FINAL FOUR REPORT: Slayers clinch 2023 Calcutta crown

AMHERST – Backed by a record-tying three teams advancing to the Final Four, the Slayers put away the 2023 Calcutta in dominating fashion. The Slayers lived up to their morning line favorite role with their three squads winning in each round to head to the Final Four with 12 wins and back-to-back titles. It will be their sixth title (third outright) since 1999 and the yellow jacket will stay home in 2023.

They tie the Bunch of Chieftans (2014) for advancing three teams to the Final Four. That year the Chieftans set the all-time win record with 16.

The Slayers used the final five minutes to springboard wins from their Florida-based teams. FAU got hot late on Saturday night to eliminate the higher seed Wildcats (Chieftans) and Miami trailing for most of the game stormed back to set Calcutta history with the big win against Texas (Commish).

The battle now is for second-place between the Counselors (10) and the Win-Docs (9) who snuck into the Final weekend with 5-San Diego State outlasting the BJs on a sucky last second call.  The Win-Docs have outplayed their odds, but need a win in the national semis to tie and in the natty to take sole control of the placing.

The Counselors had a rough weekend with both teams losing and hopes of catching the Slayers slipped away with the Creighton loss. “I object,” motioned Counselor co-owner Mark Aquino, but the objection fell on deaf ears and the jury rested.

The Chieftans failed to menace and will finish out of the money. Sad day, indeed. Never not funny.

A disappointing last-place finish (along with the Amigos) resulted from the Longhorn collapse in the final 10 minutes, squandering a 13-point second half lead and all but handing the Slayers the title and putting the Win-Docs out of reach from a miracle finish.

Here are the eight scenarios and payouts heading to Houston for the Final Four:

UConn or Miami over San Diego State

Slayers $1,200

Win-Docs $400

Counselors $400

UConn or Miami over FAU 

Slayers $1,200

Counselors $500

Win-Docs $300 

FAU over UConn or Miami 

Slayers $1,200

Counselors $500

Win-Docs $300

San Diego State over UConn or Miami

Slayers $1,000

Win-Docs $700

Counselors $300

ELITE EIGHT REPORT: Counselors, Slayers duking it out for top spot

 

Amherst – The 2023 Calcutta has had as many twists and turns as any in recent history. Without a No. 1 seed advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in history a lot of auction dollars went out the window in the Sweet Sixteen.

The race for Calcutta glory is basically down to two teams who have five of the eight remaining teams left in the Counselors and the Slayers.  The Chieftans and Win-Docs will need to run the table to have an outside shot at the title.  The all-time Calcutta win record set by the Chieftans in 2014 of 16 is safe as the max count if both teams win out is 15 wins.

All rise for the Counselors, who are the leader in the clubhouse heading into regional final weekend headlined by two powerful squads in 3-Gonzaga and 6-Creighton. They’ll even go head-to-head with the Slayers tonight at 8:49 p.m. EDT when the Zags face 4-UConn in a major tilt that has Calcutta title ramifications written all over it. Currently the solicitors are trying to end the longest current title drought as their last title came in 2012.

The barristers drafted well and their 4-1 morning line as the second-choice has held up well. The Blue Jays looked dominant in taking down their frisky Ivy League opponent 15-Princeton (Boyz), but the nerds had no answer for the BJ big guy.

Sitting in second-place one win behind the Firm are the Slayers who advanced three teams to the Elite Eight and (checks history books) could set tie a Calcutta record (2014, Chieftans) if all three win and get to the Final Four. Let’s give a HOOT HOOT to the Slayers for the 9-FAU pick that has worked out nicely so far. The boys from Boca will try and keep their Cinderella shoes on versus 3-Kansas State in the Garden.  5-Miami will join FAU as underdogs, but the Hurricanes are the longest shot at -4 in Vegas of the three remaining teams for the Slayers.

The Chieftans are hanging around with Kansas State, but took a tough “L” with the boys from Cincinnati who just couldn’t hang with the nasty Longhorns (Commish), the current second choice (+360) to win it all behind UConn (+320) [Source: DraftKings Sportsbook].  No sad Indian face [yet].

