'Twas bitter sweet earlier this week. Another outstanding first two rounds of the tournament gave us some fantastic action. And now the best 4 days of the year are over. However, to console you, here are the annual OTP Awards:

Best First Round Awards.

• Best Performance by OTP Participants: Steve McPhail, Aaron Lake, Anthony Buono, Andrea Guglielmo, Alex Mitchell – 27 out of 32 correct picks.
• GSU Upset Picks: Adam Stutts (age: 3), Emily Reklaitis (age: 8), Patrick Lynch (age: old),
• UAB Upset Picks: John Reklaitis (age: 5), that is all.
• Worst Overall Performance:
• Normally I would mention here that while I am happy to praise the youngsters who -cajoled by their parents - fill out brackets and actually nail some good picks (see above), I shall not ridicule them when they go far, far astray with what are essentially random predictions (although aren’t they for all of us?) This year an adult was willing to take the title of worst prognosticator, so I don’t even have to have to offer the “well, they’re just kids” caveat. Erin McManus dons the honor of worst 1st round performance after only getting half (16 of 32) of her picks correct. This saves Steve Stites from the embarrassment of receiving this award with only 14 correct picks. Granted our alma mater Northeastern came within a leprechaun’s breath of stealing a 1^st round upset.  Had NEU won, Steve would have moved up in the circles of shame.

Because of Steve’s (and others) determined sticking-to-it-ness regarding their favorite teams in the field, this year I’ve created another award: 

The Sticking with your school despite almost ridiculous odds Award. 

• I’ll give Steve first honors, as he had the Huskies not only knocking off the #3 seed but advancing to the Sweet 16 as well. Other well-intentioned but ultimately disappointed fans include:
• Alex Mitchell, son of OSU alumn Bert Mitchell, who had his Dad’s team winning it all. (For the record, Dad correctly predicted OSU going out in the 2^nd round. Throw anybody under the bus much Bert?)
• Christine Reklaitis, UVA grad, had the Hoos winning it all (and her husband’s home town team, Purdue, advancing to the Final Four). Thanks for your support Christine, and your $5.
• Emily and Luke Reklaitis who decided that since Dad loves Purdue, they do too, and therefore, Purdue shall win it all. I love them, but they essentially flushed $10 down the toilet for me.

Best First Round for NCAA Participants:

• R.J. Hunter and Father. You’ve seen it already. Watch it again:

And for good measure, a similar scenario from 10 years ago (courtesy of my friend Paul Schultz). Great sequence all around, but at the 1:04 mark is when the magic really happens.

Second Round Awards:

Best Second Round by OTP participants: Curtis Tonick and Vic Reklaitis with 12 out of 16 correct picks.

Best upset picks: 

• (I consider NC State and Wichita State advancing against a 1 and 2 seed respectively legitimate upsets, and 11 seed UCLA advancing to the Sweet 16 as well. Michigan State always makes it to the Sweet 16, not much of an upset there IMHO.) However, since 20 OTP participants picked WSU to advance, I’m afraid this is hardly an exceptional choice.
• Therefore upset awards go to the 4 folks who picked the Wolfpack’s upset of #1 seed Villanova: Adam Stutts, Emily Reklaitis, Rae Poteat, and Vic Reklaitis.

Best Second Round for NCAA Participants:

• UW’s Sam Dekker’s dunk that went in twice. Four points?! Nope 0. Still fun to watch:

Ok, that wraps it up for now. In case you missed it, I set up a Sweet 16 contest for those still interested in submitting another set of brackets. No entry fee required, just go to the online brackets as you did the first time and you will find the brackets filled up to the final 16 teams. Win and you get your entry fee back. Picks due by 6 PM, tomorrow, Thursday.

Enjoy, and thanks for playing!

Welcome to the 2015 OTP!

Greetings All.

Here it is, that annual missive that summons you to participate in our cultish ritual, known as the Online Tournament Pool. How do I know we’re in a cult? Well, the fact that you are wondering if you are in a cult right now means that yes, you’re in a cult.* But it’s a wonderful cult that is now in its 18^th year of existence! Some of you are relatively new inductees and some of you drank the Kool-Aid along time ago. For the yet uninitiated, welcome. And, don’t worry, membership into this cult does not require any bizarre suicidal rituals or potential trips on comets, only subjecting yourself to my annual attempt at witticism, submitting your predictions on the results of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket, and submitting an offering (we can call it an entry fee if that makes you feel better) of $5 US dollars. If that’s sounds like your cup of

Kool-Aid (ok I’ll stop with the suicidal references) then read on and learn how to join us! If not, read no more and enjoy your own Pagan rituals this spring.  (Actually it’s too late, we’re coming for you.)

