Monday’s Hot Clicks: One Person Still Has a Perfect March Madness Bracket
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This might be the best bracket ever
A person playing the NCAA’s official bracket game may have done what no person has ever done before: pick every game of the tournament’s first two rounds correctly. They have somehow managed to pick all 48 games correctly and will head into the Sweet 16 with an unblemished record.
The set of picks is called “Center Road” and was entered on BracketChallenge.NCAA.com. It has No. 1 seed Gonzaga beating No. 2 Kentucky in the national championship game.
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The odds of this happening are absolutely astronomical. If we assume every pick is a 50-50 shot, then the odds of getting all 48 right are 1 in 281,474,976,710,656.
The bracket is likely the only one of the internet era to pick the first 48 games correctly. A teenager’s 2010 bracket was purported to be perfect through two rounds, but his picks were entered in a game that allowed them to be changed retroactively. NCAA.com has been tracking the pursuit of the perfect bracket since 2016 and has never seen more than 39 consecutive correct picks in any of the major online bracket games.
There were only two perfect brackets after Saturday’s action and the other one (“Court Stormers” on Yahoo) bowed out when Buffalo lost to Texas Tech. SI.com’s bracket game didn’t even have anyone who correctly picked the whole first round.
This year’s tournament has been unusually devoid of upsets, with only two No. 4 seeds eliminated. The Sweet 16 features every No. 1, 2 and 3 seed, two No. 4 seeds, fifth-seeded Auburn and No. 12 Oregon. "Center Road" only picked one more upset for the rest of the tournament: No. 2 Kentucky beating top-seeded North Carolina in the Elite Eight. If there ever was a year when someone would end up with a perfect record, it would be one as chalky as this.
UCF was that close
UCF, led by 7'6" Tacko Fall, gave Duke everything it could handle in a second-round matchup. The matchup between Fall and Zion Williamson lived up to the hype, and Zion turned it on when it counted to help Duke escape with the win after the Knights had two last-second attempts go in and out. (The failed alley-oop didn’t do UCF any favors.)
The scene in the locker room after was incredibly emotional.
“We end in tears...that’s because we’ve invested so much in each other.
— UCF Men’s Hoops 🌴 (@UCF_MBB) March 25, 2019
I love you guys. It’s been amazing coaching this group.” -@Coach_Dawkins pic.twitter.com/B58DbNZzWO
Easily the best buzzer beater of March
WE. HAVE. NO. WORDS. 🤯
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 25, 2019
JEREMY LAMB WITH THE HALF-COURT BUZZER BEATER TO WIN. THE. GAME!!!!! #hornets30 @TISSOT pic.twitter.com/VOUnXMhZCv
Nothing from the NCAA tournament will top Jeremy Lamb’s desperate heave from halfcourt after a broken player against the Raptors. The stakes were nearly nonexistent for the Hornets, but there’s no denying that’s an all-time great game-winner.
It looks even cooler from this angle, where you can see Kemba Walker look away in apparent frustration after Lamb launches the shot.
JEREMY WTF LAMB pic.twitter.com/a5xyt0v9KK
— Martin Santana (@Marnsantana) March 25, 2019
Gronk goes out on top
After flirting with retirement last year, Rob Gronkowski is walking away from the NFL just before his 30th birthday. He’s simply one of the best tight ends to ever play, as dominant as a receiver as he was as a blocker. It’s a shame his body didn’t allow him to have as long a career as Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates but the nine seasons he played were more than enough to make him a Hall of Famer.
The best of SI
The lack of tournament upsets means the championship picture is wide open. ... Zion Williamson presents a unique challenge for people trying to photograph his absurd athleticism. ... Texas Tech is riding a strong defense to the Sweet 16.
Around the sports world
Noah Syndergaard came out with some very spicy quotes about the Mets. ... Lonzo and LaMelo Ball might be signing with Nike and leaving Big Baller Brand behind. ... A Rays prospect used his signing bonus to buy a school bus that he’ll live in this season. ... Mike Trout says he never considered testing free agency.