The Win-Docs cruised into the South Final with the Aztecs who took down the No. 1 seed in the tourney in Louisville. They sit tied with the Chieftans in third and hoping for a little Aztec voodoo to keep pace in an attempt to hit the board and avoid the shutout.

The Catholic Boyz got the goose egg in the Sweet Sixteen failing to advance Cinderella 15-Princeton and No. 1 seed Houston who were hoping to get some home cookin' in the Final Four. They will be sitting in the back pew for the remainder of the tourney.

The Elders were the first to exit the tourney on Thursday night when the 4-Tennessee Vols gave up a lead to the upstart Owls in the world’s most famous arena. “They were out 20 minutes after the early bird special ended,” said Amigos co-owner Scott Sutherland.

Speaking of the Amigos, it’s that time we all highly anticipate every year…wait for it…here it comes...

It was Adios to the Amigos and top seed Alabama, who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Mired in the basement, the Amigos suspect draft strategy of "go big or go home," has sent them packing once again.

The Commish played spoiler taking down the Chieftans and can hope to move up the ladder with a potential national champion cash with the Longhorns and avoid a last-place finish after back-to-back titles.

Final Four Report and the final scenarios will be out Monday.  Good luck all.

 

2018 Calcutta Ready to Rock, Morning Line Set

Amherst, N.Y. -- The 2018 Calcutta, unofficially the 19th year of the annual auction, kicked off in pursuit of the coveted yellow jacket (that was mysteriously absent this evening). The festivities moved along all night with nary a controversy or chippy conversation. The ole' Calcutta has mellowed as we all get another year older and can't hear or see as well as we used to.

The 17 year drought (sound familiar) ended last year with the Commish engraving his name on the Chalise (sic) for the first time. The question of back-to-back came up during the evening and yes, indeed the Win-Docs captured titles in their glory years in 2007 and 2008. The Bunch did it twice, albeit sharing titles in 2001-02 and 2010-11. Good times.

So let's get right to it and the morning line for 2018 in a wide-open tournament with no team looking like it's going to waltz through this field. Over the past five years Average Seed Ratings (ASR) for the Calcutta champ has been 9.6 (Commish - 2017), 9.9 (Win-Docs - 2016), 7.3 (Tax Men - 2015) and 8.5 (Bunch - 2014, record 16 wins).

This year's lowest ASR belongs to the Catholic Boyz (7.1 ASR) and the highest went to the Amigos (a gaudy 10.0). Looking back to 2006, when the ASR emerged as a key metric in the Calcutta, no 10+ team has captured the Calcutta, only the Tax Men have hit the board with a double digit ASR.

So who's our morning line favorite?

The Counselors (3-1, ASR 7.5). The legal beagles always look strong on draft night. Of course an upset or two could knock them right out of the competition. B1G tournament champ 3-Michigan and SEC tourney champ 5-Kentucky will try and rule the left side of the bracket for the dynamic duo. They could easily come out of the first round with six wins (five lower seeds) and play catch-me-if-you-can with the rest of the group.  Sleeper: 12-South Dakota State. Steal: 7-Arkansas for $7.

The Counselors are the morning line favorite - got that!

Bunch of Chieftans (4-1, ASR 8.0). A perfect score on the ASR is 8.0 and the Chief ran a very efficient and no-nonsense draft. High off the big 11-Bonas win on Tuesday night to get into the main draw, the Chief dusted off his drafting skills moth-balled for several years and he came to play. Solid selections in each region, 2-Duke (Midwest), 3-Tennessee (South), 4-West Virginia (East) and 6-Houston (West) should put him right in the mix heading into the weekend. Looking for a record extending seventh Calcutta title. Sleeper: 11-Loyola (Chicago). Steal: 6-Houston for $9.

Let's Go Chief-tans!

Tax Slayers (5-1, ASR 9.5). Don't let that high ASR fool you. Two teams that could run the table on both sides of the bracket will steer this ship to hit the board. 1-Kansas and 4-Arizona anchor the Slayers. They added some solid higher seeds in 9-Florida State and 10-Texas that could add some valuable W's on their ledger. Sleeper: 10-Texas. Steal: 9-Florida State for $5.

