Round Two, Day One

People,

The third day of the tourney has ended. And what a day Day Three was. Duke lost (bwa ha ha ha ha), UCLA almost lost, Notre Dame lost (I love it when they lose), and the incredibly meager Big 10 got two wins yesterday. Amazing.

Big genius yesterday was a new entrant, my groovy cousin-in-law Tim Bowman. Sarah Bowman is the white sheep of my family; smart, hardworking, good-looking, successful; all the things the rest of the Knotts just aren't. She's the Marilyn Munster of the Knott family. Tim, yesterday's genius, is her hubbie. For those of you who don't know them, they live in Bloomington. Sarah works with Steve at MCPL, and Tim is getting his Ph.D. in whatever they now call the school that used to teach Library Science. I suppose it's Something Information Something, but the point is, smarter people go there than when we were all there. I suspect nobody in Tim's program brings leftover fruit in a Playmate cooler to distribute to lunchmates, for example. Anyhoo, Tim got 7 of 8 games correct yesterday; a damn fine showing.

Here then, are the results and standings after Day Three. Sad to think that after today, there'll only be 15 games left. Poolwise, it looks as though Chris D., Willow, Dana and the horde of you a point or two behind them, are locked in a titanic struggle for supremacy. Those of us well back are looking for the Cheetos, popping open another YooHoo, and deciding whether a shower is really necessary on a day like today.

Enjoy the day.

Poolboss

	Name	Rnd 1	R2D1	Total
1	Chris Dykes	27	12	39
1	Willow Coleman	27	12	39
3	Dana Duffy	27	10	37
4	Cal Dewitt	26	10	36
4	Kate Lewis	24	12	36
4	Mike Winkler	26	10	36
4	Ruth Dewitt	26	10	36
4	Tim Bowman	22	14	36
9	Sarah Bowman	23	12	35
10	Jonathan Knott	24	10	34
11	Gena Zelenka	25	8	33
11	Hank Zelenka	23	10	33
11	Matt Peterson	27	6	33
11	Steve Backs	25	8	33
15	Chris Knott	22	10	32
15	Sarah Prown	26	6	32
15	Sophie Peterson	26	6	32
18	Acy Jackson	23	8	31
18	Bill O'Hearn	21	10	31
18	Calvin Dewitt	23	8	31
18	David Prown	21	10	31
18	Dayle Zelenka	21	10	31
18	Harrison Lewis	23	8	31
24	Favorites	24	6	30
24	Scott Silet	24	6	30
25	Liz Rambeau	23	6	29
26	Henry Dewitt	22	6	28
27	John Coleman	21	6	27
28	Rosalie Coleman	22	4	26
29	Ellie/Ben Peterson	23	2	25
30	Maggi Jackson	18	6	24
31	Ned/Kate O'Hearn	19	2	21
32	Alexander Knott	18	2	20

Day Two results, Round One totals

Dearest Poolies,

Ah, Round One is over. As usual, I'm in the crapper, but I'm not at the bottom, so I guess that's ok. As dull as Day One was, Day Two made up for it and more. Six upsets, including two 12 seeds and two 13 seeds moving on. It was amazing to me how many people picked those games. I was going to list everyone who did, but it just would've been too long a laundry list.

That said, there was a genius pick yesterday. Together, sibs Ellie and Ben Peterson managed to pick all six upsets correctly, an almost unimaginable (by me, anyway) feat of prognostication. Congrats to our budding Nostradamuses. (The fact that the juniors love to pick the upsets more or less uniformly does not blunt their accomplishment, at least not in my eyes.) They have, as you might guess, shot up the standings.

After Round One then, the standings are:

	Name	R1D1	R1D2	Round 1
1	Chris Dykes	14	13	27
1	Dana Duffy	12	15	27
1	Matt Peterson	12	15	27
1	Willow Coleman	17	10	27
5	Cal Dewitt	16	10	26
5	Mike Winkler	12	14	26
5	Ruth Dewitt	15	11	26
5	Sarah Prown	14	12	26
5	Sophie Peterson	12	14	26
10	Gena Zelenka	14	11	25
10	Steve Backs	13	12	25
12	Favorites	14	10	24
12	Jonathan Knott	11	13	24
12	Kate Lewis	16	8	24
12	Scott Silet	14	10	24
16	Acy Jackson	12	11	23
16	Calvin Dewitt	13	10	23
16	Ellie/Ben Peterson	6	17	23
16	Hank Zelenka	14	9	23
16	Harrison Lewis	11	12	23
16	Liz Rambeau	11	12	23
16	Sarah Bowman	14	9	23
23	Chris Knott	12	10	22
23	Henry Dewitt	10	12	22
23	Rosalie Coleman	12	10	22
23	Tim Bowman	14	8	22
27	Bill O'Hearn	11	10	21
27	David Prown	12	9	21
27	Dayle Zelenka	12	9	21
27	John Coleman	12	9	21
31	Ned/Kate O'Hearn	8	11	19
32	Alexander Knott	7	11	18
32	Maggi Jackson	10	8	18

Let's hope Round Two is as fun. If I get a chance (I have a two year old climbing over me more or less nonstop) I'll try to get out a message showing who has picked what today. Don't hold your collective breath(s).

