And they're off.....the 2014 Calcutta is ready to roll.

Dos Amigos

The 2013 Calcutta champions, the Three Amigos celebrated their second championship and first in 12 years on Tuesday evening at Calcutta HQ. The coveted yellow jacket was looking just fine on Bill the Cat who wore a nice light yellow polo to accentuate the coveted garb. Partner in crime DSS held the Chalise with pride as a tear glistened in his eye.

The 16th annual Calcutta kicked off in fine fashion with the usual pomp and pageantry in a way that only a long-standing event like this can. Freddie the G returned to steer the Catholic Boyz ship after a rough effort in last year's tournament. Newcomer Zack "Attack" Wagner bid with authority all night as the Bunch's newest member. In a last ditch effort to win their first Calcutta the Commish switched strategies and sat down to let assistant "Shooter" Besaw run the picket fence and handle drafting duties all night long.

As expected, Artie took over the lead for the Win-Docs, who quietly spent the most money on two four seeds in Calcutta history. The Elders did not hit the lavatory until the 1:45 mark in what was probably the most unlikely occurrence of the evening.

In looking at the data from the last 15 years, the average wins for the Calcutta champion is 12.2, so having two to three low seeds that can carry through to the Elite Eight can get you in the money...this is what has set the stage for this year's morning line. The ASR for 2014 was very close as the range went from 7.9 to 9.0, hardly a big spread. For comparison purposes last year's spread went from a low of 7.4 to a high of 10.4. The champion Amigos had a 7.8 ASR, 2012 champion Counselors had a 7.5 and the 2011 co-champs were at 7.8 (Bunch) and 8.1 (Catholic Boyz), respectively

So without further adieu.....the morning line, Average Seed Ratings (ASR) and your morning line favorite is.....drum roll.....

The Counselors are our morning line favorite

The Counselors (4-1, 9.0 ASR). So why after explaining that an ASR around the upper 7s, low 8s do we make a 9.0 ASR team the morning line favorite? Because I can of course. What I like about the Counselors, other than that sharply-dressed Modeas fellow, is they are the only squad with a 1 (Virginia for a paltry 31 ) and 2 (Wisconsin) seed other than the defending champs. If they run both to the final four that's 8 wins and 4-UCLA picks up a couple wins, they are just two wins away from that magic 12 number. A win by 8-Gonzaga would be huge-ah and the 11-seed out of the Midwest Region is no slouch. Sleeper pick: 11-seed MW (Iowa/Tennessee)

Shooter and Commish

The Commish & Associate (6-1, 8.0 ASR). With a two seed (2-Kansas) and two three seeds (Duke and Creighton), Shooter did the Commish proud, who sat out the bidding for the first time in 15 years. A couple of wins out of 7-Oregon or 9-George Washington both who came cheaply could propel the Commish into the upper division for the first time in years. Sleeper Pick: 10-Stanford who has a 36 BPI rating at ESPN, is a sneaky good high seed.

Dos Amigos (7-1, 8.3 ASR). The Amigos seemed to be off-kilter all evening. Could it be the loss of the third Amigo will take its toll on the defending champs? Were they out too late drinking out of the Chalise last night? They came in like a lion and went out like a lamb, although taking St. Joseph's on St. Joseph's Day has to count for something, no? Went big early on 1-Arizona (42 big ones) and 2-Michigan, but after those two only 5-St. Louis and 7-New Mexico can help this squad. But they could ride the coattails of their big two to some serious wins, so don't count them out to quickly. Sleeper Pick: 10-St. Joe's.

Win-Docs (8-1, 8.5 ASR). Don't be fooled by the high ASR.  The #4 seeds in this tournament are very dangerous and the Win-Docs are counting on 4-Michigan State and 4-Louisville to run deep in the tourney.If they don't this squad is toast. Will need wins out of 5-Oklahoma, 8-Colorado and 9-Kansas State to make any noise whatsoever. Could grab a piece of the show if one of the four seeds makes the final. Sleeper Pick: 11-Providence is playing good hoops and coming into the tourney on a roll wherein UNC could be vulnerable.

He's baacck (for the Catholic Boyz)

Catholic Boyz (8-1, 9.1 ASR). It was good to see Freddie back in the saddle leading his squad through the winding road of draft night. He has a sneaky good squad that doesn't look so hot on paper, but that's when Fred can go all Krueger on us. 2-Villanova is his anchor and has a pretty decent draw in the East and will likely head to the familiar environs of MSG for the regional semis. 6-Ohio State has a decent draw and could feast on a poor shooting Syracuse team although it will likely feel like a road game. 4-San Diego State is not as well known in these parts, but they're as good a team as any in the tourney. They're ranking one spot higher than Michigan in the BPI's, so there's that.  Sleeper Pick: 12-Harvard. Stone cold lock to steal a win.

