Block 2 Pennant Race – Thursday

Posted: October 4, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2013 | Tags: | Leave a comment »

Thursday Update

In the Atlantic League, Lancaster defeated Long Island 5-1 in Game 1 of the best-of-5 championship series. No points were earned Wednesday and none can be earned Thursday, but action will continue today in the Atlantic League while the Week 6 CFB picks and the Shriners Open begin.

Current Standings

  1. Danny 689
  2. skizzow^ 673 (-16)
  3. Jimmy 673 (-16)
  4. Bristol* 671 (-18)
  5. mxknkl 663 (-26)
  6. abittner 647 (-42)
  7. JP 618 (-71)
  8. Greg 607 (-82)
  9. Chris 575 (-114)
  10. Ryan 564 (-125)
  11. Doug 551 (-138)

* – Bristol has already clinched a playoff spot. If he wins Block 2, the second place finisher will earn the playoff berth.

^ – skizzow owns the tiebreak edge over Jimmy by virtue of a 6 to 5 advantage in Block 2 Event Wins.

Remaining Points Available

Atlantic League – Barring rainouts the championship series, worth 32 points, will be complete no later than Sunday evening and be included in Block 2.

Major League Baseball – The two wild card games will be played Friday, adding a possible 24 points to Block 2.

CFB Week 6 Picks – Week 6 picks end on Sunday with the Montreal @ Laval CIS game, so the 16 points to the week’s winner(s) will count towards Block 2.

Shriners Open – The event that is overwhelmingly likely to decide Block 2 begins today and ends Sunday. As with other UvU events, the top 10 finishers earn points on a sliding scale from 80 to 8, with a 32-point bonus for anyone who correctly picks the winner. Thus, 112 points are possible in this one.

WNBA – The Western Conference Final between Minnesota & Los Angeles begins Thursday and would end Sunday if one of teams sweeps the other in the best-of-3 series. This would add 32 more points to Block 1. (Game 3 of the series would be next Wednesday and would put the points in Block 3 if the game is necessary.)

Note: Since the NFL Week 5 picks conclude on Monday, October 8, those points will open the scoring for Block 3.

The Contenders

Here is a breakdown of how each of the contenders for the Block 2 title stands in regards to ongoing events. All contenders are in play for the 24 points for the MLB Wild Card games, the 16 points for the upcoming Week 6 CFB picks and the 112 points for the Shriners Open, provided they submit picks.

Danny 689 (+16)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Minnesota is in the Western Conference Finals.

skizzow 673 (-16)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Minnesota is in the Western Conference Finals.

Jimmy 673 (-16)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Los Angeles is in the Western Conference Finals.

Bristol 671 (-18)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is trailing the championship series 1-0. Game 2 is tonight.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Minnesota is in the Western Conference Finals.

mxknkl 663 (-26)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is trailing the championship series 1-0. Game 2 is tonight.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Minnesota is in the Western Conference Finals.

abittner 647 (-42)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Los Angeles is in the Western Conference Finals.

JP 618 (-71)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Los Angeles is in the Western Conference Finals.

Greg 607 (-82)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is trailing the championship series 1-0. Game 2 is tonight.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Los Angeles is in the Western Conference Finals.

Chris 575 (-114)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick Southern Maryland has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Los Angeles is in the Western Conference Finals.

Ryan 564 (-125)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is leading the championship series 1-0. Game 2 is tonight.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Minnesota is in the Western Conference Finals.

Doug 551 (-138)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is leading the championship series 1-0. Game 2 is tonight.
  • WNBA (32) – Western Conference champion pick Minnesota is in the Western Conference Finals.

Event-By-Event Analysis

Atlantic League

  • Lancaster leads Long Island 1 game to 0 in the best-of-5 championship series. As scheduled, the series could end as as soon as Friday or as late as Sunday.
    • If Long Island wins:  mxknkl, JP & Greg all pick up 32 points. Unless the series does not conclude until after the Shriners Open on Sunday, mxknkl will take a 6-point lead over Danny for the Block 2 lead with a Long Island championship. Doug would be eliminated from contention.
    • If Lancaster wins: Bristol, Doug & Ryan earn the 32 points. Unless the series does not conclude until after the Shriners Open on Sunday, Bristol will take a 14-point lead over Danny for the Block 2 lead with a Lancaster championship. Danny would remain in the lead for the playoff spot.
    • The Takeaway: If the series does not go the full 5 games, Danny will be bumped out of the lead following its conclusion. However, if Lancaster wins he will still be in the lead for the playoff spot.

CFB Week 6 Picks

  • One or more users will earn the 16 points for winning the week. At the beginning or in the middle of a block, the 16 points may not seem to have a lot of impact. This week, it might mean the difference between winning the Block 2 championship and falling agonizingly short.

Major League Baseball

  • The two wild card games will be played tomorrow and are each worth 12 points, giving everyone a shot at 24 more points.

WNBA

  • The best-of-3 Western Conference Finals between Minnesota and Los Angeles begins tonight and would end Sunday only if one team sweeps the first 2 games. The game on Sunday begins at 2:30 pm CDT and should be ending during the final round of the Shriners Open.
    • If Minnesota wins: Bristol, Danny, Doug, Ryan, mxknkl & skizzow would earn 32 points.
    • If Los Angeles wins: Chris, Greg, JP, Jimmy & abittner pick up 32 points.
    • The Takeaway: If the series ends in a sweep, one of the two groups of users listed above will gain 32 points right around the time the points from the Shriners Open will be finalized.

Shriners Open

  • The Big One. With a maximum of 112 points available and the possibility of large point swings, the Block 2 championship will almost certainly be decided by the Shriners Open.

 

Block 2 Pennant Race – Wednesday

Posted: October 3, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2013 | Tags: | Leave a comment »

Wednesday Update

In the WNBA last night, Indiana defeated Atlanta 75-64 in the first game and Minnesota defeated Seattle 73-72 in the second game. All of the contenders except Danny, mxknkl & Doug earned 16 points from Indiana while everyone except Chris picked up 16 from Minnesota. skizzow, Jimmy & Bristol all moved past mxknkl, dropping him to 5th while Ryan moved past Doug into 10th place.

Current Standings

  1. Danny 689
  2. skizzow^ 673 (-16)
  3. Jimmy 673 (-16)
  4. Bristol* 671 (-18)
  5. mxknkl 663 (-26)
  6. abittner 647 (-42)
  7. JP 618 (-71)
  8. Greg 607 (-82)
  9. Chris 575 (-114)
  10. Ryan 564 (-125)
  11. Doug 551 (-138)

* – Bristol has already clinched a playoff spot. If he wins Block 2, the second place finisher will earn the playoff berth.

^ – skizzow owns the tiebreak edge over Jimmy by virtue of a 6 to 5 advantage in Block 2 Event Wins.

Remaining Points Available

Atlantic League – Barring rainouts the championship series, worth 32 points, will be complete no later than Sunday evening and be included in Block 2.

Major League Baseball – The two wild card games will be complete before the end of Block 1, adding a possible 24 points.

CFB Week 6 Picks – Week 6 picks end on Sunday with the Montreal @ Laval CIS game, so the 16 points to the week’s winner(s) will count towards Block 2.

Shriners Open – The event that is overwhelmingly likely to decide Block 2 begins on Thursday and ends Sunday. As with other UvU events, the top 10 finishers earn points on a sliding scale from 80 to 8, with a 32-point bonus for anyone who correctly picks the winner. Thus, 112 points are possible in this one, which is keeping so many users alive for the Block 2 championship.

Note: Since the NFL Week 5 picks conclude on Monday, October 8, those points will open the scoring for Block 3.

The Contenders

Here is a breakdown of how each of the contenders for the Block 2 title stands in regards to ongoing events. All contenders are in play for the 24 points for the MLB Wild Card games, the 16 points for the upcoming Week 6 CFB picks and the 112 points for the Shriners Open, provided they submit picks.

Danny 689 (+16)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.

skizzow 673 (-16)

  •  Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.