Later, my pets.

CAK

Get a haircut!

I'm pretty sure this guy asked me for change this morning on my way into work.

Just sayin'.

Aside from the games - is your life in order?

This is exciting for some of us - new sins! Just in time for Easter. I've been creating poverty every opportunity I have and also conducting 'morally dubious experiments.'

By the way, I am combing my hair into the left-sided bird's nest for Sunday. It makes it difficult to think of the shoes that go with it, tho.

Moah beeah, pleez.

torpedoed!

Thank you UCONN for offically sinking our brackets. OUCH! Poor Rosalie had 'em going the whole way...

Day One - Poolmeister is tired

People,

All in all, a relatively dull Day One. It is, of course, a crying shame that Duke didn't lose, but you can't have everything in life, right? We have a huge pool this year, with 32 entrants. I think that's a record. There are a number of newbies this time, and when I get a minute I'll introduce everyone to everyone else. There were only two upsets, Texas A&M over BYU (is a 9 beating an 8 really an upset?) and Kansas State beating USC. Since Kansas State is an 11 seed, picking that one right (something an amzing 14 of you did) gets you one extra point. Thus, there were 17 possible points today.

Did anyone pick all 16 games correctly for a total of 17 points? Yessiree, GENIUS OF THE DAY HONORS go to Willow Coleman (and if I have the surname of John and Sarah's kids wrong, I apologize - it's impossible to guess these things). She got 'em all, which I think gives her the right to administer unlimited noogies not only to her sister Rosalie, but to her parents and Uncle David (Poolies, all) as well. Congrats to you, young Red Willow. You, as the youngsters say, rock!

After Day One, then, here are the standings:

	Name	R1D1
1	Willow Coleman	17
2	Cal Dewitt	16
2	Kate Lewis	16
4	Ruth Dewitt	15
5	Chris Dykes	14
5	Favorites	14
5	Gena Zelenka	14
5	Hank Zelenka	14
5	Sarah Bowman	14
5	Sarah Prown	14
5	Scott Silet	14
5	Tim Bowman	14
13	Calvin Dewitt	13
13	Steve Backs	13
15	Acy Jackson	12
15	Chris Knott	12
15	Dana Duffy	12
15	David Prown	12
15	Dayle Zelenka	12
15	John Coleman	12
15	Matt Peterson	12
15	Mike Winkler	12
15	Rosalie Coleman	12
15	Sophie Peterson	12
25	Bill O'Hearn	11
25	Harrison Lewis	11
25	Jonathan Knott	11
25	Liz Rambeau	11
29	Henry Dewitt	10
29	Maggi Jackson	10
31	Ned/Kate O'Hearn	8
32	Alexander Knott	7
33	Ellie/Ben Peterson	6

And now, dear friends, to bed. What a day, what a day. And how can I be in 15th place after just one day? It usually takes me a round or two to drift to my typical middle of the pack. Oh well.

Let's all have a safe Day Two out there.

Meister

what are you wearing for Easter?

thanks maggi for the helpful tip regarding the peas. Take care of the guys, first.

But what will you be wearin' this Sunday?

A T & T at the Half

The hair grease factor seems to be under control this year. What's up with that?

We gots hoops!!!!

Alrighty, Eileen is to my left...Guinness is to my right...high def above my head...what's wrong with all of you?!?!?!?

Fellas - an idea?

I'm not saying anything, but it is an idea.  And women, we can always call on "problems with our lady parts," and no one asks any questions.

Tradition

Ok, maybe I'm not the busiest guy on the planet, but it's a bit hectic. I've not really watched or followed the lead up to the tourney. Doing my picks at the last minute. Adding names to the Hoopkids blog at 11:15pm. And I've got a performance (uh, presentation) in Chapel Hill next Thursday to prepare.

Still, how many of you can say that you are going to be sitting in an Irish Pub, Guinness in hand, foam mustache, wireless laptop and all, watching the opening tip off? I continue my tradition of taking off from work and watching all 36 hours of hoops this weekend. Come on, join me! I'll save you a seat at the bar.

Algona's not near Ottumwa and this Dick Dale isn't that Dick Dale

The Swedes sent S into a rapture of nostalgia and she tortured Willow ('80s Studies' unit in the homeschool curriculum) by surfing YouTube for Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Culture Club, Wham and Missing Persons videos....