Tax Men, Wichita State, Love Affair

Tax Men (10-1, 7.9 ASR). It's deja vu all over again as they'll ride the 1-Wichita State train for the second straight year. They also sport the lowest ASR in the draft and relish the long shot role on Calcutta eve. With four teams in the 4-6 seed range, two wins from each of those four teams could put the Tax Men right back in that Catbird seat they know so well. 5-VCU is a well-coached squad and 12-North Dakota State is very underrated. It wouldn't surprise me if the tax guys are drinking out of the Chalise come next March. Sleeper Pick: 12-North Dakota State.

Thank you for being a friend. ~The Elders

Elder Statesmen (10-1, 8.4). The Elders was busy finishing their early bird dinner and didn't win a bid until halfway through the Calcutta. With plenty of money to spend late they gathered two very good 3-seeds in Iowa State and Texas, although I like Iowa State a whole lot more. Will need help from mid-level seeds 8-Memphis and 9-Pitt to make any noise in this year's Calcutta. They've been in this spot before so it's hard to count them out completely. Sleeper Pick: 14-Western Michigan (reverse jinx at work here).

Zack Attack did well in his first Calcutta (thanks for the donation)

Bunch of Chieftans (15-1, 8.5 ASR). 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. Sleeper Pick: 9-Oklahoma State. Saw them play a couple times and when they are playing together....watch out.

So that's a wrap on the morning lines, folks. The listing of all of the teams is on top of the right sidebar under the "2014 Results to Date" link which will be updated after each day's results. It looks like one of the most evenly-matched Calcuttas in recent years and this NCAA tournament is wide-open.  Hope everyone enjoyed themselves and Good Luck!

2014 Calcutta Around the Corner

It's that time of year to start thinking about the Madness.  And after last year's remarkable effort by the Three Amigos, who celebrated their first title since 2001 and ended a long drought, they're ready to repeat last year's championship efforts.  So here we go as we head down the path of the 2014 Calcutta:

Just the facts, ma'am.....

When: Tuesday March 18th, 5:30 p.m.

Where: CTB&K Conference Room

What: Annual Calcutta

What's At Stake?: The Coveted Yellow Jacket and Engraved Championship Chalise (plus a few bucks)

Rules: See linkage on right sidebar

2013 Champions: Three Amigos (2-time champion with 13 wins)

Cost: 250 dineros (bring it witcha)

Amigos End 12-year drought, say ¡Adios! to rest of Calcutta

 Since 2001, the saying within these pages has been ¡Adios Amigos! prior to the national championship game, however in a reversal of fortune, the Amigos have absconded with the 2013 Calcutta title, winning their second yellow jacket, and first outright. The results and sidebar have been updated for the newly crowned champs.

Riding the tidal wave that is the Michigan Wolverines and holding off a late rally by the Orange in the ATL, the Amigos coasted on the back of their strong first two rounds and ultra-strong work in the South region, collecting both 4-Michigan (20) and 3-Florida (24), teams that have contributed 8 of their 13 wins to date.

It wasn't meant to be for the Tax Men, who entered the Final Four with two teams remaining, the 9-Wichita State Shockers and the 4-Orange both lost in the national semis on the big stage. The Tax Men had a strong showing in this year's Calcutta, just falling short, but securing second place is still a great accomplishment for the tax guys who were looking for their first title since 2004.

The Counselors kept their third place hopes alive with a win with the lone remaining top seed, 1-Louisville, who held off a game Shocker bunch who just wouldn't go away. It was a game of streaks, and the Cards had the one the mattered most, the last one. Finishing off the Shockers (and the Tax Men) with some strong balling late in the game. Coach Pitino had an especially good day with his colt Goldencents winning the Santa Anita Derby during halftime of the first semifinal.

The Elders and Bunch will be rooting for Beilein and the Wolverines on Monday night with slight hopes or catching a share for third place.  Let's take a look at the scenarios:

If 1-Louisville wins:
Three Amigos - 1,000
Tax Men - 500
Counselors - 500

If 4-Michigan wins:
Three Amigos - 1,200
Tax Men - 500
Counselors - 100
Elders - 100
Bunch - 100

Having five teams with a possible chance at some dough ray me and slap leather is what the Calcutta is all about.

