Pick the Score - Potential Rule Change

[SkyWalker]

BLEEDXBLUE has sent me an email mentioning a potential rule change for Pick the Score. His email states:

I'm not playing this year. I missed one game last year and it just kills you. Did you ever think of dropping the single lowest score of each player so that it’s not so penal? Just an idea b/c I do really enjoy the game.

I am not going to consider this as stated because it would cause a fair amount of extra work on my part and it would mess with YTD and Big East standings since you would not know what your lowest score is until the end of the season. What I would consider is to give anyone without an entry the lowest score for each game minus 10 points (The Minimum Score). This Minimum Score would only be applied after each entrant's first entry. I am not going to go back and rescore games of the past (again too much work).

Example:
PAULXU wins with 98 points and SKYWALKER comes in last with 80 points. Anyone without an entry would receive 70 points (80-10).

Part of me feels that this change negatively impacts those who religiously enter a score for every game but I also see BLEEDXBLUE’s point. So I am requesting feedback and will weigh the input considering your participation rate over the last couple years. I will take feedback until noon Friday and post my decision early Friday afternoon.

[paulxu]

I like the "paulxu wins" part. Can you make that happen more often?

[XMuskieFTW]

I like it. Especially when it comes to things like Thanksgiving tournaments or the Big East tournament where the turnaround time between games is less than 24 hours. And I think the ten points less than the minimum is a good measurement. It significantly bumps you down, but doesn't take away your chance at placing well. You still have the ability to recover with a lot of good scores or a perfect score or two. I'm all for it.

[UCGRAD4X]

I agree with the (potential) change. It seems like almost every year, for one reason or another (old age is DEFINITELY NOT a factor) I miss a game. I begin participating less frequently. There is still the best of a particular game (or top ten), so it's not like a complete waste of time, but it definitely takes a lot of the enthusiasm and interest out of this great yearly event.

Maybe some who can go through the season year after year and never miss would rather thin out the competition. Believe me, I'm no threat. It's an honor just to be nominated.

[birdman71]

Sky, thank you for all the work you do on ''Pick the Score''.
On this current issue, I vote for whatever makes it easiest it for you to manage.
I do, however, have another issue and it could cut your time considerably. I seethe [seethe I tell you!] when someone gets points for PICKING THE OPPONENT! A loss is hard enough to deal with, but seeing some Benedict Arnold or visiting team troll rewarded is near impossible.

I suggest the following rule change:
''Points will only be awarded when Xavier wins''.

[muskiefan82]

Perhaps each contestant could have a default score that is to be used if they miss a game. We could each pick that score now. Mine would be X 75 opponent 63

[profson]

I appreciate BleedXBlue's point that it is easy to miss a week. As last year's winner I am fine to stay as is or to adopt Skywalker's suggestion. In the latter case some discretion would have to be given Skywalker, in determining the low score, to ignore jokers who put in predictions such as X 200, Opponent 10. Or you could say that the low score would not be less than ___ points below the high score. I echo the sentiment to make it easy for Skywalker, who mans the laboring oar, so I am happy with whatever makes him happy.

[profson]

Sorry, I meant "not more than ____ points below"

[Snipe]

Perhaps each contestant could have a default score that is to be used if they miss a game. We could each pick that score now. Mine would be X 75 opponent 63

Muskiefan82 said exactly what I wanted to say right there. I would play if you could enter a default score so I wouldn't worry about missing a game.

I haven't played because of exactly what BleedXBlue is talking about. You are going to miss a game and then you can't catch up.

You could even make it a standard default. We averaged 75 points a game last year. We gave up an average of 71 last year. So if people sign up for the contest and don't get picks in, maybe you put in a default of 75-71 for anyone that misses a game.

[X-band '01]

Sky, thank you for all the work you do on ''Pick the Score''.
On this current issue, I vote for whatever makes it easiest it for you to manage.
I do, however, have another issue and it could cut your time considerably. I seethe [seethe I tell you!] when someone gets points for PICKING THE OPPONENT! A loss is hard enough to deal with, but seeing some Benedict Arnold or visiting team troll rewarded is near impossible.

I suggest the following rule change:
''Points will only be awarded when Xavier wins''.

A sign that some posters take this game far more seriously than is healthy.

[WCWIII]

A possible implementation ...
Besides points, keep number of games played, and average points per game (name 1010 10 101.0)
Rank and declare season champion as before, but occasionally acknowledge the highest average points-getter with a minimum of xx% of games played.
Then argue who should be the real season's champ over beverages at Dana's.

Just a suggestion and I'm glad so many others are thanking SkyW for his work on this! Thanks SkyWalker.

[xu82]

Missing a game does kill you, but I appreciate all the work that you put into this. Thanks for seeking suggestions, and do what you feel is best.

[Emp]

90% of life is just showing up.

It's not a championship if someone wins with a surrogate score against the pickers who show every game.

Does Snipe just give a place maker credit to a tenant who misses the rent? Where are the "intensity" posters? You can't win at Basketball or Pick the Score if you lose your focus.

Wuss Rule. Guys Who Take Walks corollary.

I've fallen out of contention twice for missing a game. Tough for me, good on the guys who picked all the games.

[muskiefan82]

90% of life is just showing up.

It's not a championship if someone wins with a surrogate score against the pickers who show every game.

Does Snipe just give a place maker credit to a tenant who misses the rent? Where are the "intensity" posters? You can't win at Basketball or Pick the Score if you lose your focus.

Wuss Rule. Guys Who Take Walks corollary.