Poor Mans ABBA

I usually don't post this kind of malarky until I'm losing badly. But I thought it might be nice to have a little pre-game entertainment.

Get picking, people.

Let us pool

I am here. I am here. Any Whos out there?

Is anyone paying attention heah?

Sasquatch all around, everwheres. Don't go camping ever again.

Spouses and siblings

All,

OK, so Billow wins the big chimichanga. But what about all the side bets, bitter rivalries and petty bickering that really make the tourney hum? Here's your scorecard:

Scott 104, Kate 92
John 94, Sarah 55
Steve 93, Dana 57
DavidP 89, Sarah 55
Liz 88, Matt 86
Dayle 87, Gena 74
Calvino 79, Henry 71
Alexander 65, Acy 44
Rosalie 50, Willow 35

And now the one that really matters:

KNOTT 92, Maggi 45

Sometimes life is unbearably sweet.

As ever I remain,

Yours in vindication,

Knott the Poolmeister

All over, including the shouting

Well, friends, another tourney has come and gone. I've finished out of the money again, but no matter. We have a winner, congrats Bill, and we've had some good, clean fun. Who can complain? Me, for one. I wanted to win. Dangit.

Here's how the 2007 Hoop Tournament Pool ended up, after the Florida win tonight:

---------------R5----2nite-----Total----Champ Pick

1.	Bill	106	0	106	OSU
2.	Silet	94	10	104	Florida
3.	John	84	10	94	Florida
3.	Mike	94	0	94	OSU
5.	Steve	83	10	93	Florida
6.	Kate	92	0	92	OSU
6.	Knott	92	0	92	Gtown
6.	Ruth	82	10	92	Florida
9.	DavidP	89	0	89	OSU
10.	Liz	88	0	88	Gtown
11.	Dayle	77	10	87	Florida
11.	Dykes	77	10	87	Florida
13.	Matt	86	0	86	Gtown
14.	DaveW	82	0	82	Gtown
15.	Calvino	79	0	79	Kansas
16.	Hank	76	0	76	UNC
17.	Gena	74	0	74	Memphis
18.	Henry	71	0	71	Kansas
19.	Alexander	65	0	65	Old Dominion
20.	Dana	57	0	57	UCLA
21.	Sarah	55	0	55	Pitt
22.	Rosalie	50	0	50	Penn
23.	Maggi	45	0	45	UNC
24.	Acy	44	0	44	Maryland
25.	Willow	35	0	35	Kansas

Interesting, no? Lots of movement in the final rounds, but in the end, it was Bill outpacing the pack. Good lad. The silver loving cup, bejewelled diadem, ermine cape, sash, ceremonial sword and sceptre are all on their way to you at Eton. Wear them in good health for the next year.

Now how do I make the time pass until next year?

Depressed a little,

C

Bill wins! Bill wins! Bill wins!

All,

Rule Britannia. Rule Billtania. Our friend across the pond, Bill O'Hearn (or Billow, as he is in my mind) is your 2007 NCAA Tournament Champion! Congrats to you, my friend. We all owe a tip of the hat to our man Billow.

Here's where we are after the semis:


--------------R4-----Semis------R5 -----Champ Pick

1.	Bill	98	8	106	OSU
2.	Mike	78	16	94	OSU
2.	Silet	86	8	94	Florida
4.	Kate	76	16	92	OSU
4.	Knott	84	8	92	Gtown
6.	DavidP	73	16	89	OSU
7.	Liz	80	8	88	Gtown
8.	Matt	86	0	86	Gtown
9.	John	76	8	84	Florida
10.	Steve	67	16	83	Florida
11.	DaveW	74	8	82	Gtown
11.	Ruth	74	8	82	Florida
13.	Calvino	71	8	79	Kansas
14.	Dayle	69	8	77	Florida
14.	Dykes	69	8	77	Florida
16.	Hank	76	0	76	UNC
17.	Gena	74	0	74	Memphis
18.	Henry	71	0	71	Kansas
19.	Alexander	57	8	65	Old Dominion
20.	Dana	57	0	57	UCLA
21.	Sarah	55	0	55	Pitt
22.	Rosalie	50	0	50	Penn
23.	Maggi	45	0	45	UNC
24.	Acy	44	0	44	Maryland
25.	Willow	35	0	35	Kansas

More tomorrow when I ought to be working. I'm off to sleep now, depressed that the Georgetown loss left me mathematically eliminated. I thought this might be my year. Congrats also to The Wrinkler. Scott and Kate, who all put in star performances. For those of you who just can't get enough Tracy-Hepburn in your lives, or for those who need something to add drama to Monday night's YawnFest Finals, the outcome of the the title game determines the outcome of what must surely be a bitter Kate/Scott rivalry. I'm rooting for Kate. Sorry Scott. Go Buckeyes.

later,

Meister, loser again