In case you want to participate in a bracket challenge but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few websites offering substantial prizes if you can pick the winners:

Rival.com offers a $1 million pot to anyone who can pick a perfect bracket.  There are other prizes for those who are somewhat less than perfect.

ESPN offers $10,000 to the person who picks the most correct wins.

CBS Sportsline is also offering $10,000.

Fox is offering a 60 inch flat screen HDTV.

AOL is offering a 42 inch flat screen plasma HDTV.

Want to create your own challenge?  Head over to Pick Hoops and set it up.

Want help picking your bracket?  Check out the following for recommendations and expert picks:

Yahoo Sports expert predictions

Mike Greenfield’s Power rankings

ESPN’s Bracketology predictions

College HoopsNet’s Predictions

Haven’t a clue who to choose?  Use Coke Zero’s Bracket-O-Matic.  (I ended up with Florida A&M versus Belmont in the Finals, with Florida A&M winning by setting it to complete Cinderella and Underdog.  That would be a tournament worth watching.  Upsets in every game—  wouldn’t that be fun?  The Twilight Zone of college basketball.)  If you’re feeling more serious, then use Team Ranking’s Bracket Brains.

My underdog favorite?  Vanderbilt.  I was there when they won the NIT in 1990, and I would love to see them win the NCAA Tournament.

Campbell’s is running their yearly Click for Cans Program. Each year, fans vote for their favorite team, and the winning team receives soup cans, based on the number of votes they received, which are donated to a local food bank. The Green Bay Packers are the undefeated Click for Cans champs, so get over there and vote your favorite team. (Oh, and this year there is a secondary contest— the team with the most improved click rate from last year will receive 2006 cans donated to their local food bank.) Click for Cans continues through December 15.

My wife just mentioned this on our winter olympics blog. Entenmann’s has a very cool contest going on.

Adults can nominate any “mini hero” between the ages of six and seventeen doing charity work in their communities with a short essay. Celebrety judges that include Olympic sisters Emily and Sarah Hughes, Chicago Cubs Kerry Wood, along with others, will judge the essays.

Prizes include $2500 for the winner and $2500 for their favorite charity. For more information check out:
www.entenmannsminiheroes.com

This is a very nice way to give back to kids doing positive work in our communities!