The TaxSlayers were ferocious bidders all night long

Catholic Boyz (6-1, ASR 7.1). The good news is the low ASR. The bad news is the low ASR. Five 7 and 8-seeds is a dangerous mix. The 8-9 games look like toss-ups and the 7 seeds get the 2 seeds over the weekend. First round damage (which is historically the Catholic Boyz specialty) is the answer to Calcutta glory. 1-Villanova has a soft bracket and should coast to three easy wins before having to face their first real challenge. This team could be dangerous. Or flame out early. Sleeper: 8-Seton Hall. Steal: 7-URI for $7.

Catholic Boyz are coming in hot!

Win-Doctors (7-1, ASR 8.1). The docs will look to tie the Chieftans with a career sixth championship in this year's edition. With Artie being benched after his record tying two-win Calcutta in 2017 for Smytty, the Docs will look to regain its form. Lot of pundits like 3-Michigan State to win it all and they'll need as much to claim Calcutta fame in '18. Last year's runner-up 4-Gonzaga will be the stud in the West, and they'll need big East Region performances by 3-Texas Tech and 6-Florida to be a factor. It's not out of the realm of possibility and they're probably the longshot play of the day. Sleeper: 13-College of Charleston. Steal: 3-Texas Tech for $16.

Smytty draft moves

Elder Statesmen (8-1, ASR 8.8). After thwarting off a seat controversy when the Counselors tried to move on the Elders long time spot, it was all business for the Elders. A higher than normal ASR compared to historical numbers could've been due to the absence of Fanch's second chair or the lack of bathroom breaks. 2-UNC will have to carry the day for them to have a chance as 4-Auburn looks to be the weakest of the four seeds. They'll need some higher seeded wins to be a factor. Sleeper: 8-Missouri. Steal: None.

Try and sit in my seat next year, fools!

Amigos (9-1, ASR 10.0). You already heard the stats surrounding a double digit ASR. After corralling two top seeds (on the same side of the bracket, nonetheless), the Amigos went quiet for about an hour (has to be a record). Go big or go home was the mantra for the Amigos on Wednesday night with 1-Virginia and 1-Xavier secured early on. Will need 4-Wichita State to win a couple games and the ones to run the table to win it all (that's the magic number of 13 wins). Sleeper: 14-Bucknell. Steal: None.

After landing the top seeds, it was siesta time for the Amigos.

Commish & Assoc (10-1, ASR 9.0). It was a rough night for the defending champ, too much hesitation and wanted sleepers slipping through his grasp all night. A couple 2-seeds in Purdue and Cincinnati will have to work both sides of the bracket for a chance to repeat. 5-Clemson and 10-seeds Oklahoma and Providence will need to steal wins to have a shot. Sleeper: 10-Providence. Steal: None.

Not that yellow jacket!

Good luck to all, first report on Friday night after the first round. The teams are posted and the results  will be updated nightly located in the upper right hand corner of the blog.

Elite Eight Report: Counselors suffer "Black Friday" collapse

Amherst, N.Y. - The Elite Eight is set and the morning line favorites have run their course. They still sit atop the perch, but a late night three-jack by 3-Florida, added to their three-team collapse in the Sweet Sixteen. With visions of record book glory going out the window in double-digit losses by 3-Baylor and 4-Butler, The Counselors will sit back and root for Kansas to defeat Florida in Phoenix, to hold onto third-place finish.

For the Commish and Associate, it's been a Cinderella Story, led by the charging Gamecocks of 7-South Carolina. Big matchups with the Catholic Boys loom over the weekend, that will vault one of these two teams in front of the Counselors. Ironically, each team has a 1-seed and the UNC-Kentucky game could be the game that determines the owner of this year's Yellow Jacket. Team Commish sends three teams to the Elite Eight for the first time in Calcutta history and today's Zaga-Xavier battle will either vault them to the lead or create a three-way tie atop the standings.

It's been a Cinderella Story so far for the Commish.

The Catholic Boyz enter the Elite Eight with 1-UNC and 10-Xavier in position to capture their first title since 2009 and outright since 2006. Fueled by a nice run by the surprising X-men from Cincinnati, a win over the Zags could be the icing on the cake.  The Boyz strut into the Elite Eight with a quiet confidence shown best by George's father looking to tar and feather the Commish and bring home the Chalise (sic).

