I'm Just Like The Cubs

Would you rather your team never gets to the playoffs rather than blowing out, without so much as a wimper, in the first round?

How do the Redskins lose that game at home? I guess it's because "this is the NFL, and on any given Sunday" anything can happen - either that, or they somehow knew they were the heaviest picked team in the weekly suicide pools throughout our great gambling nation. I spoke with (and this isn't scientific, just a bunch of guys at the local pub) a few other suicide pool participants - all but one had picked the 'Skins (that guy had New Orleans, who played like a team is supposed to play at home against a weaker opponent).

Anyway...congratulations to the four remaining contestants, good luck and don't forget to make your picks.

~ Max

Avoiding The Big Upset

The Week 6 Power Rankings were released on ESPN today - so I updated the graph that shows who has picked which teams so far and it's a little surprising that there are four teams ranked in the "Top 10" (as if these rankings actually mean anything) that haven't been chosen by any of the seven remaining players in the pool. (click the image to enlarge)

Nobody has used the Titans (5-0), Redskins (4-1), Broncos (4-1) nor Bears (3-2). They are a combined, 16-4.

Good luck surviving.

~ Max

The Magnificent 7

The name of the game is survival. Keeping a strong team for that safe pick until later does you no good if you're not alive long enough to use it. Five weeks ago we started with 28 hopefuls, now we're down to seven. There are only two undefeated teams left, the Tennessee Titans - and oddly enough, nobody has picked them through the first five weeks and the NY Giants - who have been picked by four of the remaining seven contestants.

I thought it would be interesting to compare which teams have been picked by each remaining survivor and to also see which of the current Top 10 (according to ESPN's Power Rankings) are available to be chosen in the upcoming weeks. I'm sure the rankings will change some for next week since the Eagles, Bills, Chargers and Buccaneers all lost. (click on the image to enlarge)


Good luck (and I'm still alive!!!)

~ Max

Eight Left Heading Into Week 5

Four more players were eliminated yesterday. Three lost when the Redskins upset the Cowboys and another one bit the dust because the Broncos have no defense and they proved it against their arch rivals KC. That one wasn't nearly as big of a surprise to me since the Broncos rarely win there. Mike Shannahan's record is now 3-12 at Arrowhead.

Three people survived by the skin of their teeth. Jacksonville hung on to beat the Texans by a field goal in OT.

How about the Raiders attempting that 76 yard field goal against the Chargers? Or how about the Bears defense stopping the Iggles on four straight shots at the goal line to wrap up their win and move to 2-2.

Good luck next week.

~ Max

Five More Bite Dust

Miami??? Wow! Four people had picked the Patriots to win yesterday and Ronnie Brown taking four direct snaps for touchdowns might mean that the Dolphins don't need a QB :-)

The Colts dropped their second game of the season, costing one other person life in the pool. The Buffalo Bills (picked by 5 players) needed a last second field goal to get by the Oakland Raiders at home. Oakland had a 9 point lead, late in the fourth quarter and I'm sure there were a few people questioning their faith at some point in that game.

My pick is the only one left to go this week, yup, I've got the Chargers tonight. Something has to give, Favre is 5-0 against the Bolts and is usually awesome on MNF - but I think (read, hope) that Rivers and Co. can put this one in the win column tonight in order to avoid going to 0-3 and trailing the AFC West leading Broncos (I love the sound of that!) by three games.

If the Chargers pull off the win, there will be 12 left going into week 4.

~ Max

17 Remain

We lost another 3 players last week. Now there are seventeen entries remaining.

What's a bigger surprise? The Packers at 2-0 minus future HOF quarterback, Brett Favre. OR The San Diego Chargers, favored by many to reach the Superbowl, sitting at 0-2. Discuss...

We lost one player this week due to a "no pick". I did make attempts to reach him, but was unsuccessful. For those of you who don't know, Fannon is a force to be reckoned with in these things - so it's bittersweet that this happened - I was looking forward to the challenge.