Jimmy 673 (-16)

  •  Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.

Bristol 671 (-18)

  •  Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.

mxknkl 663 (-26)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.

abittner 647 (-42)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.

JP 618 (-71)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.

Greg 607 (-82)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.

Chris 575 (-114)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick Southern Maryland has been eliminated.

Ryan 564 (-125)

  •  Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.

Doug 551 (-138)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.

Event-By-Event Analysis

Atlantic League

  • The championship series between Lancaster and Long Island begins tonight and is a best-of-5 series. As scheduled, the series could end as as soon as Friday or as late as Sunday.
    • If Long Island wins:  mxknkl, JP & Greg all pick up 32 points. Unless the series does not conclude until after the Shriners Open on Sunday, mxknkl will take a 6-point lead over Danny for the Block 2 lead with a Long Island championship. Doug would be eliminated from contention.
    • If Lancaster wins: Bristol, Doug & Ryan earn the 32 points. Unless the series does not conclude until after the Shriners Open on Sunday, Bristol will take a 14-point lead over Danny for the Block 2 lead with a Lancaster championship. Danny would remain in the lead for the playoff spot.
    • The Takeaway: If the series does not go the full 5 games, Danny will be bumped out of the lead following its conclusion. However, if Lancaster wins he will still be in the lead for the playoff spot.

Major League Baseball

  • The two wild card games will be played Friday barring crazy tiebreaker scenarios and are each worth 12 points, giving everyone a shot at 24 more points.

CFB Week 6 Picks

  • One or more users will earn the 16 points for winning the week. At the beginning or in the middle of a block, the 16 points may not seem to have a lot of impact. This week, it might mean the difference between winning the Block 2 championship and falling agonizingly short.

Shriners Open

  • The Big One. With a maximum of 112 points available and the possibility of large point swings, the Block 2 championship will almost certainly be decided by the Shriners Open.

Final Note

The only way that the Block 2 championship will not come down to the Shriners Open is if the Atlantic League Championship series is later Sunday evening with a chance to swing the title. Otherwise, it all comes down to a golf event. Perfect.

 

Block 2 Pennant Race – Tuesday

Posted: October 2, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2013 | Tags: | Leave a comment »

Tuesday Update

Danny and skizzow each picked an impressive 13 of 15 NFL games correct in Week 4 to claim the weekly title and more importantly, the 16 points. Danny extended his lead over the rest of the field and now sits 26 points clear of mxknkl. skizzow moves past Bristol into a 3rd place tie with Jimmy, 32 behind Danny. skizzow holds the tiebreaker edge over Jimmy with 6 Block 2 Event Wins to 5. Had the Cowboys won last night instead of the Bears, mxknkl and Greg would have tied for the weekly title and picked up 16 points as well. In other words, He’s A….Romo put a wrinkle in mxknkl’s hopes and severely damaged Greg’s chances by out-Cutlering the master last night.

Current Standings

  1. Danny 673
  2. mxknkl 647 (-26)
  3. skizzow^641 (-32)
  4. Jimmy 641 (-32)
  5. Bristol* 639 (-34)
  6. abittner 615 (-58)
  7. JP 586 (-87)
  8. Greg 575 (-98)
  9. Chris 559 (-114)
  10. Doug 535 (-138)
  11. Ryan 532 (-141)

* – Bristol has already clinched a playoff spot. If he wins Block 2, the second place finisher will earn the playoff berth.

^ – skizzow owns the tiebreak edge over Jimmy by virtue of a 6 to 5 advantage in Block 2 Event Wins.

Remaining Points Available

Atlantic League – Barring rainouts the championship series, worth 32 points, will be complete no later than Sunday evening and be included in Block 2.

WNBA – The two remaining in-progress first round series conclude tonight. With each series worth 16 points, 32 Block 2 points are available this evening.

CFB Week 6 Picks – Week 6 picks end on Sunday with the Montreal @ Laval CIS game, so the 16 points to the week’s winner(s) will count towards Block 2.

Shriners Open – The event that is overwhelmingly likely to decide Block 2 begins on Thursday and ends Sunday. As with other UvU events, the top 10 finishers earn points on a sliding scale from 80 to 8, with a 32-point bonus for anyone who correctly picks the winner. Thus, 112 points are possible in this one, which is keeping so many users alive for the Block 2 championship.

Note: Since the NFL Week 5 picks conclude on Monday, October 8, those points will open the scoring for Block 3.

The Contenders

Here is a breakdown of how each of the contenders for the Block 2 title stands in regards to ongoing events. All contenders are in play for the 16 points for the upcoming Week 6 CFB picks and the 112 points for the Shriners Open, provided they submit picks.

Danny 673 (+26)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

mxknkl 647 (-26)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

skizzow 641 (-32)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Jimmy 641 (-32)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Bristol 639 (-34)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

abittner 615 (-58)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

JP 586 (-87)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Greg 575 (-98)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Chris 559 (-114)

  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick Southern Maryland has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Seattle picked to win in the 1st round.

Doug 535 (-138)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Ryan 532 (-141)

  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Event-By-Event Analysis

Atlantic League

  • The championship series between Lancaster and Long Island begins tomorrow night and is a best-of-5 series. As scheduled, the series could end as as soon as Friday or as late as Sunday.
    • If Long Island wins:  mxknkl, JP & Greg all pick up 32 points. Unless the series does not conclude until after the Shriners Open on Sunday, mxknkl will take a 6-point lead over Danny for the Block 2 lead with a Long Island championship. Doug would be eliminated from contention.
    • If Lancaster wins: Bristol, Doug & Ryan earn the 32 points.

WNBA

  • The Indiana-Atlanta and Minnesota-Seattle series both conclude tonight and are worth 16 points apiece.
  • Rooting interests:
    • Atlanta @ Indiana: 
      • Indiana – Jimmy, Bristol, skizzow, abittner, JP, Greg, Chris, Ryan
      • Atlanta – Danny, mxknkl, Doug
    • Seattle @ Minnesota:
      • Minnesota – Danny, mxknkl, Jimmy, Bristol, skizzow, abittner, JP, Greg, Doug, Ryan
      • Seattle – Chris
  • Tonight’s breakdown:
    • If Atlanta wins: Danny & mxknkl move 16 more points clear of everyone else except Doug, keeping Danny’s lead at 26 and giving mxknkl a 22-point cushion over 3rd place. Jimmy & skizzow would fall 48 points behind Danny with Bristol 50 back.
    • If Indiana wins: mxknkl drops from 2nd to 5th place, passed up by skizzow, Jimmy & Bristol. skizzow & Jimmy would trail Danny by just 16 while Bristol would be within 18.
    • If Minnesota wins: Everyone else gains 16 points on Chris, putting him on the brink of elimination.
    • If Seattle wins: Chris gains 16 points on everyone and keeps his faint hopes alive.
    • If Atlanta & Minnesota win: Chris is eliminated from contention.

CFB Week 6 Picks

  • One or more users will earn the 16 points for winning the week. At the beginning or in the middle of a block, the 16 points may not seem to have a lot of impact. This week, it might mean the difference between winning the Block 2 championship and falling agonizingly short.

Shriners Open

  • The Big One. With a maximum of 112 points available and the possibility of large point swings, the Block 2 championship will almost certainly be decided by the Shriners Open.

Final Note

The only way that the Block 2 championship will not come down to the Shriners Open is if the Atlantic League Championship series is later Sunday evening with a chance to swing the title. Otherwise, it all comes down to a golf event. Perfect.

[Ed. Note: I might be the only one paying this close of attention, but holy shit this is fun.]