Tar Heels and Musketeers 

The Tax Slayers took it on the chin in a very entertaining 3-UCLA-Kentucky game Friday night, but the wizards from Westwood ran out of gas and succumbed to late game Ball-hogging. The remain in the hunt for National Champion and a piece of the exotics with 3-Oregon, but a big battle with the team that has looked the best so far in the tournament, Kansas, is on the horizon.

The Slayers need help, but survive and advance is the name of the game.

The Elders just won't die. 4-Florida evaded a late game collapse to knock the Counselors out of the '17 Calcutta and will need to reach the Final Four for a chance at cashing. The GIF below could have easily been Jason from Friday the 13th, but we settled on Monty Python.



The Bunch sit at five wins with 1-Kansas and can only max out at eight, tops. So the Chieftans are out of the money in this year's Calcutta, but for the National Champ prize, which they have claimed four times over the years, the last in 2014. They get to play spoiler the rest of the way and will have more than one Calcutta squad rooting them on in Elite Eight, and possibly the Final Four.

One more look at last night's buzzer beater....

Good luck and Final Four report on Sunday night.

¡Adios Amigos!

BREAKING Amherst, N.Y.- Upset City in San Jose, as the Catholic Boyz (11-Xavier) claim a tie for second-place with the Commish (1-Gonzaga) at 8 wins and start breathing down the necks of the Counselors.

As it is with tradition, the ¡Amigos! have left the building with losses by 2-Arizona and 7-Michigan, so without further adieu.....

 

Things are starting to get interesting in Calcutta land with some big tilts tonight between UCLA-Kentucky (Pickem), UNC (-7.5)-Butler, Baylor(-3.5)-So Carolina and Wisconsin-Florida (-1.5).  All three remaining teams for the Counselors will be in action, favored in one of the three (Baylor).

The Slayers could sweep all three of their games and the Commish will have to go back in the record books to see what the record is for Sweet Sixteen wins, which is currently undocumented.

Good luck, all. Here's a little Jim Reeves to wish our good friends the two-time champion ¡Amigos! a good night.....until next year.

via GIPHY

Counselors sprint out to early Calcutta lead

The Counselors having the traditional first round Red Auerbach stogie

Amherst, N.Y. -- The Counselors waltzed through the first round capturing six big wins to sit atop the leaderboard heading into the tournament's first weekend. As expected, with the low Average Seed Rating, the morning line favorites jumped right out on Thursday, running the table in all four games.

Led by 3-seeds Florida State and Baylor, 4-seeds West Virginia and Butler, the barristers held serve with all six of their higher seeded squads. Helping themselves to some home cooking, by winning two games in the Buffalo region (WVU and Wisconsin), the Counselors sit pretty with hopes of hitting double digits after the first two rounds.

Freddie's Gang

The Catholic Boyz put together a 3-win streak and are right in the thick of things once again after a crafty draft. Riding upsets by 11-Southern Cal and 10-Xavier, the Boyz of the cloth are once again a threat to win the Calcutta for the first time since 2009. With big dog 1-North Carolina taking care of business, the Catholic Boyz on St. Patrick's weekend is the hunch play in Vegas.

The Elders laughed all the way up the leaderboard

After openly questioning the morning line, the Elders shrugged off the odds snub and reeled off five wins over the first round to tie the Catholics one game back of the Counselors. 2-Louisville led the charge for the Elders and after a couple scary moments in the 5-Notre Dame game, the old guys sit right in the thick of things once again.

It was a streaky two days for the Amigos

The Amigos started on a 4-0 tear heading into the Seton Hall-Arkansas game, and after some unfortunate Pirate turnovers, the skid started. After the Hall went down, SMU and Marquette gagged both of their games and Northern Kentucky was overmatched against 2-Kentucky. They're not out of it by any stretch of the imagination with mighty 2-Arizona and red-hot 7-Michigan playing solid ball, but what could have been a 7-1 start, turned into a .500 record.

Well, well, look who's hanging around

For the first time in years, the Commish can sniff the leaders and sends four teams into the first weekend, including two big seeds. Two late night Friday wins over the Amigos (Kentucky, South Carolina) thrust him right into the hunt. How will the perennial bottom-dweller deal with the pressure of being in a Calcutta race? A big 12-Middle Tennessee State win over Minnesota set the stage for potential bigger things to come. Is this the year?

