March Madness 2010 Office Pool

Hey everyone!

It's getting to be that time of year, again. Selection Sunday for March Madness (NCAA Mens Basketball Touranment) is this Sunday, March 14. My father and I are once again running an office pool for March Madness bracket picks. We have had between 250-300 entries each of the last 8-10 years, probably, and the last few years we've been able to pay out 8 places, with 1st place receiving $500.

The fee is $5 per bracket entry. Some people choose to enter more than 1 bracket; so if you choose to do that, we limit it to 3 per person. All brackets must be either postmarked and/or received by Wednesday, March 17, at noon, which is when the first meaningful tournament game starts. We can accept hard copies, faxes, scanned documents (in an email), and this year I plan to have an editable Excel document on our web site, as well, that can be sent via email. In the past some potential entrants were not able to fax or scan their picks, so they didn't get into the pick'em. I figured Excel would allow more people the ability to enter and send in their picks.

Money can be payed either in cash, check (payable to Keith Marcum, my father), or PayPal (email: thepitman13.spam@gmail.com). We do NOT make profit by running this office pool. By the request of entrants in past years, we do take roughly $20 each year to pay for the new subscription/license for the software we use to run the tournament. The rest is put 100% back into the prize pool.

I run a web site, http://www.ohiobasketball.net/ncaa, where we post blank pick sheets to use, current office pool standings, brackets with updated results, links to tournament web sites and other tournament information, and much more.

Wherever you work or go to school, please do your part to spread the word and get solid commitments for both pick sheets and cash. Feel free to scan/email the sheets to me by Wednesday at noon, and I can enter them at any time the next day or so... just as long as my dad or I have the picks in our possession by that time. Having the picks by Wednesday at noon (or at least postmarked by then) is the most important part. Money can always come later, but please make sure it's a solid commitment to pay. We have gotten jipped in the past, so we would PREFER money up front, but it's not a necessity.

Everyone is welcome, so spread the word! Check back at our web site late Sunday night or early Monday to get all the information and documents you need. Thanks for all your help! If you have any questions, my cell phone number is 330-464-4946.

May God continue to bless you.
-Marcum