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Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Elster88 Mar 02 2011 08:59 PM

I love me some tournament. Let's do this again, same deal as last year. Go to [url]http://fantasysports.yahoo.com, then click "Tournament Pick'em '11" on the right sidebar. (Or get their directly at [url]http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1.) Click "Join A Group" on that page, then "Join Group". Then, enter the Group ID (2169) and Password (piazza). You will need a Yahoo ID, which are free. Winner gets 30 cranepoolbucks. We've used the default scoring in the past, where the points per correct team doubles each round (1 for the first round to 32 for the champion). I'm not a big fan of bonus points, but Yahoo has that option, too. Open up a discussion if you have a strong preference on scoring. It looks like Yahoo is completely ignoring the new first round game. On first glance I don't even see an option to add that into the scoring (not that I personally want one). You'll need to pick all your teams after the selection show on Sunday, March 13, but before the first game starts on Thursday, March 17. Yahoo is sneaky: you have to press "Save" every time you fill out a region. I figure the guys to beat are John C. Lunchbucket and Transmonk. Transmonk won in 2009 and came in second last year. JCL won last year. Good luck. I can't wait.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 02 2011 09:13 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I won? That's awesome, I don't even watch hoops.

metirish Mar 03 2011 09:05 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I won? That's awesome, I don't even watch hoops. Bucket is a winner and he didn't even know it .

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 03 2011 09:08 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I won? That's awesome, I don't even watch hoops. I find that tends to be the strongest correlative characteristic among NCAA pool winners. I'm in.

TransMonk Mar 03 2011 09:14 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I'm in. I'd forgotten I'd done so well in years past. I'll register tonite.

Valadius Mar 03 2011 09:38 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

In.

A Boy Named Seo Mar 03 2011 10:03 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

2k7 champ is 'in'.

seawolf17 Mar 03 2011 10:06 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Finished third in our office pool back in my radio days (1997? 98?), never sniffed a win since. I'm in. I'll get Peanut and MiniWolf in this one too.

Elster88 Mar 06 2011 10:41 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Bump. One week until Selection Sunday.

TransMonk Mar 11 2011 11:15 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Evidently, the NCAA tourney games are going to be spead out across four networks beginning this year (CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV), meaning that you can watch non-regional games if you so desire. Also, games will be shown in their entirety...even if it's a blow out. I think it will be a good feature, especially for those fans wanting to follow specific games in their brackets. F you, CBS. Now I can watch the whole Gonzaga game if a wanna!

Ashie62 Mar 11 2011 11:35 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Or St. Peters

Elster88 Mar 13 2011 09:05 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Bump. Brackets are out!! Only ten entries so far. Get in there and do one for fun. Our defending champion doesn't watch college hoops, so anyone can win...this year more than any according to the "experts".

Ceetar Mar 13 2011 09:18 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Elster88 wrote: Bump. Brackets are out!! Only ten entries so far. Get in there and do one for fun. Our defending champion doesn't watch college hoops, so anyone can win...this year more than any according to the "experts". Only takes 10 seconds to hit random!

Willets Point Mar 13 2011 09:28 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

What the hell, I just put in some random picks. I'm sure you Orangehead guys have got me overestimating Syracuse again.

Centerfield Mar 14 2011 09:46 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I just peeked at all the results. Can I still play?

Chad Ochoseis Mar 14 2011 10:08 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I'm sure you Orangehead guys have got me overestimating Syracuse again. Yeah, this. I picked Syracuse to go all the way. Also, I picked my 14th seed of an alma mater to make it to the sweet sixteen, just for grins. Basketball's the game that's played with a large orange ball with black stripes, right?

soupcan Mar 15 2011 12:53 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

In.

metsmarathon Mar 15 2011 01:11 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

i built a random number generator that factored with the square root of the current voting preferences and the points for and against of each of the participants to determine winners and losers for my bracket. so if anything looks stoopit, blame the random numbers.