You can avoid this from happening to you - you can pick several weeks in advance (all the way through the end of the season if you wish). That way, if you do forget or find yourself stranded out of town or out of power, you will at least have a pick logged.

Good luck to everyone this weekend.
~Max

Now That's Crazy

What a wild first week we've had so far. So far? Because we have two, count 'em two, Monday Night Football games tonight. However, nobody picked any of tonight's teams for their eliminator choice.

Week 1 is in the books as far as our pool goes, every pick has played and the result is we have 20 entries advancing to next week - and it could have been worse (better ;-) if either the Dolphins or the Chiefs could execute at the end of their games.

At this rate, we might be starting a new pool around week 5 ;-)

Go Broncos!
Max

Week 1 Is Underway

Finally!!!

The 2008 NFL season has started and we have 28 entries to our pool. Assuming all funds are remitted (still waiting on the proverbial checks that are in the mail of a few), we'll have a total purse of $1400 - I might finally be able to justify a new TV ;-)

Good news for the Bears - should be able to get two wins from the Detroit Lionesses this year as they failed to chalk up a victory against the lowly Falcons and their rookie QB and new head coach. This also gives us our first victim in the pool, Pretzel Logic is out.

Nine of us picked Philly and they didin't disappoint. New England lost Brady to injury and are struggling against the Chiefs, but manage to pull out a last second victory - holding KC out of the endzone on the final 4 plays of the game.

~ Max (still alive!)

After You Receive Your Password

Some of you have sophisticated email spam filters and I'm unable to send the full instructions for getting set up for the pool. So, here is the "Welcome Letter" with all of the instructions - minus the password. Once you have received the password from me in your email, follow these steps.

You can send your entry fee using Paypal to my email address max_rose@sbcglobal.net, give the fee to Ridge or Dwyer, mail it to me (email me if you need my address), or leave it for me at The Beacon Pub in Forest Park.

This Is Harder Than It Looks - Last Man Standing Pool

You will be making your weekly picks online at www.frogsoda.com. If you are not already registered, you will need to sign up - yes, it's free.

Go to the league page: This Is Harder Than It Looks
- if you are a Frog Soda member, click "log in", if not click "Sign Up"
- Once you have created an account and are signed in, click "Join League"
- This is a private league, you will need the password to join (this will be sent to you once your entry fee has been received).

Here are the rules:
- You will make your pick each week. Pick one (and only one) team that you think will win.
- If your pick is correct, you will advance to the following week. Where you will choose another (different) team that you think will win.
- You may only use one NFL team one time during the season.
- If your pick is incorrect, you are out of the pool. If your pick ties, you are out of the pool.
- The last one remaining will win the total pot.
- If no single player remains "alive" after any single week, the pot will be equally split among the "live" players heading into that week.
- If, by some miracle, multiple entries make it through the entire regular season, those players will split the pot.
- This pool will not carry over to the NFL Playoffs - but it is likely we will be (depending on interest level) starting a new pool specifically for the Playoffs.
- All updates will be posted at http://2008tigerless.blogspot.com
- You have until the kick-off of the game you intend to pick to send your entry. - - The site will lock games already played, or in progress.
- You can also make changes to your picks, so long as the team you picked hasn't already started playing their game. So that means, if you forget to make your picks on Sunday morning - you still have the afternoon games, the Sunday night game and Monday night game (in most cases) to get your pick in.
- While I will try to send out reminders to get your picks in - it is your responsibility to do it. NO EXCUSES, NO EXCEPTIONS.

Good luck - and remember - even in bye weeks, there are going to be 14 winners - you only have to pick one.

~Max

Last Man Standing Pool

Now that all of the Major golf tournaments are complete for the 2008 season. I'll be using this blog for other pools. I'll probably have to either change the name of this one, or get a new one at some point. But, for now, this will serve its purpose.

Next on the horizon is the beginning of the NFL season. I've been persuaded to put together a Suicide Pool (aka, Last Man Standing). In Last Man Standing, players choose one team to win each week. You can only pick each team once per season. When your team loses, you are out. The winner is the one who lasts the longest. Also known a Survivor Pool, a Suicide Pool, and an Elimination Pool.

