'Dogs end season with a whimper
None of our players picked up a thing in our charity pro football underdog pool today, as both favorites won their games. This leaves our final winners just as the standings were after the games of last week:
1st place: Mark - 44.5
2nd place: Gordon - 43
3rd place: genop's mom - 40
These three each get to designate charities to receive parts of our pool: $300, $75, and $45, respectively. Gordon told me the other day that he wants his share (which turns out to be $75) sent to Mercy Corps for Haiti relief. Mark and genop's mom, forgive me, but if you indicated your charity, I no longer have it handy. Please let us know, and I'll get the checks out right away.
Picking 'dogs for NFL upsets is a great diversion. Each week the players root for an upset, without the benefit of the point spread, which keeps things relatively wholesome. And yet the professional oddsmakers' predictions are still relevant, in that they set up the payoff for a correct pick. Some players pile up points slowly and steadily, while others unleash long bombs, at least as the season winds down. And having a skin in the game, however minor, keeps the players' eyes fixed on the Big Daddies more intently than they otherwise might be.
We had a few administrative glitches this time around, but we've learned some things and will have some technical improvements if we do this again come next season. Until then, thanks to everybody who played, and to everybody who offered advice to the players. And of course, congratulations to our winners.
Players, kibitzers, readers -- your thoughts on the end of the pool, today's games, and the upcoming Super Bowl are most welcome.
| Posted at 8:29 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
Thanks again for pulling this off.
I've been thinking how much tougher they have made it to stay on top since the NFL changed the playoff rules to reward the teams with the best records and then to schedule the out-of-division games for each year based on matching teams with comparable finishes in the prior years.
Despite hating most of their owners as plundering, disloyal, and conniving bastards, I have to hand it to them that they have actually figured out a way to improve what was already the most popular product (sport).
Thus, I am moved to wonder if we shouldn't ponder something similar in the Dog Pool to make it harder to stay on top -- say, a requirement that the top three pickers in the standings each week have to submit their picks publicly, 24 hours ahead of everyone else. So, if the picks are due by Saturday at midnight, the top three pickers have to submit picks to you (or via the website) a day sooner, and they don't get to keep their picks secret.
Just a thought . . .
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | January 24, 2010 9:01 PM
Brett Favre reminded me of late in Mohammed Ali's career. He showed a ton of heart out there.
Posted by Bill Mcdonald | January 24, 2010 9:27 PM
Bill -- thought of you today. Just read a book by a Brit comic/journalist called "Belching Out The Devil: Global adventures with Coca-Cola" -- all about the reality of Coke's operations in third-world countries. Funny, funny writer, makes the very grim story readable. I think you'd enjoy it.
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | January 24, 2010 11:15 PM
Jack
Thanks for doing this. It took time and all of us appreciate your making the effort to give us some entertainment and help good causes.
I had told my charity I would match what I won, and after sharing the results with them they now regard me as the world's greatest doofus.
You know, if the results were seasonally adjusted I would have a higher standing. (Thinking like that is what got me to the level I am today).
Posted by sidney | January 25, 2010 6:33 AM
Thanks Jack, for organizing the pool. It was fun and gave me a reason to watch football.
Congratulations to the winners. I hope to give you all a run for your money if we play again next year.
Posted by annie | January 25, 2010 9:14 AM
My charity picks are Oregon Children's Theater and Mercy Corps (50/50 split). Thanks be to Jack for organizing this pool. I'm sorry it ended with a fizzle, but it was certainly fun there at the end of the regular season.
Posted by Mark | January 25, 2010 10:17 AM
Jack - This was great fun, albeit at times aggravating watching hopeless dogs. Thank you for all your efforts and to those that picked wonderful charities.
Posted by Robert | January 25, 2010 10:51 AM
How fitting that Brett Farve's seemingly last pass in the NFL was interception. Apologies to my family for the 5 second,110 decibel F-bomb. And congrats to Mark, Gordon & genop's mom!
Posted by Bad Brad | January 25, 2010 11:35 AM
Jack, thank you for organizing this. Sign me up for next year!
Mark, Gordon and genop's mom, congratulations! Those points were not easy to come by.
Posted by Doug | January 25, 2010 1:02 PM
Hey Jack, how about a charity pool on the Westlund/Kroger race?
Maybe a guess as to the final tally coupled with who wrote the longest single release or better yet, who said the least with the biggest number of words or maybe Oregon Bingo, with words like tax, charette, sustainable, even our newest word sharrow.
I kid. It was fun to follow. Thanks b
Posted by recovering conservative | January 25, 2010 1:04 PM
George,
I wonder if it covered the story behind Kaki Cola, the coke-substitute I drank as a kid in Arabia.
Posted by Bill McDonald | January 25, 2010 6:07 PM
No, no mention of Kaki Cola, but a chapter on "Big Cola," a Peruvian cola sold for a fraction of the cost of Coke in Mexico (Coke's #1 market and a huge contributor to exploding obesity there) -- Coke pulled out all the stops to force the little corner stores (the Mom & Pops) to stop carrying Big Cola, so much so that the Mexican Govt. socked Coke with the biggest fine in its history (so blatant was their mob-like tactics).
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | January 25, 2010 10:46 PM
Charity NCAA basketball pool anyone?
(Easy for me to say, since I do none of the work . . . )
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | January 26, 2010 7:58 AM
That was a good time, Jack. Thanks! Looking forward to next year.
Posted by Kevin | January 27, 2010 9:12 AM