The Official CougarStadium 2013 Bracket Challenge Contest

[Moliere]

Thanks for pulling this together last minute DH!

[scottie]

I'm late Donut's thing, but I don't understand this condition:

You have to send in your picks before the start of the first game on Thursday. No exceptions.

If someone didn't get their two day 1 picks in before the start of the first game, it just means it's more difficult for them to pick because they have fewer day 1 games to choose from.

[smokymountainrain]

I'm late Donut's thing, but I don't understand this condition:



If someone didn't get their two day 1 picks in before the start of the first game, it just means it's more difficult for them to pick because they have fewer day 1 games to choose from.

I wondered about that too. Why the hard deadline, DH?

[Donuthole]

I'm late Donut's thing, but I don't understand this condition:



If someone didn't get their two day 1 picks in before the start of the first game, it just means it's more difficult for them to pick because they have fewer day 1 games to choose from.

That's one side of the argument. The other side of the argument is that what if there is a big upset in that first game, and that person would have picked the loser? Then, they dodged a bullet by getting their pick in late. I think the safe response is to say someone could still enter the pool, but they still have to cross the winner of the first game off their list of potential picks at a later date (i.e. they count as a team already used, even though they never used them).

[Art Vandelay]

That's one side of the argument. The other side of the argument is that what if there is a big upset in that first game, and that person would have picked the loser? Then, they dodged a bullet by getting their pick in late. I think the safe response is to say someone could still enter the pool, but they still have to cross the winner of the first game off their list of potential picks at a later date (i.e. they count as a team already used, even though they never used them).

That seems fair to me. MSU is out of play (for those who didn't submit prior to tipoff) for the rest of the tournament.

[Coach McGuirk]

Personally, I'm a stickler for the rules.

[Surfah]

Personally, I'm a stickler for the rules.

Yeah I am good with taking at least $240 from you guys.

[Donuthole]

Personally, I'm a stickler for the rules.

Agreed. Any change in rules or late entries would have to be unanimously approved by all who are participating.

[CJF]

Crap. I checked earlier. Can I still buy in?

Nevermind. I see the post directly above. Like the Cubs, I'll look forward to next year.

[smokymountainrain]

Yeah I am good with taking at least $240 from you guys.

But you don't want more than $240?

[Surfah]

I'll take money from guys who buy back in too.

I agree with Coach and DH though. Once you start messing with the rules then you get guys bent out of shape and not paying out even when they're agreed upon. Best to just stick with it, even if it means I win less.

[smokymountainrain]

I'll take money from guys who buy back in too.

I agree with Coach and DH though. Once you start messing with the rules then you get guys bent out of shape and not paying out even when they're agreed upon. Best to just stick with it, even if it means I win less.

That's fair. Sucks for those of us who just happened to not be online this morning in time, but yeah makes sense. (that's what we get for actually doing our jobs on Thursday morning of the NCAA tourney )

[Donuthole]

Ok, we have 5 latecomers who want in. That is an extra $100 in the pot. However, there are now 2 games in progress. I feel like, at this point, it is too late. Allowing them to merely pick from the afternoon games is not as fair as it sounds, as they will have avoided all risk of upset in the morning games. There are a couple of ways we can go about this:

1) They are too late. Sorry. Rules are rules and fools are fools.

2) They can come in, but they have pick two winners from today's remaining games, AND they have to to strike MSU/Valpo and Bucknell/Butler from their available teams for the remainder of the pool.

3) They can buy in for $40 tomorrow but they have to pick 4 winners (just as if they had lost today) and they have to strike MSU/Valpo game and one other 3 seed or higher who plays today and wins from their list. (This is dicey, but it doesn't seem fair to let them strike MSU/Valpo winer and Butler/Bucknell winner, as nobody would have picked Butler/Bucknell as a first-round knockout matchup).

Thoughts from our participants? Again, this has to be unanimous. If anyone wants to stick to the 12 entrants we have, say the word and it shall be done. But I've been asked to formally put this out there.

Edit: The more I think about this, there more I realize there are just too many ways this could go wrong. I'm pulling the plug on latecomers unilaterally. Sorry to those who didn't get notice in time. I should have started the pool earlier. When I got into the office this morning I had several inquiries about it, so I decided to roll.

[smokymountainrain]

[COLOR=#800080]Ok, we have 5 latecomers who want in. That is an extra $100 in the pot. However, there are now 2 games in progress. I feel like, at this point, it is too late. Allowing them to merely pick from the afternoon games is not as fair as it sounds, as they will have avoided all risk of upset in the morning games. There are a couple of ways we can go about this:

If somebody had a strategy of say, picking the top overall seeds, this reason for not allowing late comers would probably be awfully hard to swallow - but I think that person would likely understand.

[Jeff Lebowski]

DH, I am going to call my HC and get back to you on this. I don't think your decision is fair. If that doesn't pan out, I am calling the Stake Pres.