 

Block 2 Pennant Race

Posted: October 1, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2013 | Tags: | Leave a comment »

With the end of Block 2 looming on Sunday, it’s time to take a look at the race for the 2nd playoff spot. There is a mad scramble for the Block 2 title with 4 users within 20 points, 6 within 50, 9 within 100, and 11 within 125. Making the conclusion of this block even more exciting is the fact that we have a User Vs User event this weekend – the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The block 2 title has the potential to be changing hands as the golfers come down the stretch on the back nine on Sunday. With 11 users still alive in Block 2, let’s break the title chase down…

Current Standings

  1. Danny 657
  2. mxknkl 647 (-10)
  3. Jimmy 641 (-16)
  4. Bristol* 639 (-18)
  5. skizzow 625 (-32)
  6. abittner 615 (-42)
  7. JP 586 (-71)
  8. Greg 575 (-82)
  9. Chris 559 (-98)
  10. Doug 535 (-122)
  11. Ryan 532 (-125)

* – Bristol has already clinched a playoff spot. If he wins Block 2, the second place finisher will earn the 2nd playoff berth.

Remaining Points Available

NFL Week 4 Picks – The 16 points for the week will be awarded following the conclusion of tonight’s Chicago-Dallas matchup.

Atlantic League – Barring rainouts, the championship series, worth 32 points, will be complete no later than Sunday evening and be included in Block 2.

WNBA – The two remaining in-progress first round series will conclude Tuesday night. With each series worth 16 points, 32 more Block 2 points are available in this event.

CFB Week 6 Picks – Week 6 picks end on Sunday with the Montreal @ Laval CIS game, so the 16 points to the week’s winner(s) will count towards Block 2.

Shriners Open – The event that is overwhelmingly likely to decide Block 2 begins on Thursday and ends Sunday. As with other UvU events, the top 10 finishers earn points on a sliding scale from 80 to 8, with a 32-point bonus for anyone who correctly picks the winner. Thus, 112 points are possible in this one, which is keeping so many users alive for the Block 2 championship.

Note: Since the NFL Week 5 picks conclude on Monday, October 8, those points will count for Block 3.

The Contenders

Here is a breakdown of how each of the contenders for the Block 2 title stands in regards to events that have already begun. All contenders are in play for the 16 points for the upcoming Week 6 CFB picks and the 112 points for the Shriners Open.

Note: The possible points for the Week 4 NFL picks are based on number correct only and not based on who the users currently have picked for tonight. That information is not available until after kickoff.

Danny 657 (+10)

  • Week 4 NFL(16) – Currently tied for the lead with skizzow. If he hangs on to at least a tie for 1st, he will pick up 16 points
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

mxknkl 647 (-10)

  • Week 4 NFL (16) – Currently tied with Greg, one behind Danny and skizzow.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Jimmy 641 (-16)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Bristol 639 (-18)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

skizzow 625 (-32)

  • Week 4 NFL(16) – Currently tied for the lead with Danny. If he hangs on to at least a tie for 1st, he will pick up 16 points
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

abittner 615 (-42)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

JP 586 (-71)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Greg 575 (-82)

  • Week 4 NFL (16) – Currently tied with mxknkl, one behind Danny and skizzow.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Chris 559 (-98)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick Southern Maryland has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Seattle picked to win in the 1st round.

Doug 535 (-122)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Ryan 532 (-125)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Event-By-Event Analysis

Week 4 NFL Picks

  • Danny and skizzow are tied for the lead with 1 game remaining. mxknkl and Greg are tied, 1 behind the leaders. Thus, all 4 remain alive for the 16 points.

Atlantic League

  • The championship series between Lancaster and Long Island begins Wednesday night and is a best-of-5 series. The series could end as as soon as Friday or as late as Sunday, barring rainouts.
  • If Long Island wins the championship series, mxknkl, JP & Greg all pick up 32 points. mxknkl currently trails by just 10, although the standings could change before the championship series is completed.
  • If Lancaster wins the championship series, Bristol, Doug & Ryan earn the 32 points.
  • Regardless of who wins, a threesome of users is gaining 32 points on the lead.

WNBA

  • The Indiana-Atlanta and Minnesota-Seattle series will conclude on Tuesday night and are worth 16 points apiece.
  • Rooting interests: Indiana – Jimmy, Bristol, skizzow, abittner, JP, Greg, Chris, Ryan; Atlanta – Danny, mxknkl, Doug. Minnesota – Danny, mxknkl, Jimmy, Bristol, skizzow, abittner, JP, Greg, Doug, Ryan; Seattle – Chris.
  • An Atlanta win tomorrow moves the top 2 users another 16 points clear of everyone else, while an Indiana win tightens things up a bit. A Minnesota win would serve only to push Chris further behind while a Seattle upset would gain he alone the 16 points.

CFB Week 6 Picks

  • One or more users will earn the 16 points for winning the week. At the beginning or in the middle of a block, the 16 points may not seem to have a lot of impact, but that is not the case this week.

Shriners Open

  • The Big One. With a maximum of 112 points available and the possibility of large point swings, the Block 2 championship will almost certainly be decided by the Shriners Open.

Final Note

The only way that the Block 2 championship will not come down to the Shriners Open is if the Atlantic League Championship series is later Sunday evening with a chance to swing the title. Otherwise, it all comes down to a golf event. Perfect.

 

 

 

 

CFB Week 1 “Previews”

Posted: August 30, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: CFB Weekly Picks, MB 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

As we have already established, a favorite MegaBracket pastime is to “preview” upcoming events with a plethora of random information. The college football season is no different as the sheer number of games played each week allows us to pick games at random and learn a little more about the colleges, players, coaches, and towns involved. Several different MB members contribute throughout the season with previews of their own. Each week’s collation will be published in one easy-to-find post.

[Ed. Note: If you would like to add your own contribution, simply e-mail it in and we will include it in the appropriate week’s previews.]

Furman @ Samford – Saturday, September 1 @ 3:30 pm CDT

Author: Ryan

In celebration of the start of the greatest time of year, and to honor the new President of my association, the head golf coach at Furman, I give you my first preview of the year, Furman at Samford, The I Don’t Remember Why We Are Picking This But I Am Glad We Are Game Of The Week.

We are going to do these “Tale of the Tape Style” this year, but without columns because that seems hard.

Mascots

Furman – Paladins.  This technically means a paragon of chivalry, a heroic champion, or any of the 12 peers of French emperor Charlemagne’s court.  Their actual mascot is a knight on a horse named Sir Paladin, and he rides Fury.  He is all kinds of awesome and looks like he could kick the crap out of Traveler at USC.  The Paladin name was first used by a sports writer in the 30s to describe the basketball team, and stuck for them, but did not become the official nickname of all teams until 1961.

Samford – Bulldogs.  This technically means slobbery dog that makes Jimmy noises all day long.  Their mascot is a costumed bulldog (real bulldogs are hard to come by) named Spike.  Samford used to be called Howard College, and I assume they were Bulldogs back then, but I have no idea.

Advantage – Paladins.  Always Paladins.  (Side note – I was 100% convinced a Paladin was a bird before today).

Coaching Staff (Most Awesome Member)

Furman – Cornerback/Special Teams Coordinator Antonio Goss.  A former 49er and Ram, Goss was a back-up linebacker for 2 49ers (one Joe Montana-led and one Steve Young-led)  Super Bowl teams and was the Special Teams Captain at the XXIX game.

[Ed. Note: Goss beat out Furman’s Kickers & Punters coach out for this award even through Bob Price is the happiest old guy ever. Either happy or pooping.]

Samford – A little bit more NFL playing and coaching experience to choose from here, but the obvious choice is Head Coach Pat Sullivan, the 1971 Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn.

Advantage – Heisman always beats Special Teams Captain.

Best Player Names

Furman – Tie – Dakota Derrick (Back-up QB) and Dakota Dozier (All-Conference OT).  With any luck these two have their very own cable access western.

Samford – Tie – Trett Hardman (Back-up QB turned TE) and Armando Bonheur (F OL).  The best Buddy Cop/Porno flick ever made.  Hey Armando, what did you say you wanted to do to my sister? http://samfordsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3496&path=football

Advantage – Hardman & Bonheur.  This wasn’t even a fair fight after that photo.

Locations

Furman – Greenville, SC (long known as The Textile Capital of the World). It could be named for Revolutionary General Nathanael Greene, or Isaac Green.  Apparently they don’t know.  The Lynyrd Skynrd plane crash took off from Greenville after a show there, before running out of fuel in Mississippi.  Greenville’s most famous residents include Kevin Garnett, Lucas Glover, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and Jesse Jackson.

