Origin of the Bracket Pool

[pfister1]

Thought this story was interesting. It traces the origins of the NCAA bracket pool to 1977 and this bar in Staten Island. By 2006 it was running a bracket game with a $1.5 million pool and the owner was in hot water with the Feds.

March Madness: The origin of NCAA brackets

 

[Dinkyspond]

Saw this on CBS Sunday Morning show. Incredible story.

 

[upperdeck]

i know we were doing them before 77 at our school

 

[ScrabbCuse]

Thought this story was interesting. It traces the origins of the NCAA bracket pool to 1977 and this bar in Staten Island. By 2006 it was running a bracket game with a $1.5 million pool and the owner was in hot water with the Feds.

March Madness: The origin of NCAA brackets

As a native Staten Islander, I didn’t even have to read the article to know it was about Jody’s. I wasn’t around in the 70s but I can remember massive lines like DisneyWorld outside that place 20-25 years ago. Plenty of illegal stuff went on there of course. Place is still around but just a normal bar now, minus the March Madness shenanigans.