Congratulations to our pool winners - Mark Bellefontaine (Team Selection) and Mike Johnson (Pick Em All). Both have won those pools before, so I advise those of you that know them - ask them for hints next year! Special thanks to Peter Debay for the 25th Anniversary logo - love it! And don't forget to check the list below to see if you won a t-shirt! Check out the Standings page for the full results and click over to the Pick Em All tab to see the results there. This is the first time in many years (possibly ever if we go solely by my memory) where we did not have at least one entrant pick the winner in the Pick Em All pool. I guess that's what happens when a #7 wins the big dance.
2014 Details
25 years and counting...
Update on the Shirt Draws:
Congratulations to all our random winners this year of 25th Anniversary commemorative t-shirts. Details have been emailed out and I hope you enjoy them. Kudos to our designer Peter Debay for the awesome logo.
NOTE: If you have not responded with your address and shirt size by 24-Apr-2014 at 12p ET, your name will be removed and another name redrawn. Sorry - but the order is being placed and I can't wait.
- Random 25th Anniversary Shirt Winner #1: Dan Kerr (Shanghai, CN)
- Random 25th Anniversary Shirt Winner #2: Drew Phillips (Toronto, ON)
- Random 25th Anniversary Shirt Winner #3: Blake Graves (Vancouver, BC)
- Random 25th Anniversary Shirt Winner #4: Amy Clarke (Fall River, NS)
- Random 25th Anniversary Shirt Winner #5: Peter Debay (Vancouver, BC)*
- Random 25th Anniversary Shirt Winner #6: Jeremy Glazier (Toronto, ON)**
- Random 25th Anniversary Shirt Winner #7: Eric Johnson (Dartmouth, NS)
- * redrawn as Aaron Niman politely declined
- ** redrawn as no response from original shirt winner Don Jewell
To recap my upset predictions to date:
#13 seed will advance (incorrect - although a 14 did)
#12 seed will make Sweet 16 (down to Stephen F Austin after 3 won their 2nd round games)
2 #12 seeds will win in the first round (I shorted them - 3 won)
No winners from #14-16 this year (I gladly was corrected by #14 Mercer slappin' around #3 Duke)
At least one #1 will be out by the second round (Correct - Wichita St)
Pool History - 25 years in the making
For those that care, here's a quick recap of some of the pool variations we've adopted along the way (those with insight into any I've missed/incorrectly reflected, please let me know) and notable happenings:
Year 1 (March 1990): A Draft - we had 16 participants who drafted (snake-format after randomly determining the order) 4 teams totals. If your team won, you won the pot (can't recall if we split the pot - $10 entry I believe).
Year 2 (1991): The Original Team Selection: this format was the simplest of the Team Selection pools - pick one team at every seed; basic point structure. Winners split 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
Year 5 (1994): In addition to the Team Selection pool (in the format at the time), we introduced the bracket pool (to align with the rest of the world). We ended up taping all the entries around the living room of our student house that we lived in and made Pool Central at 6238 Lawrence St. After each round, we'd go through each pool tick the games and update the totals (manually). We still hadn't hit the automated world yet.
Year 14 (2003): We go to the web!! 2003 was the first year I managed to get things online with end of round updates for the Team Selection and Pick Em All pools. This is also the first time we managed to start tracking our historical winner (to those who claim victory prior to 2003...pshaw! it's all lies). The Winner of the Team Selection: Rob Faloon; Pick Em All: Mitchell Wallace.
Year 18 (2007): We introduce our 3rd Pool - The Let It Ride pool. With an elevated entry ($50) and 100% pure chance, this was easily the most fun pool, but the price tag and no control let to a short lived existence (2 years). The inaugural Let Em Ride winner: Donna Rubinstein.
This was also the year we moved our Pick Em All Pool to the current home with live post game updates, standings and numerous other bonuses.
Year 25 (2014): This year is the bomb! Not only will winners claim their shares of the pot, but I'm looking to get some prizes donated to recognize our 25th year. Cash prizes totalling over $1000 a year now and this year, as a special bonus - winners get commemorative 25th anniversary shirts. Random draws will also be done for handful of others. If you'd like to get one regardless, email House and let him know. He can shoot you a price and timing.
HOW MUCH DO I OWE?
Is that a question you're wondering? If so...follow this rule:
Add up your Team Selection Entries: 1st one = $15 and each subsequent = $10
Add up your Pick Em All brackets: 1st one = $10 and each subsequent = $5
So...if you had 3 Team Selections and 4 Pick Em Alls:
Team Selection: $15 + 10 + 10 = $35
Pick Em All: $10 + $5 + $5 + $5 = $25
Total: $35 + $25 = $60
For 2014 add $5 to this total for the shirts: $60 + $5 = $65
Got it?
HOW MUCH DO I WIN?
Payouts are determined after all entries are paid, service fees paid out and then awarding winnings based on a 70%, 20%, 10% split. In the case of ties for 2nd and/or 3rd, see the Rules for Tie Breakers.
