The Crane Pool Forum

Now that Schaefer is out of the way, let's turn our attention to the annual feature that people actually enjoy!

I was slumped in my chair watching ATL and their moronic fans celebrate and then I saw this post and perked up. Let's go!

Anyone interested in joining my new Tabloid-Cover-Derby Action Committee
(going forward, TAC) please chime in. We at TAC have but one mission in 2021
and that is to lobby for an October 25th start instead of November 1. We know
that some will think such efforts are silly and a waste of cranepool bandwidth,
but we at TAC feel otherwise. Lobby on, fellow posters... lobby on!!

(supportive cranebuck donations can be sent via Venmo to @tac21)

I concur. I'd also advocate for an in-season Cover of the Month (but I'm not doing the work).

Under the wire entry.

I had to look up his age because Dusty Baker seems like he's been really old for all of the 20+ years he's been managing. Turns out he is "only" 72 but I guess he's finally getting near retirement age.

PREVIOUSLY, ON THE TABLOID COVER DERBY...

I love that there are cardboard cutouts at the 2020 unveiling. I don't remember that writeup. I'd love to see see it again.

Centerfield wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:11 pm I love that there are cardboard cutouts at the 2020 unveiling. I don't remember that writeup. I'd love to see see it again.

LIVE FROM STOCKHOLM! 2020 TABLOID COVER DERBY!

The TCD action over on PointsBet is hot!

People will bet on anything.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:55 pm

Centerfield wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:11 pm I love that there are cardboard cutouts at the 2020 unveiling. I don't remember that writeup. I'd love to see see it again.

LIVE FROM STOCKHOLM! 2020 TABLOID COVER DERBY!

While reading it I thought to myself, wow, I can't believe I missed this. Then I saw that I had replied.

I got to enjoy that twice!

I guess that's one of the benefits of having an aging brain.

I have a pre-Derby favorite but I don't want to be accused of improperly influencing the vote so I'll keep it to myself.

We probably won't have a poll on which countdown-placard model was the cutest,
but if we did I'd go with Ms. Onedayleft.

I'm impressed with how she's able to slide her finger under the "O."

Our first eight polls have now closed, and the Daily News leads the pack with four winners, followed by Newsday with three and the New York Post with one.

Unless there's a serious flurry of Mets covers over the next eight days, the number of first-round polls will be 23, with the nine top-ranked covers getting a second-round bye.

Here's how it stands so far:

1 RINSE & REPETE (New York Post)
2 deHEAT IS ON! (Daily News)
3 FRANTASTIC (Newsday)
4 LEFT OUT! (Daily News)
5 THUNDER STUCK (Daily News)
6 IT TAKES A VILLAR (Newsday)
7 ARM ROBBERY (Newsday)
8 SMARTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE BEAR (Daily News)


(Ranking is based on percentage of votes received in the first round.)

Is Backpack Girl one of our spokesmodels?

No, I'm afraid her contract limits her to the Schaefer Department.

Fifteen of our twenty-four first-round polls have now closed. Winning covers will be ranked based on percentage of votes received in the first round. The top eight covers will get a second-round bye. The Daily News and Newsday have each advanced seven covers so far, and the New York Post trails the pack with only one winner.


Here are the current standings:

1 RED, WHITE & BOOM (Newsday)
2 THAT'S ALMORA! (Newsday)
3 OFF THE WALL! (Daily News)
4 WIN WIN (Newsday)
5 GO NUTS, SQUIRREL! (Daily News)
6 RINSE & REPETE (New York Post)
7 deHEAT IS ON! (Daily News)
8 FRANTASTIC (Newsday)

9 CRUSHING (Daily News)
10 LEFT OUT! (Daily News)
11 THUNDER STUCK (Daily News)
12 IT TAKES A VILLAR (Newsday)
13 ARM ROBBERY (Newsday)
14 SMARTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE BEAR (Daily News)
15 LINDOR SHOWS PUNCH (Newsday)

Covers listed in italics have been eliminated from contention for the first-round bye.

(Ranking is based on percentage of votes received in the first round.)

Today's poll, Round 1.24, is the last of the first round. We'll now have to wait about a week until all of the remaining polls close, and then we'll start the second round.

Eight covers will receive a bye in the second round. (So far, only RED WHITE & BOOM has clinched a bye.) There will be eight second-round polls, and the eight second-round winners will join the eight covers that had received a bye to form the Sweet Sixteen.

The second round will complete about a week before Christmas, and the third round will begin very early in the New Year.