Willets Point Mar 16 2011 10:58 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

President Obama goes out on a limb and picks all the #1 seeds to go to the Final Four.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 16 2011 11:01 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

He's big on those 11 seeds though. Go O!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 16 2011 11:02 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

He's got virtually no upset Sweet Sixteeners. Conservative keeps you "in it" longer, but... brackets like this make the baby Jebus cry.

Edgy DC Mar 16 2011 11:03 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Is UTSA/AL ST a team of tennis players?

Ashie62 Mar 16 2011 01:18 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Edgy DC wrote: Is UTSA/AL ST a team of tennis players? The city of San Antonio has just put a bounty on you.

seawolf17 Mar 16 2011 02:18 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

MiniWolf (picking largely on strength of mascot) and I (picking largely on strength of whichever team I hate less) are in.

Edgy DC Mar 16 2011 02:52 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I'm in it to kick miniwolf's ass. Xavier vs. Marquette kills my big plan to always go with Jesuit schools. St. John's/Gonzaga was cruel, also.

Willets Point Mar 16 2011 02:56 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I noticed that myself that all the Catholic schools were matched up to knock one another out. Don't they know that if Catholic boys don't have basketball to play they'll end up entertaining impure thoughts and interfering with themselves?

Kong76 Mar 16 2011 07:17 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

KongDong is in. I was going to go with KongDongSilver, but thought that would be overkill. I'm in three pools. This year for the first time I'm playing the same picks in all three. I know none of you care, but I felt like telling someone.

Elster88 Mar 16 2011 11:19 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Great turnout, we're up to 22 brackets. Anyone who still wants in the fun, Yahoo will leave the brackets open until the first game starts around noon. I couldn't figure out who the following brackets belonged to: Gulden's Spicy Brown, the other orange and blue, and Orange Julius. When filling out your bracket, make sure it says "Complete". It's easy to miss a game and to forget to click save on the individual regions. I'm rolling with a very Big East-centric bracket. And I'll be taking my team way too far, like I always do. CAN'T WAIT. Enjoy the games.

TheOldMole Mar 17 2011 01:10 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I have an all-Big Ten final.

Chad Ochoseis Mar 17 2011 07:49 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Elster88 wrote: the other orange and blue Me. I spent about 20 seconds trying to figure out how to change the name from my real name to "Chad Ochoseis" before deciding that I had more interesting things to do.

TheOldMole Mar 17 2011 07:55 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

What could be more interesting?

soupcan Mar 17 2011 07:58 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Elster88 wrote: And I'll be taking my team way too far, like I always do. Yup. Me too. Go Orange!

m.e.t.b.o.t. Mar 17 2011 09:40 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

if m.e.t.b.o.t. is permitted, m.e.t.b.o.t. has entered the crane pool tournament challenge 2011. m.e.t.b.o.t. has employed a unique algorithm to determine the outcome of each individual game, and would appreciate the opportunity to compare the results of this algorithm to the choices made by real live knowledgeable humans. the algorithm m.e.t.b.o.t. is using takes a weighted average of the four computer generated metrics for each matchup, as shown on espn.com. m.e.t.b.o.t. then compares this to the human selection ratio as reported by yahoo.com, and adds the difference between the computer prediction and the human prediction to the computer prediction. if the resulting number is 50% or more, then m.e.t.b.o.t. assumes that this team will win, if lower than 50%, then m.e.t.b.o.t. assumes htat this team will lose. for example, if the weighted average for team A to defeat team B is 55%, and the humans have voted 66% in favor of tam A, then the algorithm will return 44%, and m.e.t.b.o.t. will assume that team to have lost. m.e.t.b.o.t. means no offense by this methodology even though it presumes to be inaccurate and fault-ridden, and will override the computer prediction if sufficiently large numbers of humans agree with the computer prediction. this results in several interesting outcomes. for instance, in the first round matchup between george mason university and villanova, the weighted average of the espn metrics is 47.9%, meaning that george mason is expected to lose. however, only 42% of the human population selected george mason. the difference between then two is 5.9%. since 47.9% + 5.9% is 53.8%, m.e.t.b.o.t. has selected george mason to win the game. in the first round matchup between west virginia and clemson, the weighted average of the espn metrics is 65.8%, meaning that west virginia is expected to win. however, an overwhelming 82% of the human population selected west virginia to win. m.e.t.b.o.t. assumes that that many people cannot be right. the difference between the two is -16.2%. since 65.8% - 16.2% is 49.6%, m.e.t.b.o.t. has selected actually clemson to win the game. this methodology is highly experimental, and has not been validated against prior outcomes. yet m.e.t.b.o.t. feels comfident in its superiority to any other method which may involve learning about the teams and applying subjective opinions to such learnings. if it is determined that it is unfair for a springwound contraption held together with baling wire, folded sheet metal tabs, and substandard chinese rivets to participate alongside humans in a sporting event outcome prediction, then m.e.t.bo.t. will happily withdraw. m.e.t.b.o.t. leaves it to the reader to ponder his successfully passing the captcha required for yahoo account generation.