Samford – Homewood, AL (a suburb of Birmingham).  It has one of the highest population densities in Alabama.  The Homewood High band has played in the Tournament of Roses parade more than any other band in the state of Alabama.  Children’s Author and Poet Charles Ghigna lives there.

Advantage – Furman.  Greenville seems to have a lot on Homewood.

Notable Alumni

Furman –Thomas T. Goldstein, Jr., a Physicist, but one that invented the first video game; Jimmy’s favorite singer Amy Grant; Herman Lay, the founder of Lay’s (which became Frito-Lay); US Soccer player Clint Dempsey; QB Ingle Martin; Sam Wyche; Golfers Brad Faxon and Bruce Fleisher; and Chick Golfers Dottie Pepper, Beth Daniel and Betsy King.

Samford – Coaches Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher; NFLer Cortland Finnegan; and Actor Tony Hale (Buster on Arrested Development).

Advantage – Furman is responsible for Video Games and Doritos.  I don’t think anything could top that with our group.

Decision

Furman takes this one 3-2, which will surely lead the Paladins to victory.

 

Sioux Falls @ St. Cloud State – Thursday, August 30 @ 6:00 pm CDT

Author: Bristol

Why not steal Ryan’s idea and do the other weekly previews the same way…

Mascots

Sioux Falls – Cougars. Way to be original – no one else ever would have thought to use Cougars as their mascot. However, bonus points for this behind the scenes video on what it takes to be Cooper the Cougar.

St. Cloud State – Huskies. And I thought USF was unoriginal. But, Blizzard the Husky looks like this and has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. (Also, how about the blatant rip-off of the Montreal Canadiens logo by St. Cloud State?)

Advantage – Blizzard the Husky – Facebook, Twitter and Blizzard molesting college chicks in hockey sweaters beat a two-minute clip on some random local TV station.

Coaching Staff (Most Awesome Member)

Sioux Falls – A tie between Coach Tiny (their name, not mine) and Ryan Grubb. Grubb played football at good ol’ BVU (Buena Vista University, my alma mater) while I matriculated in beautiful Storm Lake, IA. He was a four-year starter and team captain at BV before coaching at Kingsley-Pierson High School and South Dakota State. Coach Tiny is Coach Tiny and that’s all he needs.

St. Cloud State – Steve Grimit. All. The. Jowls. Grimit played football and wrestled at Western Illinois (or we like to call it, Willinois) and qualified for the Division I Wrestling National Championship and was a football c0-captain.

(Honorable Mention: Head Coach Scott Underwood. Underwood is from Marion, IA, played at Augustana College in Sioux Falls and has had coaching stops at Augustana, the University of Sioux Falls, and the University of North Dakota. Alas, he has so few jowls…)

Advantage – Sioux Falls. Are you kidding? No one beats Coach Tiny. No one.

Best Player Names

Sioux Falls – Bo Bearshield. Best Hair – Evan Colfack.

St. Cloud State – Tie – Viliamu Sioka Latu & Shaquille Theus. Best Hair – Bo Putrah.

Advantage – Sioux Falls. Shaquille Theus would win if this were basketball but how do you defeat a Bearshield?

Locations

Sioux Falls – Sioux Falls, SD – “The Best Little City in America” and the hometown of a certain co-writer of the weekly football previews. The John Morrell meat packing plant celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. Notable residents and natives include actress January Jones; entertainment reporters Pat O’Brien and Mary Hart; World War II fighter pilot Joe Foss; NFL coach Mike Martz; and actor David Soul (Hutch from Starsky & Hutch).

St. Cloud State – St. Cloud, MN – “The Granite City” was named after a city of the same name in France (strike one). It’s first mayor was a slaveowner in the free state of Minnesota and many southerners moved to St. Cloud with their slaves after the Dred Scott decision was declared unconstitutional in 1857 (strike two). Courtroom scenes from The Mighty Ducks were filmed in St. Cloud (one strike removed). Notable natives and residents include former MLB player Jim Eisenreich, and two Jeopardy champions.

Advantage – Sioux Falls. If being the hometown of an original MB member (and Pat O’Brien) isn’t enough, Sioux Falls squares off against the northern slave capital of the United States.

Notable Alumni

Sioux Falls – None listed anywhere that I could find.

Update: (from MB member and Sioux Falls native Ryan)

The only notable USF Alumni is the Head Coach of the most dominant force in MegaBracket Indoor Football, the Sioux Falls Storm.
  • He has led the Storm to a record of 140-28 in ten seasons.
  • 6 Titles.
  • Record 40-game winning streak (they say the longest professional winning streak).
  • 3 undefeated seasons.
  • Before taking the Storm job he was the QB coach at USF for five years.  In that time the were 67-3 and won three NAIA titles.
  • As a QB at USF he led the Cougars to a title in 1997 and was an All-American.
  • He also teaches at my old high school now – apparently highly successful independent indoor football coaching doesn’t pay the bills.

St. Cloud State – Actor John Hawkes (one of the great “That Guys”); Jodi Huisentruit, a local TV news anchor who went missing in Mason City, IA in 1995 – if you are from where and when I was from, this was a HUGE story. She has never been found; professional wrestler Lars Anderson; Minnesota Twins TV play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer; and Richard Dean Anderson. That’s right – fucking MacGyver went to St. Cloud State.

Advantage – In the biggest rout ever on any planet in any contest, St. Cloud State.

Update: USF at least has a notable alumnus now, but unless Jesus went there, they aren’t beating MacGyver. And probably not even then.

Decision

Sioux Falls takes this one 3-2, but if it had been any other town, MacGyver would have propelled St. Cloud State to the win regardless of the score.

 

Chadron State @ Montana State – Thursday, August 30 @ 8:05 pm CDT

Author: Bristol

Mascots

Chadron State – Eagles. Portrait and action photos of Elmo Eagle.

Montana State – Bobcats. Champ the Bobcat likes to flex and point.

Advantage – Chadron State. Let’s see – generic mascot? Check and check. Wearing a football uniform? Check and check. Pictures doing mascot-y things? Check and check. Alliteration? Check and no check. Elmo Eagle wins by a letter.

Coaching Staff (Most Awesome Member)

Chadron State – Craig Jerslid. “Coach Jersey” has coached at some awesome schools – South Dakota Tech, Butler Community College, Northwest Mississippi College, and Hutchinson Community College. He was a starting defensive back at Colorado State, including their 9-4 season in 1990 which ended in the Freedom Bowl. (You know why America sucks now? No Freedom Bowl.)

Montana State – Demo Odems. Odems was a four-year letterwinner at WR for the University of Iowa. He played for the Texas Terminators and Grand Rapids Rampage in the Arena Football League and was named Ironman of the Game in Arena Bowl XV in 2001. He as coaching stops at Lancaster HS in Lancaster, TX, Lyndon B. Johnson HS in Austin, TX, Arkansas-Monticello and Wisconsin.

Advantage – Montana State. A guy who played in one Freedom Bowl or a guy who played for Freedom University? No contest.

Best Player Names

Chadron State – Tie – Frantzlee LaCrete and KamRon Tomlinson. Happiest Guy – Josh Borm. Best Hair is difficult – I’m going with Robert Jackson first, Clay Cundall second and Tyler Wright third.

Montana State – Tie – Orenzo Davis and twin brothers Kazz and Kruiz Siewing. Most Republican-like Hair – the aptly named Luke Halliburton. (I don’t make this stuff up folks, I just report it.)

Advantage – Chadron State – High-top fade always defeats Republican hair.

Location

Chadron State – Chadron, NE – the county seat of Dawes County sits near the Museum of the Fur Trade. Notable residents include actor Justin Bruening, the lead role in the failed new Knight Rider series in 2008; and Leslie Lynch King, Sr., the biological father of Gerald Ford.

