Noted changes:
- To make grading easier, we will be using poll results instead of actual ratings.
- Repacement teams have been selected for teams that received no nominations.
- Grading will be much harder in the actual tournament. Ten points will be automatically deducted from users who go over the limit by more than 10 words. So please put your essay in a separate post from any other thoughts/comments.
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Rules
Each round, we will pose a question to the field. If you are chosen as your team's representative, you will be asked to write a 100-word essay for the first round, and then another for the second. During the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight we will ask for a maximum of 250 words. The Final Four, 500. Championship, 1,000. Essays will be graded on five categories, and the better your answers are, the better your score will be.
Users will be asked for their thoughts on a specific topic. (examples: "What coach has had the biggest effect on the tournament?" or "Who is the most complete player left in the field?")
Grading:
Posts will be graded in five equally valued categories, for a possible total of 100 points. The user with the highest score will move on.
- Passion (20 percent) -- Can we tell how much you love the game?
- Creativity (20 percent) -- Do you present things in an original way? Are your thoughts fresh?
- Clarity (20 percent) -- Can you spell? Do you use correct grammar and write in complete sentences? Do your points come across clearly?
- Knowledge (20 percent) -- Is it obvious that you know the game?
- Voting (20 percent) -- How many of your peers have voted for you?
* 10 points will be automatically deducted from users who go over the limit by more than 10 words. So please put your essay in a separate post from any other thoughts/comments.
Speaking of grading, we know that FiddleChips, the community's resident college hoops guru, is already hosting a pretty spectacular event, and that's exactly why we've asked him back as a special guest judge for our tournament. We're thrilled that he's accepted our invitation!
Timing:
Our tournament will follow the actual tournament timeline.
March 16: Member Mayhem selections announced
March 16-18: Play-in essays taken and graded.
March 19-21: First-round essays taken and graded
March 22-23: Second-round essays taken and graded
March 24-28: Sweet 16 essays taken and graded
March 29-30: Elite Eight essays taken and graded
March 31-April 5: Final Four essays taken and graded
April 6-7: Championship essays taken and graded
April 7: Champion crowned
Please don't nominate yourself if you're not up to the challenge!
Penalties and disqualifications
* We reserve the right to disqualify any competitor who does not adhere to message board rules and policies.
* If a competitor receives a bid, but doesn't post during the first-round window, a replacement poster will be solicited by the editors/producers at CBSSports.com. That user will automatically receive a score of 10 for the voting portion.
* Team representatives who fail to post in the following rounds will receive an automatic score of zero. Should two head-to-head posters receive zeros (and they had better not), we will be forced to advance the user of our choosing. Don't ask how we will decide; we have our ways …
Prizes
We're unable to give away actual prizes this year, but hopefully next year we can sweeten the pot. This year's winner will receive "ownership" of the site. Once a week for a month, we will feature the winner's content on our home page, right next to our experts. You send us your picture. You write about what you want (within reason). If that's not something you're interested in, the Community home page is a second option. This competition is all about fun, but the bragging rights alone should be worth the trouble!
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