A Tie At The Top!

Fans,

Some excitement at last. Calvin and Sophie are now deadlocked at the top of the heap, with 79 points each. It's going to be a nail-biter. There are others with a chance to sneak through, too. I'll write out the Final Four picks later this week, so you can play along at home, especially those of us with nothing left to cheer for.

Today's geniuses are Sarah Prown and Ben Peterson, both picking the two games correctly. I honestly didn't give Michigan State much of a chance in the tournament, but they looked great today, I gather. Go Spartans. I'd like to see the Big 10 do well every now and then, even if Iowa is hopeless. Four of their players quit the team this week, so it looks as though next year will be just as bad. On the plus side, I did correctly predict that Tiger Woods would catch and whup Sean O'Hair today, so I'm doing far better (1 for 1) there than in hoop. Frankly, there's no chance Tiger going to lose against a guy (kind of) named for an airport.

Anyway, back to basketball. Here are the standings after four complete rounds:

	Player	Saturday	Sunday	R4 Total
1	Calvin	79	0	79
1	Sophie	75	4	79
3	Favs	72	4	76
3	John	72	4	76
3	Ruth	72	4	76
6	Sarah P.	67	8	75
7	Steve	70	4	74
8	Maggi	69	4	73
8	Tim	69	4	73
10	Scott	66	4	70
10	Willow	70	0	70
12	Katie/Justin	65	4	69
12	Liz	69	0	69
14	Gena	67	0	67
14	Hadiya	63	4	67
14	Kate	63	4	67
14	Michael	63	4	67
18	Cal	66	0	66
18	Matt	66	0	66
20	Dykes	61	4	65
21	Dayle	59	4	63
21	Knott	59	4	63
23	Jonathan	62	0	62
24	Ben	53	8	61
25	Acy	53	4	57
25	Sarah B.	57	0	57
27	Henry	52	0	52
29	Rosalie	51	0	51
30	Bill	50	0	50
27	Dana	48	0	48
31	Alexander	36	0	36
32	Harry	34	0	34

Sunday's picks

Dear ones,

For those of you following intently, here are today's picks:


1. Louisville - Everybody else
2. Michigan State - Ben, Sarah P, Katie/Justin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. USC - Alexander, Harry
3. Kansas - Acy, Dana, Dykes, Henry, Hadiya, Liz, Cal, John
4. Wake Forest - Rosalie


1. UNC - Everybody else
2. OK - Calvin, Sarah B, Willow, Rosalie, Liz, Katie/Justin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Gonzaga - Alexander, Harry
3. Syracuse - Dana, Jonathan, Henry, Cal, Bill
5. Illinois - Matt, Gena


Good luck out there today.

C

Standings after Saturday

Poolies,

Only a few more games left. Villanova in the Final Four, who would've guessed it? Gena, that's who. She's the only one of us who got that one right. Congrats to you. Calvin extended his lead over the field, and he's looking good to walk off with the whole chimichanga. Look out for Sophie Mac, though, creeping up quietly and looking stealthy and dangerous.

I'd write more, but I'm on my way to the ballet. I'm not kidding, here. The ballet. I hope the rest of you enjoy the basketball today. Sigh.

Here are the standings after Saturday's games:

	Player	R3 Total	R4D1	Total
1	Calvin	75	4	79
2	Sophie	71	4	75
3	Favs	68	4	72
3	John	68	4	72
3	Ruth	72	0	72
6	Steve	70	0	70
6	Willow	66	4	70
8	Liz	65	4	69
8	Maggi	69	0	69
8	Tim	69	0	69
11	Gena	59	8	67
11	Sarah P.	63	4	67
13	Cal	66	0	66
13	Matt	62	4	66
13	Scott	66	0	66
16	Katie/Justin	65	0	65
17	Hadiya	59	4	63
17	Kate	63	0	63
17	Michael	63	0	63
20	Jonathan	62	0	62
21	Dykes	61	0	61
22	Dayle	59	0	59
22	Knott	59	0	59
24	Sarah B.	57	0	57
25	Acy	49	4	53
25	Ben	53	0	53
27	Henry	48	4	52
29	Rosalie	47	4	51
30	Bill	46	4	50
27	Dana	48	0	48
31	Alexander	36	0	36
32	Harry	34	0	34

Standings after Round 3

All Hail Calvin Dewitt!!!
All Hail Calvin Dewitt!!!
All Hail Calvin Dewitt!!!