Looking forward to the Amigos in that coveted yellow jacket next March.....

Rock Shock Calcutta

Not to pat myself on the back, but my sleeper pick for the Tax Men was THE Wichita State University. So the Tax Men march into the Final Four with two teams, temporarily take over the top spot in the Calcutta and will await the Amigos Florida-Michigan auto-winner in Atlanta.

The Sweet Sixteen was anything but that for the Bunch of Chieftans, losing both top seeds in upset games in the regional semis. Posting a big goose egg (0-4) in the Sweet Sixteen was probably a 5-10% probability before Thursday night, but the Amigos were the first to wave Adios to the Chieftans. They'll hope for a Louisville loss in one of the next two games to clinch a tie for third with the Elders.

The Elders hopes ended by the Shockers with the unexpected Ohio State loss in the Elite Eight tonight and the regional semi beat down they applied to LaSalle. They, too, will root heartily against the Cardinals.

The Counselors can snake a third place prize should Louisville run the table and a tie for third should they lose in the Championship game. There will not be a repeat in 2013.

So it comes down to a two team mano y mano race that will likely be decided by the Syracuse-Florida/Michigan game winner. The Tax Men can go into the Final Four with a one game edge should Duke upset Louisville tomorrow in the biggest game of the tournament so far.

It should be interesting and it's great that it's down to two teams battling it out...fighting for the elusive yellow jacket. The Tax Men looking for their first Calcutta championship since 2004 and the Amigos since 2001. Neither team has ever won it outright...

Calcutta heads to Sweet Sixteen

We head to the Sweet Sixteen and it's still fairly wide open. As predicted, the Bunch of Chieftans have made their middle move and eyeing the leader in the clubhouse after the first two rounds, the Three Amigos. Buoyed by #1 seeds Kansas and Indiana, the Bunch rides into the 16 with two other upset winners in the under seeded Oregon Ducks and the exciting FGCU Golden Eagles. The Bunch is poised to strike and the South Region bracket pits them against the Amigos in both match ups on Friday night.  (Kansas-Michigan & FGCU-Florida)

The Amigos, set as 15-1 underdogs in the morning line are on top of the Calcutta thus far, and had this message to send to yours truly regarding the morning line:

True, I'm f'd in this Calcutta alright, and I'm blaming the refs in the Iowa State-OSU game, too!

Ok, so we know the Bunch and Amigos will be slugging it out in the South Region in Dallas Friday night, but who else is lurking around the top hoping they beat the brains out of each other?

The Elders are hanging around the water cooler and could sneak a team to the final four with wins by LaSalle and Ohio State on Thursday night in Los Angeles. That would give them 10 wins and likely a dangerous Ohio State team in the final four. Make sure you adjust your hearing aids boys, some sweet sixteen music could be playing your tune.

The Tax Men will hope to head into April with three solid shots to advance a team (or possibly two) to the final four. All three could advance in their sweet sixteen games, but the Elite Eight may get a tad sticky for the tax guys. Regardless, they've made a strong statement so far in the Calcutta and have a decent shot at cashing a check.

The Win-Docs are on life support and will need a Tom Izzo miracle to get them into the money. If they run the table they'll equal the Amigos current total. Might be time to pull the plug, docs.

The defending champs are down to their two best, Louisville and Miami, both schools playing good ball. They'll need to run the table to get to 12 wins to have the best shot at defending the 2012 chalise. The Counselors have made their case, but need a good closing argument to have a chance to dance.

The Catholic Boyz?  Not surprising. Let me sing it for ya.....



As for the cellar-dwellers. Call the cops, the Cyclones got robbed. Yeah, that's sour grapes, but the Commish & Associate are looking to get out of the basement, and that's still the goal. Until the Warriors go down, we're not...dead yet.


 Enjoy the Sweet Sixteen.......The Commish.

Quick Update: Amigos in Catbird Seat

 Le Tres Amigos gutted out two big wins today, and have 5 remaining teams, with 3 playing on Sunday to sit atop the Calcutta with 8 wins. It looks like the 12 year drought may be lifted, their last title coming in 2001. The results have been updated and uploaded, you can always check them at the top of the right sidebar.

The 4-1 Tax Men shocked the Calcutta by mowing down a #1 seed and added a late night win from the Cuse in unfriendly confines to secure second place temporarily.

The Elders have a big day on Sunday, with four teams looking to advance to the Sweet Sixteen and their title hopes will ride on the Ohio State University, who now has a bracket that has been blown wide open.