God bless Willians Astudillo
Remember when portly Twins catcher Willians Astudillo said last year that he hoped by hustling to score from first he could prove “chubby people can also run?" Well, look at him motor around from first to score again, and also leg out an infield single!
... Is that Willians Astudillo or Nick Punto? #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/03Dw8zO6iU
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) March 24, 2019
🐢💨
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) March 24, 2019
LA TORTUGA SCORES FROM FIRST BASE!! #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/B57FIBfvUk
Gronk isn’t the only superstar who retired yesterday
CONGRATS to my brother @jmac___19 On a spectacular Career, but also more importantly on becoming a dad very very soon and enjoying the rest of your life #RETIRED !!! pic.twitter.com/6pIFTxdfvm
— Big Nick (@BigNickShow) March 24, 2019
Former Chiefs and Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin announced his retirement at his wife’s baby shower.
How cool is this?
This is so cool. NHL hockey like I’ve never heard it before. The Canadiens & Hurricanes in the Plains Cree language. Catch it on APTN. 🏒 #HometownHockey #UnitedBySport pic.twitter.com/E0Z9g3BkwB
— Christine Simpson (@SNChrisSimpson) March 24, 2019
Canada’s Sportsnet broadcast last night’s Canadiens-Hurricanes game in the language of one of the country’s biggest indigenous populations. Sportsnet also does regular broadcasts in Punjabi, serving Canada’s large immigrant community from northern India. Who can forget this classic Punjabi call?
*Blesses your timeline* #BONINOBONINOBONINO@IceSinghHNIC @RandipJanda @HarpPandher @BhupinderHundal pic.twitter.com/07TXfKje21
— Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi (@HkyNightPunjabi) May 31, 2016
These Hurricanes celebrations keep getting crazier and crazier
Reeling in the W! pic.twitter.com/N5fyuLmBlg
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 25, 2019
With a swing like this, you deserve to lose your bling
Rapper Lil Pump hit up Top Golf this weekend and almost walked away without a ring worth $100,000.
Whether you’re @lilpump or just a lil frustrated you lost something in the outfield, we’ll assist you in getting it back. Please just ask us first, we'll be happy to assist. pic.twitter.com/8Wydmyp3DM
— Topgolf (@Topgolf) March 22, 2019
“I hit the ball so hard that my ring fell off,” Pump said. Actually, he barely hit the ball at all.
You are actually allowed to pass the ball in front of you
@SportsCenter @espn #SCTOP10 Quadruple BTB Goal off of a Faceoff! @Ryan_Siracusa @KnightsLaxCHS pic.twitter.com/pY0RzW2G2o
— Caleb Sadd (@calebsadd20) March 23, 2019
Lesson learned
Woooooow! 😳
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) March 23, 2019
Sam Maxwell was losing and being taunted by his opponent all fight and then did this with 10 second to go!
Incredible knockout 👊 pic.twitter.com/qM069RZnQK
He really tried to play it off
Lorenzo Simpson sends Jaime Meza to the canvas with a vicious left in the 1RD! #SimpsonMeza pic.twitter.com/WCZabwe2oc
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) March 24, 2019
This man’s job is to make teenagers think he’s cool
Dan Mullen sporting the world’s first pleated, stain defender khaki MC Hammer pants pic.twitter.com/VmwXKP1FHt
— getalab (@getalab) March 24, 2019
Sorry, buddy. It was the real deal.
Phillip Diehl said he thought the trade was a prank because he cut CC Sabathia in line for a haircut this morning. He had to ask Boone, “Is this for real?”
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 23, 2019
Amazing thread here from Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle
Every year during Spring Training we pick our nicknames for our Players Weekend jerseys. Baseball has a long history of great nicknames and it’s a great way for players to show their personality. We come up with some good ones but nothing compares to old timey baseball nicknames pic.twitter.com/O3BOdxhvS5
— Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) March 22, 2019
(Click here to read the whole thing.)
Not sports
A scientist is allowing an insect to grow under his skin in his back. ... Dr. Dre’s attempt at bragging about his daughter getting into USC failed miserably.
This is an amazing photo
Very subtle
Cruise ship evacuated amid 25-foot waves
New John Wick trailer
A good song
Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.