Breathe, Chief, Breathe

The Bunch are still hanging in there with their two kingpins 1-Villanova and 1-Kansas. An upset win by 11-Rhode Island helped the cause, but they will have no time to catch their breath, as a run of the table will be required to keep up with the deep teams on the top of the leaderboard.

UCLA held off a game Kent State for the Slayers

The Tax Slayers toughed it out through the first two days with three wins coming from 3-UCLA, 3-Oregon and 4-Purdue. The road will start getting rougher for the Slayers, but if they send three teams into the Sweet Sixteen, you can't count them out.

She's warming up for the Win-Docs

It was an abysmal performance by the Win-Docs over the first two days of the tourney. Nothing went right for the defending champs and it looks like a Duke run will be the only thing keeping the fat lady quiet. St. Mary's as your wing man, just isn't going to get 'er done. Thanks for coming.

Next report on Sunday night/Monday morning. Enjoy the games over the weekend.

One Whining Moment: Win-Docs capture '16 Calcutta

Amherst, N.Y. -- The 2016 NCAA Tournament and Calcutta is in the books with the Win-Doctors claiming their fifth Chalise and the right to don the Yellow Jacket next March.  Spurred by a solid first round and two teams advancing to the Elite Eight backed by 2-Villanova's championship effort, the Win-Docs outlasted everyone this year chalking up 13 wins.

Congrats to the second-place Catholic Boyz who rode a record-tying first round with seven wins and the Counselors who used a Moneyball strategy to secure a claim of the pot.

The Win-Docs also extended their national championship record to seven with the Villanova selection. Amazingly, it was their sixth champ in the last nine years. I guess we have to listen to it for another 11 months.

😭 💵💸 Charles Barkley's reaction to the Villanova game winner #Villanova #NovaNation #NationalChampionship https://t.co/cbxz6EfsXk

— The Fanatics View (@thefanaticsview) April 5, 2016

For the Commish, a Final Four flame-out extended the streak to 18 years. It's time to take up croquet.

Here's the scenario that played out:

Scenario #3: If Villanova beats North Carolina
Win-Docs 1,200
Catholic Boyz 400
Counselors 400

Congrats to all and until next year.....

Final Four Report: Docs Clinch Tie, Commish Closing Late

Fat lady is humming

Amherst, N.Y. -- The Win-Doctors (11 points) clinched a tie for the overall title, capturing their fifth title, they'll attempt to win it outright for the fourth time with either a Villanova or North Carolina win on Saturday in the Final Four. The Docs' title run was aided by an impressive performance by Villanova on Saturday night taking down the overall No. 1 seed, Kansas sending the Bunch to the sidelines.

The Commish (8 points) is at the quarter pole and is making a late closing move, taking two teams to the Final Four and moving to the outside eyeing the three teams in front of him. Riding a wave of Orange and Maroon, Team Commish will need another upset of a #1 seed to even sniff a first ever Calcutta title. The Catholic Boyz (9 points) clinched a tie for at least third after a record-breaking first round.

The Counselors (9 points) Billy Ball strategy flamed out in the Elite Eight when 6-Notre Dame was ousted by the Tar Heels, leaving them saddled in a tie with the Catholic Boyz and rooting against the Commish on the weekend to maintain the currrent second-place status.

The Tax Men have the lowest seed remaining in the tournament and prohibitive favorite to win it all in Carolina.

And with the big 10-Syracuse, upset...it's that time of the year that we inevitably get to, albeit rather later than usual this year.......