Getting distance on the rest of the pack for the first time all tournament, we now have our clear leader, Master Calvin Dewitt. Congrats to you. I hope you're giving it good to your parents and your little brother. They should make you some kind of crown to wear (until and unless someone catches you, I mean.)

The rest of us stink by comparison, and here's the proof:

	Player	R3, D1	R3,D2	R3 Total
1	Calvin	63	12	75
2	Ruth	63	9	72
3	Sophie	59	12	71
4	Steve	61	9	70
5	Maggi	60	9	69
5	Tim	60	9	69
7	Favs	56	12	68
7	John	59	9	68
9	Cal	60	6	66
9	Scott	57	9	66
9	Willow	57	9	66
12	Katie/Justin	56	9	65
12	Liz	56	9	65
14	Kate	54	9	63
14	Michael	54	9	63
14	Sarah P.	54	9	63
17	Jonathan	53	9	62
17	Matt	59	3	62
19	Dykes	52	9	61
20	Dayle	50	9	59
20	Gena	56	3	59
20	Hadiya	50	9	59
20	Knott	50	9	59
24	Sarah B.	51	6	57
25	Ben	47	6	53
26	Acy	46	3	49
27	Dana	45	3	48
27	Henry	45	3	48
29	Rosalie	44	3	47
30	Bill	43	3	46
31	Alexander	36	0	36
32	Harry	34	0	34

how peeps get made

Just the facts, ma'am.

Tonight's picks

To the horde,

More hoop tonight, people. I'm hoping you're all planning to be posted up in front of your respective tv sets, bellies full of beer and chips, eyes glued to the set. Four games, count 'em, four. Below are the picks. Interesting to see how uniformly we picked the 1 seeds to win, and how evenly split the 2-3 games are. Of course, I'm in the office on Friday afternoon, so it doesn't take much to be more interesting than the work I'm supposed to be doing. Good luck tonight, and let's be safe out there.

Meister

1. Louisville - Everybody else
12. Arizona - Nobody
---------------------------------
9. Siena - Alexander
4. Wake Forest - Acy, Dana, Ben, Rosalie, Katie/Justin


3. Kansas - Knott, Maggi, Acy, Dana, Dykes, Harry, Hadiya, Willow, Rosalie, Liz, Gena, Ruth, Cal, John
2. Mich. St. - Favs, Steve, Dayle, Jonathan, Calvin, Tim, Ben, Sarah P, Katie/Justin, Silet, Mike, Sophie
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. USC - Alexander, Harry, Bill
6. West Virginia - Sarah B, Matt, Kate


1. UNC - Everybody else
4. Gonzaga - Alexander, Sarah B, Rosalie, Harry, Bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Illinois - Henry, Matt, Gena


3. Syracuse - Acy, Steve, Dana, Jonathan, Henry, Tim, Matt, Sarah P, Gena, Silet, Cal, Mike, Bill
2. OK - Knott, Maggi, Favs, Dykes, Calvin, Hadiya, Sarah B, Willow, Rosalie, Liz, Kate, Katie/Justin, Ruth, John, Sophie
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Temple - Alexander
6. AZ St - Dayle, Harry
7. Clemson - Ben

Standings after Thursday's games

Freundles,

Another day of hoop, another day of miserable picking by me. It's pretty dispiriting, frankly. But that's my problem. First, a bit of news from last week. I mistakenly overlooked a genius pick. Young Master Harry, Scott and Kate's little guy, correctly picked the Cleveland State upset of Wake Forest, the only one of us to do so. It's a 3 point pick (since it was a 13 seed over a 4 seed), and the additional points are sufficient to move him from last place all the way up to...well...last place. That's ok, he has years to improve. He'll pass me shortly.

Yesterday's genius was our own Matt Peterson, who is the only one of us who got all four games right. Congrats to Matt. A few others (ten of you, actually) did nearly as well, getting three of the four games right. The rest of us did less well, sadly.

