Subject: Possible NFL contest.

Date: Fri Nov 3 01:02:07 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
I would think the person whose team tied as the final score would advance, same as those who had picked winners. It appears to me that to do otherwise would be unfair. (But that's just me.) I would welcome argument, but hopefully any discussion would be academic. We will likely not encounter a final tie score. (I hope, I hope.)

Date: Fri Nov 3 02:10:15 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Sounds like huffy is more used to futbol than football, and may not realize how rare ties are in this version. (And that's just speculation on my part, based on his verbiage, and the mere raising of the issue.)

Date: Fri Nov 3 03:39:25 2017
User: huffy
Message:
I know just 5 since 2012 and only a couple more since the turn of the century - maybe the shortening of extra time might increase that frequency over time. Since we added Golden Point extra time in the Rugby League we also have very few draws but every now and then one sneaks in. In my life if you plan for it, it doesn't happen. If a draw means you go through then not a sole can complain if that happens. I think of football as the sport I assume you refer to as soccer. Plus in OZ we have Aussie Rules, Rugby League and to a lesser extent Rugby Union all of which some refer to as football....

Date: Fri Nov 3 07:56:24 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
In the NFL there were two ties in 2016, but none so far in 2017. Nice to have a rule in place, "just in case" though. Thinking of Aussie Rules, when my son was a youngster, we had an Aussie Rules game on while we chatted about this and that, barely keeping track of the game. Then a player went down. They announced his name; let's call him Henderson. We saw him being helped off the field, and I blurted "Oh man, not HENDERSON!" They looked at each other, and then at me and said, "yeah, right. Like you know or even care." (I didn't.)

Date: Fri Nov 3 11:35:34 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Thanks, huffy. But no, when I wrote "football", I was thinking of American football. "Futbol" was with respect to soccer. And in fact, I did almost bring in an Australian Rules comment along the lines of "wonder what Dede would say about this?" Such differences are "what makes the prolate spheroid go 'round".

Date: Fri Nov 3 12:14:59 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Although I still think somehow the Indy Ponies go down to the Texans, I'm going to reluctantly use my Philly lifeline this week: Eagles over Mile-high Ponies (again, unless "our" Pony is activated before gametime)

Date: Fri Nov 3 13:34:39 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
The probability of a tie is now much higher than it has been in the past. With the shortening of overtime combined with 1st possession field goals no longer ending the game. So while still not super likely, it is worth bringing up. I'm fine with whatever y'all want, which sounds like letting someone advance with a tie.

Date: Fri Nov 3 13:47:36 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
Let's get crazy and pick the Jaguars over the Bengals.

Date: Sat Nov 4 23:22:38 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
Seattle over the Redskins. From the P&R Board, poptart: Jax over Cincy

Date: Sun Nov 5 20:03:21 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
I hope I got this pick in, in time. Redskins over Seahawks.

Date: Sun Nov 5 20:20:16 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
haha, looks about 3 hours late, but it was daylight savings today so maybe it was in time ;-P. Both huffy and Snowguy escaped last week, no such luck this week. Looks like only 3 of us left.

Date: Sun Nov 5 20:21:38 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
And I am glad I paid enough attention to see that Deshaun Watson had gotten injured, otherwise I'd be gone too with my initial pick of the Texans.

Date: Sun Nov 5 20:23:32 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Well, you picked it both ways, so I think you're covered, as it seems we've decided a tie still moves on. Very clever strategy. (Just kidding. Your contest, so your call.)

Date: Sun Nov 5 20:52:32 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
Winners: poptart (Jags) CubicSprock (Jags) TNMountainman (Eagles) Loooooosrs: huffy (Seahawks) Snowguy (Seahawks) I shudda picked either the Steelers or the Pats

Date: Sun Nov 5 21:09:08 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
To help me remember who I can pick... My Winners: Vikings, Eagles, Jaguars My Losers: Ravens, 49ers, Bengals

Date: Sun Nov 5 21:14:28 2017
User: huffy
Message:
Oh well - last week luck was with me this week not. Best of luck to those remaining.

Date: Sun Nov 5 22:13:35 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
If people will bear with me, the next time we run this little contest, I think I would like to try a different wrinkle. 1) A game, once picked, is locked. 2) If picker A chooses a contest, say Ravens over Dolphins, then everybody else has to pick other contests. (in other words, there will be no contests with 2 or 3 of us picking it, and all 2 or 3 moving on, or staying home. ) So, if you like one team over another, then you better grab it! Snooze = Lose. Again, say everybody is wiped out by Week 12, then we might consider running another contest.

