Michigan State just didn't have the guns to overcome Hansbrough, Ellington and the rest of the Tar Heels.  The game was pretty much over at tipoff. This guy missed the entire game.

Next year, make sure to consult with the NCAA Hoop "Experts" so that those of us who don't will have a better chance of winning.  This is the hoop equivalent of Lehman Brothers telling you how to invest in your 401k.

North Carolina coasts past Michigan St. to claim fifth national championship

Thank God for beer and wings, because if you saw the same game we were seeing down at the Big Dog, it was pretty clear that you were watching one of the snooziest March Madness finals in history.  Highlight of the night?  The fat heads of Bryant Gumball and Magic Johnson on either side of some Cheez-Wiz commercial. 

The true inspiration for this night comes from our own hoopster and their persistent play throughout the pool.  Typically, as it started out looking like a lock for early-round leaders.  Then, their hopes and prayers for glory and cash went down in flames, and we ended up with a nice geographic and corporate distribution of winners left standing at the end.  Congratulations to these fine models of office pool sportsmanship and raw luck, and we hope that they enjoy our little stimulus checks.

Thanks to everyone for playing - we'll see you next year.

If you haven't heard from Godfather, MikeRob, or Moon, contact us immediately with your mailing address.

How to play

1. First step is to fill out your picks.  Click on the "Enter Picks" button at the left and go to the Picks Sheet.  Fill in the form entirely and completely.  If you need help with this concept, go practice over at SI or someplace else, come back here when you've mastered the art.  Pay attention to your picks.  You need to make your picks BEFORE NOON on Thursday AFTER SELECTION SUNDAY.  No exceptions - the "Enter Picks" button will be deactivated at that time!
   
2. At the top of the Picks screen BE SURE to enter your REAL NAME which is ONLY used for administrative purposes to match your money with your picks.  This name will only be known to you and the administrators of this pool and will be discarded at the end of the tournament.  NOTE!  Each PICKS name must be unique - if you are playing more than one sheet, change the PICKS name for each pick, but keep the REAL name the same so we can match your picks with your money.
   
3. Be sure to enter your SHEET name.  Your SHEET name is the name you would like to see in the Standings report which is published here on the site.  This is the name that could win you a small prize for creativity.
   
4. And finally BE SURE to enter your email address -- this address will be used to send you a copy of your picks and like your real name, will not be sold or sent to anyone unrelated to the pool unless they show us serious cash or represent a government agency with a valid search warrant.  If you do not have an email account, then find someone who does -- and get the confirmation email from them to see your validated picks.  If you don't know anyone with an email account, move to a cave that has Internet access.
   
5. CHECK YOUR PICKS BEFORE YOU CLICK THE SUBMIT BUTTON!  If you determine that you made a mistake after submitting your picks, do the following:  Submit a new set of corrected picks.  As your SHEET name, use the same name you used on the bad sheet but add the phrase "CORRECTION" to the end of the name.  This is the only way we can determine that you wish to withdraw the original sheet in favor of the new sheet.   If you don't follow this procedure, we can only assume that 2 or more of your picks with similar names means you want to submit several sheets.
   
6. The most important step:  You need to find a way to get $10 for each sheet to one of the following people:  Mikie D, Moon Man, Robbie H or The Godfather on or before NOON Thursday AFTER SELECTION SUNDAY -- NO EXCEPTIONS.  If you don't expect to see any of these guys before then, you need to MAIL YOUR CHECK TO:

R MOONEY
101 North Shore Rd. 
Derry, NH 03038

IF YOU ARE WRITING A CHECK FOR MULTIPLE ENTRIES -- INCLUDE A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER WITH THE NAMES OF THE PICKS THAT GO WITH THE CHECK!

IF YOU ARE SUBMITTING ONE $10 CHECK FOR ONE PICK PUT THE NAME OF YOUR PICK IN THE MEMO OF THE CHECK.

The envelope must be postmarked on or before Thursday AFTER SELECTION SUNDAY or else you are not eligible for cash prizes.  And your bragging rights will also be tainted with the foul smell of impropriety.

For your convenience, a bag man may be appearing at a location near you during the days prior to the deadline to take your $10 (cash or check):

• Monday - The Godfather in Watertown MA
• Tuesday - The Godfather in Wilmington MA
• Wednesday - The Godfather at South St. in Boston
• Friday - The Godfather in Lexington MA.
• Friday - The Godfather makes a brief stop in Lowell MA
• All Week - Mike & Rob at the Usual Location in Waltham
• All other locations should pursue the check-by-mail option.

Initiate your contact with the bag man by using the code phrase "The '89 National Champion Wolverines was certainly the best college hoop team ever".

SPECIAL NOTE TO OUT-OF-TOWNERS:  If you are in a remote location, we encourage you to spread the word among your friends and play in large amounts.  As a consideration to the money minders of this pool, please try to consolidate your payments into a single check accompanied by a list of REAL NAMES that the check should be used to cover.  We encourage participation by anyone with a net worth exceeding $10.

Then What?

Scoring

Authentication & Integrity