevada.

Back the blue bloods
A “blue blood” in college basketball is a team with decades of historical basketball success. Usually, this list includes Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, and Kentucky.

Don’t be afraid to choose upsets
The dozens of upsets each year is what makes March Madness both so great and yet so frustrating. Nobody can predict when each upset will happen. Take a chance on that higher-seeded major conference team. If your team is in the tournament, have faith in them in games you think they might lose. Pick an underdog or two.

Everyone wins in 2018
All the funds raised via the 2018 tournament pool will go towards helping Jim Hahn from Ronstan. Jim was doing what he loved, skiing in Vermont, when he had a catastrophic accident that has left him paralyzed from the waist down.

For those of you who do not know Jim, you will as the tournament goes on. For those of you who do know him, send in some tales to share and let’s crank this up to a new level and make a difference!

For the veterans of the pool, winning Scuttleball still gets you all the fame and notoriety of the glory years of old. If you finish last you will get chastised for a full year, and new this year… if you win… you will get your name carved on an all new trophy… and last but not least… there’s over $4000 in prizes up for grabs from Harken, Lewmar, Spinlock, and of course, Ronstan.

It’s Game Time! Here is how to play
First, you need to submit your picks on the CBS Sports site no later than 10:00 EDT, Thursday March 15th. The CBS Scuttleball pool link is… click here. You do not need to know ANYTHING about basketball to play (and some say it’s even better to just guess anyhow).

Second, your entry fee ($20 per set of picks – limit 10 per person) must be submitted separately, but no later than Thursday, March 22. If you miss the deadline you will be removed from the pool. NO EXCEPTIONS.

It’s easiest for all if you pay with Paypal via this link… click here. There is an extra $2 tacked on for using PayPal to cover their fee’s. If you prefer to pay by check please mail it to:

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Atlantic Marketing
PO Box 293
Stonington, CT 06378

Please share this pool with your friends to see who is the best baller in sailing.

Remember 100% of the proceeds this year will go to helping out our friend Jim Hahn!