Greetings
friends,
I write to
welcome you to Spring (finally!) and to its ultimate right of passage, The
Online Tournament Pool. Another year of sharing in the excitement of the NCAA
Men’s Basketball Tournament, and attempting to predict its results, is upon us.
Whether you are an OTP veteran or contemplating joining us for the first time,
I ask that you give me a moment to regale you with stories of the enjoyment
this competition brings, and how it works.
I’d like to
begin by recounting a conversation I had with my son Luke last year at this
time:
(I’d just confronted Luke in his bedroom
upstairs.)
Me: There is no
escape! Don't make me destroy you. Luke, you do not yet realize your
importance. You've only begun to discover your power! Join me, and I will
complete your training! With our combined strength, we can win The Online Tournament Pool, and bring order
to the galaxy.
Luke: I’ll never
join you.
Me: If only you
knew the power of the OTP. Bobby Knight never told you what happened to your
father.
Luke: He told me
enough. He told me you killed him,
and took over the Online Tournament Pool!
Me: No I am your father.
Luke: No. No!
That's not true! That's impossible!
Me: Search your
feelings; you know it to be true!
Luke: NOOOOOOO!
NOOOOOOOO!!!
Me: Luke, we can
win the OTP. It is your destiny! Join me, and together, we can rule the OTP as
father and son! Join me. It is the only way.
(Luke jumps
out his bedroom window.)
Ok, not my best moment as a parent, but the
youngster survived the two story drop without a scratch. Sadly, his performance
in last year’s OTP demonstrated that while he may be a burgeoning soccer star,
and might lead the Racers to the Tee-Ball championship this year, the Force is
definitely NOT with him when it comes to picking NCAA hoops games.
In the meantime, let me introduce you to the
Seventeenth Annual Online Tournament Pool yep, you guessed it, Star Wars style.
“Hmm! Adventure. Hmmpf! Excitement. A
Jedi craves not these things.”
Agreed,
a true Jedi seeks only to sit on a comfy couch (or bar stool) and watch as much
college hoops action he/she possibly can over the next three weeks while hoping
their choice of Florida Gulf Coast University advancing to the Sweet 16 pans
out.
“I
find your lack of faith disturbing.”
Not convinced that the OTP is
the thing for you? Unsure you want to devote time (and $5) to the best part of
the year?!
“Why, you stuck up, half-witted,
scruffy-looking Nerf herder.”
Sorry, I lost my temper. But
think of the fun you will be missing out on! Selection Sunday is like Christmas
morning x 10! You’re going to spend hours poring over that bracket, picking
that perfect combination of 10 seed over 7 seed upsets, with that inevitable
march by that sneaky 5 seed. You’ll hold your breath as that 1 seed you were
certain is a lock for a Final Four birth struggles in the first round (sound
familiar Gonzaga? Purdue?). You’ll suddenly find an intense interest in the
Wofford Terriers, the Georgia State Panthers, and the Baylor Bears. You’ll rage
against the dreary Syracuse zone, marvel at the inside game of Georges Niang,
and find yourself remarking, “Larry Brown is still coaching/alive?!”
“You’ve
never heard of the Millennium Falcon? … It’s the ship that made the Kessel run
in less than 12 parsecs.”
You’ve
never heard of the Online Tournament Pool? It’s the first online pool, dating
back to 1997 when, yours truly, made picking the NCAA Tournament on
mimeographed (I love that word, that’s why I use it every year in this thing) brackets
a thing of the past. 12 parsecs!?!
Now you can submit your picks in less than 2
parsecs! Become a part of history and join folks who have been a participating
in the OTP for 5, 10, even 17 years.
“Everything is proceeding as I have
foreseen.”
Said
NO ONE regarding their selected bracket. Ever notice that by the second week of
the tournament all of the brackets of the so called “basketball gurus”
disappear from ESPN.com and SI.com? Seth Davis, Dick Vitale, Jay Bilas, and
Digger Phelps can talk, bloviate, and prognosticate all they want, but their
brackets end up looking as crappy as ours do, which is why you suddenly can’t
find them on any website. That’s the beauty of the OTP. Anyone can win! Anyone!
