# The SDMB Football Pool (free)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 5, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012 "2003-08-05T00:22:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/1 "2003-08-05T00:22:47Z")
Over in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=190173&highlight=football) I discussed beginning a pick-the-winners-only pool. I’ve been doing this for a few years, although certainly not with a group as large as this.
The other night I was working on spreadsheets to keep track of the picks, and then finally one of the Logical Synapses sparked in my mind. Duh! I could just find a place online that kept track of this stuff.
Well, I did. Yahoo! offers it.
[http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/pickem/show?page=group&gid=7057](http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/pickem/show?page=group&gid=7057)
The group ID (in the URL, too) is 7057. The password is cecil.
First, a quick look at the rules:
1. All you do is pick a winner.
2. Each person gets 1 point for each correct pick. You pick the Giants over the Redskins, and the Giants do win, you get yourself a point.
3. If two people have the same number of points, Yahoo! has a tiebreaker system involving the total number of points in the Monday night game and in the Sunday night game.
4. There is no point spread.
5. This is completely free.
Also, please note that **no knowledge of football (American) is needed**. Seriously. You have a 50/50 chance of being right, after all.
One more thing. I chose the maximum number of members - 50. If we do fill that up, we can have an additional group.
* * *
If you want to join up, please do! I will probably post this over at UnaBoard and Fathom. Well, probably. Let’s see if we can fill up the 50 slots, first. I’m sure we can.
If you do sign up, please say something in this thread. We have a lot of time before the first week of games, so let’s hear some trash talk, huh?
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### Author:  [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/2 "2003-08-05T00:51:07Z")
Oh, thanks for the reminder – for any of the SDMB football regulars I’ve started a group that incorporates Confidence Points. Anybody is welcome to join, I’m hoping everybody from the group last year will come through. ID # is 674, pw is PORK. People have already started talking trash to me because they’re jealous of my performance last year.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/3 "2003-08-05T02:34:16Z")
Other than the confidence points, there’s not much different from the groups - except that ours is more of a just for fun thing, and yours (I think) is more competitive.
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### Author:  [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/4 "2003-08-05T02:59:29Z")
The Steelinators are in. This is my 6th game. I’m glad that they’re all on computer; I used to run fantasy football as a PnP game!
No confidence points, I see. If you’re keeping it simple, that’s a good idea. I’m curious about who else will join this league because it would be interesting to see the trends in scoring.
I do have 4 slots left in my personal league; they will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for anyone who wants a standard fantasy team. Email me for the ID and password.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/5 "2003-08-05T03:24:22Z")
Yep, no confidence points. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible so Joe and Jane Notaphan would play.
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### Author:  [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/6 "2003-08-05T10:11:54Z")
damn. Thought this meant REAL football… 😛
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/7 "2003-08-05T10:22:08Z")
I’m in.
But, as usual, I have no idea what I’m doing.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/8 "2003-08-05T10:27:57Z")
It might also be a good idea for people who do join to let us know here which team is yours. My name’s pretty obvious, and “The Steelinators” is certainly **Steelerphan**. My supreme powers of deduction lead me to believe that “Bengal Fan” is **spooje**.
**spooje** , it can’t get much simpler. You click on your name and get a list of weeks 1-17. On the far right of each row is a column labeled “Picks.” Click “Edit” for Week 1, and you can then pick the winners of each game to be played that week.
At the bottom of that pick page you also put in such extras as the Monday night score, the Sunday night score, and the teams that will score the least and the most points that week. These are used as tiebreakers.
Then click Submit and you’re done!
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/9 "2003-08-05T13:52:59Z")
I’m going to offer a prize to the overall winner. Presumably, this would be the person with the most correct picks at the end of the NFL’s regular season (17 weeks).
The prize?
It’ll be a $25 gift certificate from [giftcertificates.com](http://giftcertificates.com).
This certificate can be used at hundreds of offline and online stores.
Now you have a **real** incentive to play!
