Nemmers Scrum

Before we start making picks:

Hello all Nemmers’ Scrum participants!  I’m very excited to relieve you of your $10 – er, I mean – very excited that you’ve all decided to play in this King of the Hill pool.  Here are the rules: just so that once things get rolling, we have it all spelled out.

1.  Each week, pick the winner of 1 game (straight winner, no spread).  If this team wins, you move on to the next week; if this team loses, then you get a “strike”.  On your second loss, you are eliminated from the pool.

2.  You can only pick a team one time.  I know some of you may have blind loyalty to a certain team, but even the Packers, Cowboys or Bears can only be picked once.  I will do my best to spot check this each week; but it is your responsibility to keep up with who you pick.  If you dupe a pick, you will get a strike for that week.

3.  Picks are due by the end of the day Friday.  This gives me Saturday to put the chart together before Sunday’s games.  If you would like to pick a game that is earlier in the week – like the Wednesday night season opener, or the Thursday night NFL Network games late in the season, you may do so, just get your pick in before the start of the game.  Everyone else, Friday is fine.

4.  If you don’t send in a pick – you will be assigned the “loser pick of the week”  This will typically be a team that has very little chance of winning (like the Dolphins, or last year’s Colts).  I will send out reminders as best as I can, but if I don’t hear from you by the time I sit down to the compile the list on Saturday, then you get the “loser pick”.

5.  The last contestant standing takes the pot.  Last year, we had a 2 people left at the end, and their choice was to arm wrestle for all of it or split it. They split it.  This year, we are starting in week 1 rather than a couple weeks in, but still have the 2 strike elimination.  So, I am thinking this will eliminate people a bit quicker.

6.  Cost is $10 to play.  You can send me a check or give me the $ at Bart’s wedding.

7.  Join the blog to talk smack.  Remember that there are some younger people playing – so easy on the Jimmy the Greek references.  And, if you feel the need to talk trash to Grandpa Bill, you gotta give him a call, as at 93, he’s not a blog kind of guy.  You can also subscribe to the blog, and then you will get an email each time the blog updates are posted.

If you have questions, feel free to ask them here, or send me an email.

Being so busy with smiling and singing and all the other pre-Christmas activities, I am a little behind here on the posts.  So, let’s get up to speed.

Somehow, like a bad action movie, the bullets keep flying but none of you get hit.  All 3 still standing.  This week, everyone picked the Cardinals, so throw that one out.   Titans, Saints, Raiders, Bills and Bengals are all in play.  I’m too busy worrying about naughty and nice to figure out what wins and losses mean what.  Good luck to all of you.  (It’s good to be back!)…

Hello Super-Six!  Here are the picks for this week.  Dad let us all down and didn’t pick any ties: CHICKEN!!!!  Anyway, it is a weird amalgamation of picks of 49ers, Bears, Patriots and a splash of a few other teams thrown in for good measure.

Since I will be out over the ocean all day Sunday, Kevin has kindly agreed to post this week’s results and next week’s picks.   If this thing is decided while I am out of the country I’m gonna be bummed, so I hope at least 2 people move on to next week.

If you need a reminder of all the different win/lose scenarios, please see the previous post.

Good Luck Everyone!  (Keep your fingers crossed I don’t get eaten by a shark or hit by a boomerang while I am away!)

Everyone survived (again), and man – Tyler must have thought he had it in the bag during the 3rd quarter on Sunday.  Oh, those last minute scores do mess things up.

Speaking of things that are messed up – how did everyone guess wrong in week 10 and then no one picks wrong in weeks 11 or 12?  This week, we are upping the ante, and here’s how it is going to work:

1.  All surviving 6 players need to pick the winner of 2 games this week.
2.  You MAY NOT  pick teams that you have already used.
3.  If everyone gets both right, everyone will move forward and have to pick 3 games in week 14.
4.  If only 1 person gets both right, then that person wins the pool.
5.  If more than one person gets both right, then those with both right will move forward and have to pick 3 games in week 14.  Those with one or more incorrect picks will be eliminated.
6.  If no one gets both right, and only 1 person gets 1 right – that person will be the winner.
7.  If no one gets both right and multiple people get only 1 right, then those people will continue on and have to pick 3 next week.  People with both incorrect will be eliminated.
8.  If everyone gets both incorrect, then everyone will pick 3 in week 14.

