Scuttleball: Madness is why we play

Selection Sunday has officially come and gone, as the field of 68 is now set. With the First Four games set for March 14, the race is on for bettors and bracket fans to lean in before the madness really begins.

Not to be left out, there is safe harbor for mariners as Scuttleball, the official pool where sailors go to ball, is open with dock space. But the entry deadline is 10:00am EDT on March 16, 2023.

Oddschecker claims the Houston Cougars have the easiest road to the Final Four while the Bleacher Report finds the door open widest for defending champs Kansas Jayhawks. And who did Kansas beat a year ago? It was the North Carolina Tar Heels who started this season with the #1 ranking yet failed to make it into the 2023 tournament. Madness!

But to only bet chalk is no fun, and the hardwood has no patience for the predictable. Just like the race course, sh#t happens and that is why we play the game.

Even if you have no interest in the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s basketball tournament, your entry fee supports the EWE Spirit Foundation which honors the legacy of Geoff Ewenson by helping those facing immediate hardship bridge financial and social support gaps.

What’s better, the Scuttleball pool has a feature in which the computer can Auto-Fill your bracket. With machines steering boats in The Ocean Race and flying them in the America’s Cup, who are we to think our skill can beat the processing power of the 21st century.

Here’s how you play:
• First, you need to submit your picks on the CBS Sports site no later than 10:00am EDT on March 16, 2023.

• Second, your entry fee of $20 (per set of picks) must be submitted separately, but no later than March 16th. If you miss the deadline, you will be removed from the pool – NO EXCEPTIONS. Submit entry by Venmo (@EWEspirit) or directly on the foundation website (click here).

• As this is where sailors go to ball, share this pool with your network to see who is the best baller in sailing and raise awareness for this great cause. And to show you are a righteous person, 100% of your entry (and everybody elses) will go towards the EWE Spirit Foundation.

• And don’t worry if you are DFL, as the public humiliation will be offset by a free lifetime subscription to Scuttlebutt Sailing News. You’re welcome!

To play, click here.