Think of all the Terry Pratchett books you could get! Why, maybe you could even get a movie or two! A half-decent DVD? Maybe a nice shawl? Oh, the possibilities are endless!
I’m playing, but I cannot win. So even if I happen to get the most points, I will award this prize to whoever finishes directly below me in the standings.
I’d like to see some of my longtime cronies show up to play this, as there’s no money, experience, or sports interest required. Heck, you only have to pay minimal attention!
Maybe some of the following could play (as I rattle names off the top of me head): **CrankyAsAnOldMan, Geobabe, AnitaVacation, OpalCat, minty green, Quasimodem, True Pisces, Edward the Head, RTFirefly** … oh, the list goes on.
(In truth, I posted those names so those people will show up when they do a vanity search. I’m so crafty, cunning, and nefarious!)
There’s 37,000 of ya out there. Don’t let me down!
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/10 "2003-08-05T14:19:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by White Lightning \*
> \*\* People have already started talking trash to me because they’re jealous of my performance last year. \*\*
I thought we were talking trash to you because you get all the ladies.
But seriously folks, the more that sign up the more fun it is.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/11 "2003-08-05T16:15:33Z")
There are seven people so far.
With my remarkable coin-flipping abilities, I shall vanquish all!
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### Author:  [@gus28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gus28)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/12 "2003-08-05T19:45:31Z")
I’m in, good luck to all.
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### Author:  [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/13 "2003-08-05T20:27:49Z")
OK, I’m in too. My team is the Pickled Beets. And you want trash talk? OK - hey, you, in the Mickey Mouse jock strap!!
But seriously, just a word of warning to all of y’all: I am a GIRL, and if you lose to me, you shall have to live in shame forever. Bwuhahahahaha.
Although, really, I am a bad guesser. I usually just pick whichever team has either the better colors, or the cutest QB. Or, whichever team isn’t in the NFC East. Or, whichever team isn’t the Dolphins or the Broncos.
BTW: I like the name “Mishawaka Lady Cavemen.” I only WISH I were so clever. Is there a story?
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### Author:  [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/14 "2003-08-05T20:30:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rockle \*
> **I usually just pick … whichever team isn’t in the NFC East.**
Gaah! I have to clarify my own statement!
I mean whichever team isn’t in the NFC East, except for my beloved E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!!
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/15 "2003-08-05T20:46:41Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rockle \*
> \*\*BTW: I like the name “Mishawaka Lady Cavemen.” I only WISH I were so clever. Is there a story? \*\*
There sure is.
The high school in Mishawaka, Indiana is Mishawaka High School. Their mascot is the Mishawaka Cavemen. The womens’ teams are referred to as the Mishawaka Lady Cavemen.
Also in the running was the Deaf Hoosiers, which is the Indiana School for the Deaf’s nickname.
Complete list [here](http://www.ihsaa.org/nicknames.html).
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### Author:  [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/16 "2003-08-05T23:23:59Z")
Oh, that’s pretty good. Almost as good as this one high school around where I grew up. Their nickname was “The Trojans,” and of course the girls’ teams are nicknamed “The Lady Trojans.”
Also my college alma mater: Syracuse. The Orangemen, and the Lady Orangemen. Really.
OK, so _I_ think it’s funny.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/17 "2003-08-05T23:28:37Z")
Yeah, that whole “Lady” crap is ridiculous. If you want them to sound like the stereotypical lady, call them something like… Oh, I dunno, the “Syracuse Huggle Bunnies”…
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### Author:  [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/18 "2003-08-06T11:33:41Z")
The “Huggle Bunnies”? What, it isn’t bad enough that they’re _already_ the fighting freakin’ citrus fruits - in upstate New York, no less?
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2003, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/19 "2003-08-06T11:50:18Z")
No, they’re **female** citrus fruits. Now how goofy is that? They only add the “lady” appellation to differentiate them from the males. That’s just dum.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-football-pool-free/193012/20 "2003-08-06T11:51:42Z")
BTW, we now have 15 people. Good going, everyone!
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