Date: Mon Nov 6 01:16:52 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
While it's your contest..... 1. I *think* I understand your point in your #1, but that would really be unfair to have stuck CS and myself (altho I hadn't gotten to that point yet) with the Texans after Watson got hurt. 2. I *think* I understand your point here, too - to take away the near-gifts of picking Eagles, Pats, etc. as winners, and 49ers, Browns, etc. as losers for the whole crowd. Which would stretch out the competition too far. But that seems an unfair artificial constraint. As an alternative suggestion....forbid anyone from picking in the, say, 2-3 games with the greatest point spreads. Or say forbid picking any game with a point spread over 10 (or whatever). Of course you'd have to clearly define the time elements, point spread source, etc. Would have a similar effect, but would be more fair. That said, if you went ahead with your idea as is, you'd have to be very careful on when the starting time for picks would be. As an added suggestion.........if there's a time crunch (there likely won't be) getting another round in after this one.......you could require *2* picks per round. That shouldn't take long....

Date: Mon Nov 6 08:19:52 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
Hmmm... good points on #'s 1 and 2 Your last point? Also, worth a thought. (BTW, 2 picks per round would likely wipe me out in week 1)

Date: Mon Nov 6 21:24:26 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
(Add to Loooosers above, Gremlin, who picked Bills over Jets Thursday night.) My bad.

Date: Thu Nov 9 14:41:08 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
Well if I can trust the Jaguars who've been terrible forever, let me try and trust the Rams who haven't been terrible nearly as long. Rams over the Texans.

Date: Sat Nov 11 09:56:42 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
Last week's winners: poptart (Jags) CubicSprock (Jags) TNMountainman (Eagles) Their picks: poptart: CAR over MIA CubicSprock: Rams over the Texans TNMountainman: (No pick yet) (Remember that picks can be changed up to kickoff time of the finally-selected game.)

Date: Sat Nov 11 11:39:46 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
I haven't had much time to look at the choices this week, but way back on Monday(?), or Sunday night, I very briefly checked out the matchups and saw that the Rams/Texas game seemed to maybe be the best pick. Which it probably is. And that was way before CS picked that one, so I wasn't channeling him (I wish!). But..........just to make things a bit more interesting, and to abide voluntarily with Snowguy's suggestion, I'll defer from that and go LIONS over BROWNS. One of these weeks the Browns are gonna break through, tho. If I stayed with Rams/Texas, then there would be a reasonable chance that 2 or all 3 of us would still be in it, and I sense that others would like to get started on a new round, so this will perhaps lead to a quicker resolution.

Date: Sun Nov 12 21:50:16 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
No big upsets this week, though a couple teams had scares. Detroit had trouble for 3 quarters but put it away convincingly in the end. Pitt, Tenn, and especially Jacksonville really pulled those games out in the end. I didn't catch any late games, but saw Dallas got crushed. Limited runs, but 5 yards per carry in them, so maybe not loss of RB the biggest factor, unless the backups cost them in the sack department (Prescott sacked 8 times). Whatever it was, it gives my Eagles a little breathing room...next week they can finish off the division (for all practical purposes), but even if they lose, they remain in a good position.

Date: Mon Nov 13 01:41:10 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Clayborn was responsible for 6 of those sacks himself. He and the Falcons, et al, just seemed truly inspired and driven.

Date: Mon Nov 13 10:27:25 2017
User: BuzzClik
Message:
Clayborn had six tackles in the game -- all sacks.

Date: Mon Nov 13 10:32:24 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
*That* is an amazing stat.

Date: Mon Nov 13 13:47:25 2017
User: outskirts
Message:
I won the pick-the-score thingy at my job, for the Steelers game!!!!! $$$

Date: Mon Nov 13 15:45:53 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Gee - just think.....if you had entered this contest, and won, you would have had the matched set, since the winner here supposedly wins a Terrible Towel. I suspect the money is a more desirable prize - no disrespect to Snowguy intended.

Date: Mon Nov 13 16:40:23 2017
User: hotnurse
Message:
I was beginning to have high hopes in watching Snowy sob into the Terrible Towel...but dang...almost wasn't good enough.

Date: Mon Nov 13 17:00:52 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
There was never any doubt, hottie. No doubt at all. A done deal. (BTW, 2 winners so far: Rams and Lions. Panthers go tonight...