Montana State – Bozeman, MT – the county seat of Gallatin County is the 4th-largest city in Montana. The area around Bozeman was once known as the Sweet Pea capital of the nation and held a Sweet Pea Carnival from 1906 to 1916. The movie A River Runs Through It was filmed in and around the city. Notable people include two-time Academy Award-winning actor Gary Cooper; musician John Mayer; actress Daniella Deutscher (Julie Connor from Hang Time); and entreprenuer/rich guy Ted Turner.

Advantage – Montana State. Hang Time > new Knight Rider. I mean, it’s not like we’re talking about The Hoff here.

Notable Alumni

Chadron State – former NFL wide receiver Don Beebe; current NFL running back Danny Woodhead; former Golden State Warriors GM Larry Riley; and William David Sanders, a teacher killed in the Columbine school massacre.

Montana State – former NFL and college head coach Dennis Erickson; TV sportscaster Craig Kilborn; Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud; 1996 Olympic silver medalist in the hammer throw, Lance Deal; and former Purdue head coach Joe Tiller.

Advantage – Montana State. Don Beebe vs. Jan Stenerud is close but Joe Tiller seals the deal.

Decision

Montana State claims a 3-2 come-from-behind on the strength of Hang Time and Joe Tiller’s mustache.

 

Oklahoma Panhandle State @ Missouri Science & Technology – Saturday, Septmber 1 @ 6:30 pm CDT

Author: Bristol

Mascots

Panhandle State – Aggies. I can’t find anything about an actual mascot but OPSU does have the Firestone Meat Laboratory.

Missouri S&T – Miners. Joe Miner to be specific. Please use the Joe Miner graphic correctly. Not sure how – here are some tips. He carries a pick ax and a slide rule and terrifies your children.

Advantage – Missouri S&T. Joe Miner has his own meat laboratory and it’s much more frightening than OPSU’s.

Coaching Staff (Most Awesome Member)

Panhandle State – Devin McDonald. Coach McDonald played this spring for the Louisiana Swashbucklers of the Professional Indoor Football League (in MB, of course). He played collegiately at Navarro College and Angelo State before spending last season as a student assistant at Angelo State.

Missouri S&T – Tie – Gerold Rodriguez and Luke Rayfield. Rodriguez was a wide receiver and kick returner at Arizona and UNLV and is the cousin of former NFL player J.P. Losman. Rayfield has an amazing shaved head/beard with no mustache combination happening.

Advantage – Panhandle State. Rayfield’s look had a slight advantage over the Louisiana Swashbucklers, but Rodriguez being related to J.P. Losman lost it for Missouri S&T.

Best Player Names

Panhandle State – Tie – Neptune Joseph and Jihad’ Wright. Best Hair/Most Awesome – Allston Hadley (3rd from the top on the left side.

Missouri S&T – Smook Thomas. Best Hair – tie between Jack Miller and Logan Turk.

Advantage – Pandhandle State. One player named Neptune and another as big as Jupiter beat out Smook and that one guy from Two-A-Days.

Location

Panhandle State – Goodwell, OK – a town of 1,293 way out in the panhandle of Oklahoma. Was named Goodwell because a good well was found there. Nice work, everyone. Goodwell is the home of the No Man’s Land Museum which has been preserving the Oklahoma Panhandle’s heritage since 1934.

Missouri S&T – Rolla, MO – the county seat of Phelps county and home of the headquarters of the Mark Twain National Forest, the only United States National Forest in Missouri. The town was named when new settlers from North Carolina voted to name it after Raleigh, NC, but they chose to spell it as if they had lived in Missouri all their lives. Notable people from Rolla include Civil War Union General Samuel Curtis and Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Shannon Miller.

Advantage – Missouri S&T. I’ve been through Rolla many times and I never thought I would says this, but Rolla wins easily.

Notable Alumni

Panhandle State – NAIA All-American running back Jim Holder, the only Aggie in the College Football Hall of Fame; and former NFL safety Earl Eubanks.

Missouri S&T – 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg “Fossilman” Raymer; Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter; and astronauts Thomas Akers, Janet Kavandi and Sandra Magnus.

Advantage – Missouri S&T. 3 astronauts and the guy who created Twitter seem a little more impressive than two football players no one outside the panhandle have ever heard of.

Decision

On the strength of Joe Miner’s creepiness, Twitter and how depressing Goodwell, OK seems, Missouri S&T ekes out a 3-2 victory.

 

Camel Foe – Week 1, Shorter University

Posted: August 30, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Camel Foe, MB 2013 | Tags: , | Leave a comment »

Our critically acclaimed (meaning, enjoyed by at least 2 of the original 8 MB members) series Camel Foe returns for its second season in MB 2013. Each week we shine the MB flashlight on the upcoming opponent of our beloved Campbell University Fighting Camels. We mix together some actual football information with our usual mix of random facts to concoct a delicious appetizer for the week’s college football smorgasbord. Without further ado, let’s learn a little about the Camels’ season-opening opponent, Shorter University.

Shorter University

Location: Rome, Georgia (population: 36,303 as of 2010 census)

Established: 1873 as the Cherokee Baptist Female College

Motto: Light, Truth

Enrollment: 3,500

Nickname: Hawks

Affiliation: Currently transitioning from the NAIA and the Southern States Athletic Conference to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference. This school year is Gulf Coast’s first as a full member of Division II although it will remain ineligible for NCAA championships for the next 2 seasons.

Random Fact #1: During the 1920s, the college constructed the first indoor swimming pool in the United States.

Random Fact #2: The college became co-educational in the 1950s and also began sports programs in the NAIA during that decade.

Random Fact #3: As of October 2011, the university requires all employees to sign and adhere to a “Personal Lifestyle Statement” that includes the following principles:

  • They will be loyal to the mission of Shorter University as a Christ-centered institution affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention
  • They will not engage in the use, sale, possession, or production of illegal drugs
  • They will reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality
  • They will not use alcoholic beverages in the presence of students, and will abstain from serving, from using, and from advocating the use of alcoholic beverages in public (e.g. in locations that are open to use by the general public, including as some examples restaurants, concert venues, stadiums, and sports facilities) and in settings in which students are present or are likely to be present. Neither would they promote or encourage the use of alcohol
  • They will actively engage in a local church

Random Fact #4: Due to clause #4, it is unlikely any of the executive members of MB will ever apply for a job at Shorter University

Notable Persons:

  • NCAA basketball coach Bill Foster, one of 16 coaches to win at least 500 games
  • Benton Gill, lead singer of the band Crisis

Well, that was impressive. Let’s throw in notables from the city of Rome as well.

  • Professional wrestler Arn Anderson (that’s more like it)
  • NFL running back Ronnie Brown
  • Former NFL running back Larry Kinnebrew
  • Florida head football coach Will Muschamp
  • Former NFL player and coach Dan Reeves
  • Ellen Wilson, First Lady of the United States (first wife of Woodrow Wilson)
  • George Stephen Morrison, Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and father of singer Jim Morrison; Admiral Morrison was part of the crew of the minelayer Pruitt stationed in Hawaii and witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor from that vessel

Oh yeah, the Football Team:

  • In 2011, Shorter finished 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the Southern States Athletic Conference, its 7th final season in that conference and in NAIA after starting football in 2005
  • Shorter played just 4 home games in 2011, splitting those contest while finishing 4-2 on the road
  • Shorter runs an offense similar to Air Force, putting an emphasis on the QB and FB positions – they ran the ball 486 times in 10 games last season, while throwing it just 89
  • The Hawks lost their top 2 QBs and top 3 FBs from 2011
  • The leading returning rusher is slotback Roderick Jones who ran for 400 yards on just 34 carries, a ridiculous 11.8 per carry
  • The team’s leading receiver last year had 7 catches for 161 yards and 3 TDs. For the season. He also graduated meaning someone will have to step up and replace those 0.7 catches per game in the offense
  • Shorter returns 5 players on defense who garnered all-conference accolades in 2011, including NAIA All-American ILB Demery Hawkins
  • Best Name Nominees:
    • Jovann Shabazz, SaDarrius Rooks, K-Sun Manzano, Terrian Beavers, Quay Boddie, Marktavious Dasher, Santavious Bryant, Maurice Bloodser
    • The winner – K-Sun Manzano (I’m not telling him he didn’t win)