Eighteen years ago I had a dream about creating the first entirely online NCAA Tournament Pool. I had many other dreams about what I would do as I grew up, but thankfully dreams can change. If we’d all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses.* Up to this point NCAA pools were conducted on mimeographed brackets from the local newspaper, and many loved smelling the recently Xeroxed forms while others enjoyed the camaraderie of physically handing in their paper brackets and their entry fees in person. Some questioned my idea. Some thought I was flat out wrong. But, if I had a dime for every time I was wrong, I would be broke.* And so the OTP (which has since been copied by many but exceeded by none) continues to thrive almost 2 decades later.

There’s an old saying about those who forget history. I don’t remember it, but it’s good.* Likewise it might be likely that even for those of you long-standing participants of the OTP, you have forgotten how this works. Well no worries, I’m here to give you the truth, ‘cus as they say, the only people who tell the truth are drunkards and children. Guess which one I am.*

1. Visit http://docgeorge.net/OTP
2. Check out the “Rules and Regs” and make your picks via the “Online Brackets” link by Thursday, 3/19 at Noon.
3. Please pay your $5 via PayPal or snail mail: 141 Lexington Circle, Matawan, NJ 07747.
4. Sit back and enjoy.

Simple right? And while some might say there is no upper limit to stupidity*, pretty sure this one we can all figure out.

“Ok,” you might be thinking, “seems simple enough, but this basketball stuff seems silly, shouldn’t we be focusing on more important things impacting our lives as Americans like our nation’s foreign policy or domestic issues like abortion?” First off, I can’t stand people who disagree with me on the issue of Roe v. Wade…which, I believe is about the proper way to cross a lake.* Furthermore, if our Founding Fathers wanted us to care about the rest of the world, they wouldn’t have declared their independence from it.* If you’re not interested in spending three weeks watching exhilarating basketball and partaking in the wonder that is the OTP, than I suggest you just stay home and burn a good book.* Otherwise, check out our site, make those picks by Thursday at noon, and just remember, an apple a day keeps anyone away ... if you throw it hard enough.

Finally, now that the brackets are out, a few early thoughts:

• Thanks Committee, Purdue as a 9 seed to (potentially) face Kentucky in the 2^nd round? I’d rather we were one of the play-in games. But, as the saying goes, “don’t cry over spilled milk. By this time tomorrow, it will be free yogurt.”*
•  Dayton gets to play in Dayton? Seems a bit unfair. Quick fact about Ohio: 22 astronauts hail from the Buckeye/Flyers state. What is it about Ohio that makes people want to flee the planet?*
• We now know the Committee enjoys a bit of irony. North Carolina vs. Harvard: one school that doesn’t even offer athletic scholarships vs. one that doesn’t require its “scholar-athletes” to even earn them academically. Proving once and for all that the pen is mightier than the sword, provided you shoot the pen out of a gun.*

      That's all I got for now. I'll be back later this week for further frivolity. In the meantime, the brackets are live, so start picking, and if you have any questions just send them my way: docrek@gmail.com. (*comedic references plagiarized from Stephen Colbert)

OTP Awards

The Sweet Sixteen is underway, and as you enjoy another scintillating round of college hoops action, let me briefly hand out the annual OTP awards.

Best First Round Performance: (and by first round I mean Thursday-Friday’s games).

The Father of Texas who also singlehandedly defeated VCU.

This year we not only have a new record, but two competitors achieved this honor. The previous record was 26 correct picks out of 32, shared by OTP stalwarts Trudy McPhail and Dan Boulton. This year Paul Schultz and Larry Hartzell made OTP history with 27 correct picks. Paul nailed the Harvard and Tennessee wins, while Larry went extra bold with his choices of not only the Crimson and Orange, but also choosing Stephen F. Austin and Dayton (his hometown, although I have seen him wandering the halls of Brookdale’s History Department in his OSU Ted Ginn jersey all the time) to advance. They also both picked Duke. *Doh* But kudos all the same to both Paul and Larry.