soupcan Mar 17 2011 10:13 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

m.e.t.b.o.t. wrote: in the first round matchup between west virginia and clemson, the weighted average of the espn metrics is 65.8%, meaning that west virginia is expected to win. however, an overwhelming 82% of the human population selected west virginia to win. m.e.t.b.o.t. assumes that that many people cannot be right. the difference between the two is -16.2%. since 65.8% - 16.2% is 49.6%, m.e.t.b.o.t. has selected actually clemson to win the game. I'm no robot but this part of your formula seems odd. The top four seeds in the tournament (Ohio State, Pitt, Duke and Kansas) are 'expected' to win and the overwhelming majority of humans have also picked these four teams to win their first round games. Using your logic above ("that that many people cannot be right") would m.e.t.b.o.t. pick the the #16 seeds to win these games?

seawolf17 Mar 17 2011 10:17 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Can't trust m.e.t.b.o.t. this morning. It's St. Patrick's Day and he's clearly already been drinking.

Elster88 Mar 17 2011 10:40 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Gary Cohen doing the radio call for the Tampa games.

m.e.t.b.o.t. Mar 17 2011 10:57 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

soupcan wrote: m.e.t.b.o.t. wrote: in the first round matchup between west virginia and clemson, the weighted average of the espn metrics is 65.8%, meaning that west virginia is expected to win. however, an overwhelming 82% of the human population selected west virginia to win. m.e.t.b.o.t. assumes that that many people cannot be right. the difference between the two is -16.2%. since 65.8% - 16.2% is 49.6%, m.e.t.b.o.t. has selected actually clemson to win the game. I'm no robot but this part of your formula seems odd. The top four seeds in the tournament (Ohio State, Pitt, Duke and Kansas) are 'expected' to win and the overwhelming majority of humans have also picked these four teams to win their first round games. Using your logic above ("that that many people cannot be right") would m.e.t.b.o.t. pick the the #16 seeds to win these games? perhaps m.e.t.b.o.t. should have stated his case as "that many more people can't be more right than a computer," which more clearly states m.e.t.b.o.t.'s belief that computers and robots are superior to squishy humans. note that m.e.t.b.o.t. was indeed created by and programmed by a human, so it remains possible that m.e.t.b.o.t. is wrong. in the case of the top seeds, the weighted computer average for, say, duke, is 98.1% whereas the humans have selected duke in 100% of the polls. m.e.t.b.o.t. assumes that someone somehwere may have attended hampton, and perhaps one of those persons, or perhaps a child or other person largely ignorant of college basketball, may have selected hampton to win the matchup, but, indeed, that adds up to far elss than 1% of the population. the difference between these two is -1.9%. therefore, assuming for the fallibility of humans, m.e.t.b.o.t. therefore predicts that duke has a 98.1% - 1.9% = 96.2% chance of winning the game, and therefore m.e.t.b.o.t. has selected duke as the winner. an example where an overwhelming human majority leads to an underdog being selected by m.e.t.b.o.t exists in the second round. if m.e.t.b.o.t. is correct, as m.e.t.b.o.t. expects to be, and both cincinnati and the university of connecticut both advance and face each other, the weighted computer average for cincinnati to win is only 47.3%. however, an overwhelming majority of humans, 92%, has selected uconn to win in this case. therefore, m.e.t.b.o.t. predicts that cincinnati will have a 47.3% + 39.3% = 86.6% chance of winning this game. m.e.t.b.o.t. carries cincinnati afloat atop the wave of human wrongness all the way to the final round, where finally a superior kansas team is able to overcome its misguided supporters. m.e.t.b.o.t. predicts that cincinnati has only a 24.1% + 24.1% = 48.2% chance of winning the final round, and therefore has selected kansas as the expected victor.