Adios Amigos

So here's what we have and the eight possible national championship scenarios starting with the favorites and working down to the underdog:

Scenario #1: If North Carolina beats Villanova
Win-Docs 1000
Catholic Boyz 400
Counselors 400
Tax Men 200

Scenario #2: If North Carolina beats Oklahoma
Win-Docs 1000
Catholic Boyz 267
Counselors 267
Commish 266
Tax Men 200

Scenario #3: If Villanova beats North Carolina
Win-Docs 1,200
Catholic Boyz 400
Counselors 400

Scenario #4: If Villanova beats Syracuse
Win-Docs 1,200
Catholic Boyz 267
Counselors 267
Commish 266

Scenario #5: If Oklahoma beats North Carolina
Win-Docs 1,000
Commish 700
Catholic Boys 150
Counselors 150

Scenario #6: If Oklahoma beats Syracuse
Commish 950
Win-Docs 750
Catholic Boys 150
Counselors 150

Scenario #7: If Syracuse beats Villanova
Win Docs 1,000
Commish 466
Catholic Boyz 267
Counselors 267

Scenario #8: If Syracuse beats Oklahoma
Commish 950
Win-Docs 750
Catholic Boys 150
Counselors 150

There you have it...it's still up in the air, and up to five teams can cash going into the Final Four.

Good luck!

Sweet Sixteen Report: Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

AMHERST, N.Y. - In a matter of 15 minutes, the Catholic Boyz went from commanding lead in the 2016 Calcutta to "What Just Happened?" mode.

Northern Iowa has a 12 point lead with 35 seconds left and loses. Xavier has the ball in a tie game with 7 seconds left and loses. Two wins turn into losses and this here Calcutta is still officially open.

Let's see it again.....

This is how you erase a 12-point deficit in 35 seconds. https://t.co/l3eJ83wDDB #MarchMadness

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 21, 2016

They still sit on the mountain, but the lead is just one and they enter the Sweet Sixteen without its highest seed, as 2-Xavier went down when Wisco hit a big three-pointer at the buzzer in St. Louis sending the Musketeers home to Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, at Counselor Central....

The Counselors made the best of the Boyz' misfortune and land three teams into the Sweet Sixteen, with 3-Miami, 4-Iowa State and 6-Notre Dame,  The Irish, their lowest seed will actually likely be the only one favored as they will take on 7-Wisconsin in Philadelphia. The strategy looks like its paying off, but there are still big games to be played.

The Win-Doctors also remain very much in the hunt, only one back and with two power teams left in 1-Oregon and 2-Villanova. The Miami-Nova game will be a separator for the two teams chasing the Boyz for the right to wear the Yellow Jacket next year. Keep your eyes open at the top, boys....these guys have a way of sneaking up on you.

In a matter of moments, the Elders came back from the dead. 3-A&M and 7-Wisconsin were literally halfway in the coffin. They went from 5 wins to 7 wins and sniffing the board in a matter of minutes. Seth Davis actually "sharpie'd" the Northern Iowa Panthers, his first premature evacuation in history. 

Northern Iowa. Sharpie.

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 21, 2016

It got better....

Tragic pic.twitter.com/xajnHS61VY

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 21, 2016

So you know the Statesmen were tight-lipped, headed into their respective bathrooms and then did this....



Hanging around seeing what might happen are the Amigos, who advanced two teams to the next round in 1-Virginia and 4-Duke. They'll need to run the table with one or both to get into the money. It's not out of the question with those two teams, but the Kentucky loss to Indiana, surely smarts. We'll have to save those inevitable two words for another day....and they cruise into the Sweet Sixteen as the silent killer....

The defending champs are down to one. The Tax Guys just didn't have it this year, but still have 1-North Carolina left to carry the banner into Philadelphia's East Regional. The beautiful thing about the Calcutta is everyone can still cash in one way or another, the Tax Guys will be looking for their refund via the Heels.

Show me the mon-ay

The Commish salvaged a horrible first round to get out of the basement and actually have some hope after the Catholic Boyz trainwreck Sunday evening. Their destiny is in the hands of 2-Oklahoma and 10-Syracuse (I like the ring of that), who move on into favored situations in the Sweet Sixteen. They have one foot in the grave, but they're not dead yet.

#Cuse about to be #Sweet16 bound pic.twitter.com/pF3QUBfFxr

— Menotti Minutillo (@44) March 20, 2016

Rounding out the second round is the Bunch of Chieftans. Like the Tax Guys, they're down to a lone 1-seed, the Jayhawks, who look impressive and can play Calcutta spoiler the rest of the way. Mired in the basement with 3 wins, they will look to win four straight, collect a check and make someone's life miserable along the way....

On to the Sweet Sixteen....