I've fallen out of contention twice for missing a game. Tough for me, good on the guys who picked all the games.

There is truth here. I head a year I missed a game. It just sucked that year, but I still played to win the game.

[Muskeagle]

I think last year may have been the first year I didn't miss a game, but it does happen and when it does, it sux. I like Skywalker's solution. There should be a penalty, but a big fat zero seems like too much of one. The problem with a set default score...is it might end up right. Meaning we could have a winner who didn't enter that week.

I like any scenario that Skywalker can come up with that is easy to implement and yet doesn't kill the contestant with a zero.

Thanks for doing this every year. It is awesome and clearly many people enjoy playing.

[XUMIOH12]

A possible implementation ...
Besides points, keep number of games played, and average points per game (name 1010 10 101.0)
Rank and declare season champion as before, but occasionally acknowledge the highest average points-getter with a minimum of xx% of games played.
Then argue who should be the real season's champ over beverages at Dana's.

Just a suggestion and I'm glad so many others are thanking SkyW for his work on this! Thanks SkyWalker.

This is a good idea, as I was thinking the same thing.

But, if that is too much work, I would rather have it just stay the same.

[bleedXblue]

I was thinking something simple for all. I did not intend to create a lot of work or tracking. What about you get one "miss" and that's it. You would get 10 fewer points than the lowest score for that game. I don't think that would be hard to track...,,,but would need SW to weigh in.

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the feedback.

Thoughts and Reactions
I do not think a Default Score will work as someone could actually win a game or even the entire YTD without ever entering another score. I am far too committed to those who post an entry for each game to allow this. Entering a Default Score at the beginning and only being able to use it once has some merit but it would be difficult for me to implement. Once a game is complete and the results posted, I don’t go back unless someone posts a concern about the scoring. So this option would make my job much more difficult as I would need to continually go back and see if the Default Score has already been used. This is also the issue with the suggestion of using proposed Minimum Score only once.

The ability to pick the opponent to win option will stay as long as I am doing this. I don’t think over the long haul it makes a big difference. It’s a swing of 5 points and adds another variable. There are some people (EMP) who pick the opponent more than others. They often pick incorrectly.

The issue I see with posting average is that it really doesn’t mean anything. You can have a game where 75 points wins and another where 100 points doesn’t even get you a Top 10. So missing a 75 point winner game would impact one’s average significantly versus missing the 100 points doesn’t get you in the Top 10 game.

Part of PROFSON’s post really got me thinking…
In the latter case some discretion would have to be given Skywalker, in determining the low score, to ignore jokers who put in predictions such as X 200, Opponent 10. Or you could say that the low score would not be more than ___ points below the high score.

With this in mind, I can tell you I do not accept fractions, decimals, or negative numbers. So the obvious joker’s are eliminated. But how do you really determine a joker’s score. I reviewed some old spreadsheets and I found this example. In 2012, Xavier played Fairleigh Dickenson. The final score was 117 to 75. Our winner scored 68 points. Last place was 18. A so called joker could have posted a score of 125-50. That actually would have won. You can’t always identify the joker until after the game has been played. Now if the final score would have been 80-68, this joker score would have dramatically pulled down the Minimum Score and should have been eliminated. The ___ points part of PROFSON’s statement makes some sense but I have no idea what number should be inserted. My guess is it would vary game by game

Decision…
My better judgement tells me we should leave things as is but… I would like to try the proposed Minimum Score option (lowest score -10) asking for some minimal discretion to ignore ”joker picks” as I see fit. This will start today and go through the non-conference season. If it’s not working, we may have to go back to zeros for non-entries or evaluate another alternative after the non-conference schedule.

Note, this only applies after each entrant’s initial pick. If someone enters for the first time in December, I will not go back and apply the Minimum Score for prior games. (I don’t go backwards after a game is complete and posted)

[profson]

Just for clarity, this applies only once per entrant, i.e. to soften the impact of missing one game?

[SkyWalker]

Just for clarity, this applies only once per entrant, i.e. to soften the impact of missing one game?

No. As often as needed. But the more you use it the worse it will be. Lowest Score - 10.

[KabeX]

My take (as a former champion mind you ;) ) - whatever Skywalker wants. He runs the thing and puts all the time in. It's all in good fun. I missed the deadline by 5 min last year and it "cost me" a top 20 ranking. I was sad. I was despondent. But after multiple expensive bourbon filled therapy sessions I recovered. That said you could decree ONE mulligan per season. But then again Skywalker would have to track that so again - whatever S.W. wants.

Thanks again Skywalker and God bless Xavier Basketball!

[chico]

I vote that we get a 24 hour grace period after the game if you happened to forget to post a score. Just kidding.

Skywalker, do whatever you want. I think (and hope) most people play for fun - I know I do and will never pick against X. I'm sure it takes a lot of work to tally the scores so I agree with Kabex that whatever works best for you should work for everyone.

[Snipe]

People that pick against X in pick the score are traitors.

[XURunner85]

Let's go be bleedxblue some cheese with that whine.

[XUMIOH12]

I was thinking something simple for all. I did not intend to create a lot of work or tracking. What about you get one "miss" and that's it. You would get 10 fewer points than the lowest score for that game. I don't think that would be hard to track...,,,but would need SW to weigh in.

whine enough and you shall receive

[XUOWNSUC]

People that pick against X in pick the score are traitors.

Says the person who bleeds uc football.

[paulxu]

I think I may have had the low score for the first game to subtract your 10 from.

You're welcome.

[birdman71]

People that pick against X in pick the score are traitors.

Absolutely!