The big news is, of course, the new leaderboard. Take a look at who is tied for first. Way to go, Kansans! Here are the standings after Round 3, Day 1:

	Player	R2 Total	R3, D1	Total
1	Calvin	54	9	63
1	Ruth	54	9	63
3	Steve	52	9	61
4	Cal	54	6	60
4	Maggi	54	6	60
4	Tim	51	9	60
7	John	53	6	59
7	Matt	47	12	59
7	Sophie	53	6	59
10	Scott	51	6	57
10	Willow	51	6	57
12	Favs	50	6	56
12	Gena	47	9	56
12	Katie/Justin	53	3	56
12	Liz	47	9	56
16	Kate	48	6	54
16	Michael	48	6	54
16	Sarah P.	48	6	54
19	Jonathan	44	9	53
20	Dykes	46	6	52
21	Sarah B.	45	6	51
22	Dayle	41	9	50
22	Hadiya	44	6	50
22	Knott	44	6	50
25	Ben	38	9	47
26	Acy	40	6	46
27	Dana	36	9	45
27	Henry	39	6	45
29	Rosalie	38	6	44
30	Bill	40	3	43
31	Alexander	33	3	36
32	Harry	31	3	34

Today's picks coming soon. I do have a job, you know.

xoxox,

C

Isn't that the same sweater he wore in last year's pool?

Look closely at the crowd. I think I spot both my beautiful wife and the pool...uhh....meister, albeit thirteen and slightly wasted in a fetching blue vest.

Thursday's Picks

Dear Ones,

I'm hoping the violation of my address book hacking is behind me, I'm back to hoop, even though it's hard to get fired up for a contest in which I'm scraping bottom. Still, I live to serve. So, here's our picks for tomorrow.

Yours in perpetual electronic victimhood,

C

5. Purdue - Nobody
1. UConn - Everybody else
---------------------------------------
9. TX A&M - Alexander
4. Washington - Scott, Harry


3. Missouri - Dana, Jonathan, Rosalie, Matt
2. Memphis - Everybody else
-------------------------------------------------------
15. Cal St. Northridge ('member them?) - Alexander
10. Maryland - Acy
6. Marquette - Henry, Gena
7. Cal - Harry


1. Pitt - Everybody else
4. Xavier - Katie/Justin
------------------------------------
12. Wisconsin - Rosalie
5. Florida State - Bill


3. Villanova - Steve, Dayle, Calvin, Tim, Ben, Liz, Matt, Gena, Ruth, Scott
2. Duke - Everybody else
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. UCLA - Alexander, Dana, Dykes, Sarah, Harry
7. Texas - Rosalie

Lots of conformity this year, folks. Only Alexander, my sweet, sweet chimp, has consistently picked underdogs. Good fellow. The rest of us picked good teams. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Meister

Disaster

Friends,

Sad news. I've just figured out that Acy, Alexander and I are all mathematically eliminated from the family side bet. Maggi cannot be caught; she is the Pineloch Drive Champion. Pray for us, it's going to be a long, long Spring.

Dejectedly,

C

Dullsville, Baby

Sheesh. This is awful. With the exception of 12. Arizona and 5. Purdue, the favorites have all survived, making this easily the dullest pool in the history of basketball. Four 1-seeds, four 2-seeds, four 3-seeds, two 4-seeds. I've never seen the like, and hope never to see this again. Needless to say, I'm way down the list, but even if I were winning it would be a yawnfest. I'd still be crowing, sure, but that's different.

Here you go then. There's a fun logjam at the top, but everyone's bet on the same teams from here on out, so there's not a lot of room for movement, but it'll sort itself out eventually. After Round Two, the standings are:

	Player	Day 3	Day 4	R2 Total
1	Cal	42	12	54
1	Calvin	40	14	54
1	Maggi	42	12	54
1	Ruth	40	14	54
5	John	43	10	53
5	Katie/Justin	43	10	53
5	Sophie	41	12	53
8	Steve	42	10	52
9	Scott	39	12	51
9	Tim	39	12	51
9	Willow	39	12	51
12	Favs	36	14	50
13	Kate	38	10	48
13	Michael	36	12	48
13	Sarah P.	34	14	48
16	Gena	35	12	47
16	Liz	39	8	47
16	Matt	35	12	47
19	Dykes	36	10	46
20	Sarah B.	37	8	45
21	Hadiya	32	12	44
21	Jonathan	32	12	44
21	Knott	34	10	44
24	Dayle	33	8	41
25	Acy	30	10	40
25	Bill	36	4	40
27	Henry	31	8	39
28	Ben	32	6	38
28	Rosalie	30	8	38
30	Dana	26	10	36
31	Alexander	27	6	33
32	Harry	24	4	28