2020 CUSA MBB Elimination Contest (Weekend Conference Play)
Yup, we’re going to try it again - - if for no other reason than to see if we can halt a LetsGoODU dynasty in ODU elimination contests. Here are the updated rules for the 2020 CUSA men’s basketball conference-season elimination contest:
1. To participate, simply post "I'm in" and I will add you to the roster. Or, if you are lazy, you can just submit your picks by the Jan. 4, at 12:00 noon, first-weekend deadline and I will include you as a contestant.
2. The contest applies only to weekend match ups - - i.e., Fri.-Sat.-Sun. games, NOT any Mon.-Thurs. games, unless for some reason it is a make-up date for a postponed weekend game.
3. You must pick one CUSA team to win its game each weekend. You cannot pick that CUSA team again for the remainder of the season. Subject only to the “anti-bloodbath rules” (paragraph 9 below), if your picked team wins then you move onto next week; if your team loses then you are eliminated from the contest.
4. If there are any ties at the end of the regular season the CUSA championship game will be the tie breaker. You must pick the winner and total points scored.
5. All picks must be in two hours before tipoff on the first-scheduled CUSA weekend game - - e.g., by 12:00 noon (eastern time) on Sat., Jan. 4, by reason of the 2:00 p.m. scheduled tip time for the UNT v. Marshall game.
6. The words “Official Pick” (or something equivalent) must be used to lock in your pick. Unlike Grommet, I am not a nice person. If you use the words “Official Pick” you will be locked in for that week. If you fail to use those words (or something I interpret as close enough), I will treat you as a no-pick contestant.
7. Any entrants still in play who fail to submit a timely pick, or who f’k around and don’t use the word “Official Pick”, or who attempt to submit an ineligible pick (mturn, I’m looking at you), will automatically be assigned ODU for that week. If the offending contestant has already picked ODU during the contest he or she (or whatever preferred gender pronoun) will be assigned the CUSA team that remains available to them with the worst point spread disadvantage per the ESPN website.
8. Once the list of remaining entrants has been trimmed down to 5 or fewer, picks will no longer be required to be posted publicly. They instead may be submitted to me by private message (to avoid the need for last-minute jockeying among the few remaining contestants). I will announce those privately submitted picks before the start of that weekend’s games. (If I happen to still be in it, my own picks will always be posted early and in public - - no one ever really pays attention to me anyway.)
9. If everyone loses the same week, then those still in the contest will continue to the next week. Also, if during any of the first four weekends of conference play (ending with the Jan. 24-26 weekend games) 40% or more of the contestant pool is eliminated, then the contest will immediate convert for those remaining (but not for those previously eliminated) to double elimination.
10. We are playing for trash-talking and bragging rights only. Any side bets need to be private.
11. Any lurker non-ODU fans are welcome to join in. Just don’t expect to be treated civilly.
|