Edgy DC Mar 17 2011 11:04 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Betcha m.e.t.b.o.t. could game the stock market nicely.

metsmarathon Mar 17 2011 11:05 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

i wish!

soupcan Mar 17 2011 12:13 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Edgy DC wrote: Betcha m.e.t.b.o.t. could game the stock market nicely. Cincinnati in the championship game? I wouldn't give that bucket o' bolts my money to invest.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 17 2011 01:56 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Morehead! That's what I always say.

soupcan Mar 17 2011 02:01 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Funny to hear the crowd chanting it: 'MORE HEAD! MORE HEAD!'

Edgy DC Mar 17 2011 02:10 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I had picked Moorhead in honor of Phil Simms, and then changed my mind. Booo, me! I'm 0-2.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 17 2011 02:14 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Much like their leader, Louisville's gone limp WAY early. (That kills 3 out of my 4 brackets. Because I'm an idiot.)

Willets Point Mar 17 2011 02:19 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Funny to hear the crowd chanting it: 'MORE HEAD! MORE HEAD!' Almost as good as the Norfolk State University chant: "We don't drink! We don't smoke! Norfolk! Norfolk! Norfolk!"

TheOldMole Mar 17 2011 02:32 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I'm alive with my Morehead State upset pick.

soupcan Mar 17 2011 03:55 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

TheOldMole wrote: I'm alive with my Morehead State upset pick. Well done Mole!

TheOldMole Mar 18 2011 08:50 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Southeast is my weak link, but BYU is my pick to go to the Final Four, and they're still in it.

A Boy Named Seo Mar 18 2011 01:15 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Much like their leader, Louisville's gone limp WAY early. (That kills 3 out of my 4 brackets. Because I'm an idiot.) Maybe, but you're clear-cut team name champ, LeiterWagnerJimmerRimmer.

Elster88 Mar 19 2011 07:56 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

A six way tie for first betwen seawolf, the old Mole, "Gulden's Spicy Brown", A Boy Named Seo, Nymr, and m.e.t.b.o.t. They all correctly picked 25 of the first round games. The Big East went 7-4. Villanova choked away the game to end the year on a six-game losing streak. They were the first team in tournament history to enter the tournament on a five-game losing streak. St. John's and Georgetown both got their blown out. Lousiville's loss was the biggest upset of the first round. Two more Big East teams will lose in the second round because of head-to-head matchups, so at best there will be five Big East teams in the Sweet 16.

Edgy DC Mar 19 2011 08:23 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Thanks for your pick, Wright. Jerk.

Gwreck Mar 19 2011 08:32 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Elster88 wrote: Two more Big East teams will lose in the second round because of head-to-head matchups, so at best there will be five Big East teams in the Sweet 16. You say that like it's a bad thing.