Prediction:

This is an interesting match-up as a team new to Division II (and in just its 8th season) takes on a non-scholarship FCS program in just its 5th year. We may learn a little as to whether you get better players in NAIA or D-II with partial scholarships rather than at an FCS school with no scholarships. On the field, we will see a match-up of strengths as the experienced and talented Shorter defense takes on second-year starting QB Braden Smith and the Camels offense. On the flip side, the Camel defense and Hawk offense each return only a few starters and match up schemes that are not widely in vogue – the option offense of Shorter vs. the 3-3-5 defense of Campbell. The key to this game will likely be how well the inexperienced Shorter offense runs the option and how well the inexperienced Camel defense can defend it. Expect a fast game as both teams prefer to run the ball, with Shorter especially using the pass as an afterthought.  The x-factor in this game is that Shorter will have to deal with the excitement surrounding the first night game ever played at Barker-Lane Stadium. I don’t think you can prepare yourself in practice for the atmosphere in Buies Creek on a Thursday night. The rabid Camel fans help propel the team to a 1-0 start on the season – Campbell 27, Shorter 21.

 

 

MB College Football Weekly Picks

Posted: August 22, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: CFB Weekly Picks, MB 2013 | Tags: | Leave a comment »

With the dawning of a new college football season approaching in just over a week, I thought I would take a moment and give some insight into how the games are chosen for the weekly picks. The first week’s picks page has 30 games listed, while later weeks will range from 30-40 based on the quality of the week. Following is the breakdown for how the games are selected.

  • All Iowa games – 5 of the original 7 MB members are alumni of Iowa and 5 of the 7 are from the state of Iowa
  • All Nebraska games – 1 original MB members is an alumnus while another attended for a time, and 1 member is from the state of Nebraska
  • All Buena Vista games – 2 original MB members are alumni of BV
  • All Campbell games – they are called the Fighting Camels. Enough said.
    • The author’s fascination with the Fighting Camels began in March of 1993 as Campbell University won their conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. They faced the top-ranked and top-seeded Duke Blue Devils and lost in a blowout. However, as a 15-year old obsessed with sports and blessed with a good sense of humor and a love of the obscure (the combination of which, of course, led to MB itself), I immediately fell in love with the Fighting Camels. It’s the same combination that caused my favorite baseball player ever to be Razor Shines. But I digress…
  • All Montana State games – 1 original MB member is a current employee of MSU
  • All Iowa State games – several original MB members have a pathological hate for the Cyclones
  • All Oklahoma games – 2 original MB members currently live in Norman, OK
  • All Sioux Falls games – 1 0riginal MB member grew up in Sioux Falls, SD
  • All Texas State games – 1 original MB member is a current employee of Texas State
  • Sun Belt Game of the Week – one game per week selected from the Sun Belt Conference, based on rotating the games among the teams and finding the most intriguing game
  • MAC Game of the Week – one game per week selected from the Mid-America Conference, based on rotating the games among the teams and finding the most intriguing game
  • Armed Forces Game of the Week – one game per week selected from among Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard & Merchant Marine, based on rotating the games among the teams and finding the most intriguing game
  • FCS Game of the Week – one game per week selected from FCS, typically a match-up of rated teams
  • D-II Game of the Week – one game per week selected from Division II, typically a match-up of rated teams
  • D-III Game of the Week – one game per week selected from Division III, typically a match-up of rated teams
  • NAIA Game of the Week – one game per week selected from NAIA, typically a match-up of rated teams
  • CIS Game of the Week – one game per week selected from CIS, typically a matchup of rated teams
  • All games in which both teams are ranked in that week’s FBS Associated Press poll
  • All nationally televised (ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, etc.) games on days other than Saturdays
  • A large numbers of rivalry / trophy games or games with nicknames
    • We have compiled a list of nearly 150 football games that fall into this category and will include most of them in the picks category. Time permitting, we will also include a weekly piece that includes information about the game and/or teams

We are open to including other games that may have special significance to fellow MB members. Send us an e-mail or a tweet or leave a note in the comments for any teams or games that you wish to see included in the weekly picks.

Race for MegaBlock 1

Posted: August 21, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2013 | Leave a comment »

As the first MegaBlocks moves towards its conclusion on August 31, let’s get back into the blog swing by taking a look at the race for the Block Championship and the first of the sixteen playoff bids to be handed out.

Top 10 as of Tuesday, August 21 @ 10:00 am CDT

1.  Bristol – 1402

2.  Jimmy – 1216 (-186)

3.  Greg – 1177 (-225)

Ryan – 1177 (-225)

5.  Doug – 1148 (-254)

6.  abittner – 983 (-419)

7.  JP – 966 (-436)

8.  Robbie – 950 (-452)

9.  Chris – 929 (-473)

10. skizzow – 854 (-548)

Bristol is in the driver’s seat at this point with what appears to be a commanding 186 point lead over Jimmy, with Ryan and Greg 225 points behind and Doug trailing by 254. With no one else within 400 points of the leader, the block winner will certainly come from among these five users.

Remaining Block 1 Points

USA Rugby League – 37 points (all events ending in Block 1 include the 5-point Event Win Bonus)

All of the top five except for Doug picked the Jacksonville Axemen to win the league. Doug’s pick, the Philadelphia Flight, was knocked out in the semifinals. Regardless of the results of Saturday’s championship Bristol will tack on 21 points to his lead over Jimmy while Ryan and Greg keep pace. Doug will lose ground by 21 points if Jacksonville loses and 53 if the Axemen win the title. Thus, Doug is cheering for the Boston Thirteens while the rest are rooting for Jacksonville.

Little League World Series – 117 points

Max Remaining Points Among Contenders:

Bristol – 80 (Rooting For: Japan, California; Rooting Against: Mexico)

Jimmy – 84 (Rooting For: Mexico; Rooting Against: Japan)

Greg – 104 (Rooting For: California, Japan, Texas; Rooting Against: Mexico)

Ryan – 72 (Rooting For: Japan; Rooting Against: California)

Doug – 100 (Rooting For: Mexico, Tennessee, California; Rooting Against: Mexico)

With so many combinations and permutations remaining in the LLWS, it’s impossible to break down the gain or loss of points among the contenders. Jimmy’s chance to gain some ground is for Mexico to win its way through the International consolation bracket and win the LLWS over California, who must navigate the consolation bracket on the U.S. side as well. Doug and Greg are in the best shape to make a move as they have the most remaining points and are 1st and tied for 2nd, respectively, in the event to this point.

Western Lacrosse Association- 37 points

Doug, Greg & Ryan are guaranteed to gain at least 21 points on Bristol, as the leader’s champion pick of Victoria lost in the semifinals. If Langley wins the championship series, that trio will gain 53 points on Bristol while Jimmy would gain 32. Thus, Bristol is partisan for the Coquitlam Adanacs while everyone else favours the Langley Thunder.

The Barclays – 112 points

The Barclays is the final User Vs User event in Block 1. A top 5 finish would go a long ways toward wrapping up the block title for Bristol, but if his team falls flat it would open the door for a huge point swing. The maximum point swing possible is 112 if another user finishes first and picks the Barclays winner while Bristol finishes out of the top 10.

National Pro Fastpitch – 69 points

The entire NPF playoffs are contested during the league’s Championship Weekend this Thursday – Sunday, so all 69 points will be in play during Block 1.

Major League Lacrosse – 69 points

The MLL also begins and ends its playoff season this weekend, so the 69 points will all count toward Block 1.

United Soccer League Pro – 48 points

The USLPro quarterfinals and semifinals will be complete by the end of Block 1 for a total of 48 points. The 32 points for the championship match and the 5 point Event Win bonus will count as part of Block 2.