Did I mention a three year old almost won last year? Or that a grade-schooler
actually tied for the final lead (lost via tie-breaker)? Don’t know a thing
about college basketball?
“Sir the possibility of successfully
navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.”
That’s
the spirit. Sign up! Your chances of victory are quite good, relatively
speaking.
“Try not. Do… or do not. There is no
try.”
You knew
that quote was coming. Stop hesitating and here’s what to do: visit the website
at http://docgeorge.net/OTP. It is
currently being updated, so you can peruse last year’s content, but by Sunday
night (March 16), it will be “fully operational,” replete with the 2014 NCAA
Tournament Brackets which will be revealed tomorrow evening. You will then have
until Thursday (3/20) at noon to submit your picks and until Wednesday (3/26)
to send in your $5.
“Travelling through hyperspace ain’t
like dustin’ crops, boy!”
Most likely,
but submitting your picks is easier
than dustin’ crops, believe me I have years of experience. (Travelling through
hyperspace that is, I’ve never dusted a thing in my life, just ask my wife –
actually, please don’t bring that up.) The brackets are a simple point-and-click
exercise, but there’s even an option of having all the higher seeds picked
automatically for you.
“I’m Luke Skywalker! I’m here to
rescue you!” “…You’re who?”
Ah yes,
please make sure you include your full name (First AND Last please), or your bracket
will not be included in the competition.
“It’s against my programming to
impersonate a deity.”
Only one
entry per person, and please don’t impersonate a deity or anything else for
that matter.
“These aren’t the droids you’re
looking for.”
A
common reaction from first-time OTPers who take a first look at the scoreboard:
“Wait why is the person with the least amount of points in the lead? And where
ARE the droids I’m looking for?” That’s because you’re rewarded for the least
amount of INCORRECT picks. Can’t help you with the droids.
“Strike me down, and I will become
more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”
Well, not
quite. Let me explain further...
“I’ve
got a very bad feeling about this.”
No, relax,
it was invented by an actuary…
“Ungh. And I thought they smelled bad
on the outside.”
Now
that’s not nice. My actuarial friend has impeccable grooming habits.
“You will never find a more wretched
hive of scum and villainy.”
Ok, stop it!
The system is quite simple. Rather than awarding points for correct picks, you
are penalized for those you miss.
“Only at the end do you realize the
power of the Dark Side.”
Right, er,
no wait. What this means is that your score will reflect not just your
incorrect picks in round one, but in every subsequent round.
“Help
me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”
Just hang
on, let me finish explaining with this example. Say you picked Ohio State to
advance to the Elite Eight, but the Buckeyes are upset in the first round. Your
score will reflect the points you lost for each
round in which you had them advancing.
“The
Force is strong with this one.”
Thanks, I
guess. So we’re clear?
“Uh, we had a slight weapons
malfunction, but uh… everything’s perfectly all right now. We’re fine. We’re
all fine here now, thank you.” (Winces.)
“Uh, how are you?”
Phlegmatic,
thanks for asking. Here, let me recap. Visit the web site to check out the
rules, the scoring system, the brackets and, of course to make your pick.
Please do so by Thursday to qualify for a chance at the prize.
“So. You got your reward and you’re just
leaving, then?”
The reward?
Yes, all of the collected entry fees (minus five dollars) will be awarded to
the person with the lowest score by the end of the tournament. In case of a
tie, which happened for the first time in 16 years last year, the competitor
who picked the most final four participants, or elite eight participants if
there is no difference, gets the win. Again, all money needs to be submitted by
3/19 either the old-fashioned way: 141 Lexington Circle, Matawan NJ 07747, or
via the PayPal link on the OTP web site.
Website: http://docgeorge.net/OTP
Email: docrek@gmail.com
“I love you.”
I know.
Hope you can join us this year, and if you have any questions send me a note. And of course, may the force be with you.
Hope you can join us this year, and if you have any questions send me a note. And of course, may the force be with you.
Best,
-gr
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