Some competition for PH4H

Someone has taken our idea and made it a reality. Courtesy of the guys at Freakonomics:

Does panhandling work better through the web? A Houston father and son team thinks so. They gave a homeless man named Timothy Dale Edwards a sign to hold while panhandling; it directed passersby to his website, PimpThisBum.com. In less than two months, the site has garnered $50,000 in pledges and donations. The project’s creators believe its success has to do with the sign’s humor and the faux-tactless domain name. We’d like to suggest another reason: appeals for money encouraging credit card use are far more effective than appeals calling for cash, according to a a recent study. Somebody please notify Gay Talese.

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em -- Third and Fourth Round Results

The third and fourth rounds of the Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em Contest are over. Here are the standings:

1. Aaron: 239 points, 44 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
2. Andy: 223 points, 39 correct picks, 48 possible points remaining
3. Dan: 219 points, 44 correct picks, 48 possible points remaining
4. Rachel: 216 points, 39 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
5. Steve: 210 points, 38 correct picks, 48 possible points remaining
6. Jason: 203 points, 40 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
7. Jeff: 193 points, 37 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
8. Dara: 180 points, 37 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
9. Caroline: 154 points, 27 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
10. Inbal: 141 points, 33 correct picks, 64 possible points remaining
11. Bo: 139 points, 35 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining

If you picked all the higher seeds, you would be in 7th place overall, with 194 points, 44 correct picks, and 16 possible points remaining.

Illinois State Makes the Final Four!

... of the Women's NIT. But it's still the first time they'll be playing in April.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pool Update -- Quarterfinals

The NIT final four is now set: San Diego State, Baylor, Notre Dame, and Penn State. Accordingly, the scores from the quarterfinal round of the 2009 PH4H Men's NIT pool are in:

1. Jeff: 16 correct picks, 22 points, 0 possible points remaining.
2. Justin: 15 correct picks, 21 points, 8 possible points remaining (if San Diego State wins).
3. Dan: 14 correct picks, 17 points, 0 possible points remaining.
4. Dara: 13 correct picks, 17 points, 0 possible points remaining.

The next round takes place on March 31. And, as in the past, our competition will be decided before it gets to the actual NIT championship game.

That fireball there in the river—just ignore that

Says an Arlington Alert message today:

“Tomorrow March 25 between 9:30 and noon, CBS Paramount pictures will be filming a TV scene on the Potomac River near the Key Bridge in which special effects (loud noise and fire) will simulate a small water vessel being blown up. This will be a heavily monitored and controlled event lasting only a few seconds. There is no cause for alarm.”

Thought you might want to know. And it's kind of funny.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pool Update -- Round 2

The scores from the second round of the 2009 PH4H Men's NIT pool are in:

1. Jeff: 15 correct picks, 18 points
2. Dan: 14 correct picks, 17 points
2. Justin: 14 correct picks, 17 points
4. Dara: 13 correct picks, 17 points

The second round ends on Thursday, and the points will again double. For the record, the only team left in Jeff's final four is Notre Dame. Dan and I both have St. Mary's and Florida in our final four. Justin also has two teams left -- San Diego State and Penn State.

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em -- Second Round Results

The second round of the Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em Contest is over:

1. Steve: 178 points, 33 correct picks
2. Rachel: 176 points, 34 correct
3. Aaron: 175 points, 37 correct
4. Andy: 159 points, 33 correct
5. Dara: 156 points, 33 correct
6. Jason: 155 points, 33 correct
7. Dan: 147 points, 34 correct
8. Caroline: 130 points, 25 correct
9. Jeff: 129 points, 31 correct
10. Bo: 115 points, 30 correct
11. Inbal: 105 points, 27 correct

Of course, everyone knows this contest was designed to encourage picking upsets. If you picked all higher seeds, you would have gotten 146 points with 36 correct picks -- which is statistically better than any of us, but only 8th place in terms of points. On the other hand, if you picked all upsets, you would have gotten 108 points with 10 correct picks -- and would be unable to get any more points. Both illustrate that favorites generally win. But I'm also considering this as statistical validation that the scoring system is, indeed, achieving its desired result -- and that you can't game the system by "picking chalk."

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em -- First Round Results

The first round of the tournament is over. My heart is already broken, and my bracket is already busted. Still, life goes on. Here are the current results of the Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em:

1. Andy: 121 points, 23 correct picks
2. Jason: 119 points, 24 correct
3. Dara: 116 points, 24 correct
4. Steve: 116 points, 23 correct
5. Aaron: 113 points, 24 correct
6. Rachel: 112 points, 23 correct
7. Caroline: 106 points, 20 correct
8. Jeff: 85 points, 21 correct
9. Dan: 83 points, 20 correct
10. Inbal: 77 points, 19 correct
11. Bo: 69 points, 19 correct

By way of comparison, if you picked all higher seeds, you would have gotten 82 points with 22 correct picks -- and if you picked all lower seeds, you would have gotten 108 points with 10 correct picks.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pool Update -- Round 1

The scores from the first round of the 2009 PH4H Men's NIT pool are in:

1. Jeff: 12 correct picks, 12 points
2. Dan: 11 correct picks, 11 points
2. Justin: 11 correct picks, 11 points
4. Dara: 9 correct picks, 9 points

The second round ends on Tuesday. As usual, point values double.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pick-em

This is what everyone's really been waiting for: The Fourth Annual NIT pool.

Here's the bracket. Get me your picks before the first game tips off tomorrow evening.

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em

The PH4H Tournament pool is back for the fourth straight year! Like the last few years, it utilizes a scoring system that uses a point multiplier based on seeding, to encourage picking upsets.

And, in our inimitable fashion, the winners are the people with the highest and lowest scores (i.e., even if your picks stink, the only way you're not in the running is if you don't play).

So all you need to do is log in with the username and password you used before, and you should automatically be back in the user group. And once the brackets are released, all you need to do is make your picks before the tournament begins.

If you want to invite others, go ahead. Just have them go to this website (http://ph4h.mayhem.sportsline.com), and enter the password "reverse."

Good luck!