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FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Benjamin Grimm Oct 17 2019 07:31 AM

http://ultimatemets.com/jpeg/TCD.png> It's almost here! The fifth annual Tabloid Cover Derby will begin on Monday, November 4, 2019! The kickoff ceremony occurred in the rotunda at Citi Field, attended by long-time Queens residents Mike and Gloria Stivic. (We'll overlook their ill-advised move to California and any other plot developments that may have occurred during or after Archie Bunker's Place.) Yes, Mike is still a Mets fan, and it's been a long time since anyone has called him "Meathead." The first round will contain at least 24 voting threads, up by two over last year's count. (This may increase if there are enough Mets covers published over the next month or so.) If the count remains at 24, then the eight covers that receive the highest vote percentage in the first round will receive a second-round bye. Will the Daily News continue its record-setting run of four consecutive championships? Is 2019 the kind of year that gets a good-news cover or a bad-news cover as the winner? Is it inevitable that Pete Alonso's image will be hanging over Maja's desk in Stockholm, or will some surprise cover emerge as the winner? The answers will begin to emerge in just a few short weeks! Be here! If you miss out, then you'll be missing out! http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/all_TCD_winners_2018.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2019_Kickoff.jpg>

Johnny Lunchbucket Oct 17 2019 07:41 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

It's gonna be a good year for covers I suspect

41Forever Oct 17 2019 08:04 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Thank you for your hard work on this! I love the Tabloid Derby. Gotta be a nice, positive cover this year!

Lefty Specialist Oct 17 2019 08:42 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Second-half covers are going to be much more fun than first-half covers.

MFS62 Oct 17 2019 08:46 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

We are trembling with anticipation. Later

Centerfield Oct 17 2019 08:54 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Are you taking suggestions? And I understand that this may make the tallying much harder so feel free to ignore. I think it would be great if we could vote in 2 or 3 covers from the first round. I feel like we lost a lot of great covers that might have advanced far simply because they were in a pool with a popular cover. Or if it's easier, maybe we could do a Wild Card round, where we get the top second place covers and have a Wild Card slot in the second round.

Edgy MD Oct 17 2019 08:55 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I have five large bet on El Diario this year. I also have a side bet that says ceetar won't approve.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 17 2019 08:56 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I may be able to work in the Wild Card suggestion. I'll think about it.

G-Fafif Oct 17 2019 12:35 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Often in 2019 I thought I spied a sure winner. Gonna be competitive.

bmfc1 Oct 17 2019 02:50 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Finally, something good happens this October.

Benjamin Grimm Oct 21 2019 07:22 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Slight change of plans: Instead of starting on November 4, as initially announced, we'll start the day after the World Series ends. Two reasons: 1. I plan to be away for much of December and am not sure if I'll have daily access to keep the Derby going regularly, and 2. Why not?

kcmets Oct 21 2019 08:05 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

All the more reason to hope for a sweep!

Edgy MD Oct 21 2019 10:37 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I knew it! Ben Grimm is Santa Claus!

Benjamin Grimm Oct 21 2019 11:03 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c8/0c/4d/c80c4d8e4cce6b3c43f8013447729f7a.jpg>

whippoorwill Oct 21 2019 12:57 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Ben Grimm loves kitties!

Benjamin Grimm Oct 27 2019 05:20 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I'm not even going to wait until the World Series has ended I want to get the first round ended and the winners seeded before I depart on my three-week vacation on Thanksgiving. So round one begins today. And there may be one or two days where more than one poll is posted.

kcmets Oct 27 2019 09:27 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

[BIGPURPLE]WOOHOO![/BIGPURPLE]

MFS62 Oct 27 2019 09:32 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Benjamin Grimm wrote: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c8/0c/4d/c80c4d8e4cce6b3c43f8013447729f7a.jpg> That picture is so sweet that I think I'm gonna' fwow up. Later

bmfc1 Nov 04 2019 06:15 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I'd be interested in some Nate Silver-level of analysis as to whether success in the 1st round of the Derby predicts success in later rounds. E.g., "Mane Man" is dominating its first-round matchup but does that mean it will continue to win or is it just facing weak competition at the moment?