Gulf Coast League – 32 points (estimated)

The Gulf Coast League completes its regular season on August 25 with the playoff schedule to be determined. We estimate the semifinal series will complete by August 31, but that is not certain at this point. Thus, the number of points available in Block 1 from the GCL will either be 0, 16 or 32.

Arizona League – 69 points (estimated)

The Arizona League uses a single-game playoff format. We currently estimate that the playoffs will be held on August 30 & August 31, putting the entire event in Block 1. However, the playoff schedule will not be announced until next week so the number of points available in Block 1 will either be 0, 32 or 69.

Getting to Know…Western Lacrosse Association

Posted: July 31, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Getting to Know..., MB 2013 | Leave a comment »

The Western Lacrosse Association is an amateur league of men’s senior A box lacrosse (also known as indoor lacrosse) based in southwestern British Columbia. In other words, it’s perfect for MegaBracket. The caliber (or calibre if you prefer) of play is very high as many players compete in the National Lacrosse League (also in MB) in the WLA off-season. There are seven teams in the WLA and several of the names are fantastic. As a result, you’re getting a large GtK as a gift today…

Burnaby Lakers

Location: Burnaby, British Columbia (population: 223,218 as of 2011 – 3rd largest city in BC)

Coat of Arms: Here.  [Ed. Note – Coat of arms are typically hilarious so we’re adding them in when applicable.]

Incorporated: 1892

Named After: Legislator, speaker, Freemason, and explorer Robert Burnaby. Other landmarks in the area similarly named include Burnaby Mountain, Burnaby Park and Burnaby Lake.

Fun Fact #1: Earned city status in 1992, exactly 100 years after it was incorporated.

Fun Fact #2: British Columbia’s largest commercial mall, and the second largest in all of Canada, the Metropolis at Metrotown, is located in Burnaby.

Fun Fact #3: EA Canada, the Canadian arms of Electronic Arts, headquarters in Burnaby. Games developed at the Burnaby location include many Need for Speed titles as well as Skate, which included tips for the game from MB favorite Rob Dyrdek.

Fun Fact #4: Burnaby’s official flower is the rhododendrum

Notable Natives and Residents: Actress Carrie-Anne Moss (Matrix trilogy, Disturbia); magician Murray SawChuck; singer Michael Buble; actor Michael J. Fox (I’m not even going to start listing things or we’ll be here all day. OK, I lied – Back to the Future I, II & III, Teen Wolf (which is terrible), Scrubs guest star, Family Ties, Doc Hollywood, Spin City, The Secret of My Success. Now I’m done);  and a bunch of hockey players

 

Coquitlam Adanacs

Location: Coquitlam, British Columbia (population: 126,456 as of 2011)

Coat of Arms: Here.

Incorporated: 1908

Fun Fact #1: The Coast Salish people were the first to live in the area and archaeology has confirmed continuous human occupation of the area for at least 9,000 years.

Fun Fact #2: Explorer Simon Fraser went through the area in 1808 and Europeans began settling the land in the 1860s.

Fun Fact #3: The Coquitlam Reds play in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League. Former NL MVP Larry Walker is an alumnus of the Reds. (It’s worth mentioning that Walker’s theme song is Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne, which makes a fine ring tone for your cell phone alarm.) Coquitlam also placed 3rd in the 1984 Little League World Series.

Fun Fact #4: The team’s nickname – Adanac – is simply Canada spelled backwards. Do not believe for a second that Canadians are not creative.

Notable Residents: Juno-award winning musician Matthew Good; former NBA player Lars Hansen, who logged 205 minutes in 15 games in 1978-79 for the NBA Champion Seattle Supersonics (which may or may not be a real team) in his only season; Playboy playmate and actress Dorothy Stratten, who was Playmate of the Year in 1980 and appeared in several movies before being murdered by her estranged husband; former British Columbia Lions kicker Lui Passaglia, a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and one of just 8 players to have his number retired by the Lions. Passaglia holds CFL records for seasons played (25), regular season games played (408) and regular season points (3,991). He was a member of 3 Grey Cup-winning teams and was twice named the Grey Cup’s Most Valuable Canadian. Interestingly, Passaglia scored 2 touchdowns in his 25-year career – one in his first game in 1976 (a 10-yard reception) and one in his final home game in 2000 (a 1-yard run).

 

Langley Thunder

Location: Langley, British Columbia (population: 25,081 as of 2011). [A Langley township also exists with a population of more than 110,000. For the purposes of fun facts and notable people, we will combine them.]

Motto: “Strength of Purpose, Spirit of Community”

Incorporated: 1955

Fun Fact #1: Langley was represented in the 2011 Little League World Series.

Fun Fact #2: Langley is home to a very large annual car show, the Langley Cruise-In, held each September. The city is also home to the Langley Ukelele Ensemble.

Fun Fact #3: The first Europeans to stay in the area (as is often the case in western Canada) were traders from the Hudson’s Bay Company. They built Fort Langley on the banks of the Fraser River (named, of course, for the aforementioned Simon Fraser) in 1827.

Fun Fact #4: The city broke off from the township in 1955 to form a municipality as the township would not provide common amenities such as street lights.

Notable People: Actress Amanda Crew (Final Destination 3, She’s the Man, Charlie St. Cloud); Toronto Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie; Actor Roger Cross (X2, 24, The Chronicles of Riddick) attended Trinity Western University in Langley;

 

Maple Ridge Burrards

Location: Maple Ridge, British Columbia (population: 76,502 as of 2011)

Mottoes: “Rivers of bounty, Peaks of Gold” and “Deep Roots, Greater Heights”

Incorporated: 1874

Fun Fact #1: At one time, Maple Ridge hosted the only North American high volume manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries. However, the factory suffered major layoffs due to the 2008 recession and now hosts only a small product testing team.

Fun Fact #2: In 2011, there were more than 900 bear sighting in Maple Ridge. 16 bears were declared to be “problem” bears and had to be destroyed. (So, not a fun fact for the bears.) If you ever find yourself in Maple Ridge learn how to avoid interacting with bears through the Bear Aware program.

Fun Fact #3: The Fraser River Heritage Walk links key heritage sites in Maple Ridge, including the Maple Ridge Museum and a 1944 Canadian Pacific Railroad, one of the few remaining all-wood cabooses from the World War II area.

Fun Fact #4: Like any self-respecting Canadian city, Maple Ridge has a curling club, the Golden Ears Winter Club. From the looks of the pictures on the website, curling and drinking seem to go well together. As if I needed more reason to have curling listed #1 on “Why I Will Move to Canada Someday”, just ahead of “Republicans and Democrats”.

Notable People: Larry Walker again although this time Maple Ridge is his hometown, not just somewhere he played; musician/actress Alexz Johnson (So Weird, Final Destination 3); NHL Hall-of-Famer Cam Neely (who also played “Seabass” in Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself, and Irene); actor Tyler Labine (Rise of the Planet of the Apes).

 

Nanaimo Timbermen

Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia (population: 83,810 as of 2011)

Coat of Arms: Here.

Nicknames: The Hub, The Harbour City

Incorporated: 1874

Fun Fact #1: Has been dubbed the “Bathtub Racing Capital of the World”.

Fun Fact #2: The first Europeans in the area were Spanish explorers in 1791. The Hudson’s Bay Company (again) built a fort known as the Nanaimo Bastion in 1853 after being informed of the presence of coal by Snuneymuxw chief Ki-et-sa-kun.

Not-So-Fun Fact #3: The coal discovered in the area was valuable but also dangerous. The 1887 Nanaimo Mine Explosion killed 150 workers and was described as the largest man-made explosion until the Halifax Explosion, when a French cargo ship loaded with wartime explosives, blew up in the Halifax harbor. Just one year later, in 1888, another explosion at the Nanaimo Mine killed another 100 workers.

Fun Fact #4: The forestry industry replaced coal mining as the economic driving force in the area in the 1960s. The MacMillan Bloedel pulp mill built in 1958 injects well over a half million dollars per day into the local economy.

Fun Fact #5: The Nanaimo Concert Band, established in 1872, is known as the oldest continuous community band in Canada.

