# 12th Annual SDMB Early Super Bowl Pick Contest **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 29, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443 "2014-12-29T15:36:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/81 "2015-01-19T03:06:29Z")
**Kiros** and I will tie, should our prediction win out. I don’t see any way around that. Unless you want to give the prize to the person with the most letters in their username. I’d be down with that. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/82 "2015-01-19T04:33:19Z")
**Kiros** made that pick 4 days ahead of you. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/83 "2015-01-19T16:24:46Z")
A fair tiebreaker would be for one of them to pick the winner of the coin toss. Just for the two of them. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/84 "2015-01-19T16:44:13Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > **Kiros** made that pick 4 days ahead of you. First mover advantage! … really though, I’m sufficiently shocked to still be alive (albeit by going chalk), and I’m good with whatever. Except the username-letters thing. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/85 "2015-01-19T17:13:44Z")
Time to head into town and pick up my victory cigar a la Red Auerbach. Last year I lit it up at the start of the 4th quarter when the Seahawks got possession. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/86 "2015-02-01T21:49:28Z")
Courtesy bump (90 minutes before gametime.) C’Mon Patriots!! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/87 "2015-02-01T21:57:10Z")
> [@Kiros](#): > > First mover advantage! > > … really though, I’m sufficiently shocked to still be alive (albeit by going chalk), and I’m good with whatever. Except the username-letters thing. Was not being serious there. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/88 "2015-02-01T23:05:05Z")
I picked 38-11 Hawks, Jahiegel picked- Seahawks 24, Patriots 23. if the final is 25-24 Hawks, do I win? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/89 "2015-02-02T03:09:46Z")
Game over! Of the six players picking NE over SEA, it was **borschevsky** and his 51-point total who came closest to the actual total of 52. Congratulations, and welcome to the Pantheon of SDMBESBPC Champions! ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/90 "2015-02-02T03:10:14Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Patriots 31, Seahawks 24 Do I win? Edit: Boo. I picked Seattle’s score exactly! and only three points away from New England’s score. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/91 "2015-02-02T03:48:33Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Do I win? I’ll venture the thought that possibly you should have. I think the best way to decide among those who correctly picked both the winning and the losing team might be to look at total difference between actual and predicted team scores. On that basis, here would be the final rankings: 1. notfrommensa - 3 2. Larry Borgia - 4 3. Kiros - 4 4. BigDadWolf - 5 5. borschevsky - 7 6. Enginerd - 15 ETA: I’m not disputing that under the rules actually announced, borschevsky won, fair and square. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/92 "2015-02-02T04:00:17Z")
I suppose if someone picked the Patriots 51, Seahawks 1 then they would have won. Which does not make too much sense to me. But it is not my game. I am not launching a formal protest! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/93 "2015-02-02T05:01:48Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Game over! Of the six players picking NE over SEA, it was **borschevsky** and his 51-point total who came closest to the actual total of 52. Congratulations, and welcome to the Pantheon of SDMBESBPC Champions! Huzzah! Although I believe I’m on record here somewhere as preferring “closest to the actual margin of victory” as the tiebreaker, so I’ll try not to brag too loudly :). ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/94 "2015-02-02T05:06:53Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > Huzzah! Although I believe I’m on record here somewhere as preferring **“closest to the actual margin of victory”** as the tiebreaker, so I’ll try not to brag too loudly :). That would move me from last to (tied for) first, so I’m on board! Congratulations, **borschevsky**! ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/95 "2015-02-02T05:26:13Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I suppose if someone picked the Patriots 51, Seahawks 1 then they would have won. > > Which does not make too much sense to me. Agreed, should change it next year to combined number of points you’re off from each team individually. So if you predict 30-23, and the final score is 33-17, your result is 9 points off. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/96 "2015-02-02T17:33:30Z")
Thought I was finally going to win one of these things. Damn you Pete Carrol ---
**Author:** ![BigDadWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@BigDadWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDadWolf)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443/97 "2015-02-02T18:50:01Z")
That was fun and I’m glad just to have gotten the teams and results correct. Congratulations, borschevsky. One alternative way of scoring a game like this is to take the difference between each team’s predicted and actual score, squaring that, and adding the totals. Lowest score wins. This rewards being close to each team’s actual final score. So in my case I predicted Patriots 30 Seahawks 27. My score therefore would be (30-28)^2 + (27-24)^2 which would be 13. Based on this scoring system **notfrommensa** would have won with a score of 9 while **Kiros** and **Enginerd** would have tied for second. This would prevent a scenario where someone who picked Patriots 42 SeaHawks 10 from being declared the winner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12th-annual-sdmb-early-super-bowl-pick-contest/708443.md?page=4)