Benjamin Grimm Nov 04 2019 07:50 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Last year's top first-round vote-getter was GOOD WIL! of the Daily News, which fell one round short of the Final Four. The other covers that were ranked in the top four were MATT OUTTA HELL, which lost in the second round, SMILE HIGH, which advanced to the finals, and WHAT THE BLANK! which, like MATT OUTTA HELL, failed to advance beyond the second round. http://ultimatemets.com/covers/2018/20180710_NYDN_02.jpg> Things are still very fluid, as only two polls have closed so far and there are still over a dozen more to go, but at the moment our top-ranked cover is Newsday's JAKE OF ALL TRADES, with MANE MAN in the second position. In the bracket graphic below, the numbers represent the ranking based on percentage of first-round votes received. http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2018/brackets2018_005.png>

Edgy MD Nov 07 2019 07:09 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Would anybody who is better at the Twitter than I am like to tweet about the Derby to the various tabloids' back page editors?

G-Fafif Nov 12 2019 05:58 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Broad sheet entry petitions for inclusion. https://twitter.com/joey_paints/status/1194226074357506048?s=21

Benjamin Grimm Nov 13 2019 08:11 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

We're almost done with the first round. The 25th and final poll will be posted on Monday morning. The top seven ranked covers (based on first-round vote percentages) will receive a second-round bye, and the remaining 18 covers will compete for the final nine positions in the Sweet Sixteen. When each poll closes an update on the rankings (along with a graphic of lovely CPF spokesmodel Shelby holding the winning cover) is posted in the voting thread. The nine second-round threads will begin some time around Thanksgiving. I'll be traveling abroad during much of the second round, and I'm not sure what my Internet access will be, so the second round may or may not be a little sporadic.

bmfc1 Nov 13 2019 09:58 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Will you be visiting Tabloid Cover HQ?

whippoorwill Nov 13 2019 11:30 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Good question!

Benjamin Grimm Nov 13 2019 11:51 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Sadly, I will not be anywhere near Stockholm. I will instead be in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.

bmfc1 Nov 13 2019 03:49 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Enjoy, but just know that a horse, if not horses, might be running through the lobby of HQ in Stockholm.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 13 2019 05:06 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

A lot of nutty shit happens in that lobby!

Benjamin Grimm Nov 15 2019 06:50 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

15 of the 25 first-round polls have closed, and as usual, the Daily News is strong coming out of the gate. The News has posted nine wins, compared to four for Newsday and two for the Post.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 15 2019 06:58 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_01.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_02.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_03.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_04.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_05.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_06.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_07.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_08.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_09.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_10.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_11.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_12.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_13.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_14.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/1_15.png>

bmfc1 Nov 15 2019 01:07 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I don't remember the name of the older gentleman. Is he still around?

Benjamin Grimm Nov 15 2019 01:08 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Bob! I'm not sure if we'll see him again. You'll have to stay tuned!

bmfc1 Nov 15 2019 01:10 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

As with every aspect of the Derby, I'm looking forward to it.

Edgy MD Nov 15 2019 03:17 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

It's amazing that, for every winning cover, we make that same model do that same pose in that same low-ceilinged room.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 18 2019 02:52 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Today's poll 1.25 is the last one of the first round. We've now seen all 318 covers: 114 from the Daily News, 111 from the New York Post, and 93 from Newsday. 65 of the Daily News covers included an exclamation point (57%), as did 35 from the Post (31.5%) and 14 from Newsday (15%). Second-round voting will begin some time around December 1. I will be in Asia and expect to have decent Internet access, but it's possible that polls will be posted sporadically. And they may not be in the morning as is typical, because where I'll be will be eleven hours later than my home time zone.

kcmets Nov 18 2019 05:09 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Happy and safe travels!

Benjamin Grimm Nov 25 2019 08:15 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Here's where we stand at the beginning of the second round, which has started today. The seven covers that received the highest vote percentage received a second-round bye and will advance directly to the third round. http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2019_tcd_001.png>

Benjamin Grimm Nov 27 2019 08:00 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

We're taking a little break for the Thanksgiving weekend and will resume (hopefully) on Monday from Ho Chi Minh City!