(above values are representative of 2014)
FIRST FOUR - WE DON'T COUNT
When you start selecting your team and making those tough decisions, one thing you won't need to spend any time on is the first four games - we don't not count them (yet). So, when selecting your team, if you choose to select the winner of one of those games, you theoretically get two teams (but only the advancing team matters). Good luck!
Note: No points whatsoever are earned in the first four games - no scoring bonus points, no upsets points, no points for the win.
Note: No points whatsoever are earned in the first four games - no scoring bonus points, no upsets points, no points for the win.
2014 POOL DETAILS
Team Selection: The granddaddy of our pools, you MUST enter this pool in order to participate in any of the pools. This is a unique pool, unlike any other. You pick teams based on the seedings (4 teams that are seeded 1, 2, or 3, 4 teams that are 4, 5, 6, or 7, etc.) and in the end, you end up with 16 teams varying in seeds from 1-16 (yes, you may end up with all 4 #1 seeds - your choice). Points are earned by wins, upsets (lower seed beating a higher seed), and scoring (both offensively and defensively). The Rules section plays out a few scenarios to help explain the scoring and the points. It really isn't hard to understand when you see the example. See the bottom of this post for directions on how to pay.
Pick Em All: This is your standard, run of the mill "bracket" pool that everyone's used to - fill out a bracket and hope for the best. We don't do anything different here, with the one exception that in order to fill out a bracket, you must submit a team selection pool! See the bottom of this post for directions on how to pay. The details for the pools remain the same as previous years:
- You MUST go in the Team Selection Pool.
- You may NOT just go in the Pick Em All pool.
- You may register your spot early for this pool, but the brackets will not be available until after the tournament draw is announced
For those new to the pools, please check out the Rules section that helps explain both the Team Selection and the Pick Em All pools.
RULES FOR PAYMENTS
Payments MUST be sent in by the end of the Round of 64 - MARCH 21st, 2014. If they are not, all of your entries will be removed from all pools and you will be banned permanently from all future pools. I cannot stress this enough - I do not like hounding people months after the pool to get their payments in (this results in people hounding me for their money and I feel like the bad guy although I've done nothing wrong). SO....you've been warned.
Payments MUST be sent in by the end of the Round of 64 - MARCH 21st, 2014. If they are not, all of your entries will be removed from all pools and you will be banned permanently from all future pools. I cannot stress this enough - I do not like hounding people months after the pool to get their payments in (this results in people hounding me for their money and I feel like the bad guy although I've done nothing wrong). SO....you've been warned.
BANNED + SHAMED LIST
- Jeremy Krief (2011): $15
- Carlos Cabrera (2009): $15
- Sam Wilson (2008): $90
- David, Donna, Jason and Daniel Rubenstein (2008): $100
- Steve Pettipas (2007, 2009 NFL): $150
* there are others, but I am struggling to locate the file I saved them to; those on the banned list may get back in by paying for their outstanding debt and as well paying 100% upfront prior to the pool starting (current year + previous debt)
Email Transfers (Paypal is ok, but email transfers are preferred)
My email address for email payments: jason@DISREGARDTHISPART-seabright.ca
There are no longer transaction fees for this - you're welcome. lol
*See above "How Much Do I Owe" to determine your debt - it will be posted as well here
There are no longer transaction fees for this - you're welcome. lol
*See above "How Much Do I Owe" to determine your debt - it will be posted as well here
All Cash Payments
Jason House - text/call me to arrange payment (9**) 809-HABS (I am no longer in Vancouver though!)
Note: Checks are no longer acceptable. Please do NOT mail a check. Please do not ask if you can mail a check. You have plenty of advance notice to make alternative arrangements for payment. I do NOT want to go to the bank and deposit checks that get held, etc. It's cold here in March! You'll also notice there's no address - I've moved so it's not the same either. And for me to cash a check, I have to drive 50 minutes - so, please either get off your wallet and pay the $1.50 transfer fee or somehow find a way to send me the funds electronically (or show up at my house with cash). Sorry to be a hard a$$ on this, but it's the age of technology - we need to learn to embrace it. If you send me a cheque, you will be added to the banned list (after I cash your cheque). I am not kidding.
Jason House - text/call me to arrange payment (9**) 809-HABS (I am no longer in Vancouver though!)
Note: Checks are no longer acceptable. Please do NOT mail a check. Please do not ask if you can mail a check. You have plenty of advance notice to make alternative arrangements for payment. I do NOT want to go to the bank and deposit checks that get held, etc. It's cold here in March! You'll also notice there's no address - I've moved so it's not the same either. And for me to cash a check, I have to drive 50 minutes - so, please either get off your wallet and pay the $1.50 transfer fee or somehow find a way to send me the funds electronically (or show up at my house with cash). Sorry to be a hard a$$ on this, but it's the age of technology - we need to learn to embrace it. If you send me a cheque, you will be added to the banned list (after I cash your cheque). I am not kidding.