How about also picking which 3 Premiership teams go down, and which 3 Championship league teams move up to the Premiership?

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/leaguetable.asp?cpid=10

Sounds good. I am trying to think of point what can be earned throughout the late March and into May period so if you can think of April stuff we can add that. How about 20 points for the winner of the Masters?

A suggestion for the NCAA -- how about weighting the final four picks based on their rank in the bracket -- ie you could get 16 points if you picked Montana and they made it to the Final Four, but only 1 point each if you pick the top ranked Washington.

So, if you pick the four number 1 seeds, you just get 4 points out of it; more points if your riskier picks make it. I know that's a bit weighty in terms of the rest of the pool points - an extremely unlikely but potential 64 points just from NCAA.

Hmmm. Let me work with that tonight. The alternative would be to pick the lowest ranked team to make it to the final four as a separate points getter. Like the darkhorse of recent years in the pool.

If there are 25 points to be given for the football picks limiting 4 correct picks for the Final Four in the NCAA to a potential 4 points seems a bit harsh. Given that a #16 seed has never won a tournament game, let alone made it to the Final Four, 64 points would be pretty much impossible. If all four 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament win their opening games this year I will personally buy each of you a year's supply of beer.

I think a correct NCAA final four gets you 20 points, no? The darkhorse will be an additional points getting mechanism if implemented by central command.

Under Mike's proposal it would be as low as 4. The 5 per team is much better. Go with a darkhorse.

[Ed. (adopting Old Testament voice): <i>...and so they shall be TORN ASUNDER!!!</i>].<p>Done.

I think my head just exploded

I think that your sentence contains confirmation that your suspicions are incorrect.

PS: Gooner, if you are going to play in this pool you have to realize that the rulmaking and interpretation are the most important parts of the pool, they being a joint gift of Free Masonry and the Empire of Byzantium.

Twas only joking?
Hello? Hello? *taps mic* this thing on?
ahh you lawyers

You would be better off spending your own time coming up with more rules!!!

I'm in then, anyone else?

It may be a discrete group this year. I think Mike is in, too. I will bother a few of the old timers. Last year we had this many. Maybe Adam will jump in.<p>I will finanlize the rules tonight if the cats let me.

See how important your Dark Horse pick can be?! Ack!

I forgot the pain that that entailed for you. Good think you do not even like vintage champers.

So, are we a go?

A. Illinois, Wake Forest, Syracuse, North Carolina. Champion: North Carolina.

B. Memorial Cup Champs: PEI Rocket. Scorers: Jimmy Bonneau, David Laliberte, Pierre-Andre Bureau, Kris MacDonald. Calder Cup: St. John's Maple Leafs.

C. FA Cup Final: Manchester United v. Sheffied Wednesday. Winner: Man. U.. Scottish Champion: Celtic.

D. April 11: Red Sox. April 13: Red Sox. April 14: Wells v. Brown.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS,

Oyse not dun with da rules yit, buddy.

Chck back tonight for the rest.

Fuck! Relegation! Cricket! What about tiddly-winks? I fear Bengt Gustafsson will have a lonely year.

Use the force, Hans. They are yes or no answers.

Well...some are.

I could always dust off the ouija board.......

You can do it Hans. If you notice the relegation race it is really a choice of 3 of 4 teams to go down. The three coming up is more of a crap shoot given the playoff system but, as a result, it is really just about guessing.

Its the snooker I'm most worried about. I'm tempted to offer Cliff Thorburn as a write-in candidate. In any case, I'll have my revised picks in shortly. Gambling is much more fun when it doesn't cost anything.

You should get a copy of Richler's last book on his obsession with snooker. Not that you can get it and read it before the picks are made but it is a great insight into the seedy yet compelling world of this small sport.<p>BTW, would you have preferred I had selected a darts tourney?

140!

Has this pool been finalized? Did I utterly lose utterly?

I totally forgot. I think no matter who won the AHL I won all the prizes. And such prizes they were this year. A complete camping equipment set up from Coleman <i>and</i> a year's supply of frozen meat.

Congrats. Oh, I promised a Tugay trading card. Email me your mailing address.

OK