41Forever Nov 27 2019 08:13 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Wow! That sounds like an incredible adventure!

bmfc1 Nov 28 2019 05:56 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

"65 of the Daily News covers included an exclamation point (57%), as did 35 from the Post (31.5%) and 14 from Newsday (15%)". That's some next-level analysis!!!

Benjamin Grimm Dec 19 2019 03:37 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

The second round finished up while I was in Asia, and we've established our Sweet Sixteen, which consists of ten covers from the Daily News, five from Newsday, and one from the New York Post. The total of ten covers ties the Sweet Sixteen record set by the Daily News last year. The one remaining cover for the Post at this point is a new record low. Number of Covers in the Sweet Sixteen 2015: New York Post 8, Daily News 5, Newsday 3. 2016: Daily News 9, Newsday 5, New York Post 2. 2017: Daily News 6, New York Post 6, Newsday 4. 2018: Daily News 10, Newsday 4, New York Post 2. 2019: Daily News 10, Newsday 5, New York Post 1. Here are our CPF spokesmodels with the results of Round Two, followed by our bracket as we go into the third round: http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_01.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_02a.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_03b.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_04a.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_05b.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_06b.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_07b.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_08b.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2_09a.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2019_tcd_002.png>

bmfc1 Dec 19 2019 05:40 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Very nice pictures but who is the newcomer in 2.04?

Benjamin Grimm Dec 19 2019 06:17 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

You're overlooking the woman in 2.08!

bmfc1 Dec 19 2019 06:25 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Yes, who is she? I admired her displeasure at an inferior cover defeating one of the best in the competition.

Benjamin Grimm Dec 19 2019 06:33 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I don't know her name; I'll have to get back to you. Actually, the reason she's upset is because nobody told her that she wasn't required to show up naked.

bmfc1 Dec 19 2019 06:53 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

The other presenters pranked her as an initiation. They can be so mean!

Benjamin Grimm Dec 30 2019 07:32 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

All third-round polls have now closed, and we are down to eight remaining covers, four from the Daily News and four from Newsday. The New York Post has been eliminated from the competition. Pete Alonso is featured on three of the surviving eight covers. Michael Conforto is featured on two of them, and we have one cover each for Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, and Robinson Cano. Purely by happenstance, the distribution of the covers falls neatly across our four divisions. Two divisions are comprised entirely of Daily News covers, and the other two are all Newsday. This means that each publication is certain to have two covers in the Final Four, and the final round is guaranteed to be a faceoff between a Daily News cover and a Newsday cover. The Daily News will be represented in the finals for the fifth time in five years, while it will be only the second time for Newsday; their Brandon Nimmo SMILE HIGH cover in 2018 was the first Newsday cover to advance to the brink of the championship. Fourth-round voting, in which we'll determine our Final Four, will begin on Monday, January 6. Number of Covers in the Elite Eight 2015: Daily News 4, New York Post 4. 2016: Daily News 5, Newsday 2, New York Post 1. 2017: Newsday 4, Daily News 3, New York Post 1. 2018: Daily News 4, Newsday 2, New York Post 2. 2019: Daily News 4, Newsday 4. Next week's polls: January 6: MANE MAN (Daily News) vs PETE & REPEAT (Daily News) January 7: JAKE OF ALL TRADES (Newsday) vs. STREAKERS! (Newsday) January 8: ARCTIC BLAST (Newsday) vs 53! (Newsday) January 9: AIN'T IT GRAND! (Daily News) vs 3 JOG NIGHT (Daily News) Here are our CPF spokesmodels with the results of Round Three, followed by our bracket as we go into the fourth round: http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_01.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_02.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_03.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_04.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_05.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_06.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_07.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/3_08.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2019_tcd_003.png>

41Forever Dec 30 2019 10:23 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

How was your epic trip?

Benjamin Grimm Dec 30 2019 11:09 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Epic, thanks! Really interesting, and a lot of good quality time with my two kids who are no longer actually kids.

bmfc1 Dec 30 2019 06:28 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

Cano v Conforto, News v News Alonso with his arms raised v Alonso with his arms raised, News v News Noah v Alonso, Newsday v Newsday deGrom v Conforto, Newsday v Newsday The only surviving Jacob cover has him with a bat.