The entry fee is $50 - this is for the entire season. The season-long contest will be hosted by Frog Soda, if you're not already a member - sign up - it's free. Our group name is This Is Harder Than It Looks. It's a private group, so you'll need a password to enter. I'll email the password to you once your entry fee has been received. There are several ways to send your fee - the easiest is with Paypal (send the fee to max_rose@sbcglobal.net), but you can also mail it (send me an email if you need my address), give it to Ridge or Dwyer, or you can leave it for me at The Beacon in Forest Park (by the way, have you seen how nice the new outdoor patio is at The Beacon!)

Let me know if you have any questions. The first week of the NFL season kicks off with a Thursday night contest between the Redskins and the Giants on September 4, 2008. In order to guarantee your spot in the group (so that I have time to email you the password) you should send your entry fee as soon as possible - don't wait until the last minute, because I might be busy that weekend.

Good luck. Have fun.

~Max

Harrington Wins 3rd Major in 13 Months

Once lucky, twice so lucky he must be Irish, three times - this guy is really good. Padraig Harrington won the Wannamaker trophy by holding off Sergio and the rest of the field. The Monster was a great test, only three players shot under par for their four round total.

Oh, back to our thing here. Really sorry I wasn't able to post a third round update - just couldn't get it done. The final scores are in, Ridge finished in 1st place, Cohen 2nd and newcomer Adkins 3rd. Prizes will be going out within a day or so.

Thanks for playing.

~Max

Storms Cause Delay - Play to Resume Sunday

Due to heavy thunderstorms that pounded Oakland Hills Country Club on Saturday afternoon, the third round of the 90th PGA Championship was suspended until Sunday morning. Play in the season's final major will resume at 7:15 a.m. ET, with the final twosome of leader J.B. Holmes and Charlie Wi scheduled to tee off at 7:40 a.m. ET.

I'll be playing golf this morning and will do my best to update a couple of times today.

~ Max

Picks Who Made Cut

So, who are the players we are watching over the weekend? This graphic (pictured left, click to enlarge) shows every golfer that we picked, who is also playing this weekend. This is where our LRD will come from for both Saturday and Sunday's rounds. The list shows the number of pool entries that picked each player, so Furyk was picked by six of us. If Furyk scores well, so do most of us. The key are the golfers who have only been picked on one entry sheet - those are the golfers to be rooting for (if you have one) to have a great couple of rounds this weekend, if you are to move up our Leader Board.

Remember, we really don't care (for scoring purposes) what any golfer not on this list does. The LRD will come from a player on this list, so at least one entry will earn 5 points for the 3rd round. This is different from past pools, where we used the scores from the entire field who made the cut, whether they were drafted or not. This should make the final two rounds a little more exciting, providing a better opportunity to score.

~ Max

Holmes Tames Monster (well, sort of...)

J.B. Holmes is known for at least two things on tour - his booming drives and slow play. He's leading after the second round, so at least he won't have anyone waiting impatiently behind him. Holmes is the only player under par (-1), this is the first time since 1972 (at Oakland Hills too) that only one player was under par after 36 holes.

Ben Curtis and Justin Rose (nope, no relation) each shot the Low Round of the Day (LRD). All-in-all, there wasn't much scoring in our pool in round two, only a total of 10 points - and 5 of those were by Rose.

After 36 holes in our contest, Mike Ridge has taken the lead. Mike was the only player to have all eight of his picks make the cut (that's only happened one other time I think, I'll research and get back to you). Cary and Andy are in 2nd & 3rd places.

Remember that the scoring for the final two rounds is a little different. For the LRD, we'll only be looking at scores from PICKED players. So, at least one contestant will earn 5 points in the third and fourth rounds - so even tho I'm sitting in last place, if Andres Romero can shoot the LRD each of the last two days and end up winning - I still have a chance!!!