I think that covers every possible scenario.  Good luck!

Hello scrum!  I hope your bellies are full and your plates are empty.  We have found our way out of the turkey and pie induced coma, so I am putting up the picks.  Especially relevant, as Tyler’s game is ON RIGHT NOW.

Have a great holiday.  Travel Safe.  Tyler, I hope all the people in your family got a healthy serving of Fart Salad.

Everyone stayed alive in week 11.  Yay for you!

It is turkey-day week and we are on the road with spotty internet service.  I will post the results when we land at a place with better internet service.

Get those picks in for this week quick.  Good games on Thursday!

If everyone survives this week, then we’re gonna have to up the ante and make everybody pick 2 in week 13.

Ok, go and be thankful for something.

Well – I’m proud of you and your second chances.  With 6 pickers left, 4 different teams have come into play this week.  I am pulling for the 49ers, for Kevin, but hope that after that he can “Get Dad”(as that would be no fun to have Dad beat us all at yet another game!).  Should be a good weekend regardless.

Oh, and if everyone loses again, tell Charlie H. that he still won’t get to come back in the pool – Sorry, Charlie.

Ok.  Good luck to all…here’s the picks.

Hello, loser-winners!  It looks like everyone lost -which is to say, since you all went down together, you live to fight another week.  There has been a little bit of discussion today about how to proceed.  Since I don’t really have a horse in the race anymore, I think that I am pretty impartial with my decision. But, if you don’t like the sounds of my plan, let me know and we’ll see if we can’t come up with something better.  Maybe I can even consult my fellow loser – Grandpa Bill – to see if he has any insight.

First off, here are the results:

OK, on to the plan.

Rule 1.  Only the 6 people remaining get to stay in it (no one else gets to come back in).

Rule 2.  Said 6 fierce competitors make a pick by Thursday.  I’ve got a lot going on Thursday and Friday so no extra-special personal reminders for anyone this week.

Rule 3.  The picks that were made in week 10 count as far the teams that cannot be picked again:  i.e. – Everyone left but Dianne cannot pick the Eagles (but would you really want to?)

Rule 4.  This week, just one pick.  However, if everyone loses again in week 11, then for week 12, the remaining 6 will have to pick 2 games.  Person/people with the best record would move on to week 13.  If everyone lost on the pick 2 games, then for week 13 everyone would pick 3 games.   My rationale here is that everyone is technically a loser at this point, so to get to a final person to award the pot to, the stakes should be upped.  I’m hoping that it’ll be clear cut, but I also don’t want someone to feel like the rule additions ruined it  for them.  So, if you see a flaw in this or have a better idea – speak up!  I will be around, so call me if that’s easier.

Good luck to everyone!

Ok, super-six.  Here are your picks for the week.  Dianne has the chance to break away from the pack and take it all this week.  Crazy!

A few housekeeping things:  There are now Thursday games.  So, let’s try to get picks in by Thursdays at noon moving forward.

Also: if by some chance both the Eagles and the Chiefs lose today we would have a 6 way tie.  I am trying to come up with some sort of fair tiebreaker that won’t run on forever, since technically everyone at that point would be a loser.  I am thinking that what should happen in regard to ties:  If the tie is 2 people they could split the pot.   If there is a tie of more than 2 people – then everyone in the tie would have a showdown week where they have to pick the winner of 2 games.  The one with the fewest losses would win.  If there was still a tie after the showdown week, then the following week the tied players would have to pick 3 games, etc.  The only thing I am unsure on is the splitting the pot for 2 people – maybe we should play it out until there is only a sole survivor?  Maybe we let the 2-way tie people decide what they want to do to win it all?  I dunno.   Anyway, a 2 way tie is impossible this week, so think about what seems fair and we’ll all figure it out if we have to.  Otherwise we’ll send it up to the booth and have the ref’s take another look at it.

Good luck everyone!