Fun Fact #6: The Nanaimo bar, a no-bake cookie bar, is a Canadian dessert bar named after the city and has been elected as “Canada’s Favourite Confection”.

Notable Residents: Raymond Collishaw, the 3rd highest scoring British Ace in World War I, with 60 confirmed kills; actor Cameron Bright (Twilight saga, Thank You For Smoking); actor Justin Chatwin (War of the Worlds, 1 episode of Lost); actor Cory Monteith (Finn from Glee); former NHL player Gene Carr, the 4th pick of the 1971 draft; actor/magician Christopher Hart, who “played” Thing, the disembodied hand in all 3 Addams Family movies; baseball player Jimmy Claxton, the first black man to play organized white baseball in the 20th century, playing 2 games for the Oakland Oaks in the Pacific Coast League in 1917.

 

Victoria Shamrocks

Location: Victoria, British Columbia (population: 80,032 as of 2011)

Coat of Arms: Here.

Motto: “Forever Free”

Incorporated: 1862

Fun Fact #1: The city’s Chinatown is North America’s 2nd-oldest, trailing only that of San Francisco. It is also one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlements dating to 1841. Many historic buildings have been retained with the most famous being the British Columbia Parliament Building and the Empress hotel.

Fun Fact #2: Let’s just copy this part directly from Wikipedia – “Despite Victoria’s reputation as a tourist destination, a pervasive homelessness, loitering, and panhandling problem continues to be a serious problem the downtown area, as does the “open-air” drug use.” Canada, fuck yeah!

Fun Fact #3: Esquimalt Harbor, just west of the city, became the North Pacific home of the Royal British Navy in 1865 and remains Canada’s west coast naval base. The Port of Victoria became one of North America’s largest importers of opium in the 1860s. Opium trade was legal and unregulated until 1865 and was banned altogether in 1908.

Fun Fact #4: The Victoria Cougars are the most famous sports team in the city’s history. They won the 1925 Stanley Cup as a member of the Western Hockey League (won in a season-ending series against the champions of the National Hockey Association. They are the last non-NHL team to win the Stanley Cup. The team returned to the final series in 1926 but lost to the Montreal Maroons. The WHL dissolved after the 1925-26 season and the rights to many of the Victoria players were purchased and relocated to Detroit. The team retained the Cougars name at first but was soon renamed to the Detroit Red Wings. (Stuff like this is why I write these. Knowledge!)

Notable People: MLB pitcher (and nearly permanent resident of the disabled list) Rich Harden; NBA 2-time MVP Steve Nash; Grammy Award-winning singer Nelly Furtado; music producer David Foster, who has produced records for “some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Céline Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Toni Braxton, Madonna, Air Supply and Michael Jackson.” Yes, they threw Air Supply in there. Couldn’t agree more.

 

New Westminster Salmonbellies

The Salmobellies are introduced last as they are clearly the cream of the name crop in the WLA, and perhaps all of MB.

Location: New Westminster, British Columbia (population: 65,976 as of 2011)

Coat of Arms: Here.

Motto: “In God We Trust” – (It feels like I’ve heard that one before.)

Founded: 1858

Fun Fact #1: New Westminster became the first city in British Columbia to be incorporated and elect a municipal government. The city was intended to be the capital city of the colony of British Columbia. However, the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island were united in 1866. On the day of the vote for the capital between Victoria and New Westminster, some shady political tactics were used by Victoria supporters. Take it away, Wikipedia – “On the day of the vote one member of the assembly, William Cox (one of the colony’s Gold Commissioners and a Victoria supporter), shuffled the pages of the speech that William Franklyn from Nanaimo (a New Westminster supporter) intended to give, so that Franklyn lost his place and read the first paragraph three times. Cox then popped the lenses of Franklyn’s glasses from their frames so that the Nanaimo representative could see nothing at all of his speech. After a recess to settle the resulting uproar and allow the member from Nanaimo a chance to sort out his speaking notes and his spectacles, on the members’ return to the House of Assembly, the Speaker John Sebastian Helmcken (from Victoria) refused to allow Franklyn a “second” chance to speak. The subsequent vote was 13 to 8 against New Westminster.” One dude popped the lenses out of the other’s guy glasses so he couldn’t read the speech? Classic Three Stooges move!

Fun Fact #2: In 1878, the Government of Canada opened the British Columbia Penitentiary in New Westminster, the first federal prison west of Manitoba. The building housed maximum-security prisoners for 102 years, closing in 1980.

Not So Fun Fact #3: The city had one of the first and largest Chinatowns in North America in the late 19th century. However, the Great Fire of 1898 destroyed much of the city, including all of Chinatown. The area was rebuilt only sparingly after the fire and there is no Chinatown in current New Westminster.

Fun Fact #4: The city was originally to be called Queensborough, but Queen Victoria herself decided to name the town New Westminster.

Fun Fact #5: The city’s Front Street district was used in the movie I, Robot as futuristic Chicago.

Bonus Salmonbelly Information: The Salmonbellies are one of the oldest professional lacrosse teams in Canada, dating back to 1888. They have won the Mann Cup 24 times (awarded to Canada’s mens lacrosse champion), and New Westminster serves as the home of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Their official website can be found here. If you are looking for some sweet Salmonbelly gear (and why wouldn’t you), head to their official online store. Courtesy of the Royal BC Museum’s BC Archives Collection, here is a picture of the 1908 Salmonbellies squad. Note that the picture declares them “Champions of the World”.

Notable Residents: Astronaut Robert Thirsk, who holds the Canadian records for longest space flight and most time spent in space; Mike Reno, lead singer of Loverboy; actor Bruno Gerussi, who is not at all famous but was in this movie; actor Raymond Burr, best known for his work in TV shows Perry Mason and Ironside and in the classic movie Rear Window (starring the author’s favorite all-time actor Jimmy Stewart); and a bunch of hockey players

 

Deadlines and Headlines – July 23

Posted: July 23, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2013 | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment »

It’s another short week here at MB headquarters (AKA my work laptop). However, we’ll try to sate your MB appetite with a dose of deadlines and headlines.

This Week’s Deadlines

  • Arena Football League – Friday @ 7:00 pm CDT

MB Headlines

  • British Open -In case you missed it, what a brutal ending for Adam Scott. The collapse also cost abittner 32 MB points. Golf is a cruel sport and MegaBracket can be a real bitch, too. Welcome to the club, Mr. Bittner, we’ve all been there.
  • Amarillo Wins LSFL Championship – Doug, Greg, and Robbie picked all 3 games correctly to share the event championship and earn a 5-point bonus each.
  • Arena League Playoffs Set -The first round of the Arena Football League kicks off Friday night.
  • AFL MVP Fan Vote – Submit your vote(s) for the Arena League MVP
  • Western Lacrosse Association – The WLA playoffs will begin next week. Check out the website to get an early jump on the teams involved.
  • AMNRL Playoff Format – The American National Rubgy League is using a unique playoff format this year. Click the link to read up on it. The AMNRL playoffs begin Saturday, August 4.
  • WGC-Bridgestone – The WGC Bridgestone is the next MB golf event, beginning Thursday, August 2. Click the link to see Adam Scott in a happier time.
  • IWFL Championship Weekend – The IWFL World Champinship (Tier I), the Founders Bowl (Tier II), the Tier 3 Bowl, and the IWFL All-Star Game all take place this coming weekend in Round Rock, TX.
  • Foxtel Cup Final – The Foxtel Cup championship has been moved to Thursday, August 2. The game will begin at 6:35 am CDT.
  • Inside the United Bowl – Facts and figures from the recently complete IFL United Bowl
  • 2012 APFL All-League Team – League champion Sioux City dominated the lists with 10 1st Team and 5 2nd Team All-League selections.

This Week in MB

  • Arena Football League 1st Round -4 games (1 Friday, 3 Saturday)
  • IWFL World Championship (Tier I) -Saturday
  • IWFL Founders Bowl (Tier II Championship) – Saturday
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