TBE Play For a Cause 2009 Final Four Update

Well, we've gone through two weekends of March Madness, and found ourselves at the Final Four. Interestingly, just as this year's tourney has been different than the past four or five (very few upsets and few close games in the later rounds), this year's pool is very different from last year.

Last year, entering the Final Four, any number of people could win. Heifer International ended up coming from behind to take the crown by virtue of Kansas' championship over Memphis.

This year, Dennis, who hasn't even picked a charity yet, zoomed from the bottom to the top of the pack with his stellar Sweet Sixteen picking, and held on through the Elite 8. Conversely, many a soul, including yours truly, is out after picking Louisville or Memphis to win it all.

So, with the Final Four coming this Saturday, the race of 9 has now become a race of two. If UCONN wins it's Final Four game, and UNC loses to Villanova, then Sara and Autism Speaks wins the pot. If however, UNC beats Villanova, then nothing else matters and Dennis better figure out a charity to accept all our hard earned cash.

Congrats to all who've played, and made this year even better than last. Pick your side, for the battle will be fierce. UCONN and Autism Speaks vs UNC and TBA.

TBE Play for a Cause 2009 Group

For everyone who wants to join this year's "TBE Play for a Cause" March Madness pool, two announcements:

1. The pool at ESPN is created.

- go to http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage to log in.
- if you have a previous screenname and password, you can enter them on the right

- otherwise, click "sign up for a free account."

- then fill in all the information to create an account. Remember! By doing this you are also entered (for free) in ESPN's $10,000 contest!

- once you sign in or sign up, click on the gold link to create a bracket.

- then name your bracket after the charity of your choice (this step is important!)

- after naming your bracket, click on the "My Groups" link in the middle of the page, and follow the drop down list to "Create or Join a Group"

- once you are at the Groups page, you should search for "TBE Play for a Cause 2009"


- click on the group, then you will see the group page. Enter "TBE" as the password, and join the group! You have entered the "TBE Play for a Cause" 2009 March Madness Pool!


2. Selection Sunday is this Sunday, March 15th, 2009.
- you can join the pool before then, but you cannot officially fill in your bracket (because all the teams haven't been set yet).
- therefore, REMEMBER TO FILL IN YOUR BRACKET THIS SUNDAY OR MONDAY!

That is all for now. If you have questions, drop me an email.

March Madness Pool 2009

I know this is a hard year, but we can still give

Everyone, it's that time of year again.

While I am busily learning medicine and working 12 hour days at the hospital, you will be watching all the action-packed basketball games that give truth to the monikor "March Madness."

As always, I'm rooting for BYU to NOT underperform, and make it out of the first round. I'm not saying they'll go all the way, but it'd be nice to see an 8 seed finally move to round 2.


Last year was the inagural "TBE Play for a Cause." Congrats again to Sara, the winner, and Heifer International, the charity for whom she played.

For those of you who did not enjoy the inaugural run, here's the background/rules. Every year for March Madness, people join pools. Every participant donates money to the pot, and the winner takes all the money. Last year, instead of just giving money to someone, I thought it would be wonderful to harness this economic power to do some social good.

Congrats again to Sara, the winner, and Heifer International

In "TBE Play for a Cause" each participant contributes $10 to the pot and chooses a charity to represent. Then he or she signs up at ESPN.com (doubling the pot, because you are defacto entered into ESPN's contest also) and joins my pool (for ease of keeping track of results daily). Each contestant receives points based on the number of games correctly picked -- using the same scoring rules that ESPN uses. At the end of the tournament, the pot will go to the charity of the winning player.

I know this is a hard year, the economy is a maelstrom around us, and Barack Obama wants to socialize healthcare, but we can still give. $10 is the price of one entre at a middle-of-the-road restaurant, or food for 2 at McDonalds. It's the price for 1 day of parking in the Texas Medical Center where I work. I know you guys can give up one day of driving into work for a worthy cause.

Here is the rallying call: Come one, come all, to the second annual TBE Play for a Cause! Choose a charity! Fill your bracket! Let us help the less fortunate! May the best contestant win!

Welcome, March Madness 2009. We are ready.