Benjamin Grimm Dec 31 2019 07:01 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

I'm sure we've never before had a one-on-one matchup between covers as similar as ARCTIC BLAST and 53! The Daily News cover PETE & REPEAT is one of our weaker remaining entries, so if Pete Alonso is going to be on display in Stockholm, he's probably going to have to go there on a Newsday cover. Also, there are no bad-news covers remaining, so our streak of two consecutive bad-news covers (GOD OF BLUNDER and MIDNIGHT BADNESS) will come to an end. Of the eight covers that are left, seven deliver good news and one is rather neutral. (PETE & REPEAT is spring-training speculation about who will play first base for the Mets.)

Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2020 07:10 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

As of this morning, the Daily News cover MANE MAN, featuring Noah Syndergaard, is our first entry in this year's Final Four. We'll round out the next of the Four over the next three days. Voting for our two semi-final faceoffs will begin either Sunday or Monday morning. We don't know the matchups yet, but we do know that one will be Newsday vs. Newsday and the other will be Daily News vs. Daily News.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 16 2020 06:30 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/FinalFour.png> As of this morning, we have now determined our Final Four. The fourth round saw the elimination of the last remaining Jacob deGrom cover, plus two covers for Pete Alonso and one for Michael Conforto, both of whom have one surviving cover. The fifth round will commence on Sunday (or Monday) morning, with MANE MAN facing off against 3 JOG NIGHT and STREAKERS! taking on 53! (Strangely, the publication that uses the most exclamation points, the Daily News, is lacking that punctuation mark in its remaining entries, while Newsday, the least excitable of our competitors, has an exclamation point on both of its Final Four entries. We are in the fifth year of the Tabloid Cover Derby, and all five times the Daily News has placed two or more covers in the Final Four. This is the first time that Newsday has had more than one cover at this stage: 2015: Daily News 3 (CON4TO!; YES-PEDES; TEAM OF DESTINY), New York Post 1 (N.Y. CITI) 2016: Daily News 2 (METS IN A LANDSLIDE; CES BOOM BAH!) New York Post 1 (SEEDS OF LIFE), Newsday 1 (11th HEAVEN) 2017: Daily News 2 (TRESPEDES; GOD OF BLUNDER) New York Post 1 (IN THE BIG INNING), Newsday 1 (THANK YOU, CARDS) 2018: Daily News 2 (MIDNIGHT BADNESS; A WRIGHT TO REMEMBER), New York Post 1 (SWEEP SNAKES), Newsday 1 (SMILE HIGH) http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/2019_tcd_004.png>

bmfc1 Jan 16 2020 08:55 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

What do the Derby Presenters do between announcements? Do they fly to Stockholm to help hang the bunting and prepare for the ceremonies?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 16 2020 09:02 AM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

If you find out, let me know! (However, they seem confined to the boundaries of New York City this year.) And thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten to post the winning-cover graphics for Round Four. Here they are: http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/4_01.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/4_02.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/4_03.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/4_04.png>

Benjamin Grimm Jan 27 2020 02:58 PM Re: FIFTH ANNUAL TABLOID COVER DERBY!

http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/5_01.png> http://ultimatemets.com/covers/images/2019/5_02.png> Well, it turns out that this year's winning cover will not feature our Cy Young winner, Jacob deGrom, nor our Rookie of the Year, Pete Alonso. The final Alonso cover was eliminated in our semi-final fifth round. Voting for the Final round will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Will the Daily News win its fifth consecutive Tabloid Cover Derby Championship with 3 JOG NIGHT? Or will Newsday and STREAKERS! dethrone our perpetual champion? If that does happen, it will mark two years in a row that Michael Conforto graced the winning cover. (He would be our second back-to-back winner; Yoenis Cespedes was on the winning cover in 2015 and 2016.) What will happen?!?!?! We begin to find out tomorrow! Our crew in Stockholm is making their final preparations for the big ceremony! Goosebumps abound!