Received a late night text from Artie stating he won't be missing next year's draft. GONE-zaga. The Win-Docs sent reeling and could be down to Michigan State by tomorrow night.

The Bunch of Chieftans grabbed an upset win from Oregon and have three going on Sunday, with two #1 seeds lurking, the favorites are poised to make a run at the Amigos.

The Catholic Boyz settled right where I thought they would and are the first squad to be eliminated. Thanks for playing.

The defending champs still have #1 Louisville to slap the competition around and Miami goes tomorrow. The  Counselors could still make a run, but are the Amigos too far in front?

The Commish still sits temporarily in the basement, avoids all-time futility by snaking a third win and an Iowa State upset in the most wide open bracket in the tourney isn't altogether unthinkable...

Full update after the games tomorrow....

OMFG-CU!

Headline - h/t Fox Sports

The Commish was dangerously close (a Marquette buzzer beater and an Iowa State upset) from pulling an 0-fer in the first round (I refuse to call it the second round) and taking the all-time donut in the record books. Embarrassing yes, but seeing Georgetown go down to the gutty FGCU Eagles was worth bowing out of this year's contest. Alums all over the country were seen slamming the wheel on their BMWs. Plus the FGCU Coach's wife is hot. I really really thought this year was the year, back to the drawing board, I guess.

Let's move away from the self-loathing and celebrate the Amigos dominant first round with six victories. While not totally unexpected, a good ride by Florida or Michigan and sneak a win out of one of the other four schools and maybe, just maybe, a certain team will be saying Adios to the rest of us. Looking down the way a bit, the loss by Georgetown also opens up the road to a regional final game for Florida, likely to be against Kansas and the Chieftans in a mammoth game.

The rest of the pack is quite tight...

The Elders always seem to pull off that first round upset, and the LaSalle Explorers answered that bell for the old guys holding off a late charging K-State (4 seed). Their major team, Ohio State held serve and two mid-level seeds Memphis and Illinois pulled off impressive victories. The late win by Minnesota in a mild upset over UCLA catapults them into second heading into the next round.

The favored Chieftans did exactly what they needed to, by pulling off two upsets in Oregon (called it as a sleeper pick) and the aforementioned FGCU Eagles. Not only that, but Davidson had Marquette on the ropes and they could easily be sitting atop the Calcutta with a record-tying performance. Only a disappointing loss by Notre Dame cost them a shot at second place.

The 50-1 Catholic Boyz (4 wins), served up a cup of STFU to morning line maker Sheridan, by splitting its four games. However, only one of its remaining teams will be favored going into the next round and St. Louis will have to go through Louisville. Oof.

The Win-Docs are solidly sitting with four wins, with top seed Gonzaga escaping the 1-16 game, and getting wins out of 7 (Creighton) and 8 (UNC) seeds. Michigan State is always dangerous, so the Docs could still be operating well into the Sweet Sixteen.

The Tax Men (4 wins) took a big hit with third-seeded New Mexico's upset to the Crimson, and will have to ride Duke and Syracuse through the next few rounds for a shot at hitting the board. Wins by Wichita State and San Diego State help the cause, with SD State's cause helped by the G-Town upset.

The defending champs, the Counselors, big dawgs looked good, both Louisville and Miami winning in blowout fashion.  They pick up a bonus win by Harvard so their defending title hopes stay alive another day.

The next round usually separates the men from the Commish (I mean boys). We'll have a recap up on Sunday evening or Monday morning.

2013 Calcutta Kickoff

Three Amigos or Caballeros?

It's that time of year...no Cinco de Mayo...that's the Three Amigos celebrating the last time they held up the Calcutta Chalise (sic) in 2001.  A lot of unanswered questions linger after the beatdown that the Counselors applied on the rest of the Calcutta last year. Will the Elders revert back to their age-old strategies? Will the Commish finally get off the schneid? Is Fred a possible commissioner for the new Catholic 7? Will Fanch feign bids to honor his alma mater?  Will the Tax Men revel in a post 3/15 Calcutta drafting scenario?

Just the facts, ma'am.....

When: Tuesday March 19th, 5:30 p.m.

Where: CTB&K Conference Room

What: Annual Calcutta

What's At Stake?: The Coveted Yellow Jacket and Engraved Championship Chalise (plus a few bucks)

Rules: See linkage on right sidebar

2012 Champions: The Counselors (I hear they are already bickering amongst themselves)

Cost: 250 dineros (bring it witcha)