Good luck, enjoy your Saturday.

~Max

They Call it The Monster for a Reason

Oakland Hills Country Club is living up to its nickname, The Monster. It's nasty, green and scary. Weather shortened the first round yesterday and it was completed this morning. Sixteen holes played OVER par - sounds like one of my rounds!

The two leaders after round one are much better known in places outside of the United States - Robert Karlsson and the other guy on tour with the last name of Singh - Jeev Milkha. So, the Low Round of the Day (LRD) was a 68. Click on the images to enlarge the Leader Board and see where you stand, right now it's Andy Cohen with a 2-point lead over three entries tied for 2nd place right now.

Oh, and by the way - even if Kenny Perry manages to play in another major - I won't be picking him, nor rooting for him. Up until this latest stunt, I was a solid supporter of him. I kind of admire a guy for recognizing his strengths and weaknesses and using that self-awareness when making both business and personal decisions. However, he should have simply withdrawn before the tournament began (his doctors ordered him to not wear contacts for at least two weeks!) - by teeing it up for Round One, he cost the 1st alternate a shot at competing - that's just selfish.

~ Max

Here Are Your Picks

I know, finally right? I won't be able to post the first round score until tomorrow morning. Please double check your picks and let me know if there are any errors (with the way the past couple of days have gone for me, I wouldn't be at all surprised).

Have a great day!

~ Max

Posting Picks Soon

Hey everybody. I've been dealing with some personal stuff all morning. I should have everyone's picks posted very shortly. Thanks for your patience.

~ Max

Get Your Picks In

You have about 16 hours or so to get your picks in. So far, I think we five (including mine). I've heard from someone who said that they were having trouble downloading the Entry Form - if that's the case, send me an email and I'll forward one to you. Try to get the guy/gal in the office next to you to play too - it makes it more fun when you can have a little side bet with your buddies.

My email is max_rose@sbcglobal.net.

Good Luck!
~ Max

This is the full link to download the form.
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=731018&da=y

Scoring Adjustments Will Make it More Exciting

This all printed on the Entry Form as well, but I'll also post it here. The last couple of tournaments have been lackluster in the excitement department on the final day - so, I've tuned things up a bit and I think you'll all like it much more.

Scoring: Thursday & Friday (1st and 2nd Rounds)
5 points is awarded to every golfer who shoots the Low Round of the Day (LRD). Every chosen golfer in our pool will be compared to the LRD, and will earn points based on how far behind the LRD they were for the day. The LRD can, and sometimes does, come from a golfer who nobody has picked.

Scoring: Saturday & Sunday (3rd and Final Rounds)

The LRD is the LRD of any PICKED player, not from the entire field. This should make the final rounds a little more exciting - so no matter who actually shoots the lowest score of the final two rounds, for our scoring purposes, we'll only be comparing the scores of players chosn in our pool - this means, that at least one player will receive 5 points for that round.

Example: If the LRD is 2-over par, then every golfer who shoots 2-over would receive 5 points, 3-over would get 4 points, 4-over would get 3 points, 5-over would get 2 points, 6-over would get 1 point and every other score would get 0 points. So, to earn points, your golfers must shoot a score within 4 strokes of the Low Round for the Day.

3 Bonus Points will be awarded to each player making the cut.
8 Bonus Points will be awarded to the actual winner of the Tournament.
5 Bonus Points will be awarded to 2nd place (and all ties for 2nd place).
3 Bonus Points will be awarded to 3rd place (and all ties for 3rd place).
2 Bonus Points will be awarded to 4th place (and all ties for 4th place).
1 Bonus Point will be awarded to 5th place (and all ties for 5th place).

Ties: Ties will be broken based on the entry with the most players who make the cut; if still tied, the shares affected will be split.

~ Get your entry form here.

PGA Blank Entry Forms Available

Thanks for your patience everyone. Had a lot going on this weekend, so there was a slight delay. But you don't need to wait any longer - you can download the PGA entry forms now.

I'll post more soon.

~ Max