'Tis the Season (Pool Rules)

College Bowl Season...that is!

The Goin' Bowling VII Pool (aka MFish Pool) entry forms have been sent. Complete your entries and mail your fee - it's time to go bowling!

If you need an entry form, with complete instructions, send an email.

GOIN’ BOWLING VII
2008-2009 NCAA BOWL POOL RULES & SCHEDULE

(1) After Max Rose and Jon Perlman took over admirably during the one-year Mfish hiatus that was Goin’ Bowling VI, all three are combining efforts to co-commission the 7th edition of this pool that makes lemonade out the lemon that is the college football postseason. The minor pain in the ass for all of you is that your picks must be emailed to ALL 3 OF US. Thus, submit all picks via e-mail to: jon@chicago-aim.com, mfish15@aol.com, AND max_rose@sbcglobal.net before Noon on Friday December 19, 2008.
(2) Entry fees (100) go to Jon Perlman, 30 E. Huron #1002, Chicago, Illinois 60611 and must be received by December 20, 2008.
(3) Select a team in all 34 bowl games using the lines denoted below. If you omit any game, you get the favorite by default (or the second listed team in the event of an “EVEN” line).
(4) Winning picks receive the corresponding point value for each game. A push results in ½ the corresponding point value.
(5) BEST BETS: Clearly indicate one game your “BEST BET”. If you win this game you will receive an extra 2.0 pts. There is no penalty for losing your best bet. However, if you fail to clearly indicate a BEST BET then you will have none. There is no “default”. If your BEST BET game ends up as a “push” then you receive an additional 1.0 point.
(6) SECOND BETS (OPTIONAL): In addition to the purely “extra credit” BEST BET, you have the option of selecting another game by clearly indicating it as your “SECOND BET”. This gimmick comes with a risk. A correct “SECOND BET” results in an additional 2.0 points, but an incorrect “SECOND BET” results in a 3.0 point deduction (no award/deduction for a SECOND BET push).
(7) At the conclusion of the B(C)S “National Championship”, the entrant with the highest cumulative point total wins. Any prize position ties will be broken in favor of the entrant with the better win-loss record (determined by percentage, i.e 21-11-2=.656 beats 22-12-0=.647). BEST BET(s) and SECOND BET(s) are irrelevant to break ties. If teams are tied both in total points and win percentage, then the prize money is split between the two places. Our tiebreaker method, albeit imperfect, beats the shit of those used by the Big 12 or the BCS.
(8) GOOD LUCK! And may your holiday season be a little brighter when you are stuck at an event you don’t want to be at and the otherwise meaningless bowl game on TV becomes your little island of tranquility (until, of course, your team loses).
(9) Payouts have yet to be determined and will be based on the total number of entries. In all likelihood, payout will be to 3 or 4 places.