Hail to the Chieftans

Record Breaking Performance by Bunch Tops 2014 Calcutta

Amazing GIF showing Aaron Harrison's game-winning shots at the same time.
Click on the picture to see the GIF.

That just about sums up the Bunch of Chieftans run to the title as the Kentucky Wildcats pulled out two big wins en route to the Championship Game only to fall to the talented and driven Huskies who took down their fourth National Championship. If you missed One Shining Moment last night you can find it here.

This sums it up for the Bunch

Records for Most Wins [16], Most Teams in Final Four [3], Most Wins in Regional Finals [5] set the record books back for years.

Let's take a look back at the Morning Line Prognosticator and see if he said anything valid:

"It was trial by fire for the newcomer, but he held his own and has the top seed in the tourney (1-Florida) who could waltz right through this thing for 6 wins which is halfway home in most years. 8-Kentucky could awaken at any moment and go on a run for Coach Cal, so it wouldn't be a bad bet to throw a few shekels at the Chieftans at those odds. Cincinnati will have to avoid the 5-12 first round upset that happens every year and 7-UConn likely has a reunion with old Big East date Villanova in the B-Lo."

Don't say so myself (other than setting putrid odds)...while not so right on Florida...not a bad comment on my old Kentucky home. Oh yeah, check out this dunk one more time.

The Bunch also grabbed their record sixth title and second outright title, as they have shared four others [see sidebar].

The Counselors. The morning line favorites did not disappoint, taking second place and hitting the board for the third straight year since the payouts were increased to the top three spots.

The Elders. Give the old guys some respect tying for the show spot. A couple bounces here or there and they are in the thick of it. Almost pulled off a record tying first round but an OT loss and a last two minute meltdown by two of its teams left them with 6 wins.  I also heard one of them was barking because they weren't getting enough press....

Wyn-Doctors. Tied for third trying to recapture the glory of old. The Docs last title was in 2010 (shared) after sweeping the 2007 and 2008 editions of the Calcutta. The reaction of the Wyn-Docs after the Elite Eight and the Bunch's cream rising to the top can only be described as...

Congrats to all who cashed and for those of us left behind....there's always next year....

Hope you enjoyed Calcutta 2014!

Final Four Report: Chieftans Clinch Title

Bunch captures Calcutta, eyes record books

Zack "Attack" Wagner - ROY

Some of us have been doing this for 15 years and have nothing to show for it (looks in mirror). Then a young buck walks into the auction room and pulls off one of the most impressive draft nights in history (hindsight is 20/20).

It appears he's etched himself into Calcutta lore and the possibility of making the record books for most wins in a single Calcutta is alive and waiting. A guaranteed victory in the Final Four by winning both regional finals on the left side of the bracket puts them at a hearty 13. Only the Counselors' Badgers can derail them from history with a Wisconsin national championship, who locked up a second place finish for the morning line favorites. I'll have to do some digging in the record books to see if any team in history has advanced three teams to the final four. Hats off to the Bunch of Chieftans with the sixth championship in Calcutta history.

The scene in the Bunch's locker room after Sunday's games were captured by this hidden video....

Meanwhile at the Barristers HQ....the second place legal beagles were only left to ask....

Seemingly in control of the Calcutta after five second round wins, team Counselors were sucking wind in the Elite Eight and the Bunch basically just ran over everyone...including their fierce rival....the newly-named Wyn-Doctors.

The Wyn-Doctors took it on the chin with consecutive losses to the Bunch as the clock tolled midnight on Dayton and Michigan State was greeted by a UConn Garden party in the Big Apple.  The Wyn-Docs were last seen screaming....

It was fun while it lasted in trash-talk land, but the Chieftans did their talking on the court and can only offer the Wyn-Docs a safe landing.

As for the defending champs, the Dos Amigos, it appears that a new name will be etched on this year's trophy. Stuck in fourth place and out of the money with the Michigan last second loss to Kentucky, the Amigos failed to hit the board.

When reached for comment...Coach (Bill the) Cat  only could say he was utterly....

And what would a Calcutta be without the traditional.....

Final Standings:
Bunch - 1st
Counselors - 2nd
Wyn-Docs/Elders - share 3rd

The national champion dough ($200) is still up for grabs for the weekend....

Well it was a fun Calcutta all around...thanks for playing.