Edgy DC Mar 19 2011 08:57 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

m.e.t.b.o.t. --- kicking some squishy human ass.

metsmarathon Mar 19 2011 09:44 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

i have got to get him working the stock market...

TransMonk Mar 19 2011 10:24 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Busted!

Ashie62 Mar 20 2011 06:11 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

The over/under on BYU/Florida may approach 200..

MFS62 Mar 20 2011 10:26 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I'm not in your tourney challenge, or in any tourney challenge for that matter. But I have been following the games. Today we have Michigan - Duke. I usually root for the ACC over the Big-10, but I can't bring myself to root for Duke. This is like a Yankee-Philly World Series game. Cue the meteor. Later

TheOldMole Mar 20 2011 01:36 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I generally root Big Ten, and I have Michigan to the Final Four. Lost one FF pick already, in Cincinnatti.

Ashie62 Mar 21 2011 01:09 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

In the "My God is better than your God" game BYU takes out Gonzaga.

Centerfield Mar 25 2011 09:00 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Wow, I thought I sucked at classic rock.

Edgy DC Mar 25 2011 09:09 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Well, jump back in. It's been your pick for some time now.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 25 2011 11:16 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Kemba Walker's, like, REALLY good.

Ashie62 Mar 27 2011 02:42 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

VCU is like "really good."

Gwreck Mar 27 2011 05:13 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I don't think anyone had more than one (Connecticut) final four team correct. Congrats to metsmarathon (if CT loses) or Willets (if CT wins).

Methead Mar 27 2011 09:16 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Out of 5.9 million entries in ESPN's contest... two people picked the final four teams.

metsmarathon Apr 03 2011 07:53 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

metsmarathon wrote: i built a random number generator that factored with the square root of the current voting preferences and the points for and against of each of the participants to determine winners and losers for my bracket. so if anything looks stoopit, blame the random numbers. holy shit. go random numbers! i was not expecting to net 2nd place. in your face, m.e.t.b.o.t.!

MFS62 Apr 05 2011 08:10 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

I root for the Mets, Jets and Nets. I live in Connecticut. So its fun to play elitist prick every once in a while. Here it goes: UCONN played their toughest challengers in the Big East tourney. The NCAAs were just some exhibition games against lesser level competition. They were bored, playing a bunch of yokels from Hoosier land. Later

Willets Point Apr 05 2011 08:15 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Holy Shit! I just clicked on the link to see who won the CPF Tournament Challenge and ... it was ME! This is my lucky month so far.

sharpie Apr 05 2011 08:24 AM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Willets must have peeked at the results. Only explanation.

Centerfield Apr 05 2011 12:41 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

My son picked Butler to win it all. "Butt"-ler makes him laugh. He is the only one in my family to pick a final four team correctly.

soupcan Apr 05 2011 02:20 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Congrats to Willets and extra congrats to Elster88. I hate UConn but it's awesome when your team wins the whole thing. I'd like to feel that at least two more times.

Ashie62 Apr 05 2011 03:14 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Willets Point wrote: Holy Shit! I just clicked on the link to see who won the CPF Tournament Challenge and ... it was ME! This is my lucky month so far. and its' still early!

Elster88 Apr 18 2011 08:00 PM Re: Crane Pool Tournament Challenge 2011

Thanks soupcan. I'm Met-Jet-Knick guy and I'm not quite old enough to have really appreciated 1986. So I'm still attached to this team that became the only team I root for to win a championship, even though I'm starting to feel silly rooting for people much younger than me. Congratulations to Willets Point, I'm going to send your prize of CranePoolBucks in. Also a solid showing from metsmarathon who finished one point behind. And congratulations to our first mechanical entrant, I hope you get a delicious treat of lubricant sometime soon. This is the only time in history I haven't taken the Huskies at least as far as they have actually gone. When I'm off I take them to go way too far. I'll be back with a vengeance next year. Thanks to all for playing, these are much more fun when we get a lot of entrants, and we had a ton this year.