12/03/24
February 08, 2016
NFL Playoff Pick 'Em Contest Winner: Tron7: The four-week contest to pick NFL playoff games on SportsFilter has been won by Tron7, vaulting from sixth place to first by predicting Denver by 10 and hitting six out of 10 bonus-point opportunities. Tron7 wins a copy of Gregg Easterbrook's new book The Game's Not Over: In Defense of Football. Congratulations!
Good game, y'all.
posted by Goyoucolts at 02:34 PM on February 08, 2016
Wow, great job, tron. Six places! That might be some sort of record in these here SpoFi prognostication games.
posted by NoMich at 02:36 PM on February 08, 2016
Nice win, Tron7!
Results are preliminary and will be declared official at noon Wednesday. Check them over for errors.
If Holden had picked himself to win, he would've scored 115 points. That would have tied a Tron7 who did not win the contest but lost to one who did, tearing a hole in the fabric of space/time.
I plan to retire that bonus next time around. I also would like to double the pick-the-winning-team points in the conference championship round (from 5 to 10) and double it again for the Super Bowl (10 to 20). That way the same amount of points is available for picking winning teams in all four rounds of the playoffs.
Any objections?
posted by rcade at 02:36 PM on February 08, 2016
Shit. I wish I'd lost by three more points. Now my chickenshit decision to split my head/heart picks on the DEN/NE game has come back to haunt me.
And definitely ditch the quantum pick. We dodged a bullet this time.
posted by grum@work at 02:49 PM on February 08, 2016
I'm going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight, I promise you that.
posted by tron7 at 03:36 PM on February 08, 2016
I've submitted my name in nomination for the Gov. John Kasich Prize, awarded to the SpoFi contestant who displays a resolute determination to consistently remain mid-pack.
In my upcoming "Pick 'Em Pelotonics" instructional DVD, one of my principal play-it-safe teaching points will be: No Locks, No Bagels.
posted by beaverboard at 04:28 PM on February 08, 2016
How did tron7 do it?
Simple answer: The game, indeed the entire season, was planned by the NFL as the "Peyton Manning Retirement Tour" as a celebration of the greatness of the NFL's "Fair-Haired Boy". Obviously, tron7 was privy to the highest councils of the planning of the events. He was smart enough to have quietly lurked in the background until the moment (Super Bowl) when the conventional wisdom would be turned on its head. Thus, tron 7 jumps from 6th to the top step of the podium and rules the SpoFite prognostication kingdom.
Ok, ok, the above from a disgruntled Patriots fan. I will go to my re-gruntling seminars to become a responsible fan, and I will learn to marvel at the grace of Roger the All-Powerful of the NFL. I will also learn how exceptional an achievement is tron7's win, and I will congratulate him. (See, the re-gruntling is working already)
In all seriousness, good job tron7. Yours truly lost all semblance of hope when the playoffs started, but that didn't mean it stopped being fun. I really think the big winner in the contest was a guy who finished in 13th place. Thanks much, rcade, for running this.
posted by Howard_T at 04:41 PM on February 08, 2016
Congratulations tron7.
posted by ic23b at 05:40 PM on February 08, 2016
I think this is my 3rd Costanza in the last ~9 months.
Gonna go update my LinkedIn profile.
(congrats tron!)
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:37 PM on February 08, 2016
Congrats tron7!
posted by tommybiden at 08:14 PM on February 08, 2016
I think this is my 3rd Costanza in the last ~9 months.
You finished behind me and I forgot to vote! Which reminds me, wasn't I supposed to do something today . . .?
posted by yerfatma at 08:15 AM on February 09, 2016
Congrats tron and thanks rcade.
posted by cixelsyd at 11:18 AM on February 09, 2016
Well done, tron, and kudos Ufez. And echoing thanks to rcade for the work throughout the season.
posted by tahoemoj at 11:50 AM on February 09, 2016
You're welcome.
Our results are official, and Tron7 is engaging in deliberation over whether winning a Gregg Easterbrook book is preferential to not winning one. We should run a prediction contest on that.
How do people feel about unlimited locks next season, regular and/or playoffs? I'm still undecided on that one.
posted by rcade at 02:08 PM on February 10, 2016
Maybe max out locks to half the available games, therefore making it a strategic decision instead of just carpet-bombing your selections with "lock".
posted by grum@work at 02:41 PM on February 10, 2016
I would limit the locks in some manner. Perhaps allowing locks only on Thursday night, Sunday night, and Monday Night, would enjance the "special" nature of those games.
posted by Howard_T at 02:59 PM on February 10, 2016
I think limiting locks is the way to go. Allows for too great a swing in the standings week to week otherwise. I like Howard_T's idea, with an additional "wild card" lock for a total of four.
posted by Goyoucolts at 07:56 PM on February 10, 2016
I'm digging the special-night lock rule, with one wild card.
posted by rcade at 09:59 AM on February 11, 2016
Put me in accord with the additional wild-card lock. It makes sense.
posted by Howard_T at 05:18 PM on February 11, 2016
Current Standings
SportsFilter held an NFL Playoff Pick 'Em contest with a first prize of Gregg Easterbrook's new book The Game's Not Over: In Defense of Football.
Tron7 jumps from sixth place to first, winning the week and earning 18 points on bonuses. Ufez Jones takes Costanza glory.
In bonuses, after Tron7, Grum@work, Cixelsyd and Jagsnumberone had 12. Carolina broke locks for Tahoemoj, Cixelsyd, Howard_T, Ic23b, Bender, Mrk124 and Rcade). Nobody nailed the 14-point spread.
Super Bowl Results
Denver by 14 over Carolina
Bonuses
Kicker of first field goal: Brandon McManus (Den) -- tommytrump, Goyoucolts, mrk124, rcade, Ufez Jones, tron7, beaverboard, holden
Scorer of first TD: Malik Jackson (Den)
Most passing yards: Cam Newton (Car), 265 -- tahoemoj, cixelsyd, tommytrump, Howard_T, ic23b, jagsnumberone, Goyoucolts, bender, mrk124, rcade, Ufez Jones, tron7, beaverboard, holden
Most rushing yards: C.J. Anderson (Den), 90 -- tahoemoj, cixelsyd, ic23b, grum@work, rumple, tron7
Most receiving yards: Emmanuel Sanders (Den), 83 -- NoMich, cl
Player with sack or partial sack: Luke Kuechly (Howard_T, ic23b, jagsnumberone, bender), Charles Johnson (tahoemoj), Kony Ealy of Carolina, Von Miller (cixelsyd, NoMich, grum@work, rumple, Goyoucolts, mrk124, tron7, holden), DeMarcus Ware (rcade, Ufez Jones), Chris Harris Jr., Derek Wolfe (beaverboard), Darian Stewart of Denver
Player with interception: Kony Ealy (Car), T.J. Ward (Den)
Player with first turnover: Cam Newton (Car) -- cixelsyd, NoMich, jagsnumberone, grum@work, tron7, cl
MVP: Von Miller (Den) -- jagsnumberone, grum@work
Contest winner: tron7 (who did pick himself)
Full contest rules here.
Check your score on the results spreadsheet at Google Docs.