Best Second Round Performance:

This is Dayton

Larry again takes this prize, sharing it again, this time with first time OTPer Belinda Gimbert. Larry and Belinda managed to correctly pick 12 out of the 16 games. Larry had the temerity to send his Dayton Flyers to the Sweet 16 (sometimes major homerism can work for you). Props to Christine Reklaitis, who I’m pretty sure has never been to Dayton, and David Kovich, who may have passed through, for being the only other competitors to make that bold – and correct – prediction. Larry ruined his chance at being sole owner of this award by taking his bold pick of Stephen F. Austin in the first round one step too far. And *cough* *cough*, he also picked Duke in this round. Belinda was pretty straightforward with her picks, but made the big call of a Stanford upset of 2 seed Kansas. Only four OTP participants forecast the Cardinal into the Sweet 16. In addition to Belinda, Stanford Alumn Vic Reklaitis made the call as did his sister-in-law Christina and nephew Luke. One last prop to Larry, and then I’m done stroking his ego, he was the only OTPer with a perfect region with his East picks. Ok, Larry congrats, you obviously deserve to be in first, now put on your Ted Ginn jersey and leave us alone.

Ok now I get really mean…

Worst First Round Performance: (must be over 14 years of age to qualify)

True my son is at the bottom of the pack, but he’s 4. Likewise, Lauren Kovich, who outpicked (if you can call it that) JJ by one, is recently 7. Therefore, our winner of worst performance is my friend and the man for whom I was named… George Dehner.  Dr. Dehner only managed to correctly pick 19 out of 32 first rounders. In all (well in somewhat) fairness, he took no major gambles and had no asinine choices, this was just a case where March Madness completely firetrucked him, leaving him ahead of one pre-kindergartener and a 7 year-old, but tied with a second-grader. So goes the Madness eh?

Worst Second Round Performance: (again, must be over 14 years of age to qualify)

*Why 14 you ask? Because I’m okay with making fun of high-schoolers, after all they make fun of me whenever I’m in their midst. Younger than that, however, is not kosher. Everyone else, you are fair game. “Subject to ridicule,” if you remember, is one of the perks of joining the OTP.*

This year goes to Trudy.  Heartbreaking, I know, Trude, especially after your multi-year streak of excellent first round performances went off the rails this year. Trudy only selected 5 of the 16 games correctly keeping her only one ahead of, yet again, a certain second grader who, for what it’s worth, is a really good piano player. That being said there were many, MANY who managed only 6 correct 2^nd round picks. In fact less than half of our competitors managed to have half of their picked teams advance to the Sweet 16. Not your fault my friends, not your fault.

One last award, since there is still much tournament to unfold, but while many of our contestants were hurt early on with having their Champion picks booted out of the tournament, only one has already lost his entire Final Four. I don’t mean to be harsh, because he is a first year participant and I don’t wish to scare him off, but Eddie G, you unfortunately are that person. Lucky for you Eddie, this why I have (force) my kids to participate every year. So none of the rest of you will ever end up in last place. Thanks for playing, everybody.

Good news! Four great nights of basketball are in progress. I will update scores every morning. Enjoy all, and I will talk to you soon.

P.S. I picked Duke too. *Bleh*

Some thoughts after another fantastic Thursday in March…

In what I know to be a first in OTP history, a participant lost their Champion pick after the first game of the Tournament. Another contestant lost their Champion after the second set of games. Which reminds me, please (if you haven’t done so) submit your entry fee ASAP.

As of approximately 9:20 PM last evening Christine Reklaitis, Larry Hartzell and myself were still in the running for the billion dollar perfect bracket. And then N.C. State lost to St. Louis. Our collective brackets would be subsequently further decimated by the losses of Oklahoma and Arizona State. Still to think, that one of us almost became a billionaire. Yeah right…

Every year this tournament reminds us why it is the craziest and coolest sporting event. 4 overtime games, 2 buzzer beaters, and in what proved to be the wildest ending, Wisconsin managed to score 40 points in the last 12 seconds to defeat American 75-35. In the words of my son John, “Awesome!” He even brought his bracket to school today.

Stat of the day: N.C. State missed 17 free throws last night. 17! Seriously N.C. State!? Yeah, I’m still bitter.

Enjoy…

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.

His younger brother (by a minute) on the other hand, was one Michigan victory from winning the whole OTP. Maybe I should have a chat with him…

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.

If this sounds like an adventure you’d like to undertake, then direct your targeting computer (or let the Force guide you) to the following URL:

http://docgeorge.net/OTP/

“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.”

“Never tell me the odds!”

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.

Best,

-gr