Date: Tue Nov 14 11:32:41 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
...And all three move on.

Date: Wed Nov 15 21:20:23 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
Saints over D.C.

Date: Wed Nov 15 22:57:43 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
Thursday night is a good matchup. Anybody?

Date: Thu Nov 16 02:26:18 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Chiefs over Giants.

Date: Thu Nov 16 02:52:56 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Nice story on Clayborn. Earlier I'd decided not to post it, but it may be of interest to some.

Link: Clayborn's backstory

Date: Thu Nov 16 13:10:51 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
snowy I though about taking Pittsburgh, but they weren't exactly confidence inspiring last week.

Date: Fri Nov 17 00:06:40 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
On the P&R Board, poptart picked PIT over TEN TNM got Chiefs over Giants Cubic got Saints over WASH.

Date: Sun Nov 19 15:45:09 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
this contest could be over in about 15 minutes

Date: Sun Nov 19 16:31:21 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
I was never really worried!

Date: Sun Nov 19 16:49:34 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
I thought you were dead meat on a stick.

Date: Sun Nov 19 20:12:05 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
...So, two move on. It was damn close to only one! poptart's pick was solid. Cubic was toasting over the fire until Brees mercifully put the fire out. TNM? As a book I got in Vietnam says, "Sorry 'Bout That!" (GI)). (Coincidentally, I just happened to it off the shelf today.)

Date: Sun Nov 19 21:10:40 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
I thought there was a good chance 'my' OT game was going to end in a tie, as we discussed earlier, and that I would thus be a lucky advancer. That bizarre, but fantastic catch by Lewis to win it for the Giants was something to see. Curiously, I considered taking the 'skins over the Saints, but I hate rooting against teams I like, so had to lay off that game either way. Chiefs apparently didn't want to win, the way they were dropping passes there in OT (if I'm remembering correctly). Saints first team since the merger to win 8 in a row after starting 0-2. Good luck to pop and CS!

Date: Tue Nov 21 22:13:23 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
Well it's time to use one of my AFC lifelines. Let's go Steelers over Packers.

Date: Wed Nov 22 11:16:09 2017
User: poptart
Message:
dang it, CubicSprock! was going to pick that one. will have to pick another. thought I'd do Snowguy a favor and come here for the contest!

Date: Wed Nov 22 11:18:59 2017
User: poptart
Message:
oh, I couldn't have picked them anyway. I picked PIT over TEN last week. SEA over SF

Date: Wed Nov 22 22:14:23 2017
User: CubicSprock
Message:
Now that there are only 2 of us left, it probably makes sense to add snowy's 1st extra rule...we can't both pick the same team. It makes an automatic same result an basically wastes the week. Even picking two different teams we could both lose the same week, so I'm thinking whoever loses by less would win the tiebreaker...and to be thorough with multiple tiebreakers... 1. Winner is the person whose team lost by the smaller number of points (net point diff) 2. Winner is the person whose team lost by the smaller number of points (as a percentage) 3. Winner is the person whose prior selection won by more points (net point diff) 4. Winner is the person whose prior selection won by more points (as a percentage) 5+. Repeat steps 3-4 going back another week. Since I picked 1st this week, poptart you can pick before me next week (say whoever picks first goes by end of day Wednesday) otherwise it is first come first serve. If you are picking a game the other player can't pick, there would be no need to wait. poptart: Winners: Philly, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Seattle* Losers: Washington, New York Jets, Cincinnati, Miami, Tennessee, San Francisco* CS: Winners: Minnesota, Philly, Jacksonville, LA Rams, New Orleans, Pittsburgh* Losers: Baltimore, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Houston, Washington, Green Bay* *Current week picks

Date: Thu Nov 23 00:22:45 2017
User: TNmountainman
Message:
Sure sounds like CS is trying to usurp the Commissioner of the Freecell Football League's authority with these high falutin' rules 'n' logic 'n' stuff. Also sounds like a bunch of Boolean algebra mumbo jumbo. Wouldn't surprise if he uses an official (standard inflation-calibrated) NFL solver.

Date: Thu Nov 23 07:42:39 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
I'm down with the idea. It could bring resolution, while saving millions of lives...

Date: Mon Nov 27 08:10:31 2017
User: poptart
Message:
CubicSprock - we both move on... I'm fine with the added tie-breakers.