18th Years - YEP - The Hopski is BACK AGAIN!

Every year it is a nope, not going to do it this year.  NOT going to stay up all night the first two nights (alone now - not like the good old Warsaw days with Bowers, Kwitniewski, Wojt and Iantosca fighting over couch space), NOT going to ruin my true enjoyment of the games by worrying about who I picked to win in a cloudy state of vision on Sunday night after the brackets are announced and MOST OF ALL:  NOT going to waste 6 hours in the next 3 weeks chasing Mark Iantosca for a $25 payment that he refuses to make on time for some unknown to mankind principle.

Yet, here I am, on Sunday early evening no less announcing the 18th Annual Hopski International March Madness Basketball Pool!!

The link is the same as it is every year (yet I always receive anxious emails during Championship Week of "hey, I have a new email this year.  Are you still going to do the Hopski this year?"), so simply click here:  HOPSKI INTERNATIONAL POOL WEBSITE after the pairings are announced (or possibly on Monday morning as this year the announcement is not until 1am or so and frankly, I will be in bed!) and create your entry any time up until this coming Thursday at 12:30 EST.  That timing should coincide with the first meaningful tip-off of the week as well as your first green beer of St. Pat's Day!

Rules have not changed, though I am always tempted as more and more entries seem to be picking all upsets in the 1st round except for their Sweet 16.  This does not work - as the "separation" upset points really come from that Cinderella team that makes it to the Sweet 16 by pulling off back to back upsets.  This year, I think there is a good chance that there will be multiple Cinderellas dancing in that second weekend (especially if she happens to draw the Hoosiers or Oregon as the team to get past!).

Payment of $25 USD (yes - USD and not PLN Igor!) should be made as a "PAYMENT TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY" via PAYPAL.  This is NOT an option for rookies beyond this Thursday midnight EST.  For returning Hopski participants, a 3 day grace period is all that will be accepted - Sunday Midnight!  NOTE, it is well appreciated if you just make payment along with your entry and do not pull a Mark Iantosca or Brandon Snow on me and force me to send rabid emails for the next 3 weeks to get you to pull the trigger on a $25 payment!!

That is all for now!!  Get creative with those entry names and with Trump & Co - there should be no shortage of material out there for hilarious entry names this year!!!

Good Dancing.......

The Commish


**For those meticulous ones - here are the full rules of The Hopski

 

OFFICIAL RULES

1. HOW TO ENTER: Entries will be accepted by internet (PREFERRED) OR email through the start of the first tournament game, at 12:30 PM EST 17th March 2016.  A fully completed entry will include selections of the winners of all 63 games main bracket games (WE ARE IGNORING THE FIRST FOUR - MEANING YOU MAY WISH TO ENTER AFTER THEY ARE PLAYED SO AS TO DECIDE IF YOU WISH TO PICK THE WINNER OR NOT) as well as a prediction of the total combined points of the two teams in the championship game.  In each round after the first round, the selected winning team must have been chosen as a winning team in prior rounds (e.g. you cannot pick a first round upset and then pick the predicted losing team to win in a later round);

2. ENTRY NAME:  Please provide a fun name for your entry, aside from picking the #13 seed to win it all this is your best chance to enamor the field with your wit, charm and creativity.  Best entry name as voted on by pool entrants gets free entry next year to the Hopski.

3. ENTRY FORM:  PLEASE enter directly on the website, however, any bracketed form is acceptable if received before the deadline.

4. ENTRY FEE & PRIZE POOL:  An entry fee of $25 USD, 100 Polish zloty or 23 EURO is required for each entry.  Prize payments will be in USD or the PLN/EUR equivalent of the prize pool on date of payment.  Prize Pool is split 60% to the winner, 25% to 2nd place, 10% to 3rd place and 5% for the 2nd chance pool.  Prize pool is 100% of collected entry fees less the Toilet Bowl and Best Entry Name and $29 for software and hosting (NOTHING FOR THE COMMISH - THE "LOVE OF THE POOL" CLAUSE).

5. PAYMENT REQUIRED BY THIS THURSDAY 9PM EST if you are a rookie or an unknown commodity to me!!  If your payment is not received, you will be booted out of the pool - NO EXCEPTIONS.  ALL RETURNING HOPSKI PARTICIPANTS get a 3 day grace period – so payment BY SUNDAY NIGHT!

6. USD ONLY PAYMENTS TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY VIA PAYPAL (WWW.PAYPAL.COM) using markhopski@gmail.com.  DO NOT REFERENCE ANYTHING RELATED TO MARCH MADNESS OR THIS POOL OR PAYPAL WILL SHUT ME DOWN!!!  JUST SIMPLY YOUR NAME as reference point and ensure $25 NET to the recipient - DON'T SHORT THE POOL!). I can also provide a PLN OR EURO account details for bank transfers (when will the US join the world in inexpensive bank to bank transfers, I ASK YOU?!). 

7. SCORING:  Scoring will be calculated on the following basis for each entry:

First round (32 games) 1 point per correct pick; Second round (16 games) 3 points per correct pick; Regionals (8 games) 5 points per pick; Regional Final (4 games) 9 points per pick; Final Four (2 games) 17 points per pick; Championship 30 points for picking the winner;  MAX regular points is 220.

8. CINDERELLA BONUS POINTS:  This will be a VERY wide open year I think.  Ensure that you do not miss out on bonus points and pick a few upsets!!  Bonus points will be awarded for each victory by a team which has a lower seed than the team it defeats.  For example, say a #14 seed defeats a #3 seed:  the entry correctly forecasting this upset will receive 11 bonus points!  These bonus points are awarded for EACH VICTORY by a team with a lower seeding than the team which it defeats.  The bonus point system should make it more interesting for people to pick upsets AND be properly rewarded!!!  Examples of how this works:

Round 1:         #5 Purdue vs #12 Harvard -- John Doe picks Harvard

Harvard wins, John Doe would get points for underdog bonus.

Round 1:         #4 Tennessee vs #13 Colorado -- John Doe picks Colorado,

Tennessee wins, John Doe gets no points

Round 2:         Matchup is #12 Harvard vs #4 Tennessee

John Doe picked #12 Harvard over #13 Colorado.

THERE IS NO UNDERDOG RISK IN THIS GAME. HE IS PICKING A HIGHER SEEDED TEAM ON HIS SHEET therefore even if Harvard beats Tennessee, John Doe will get no underdog bonus points.

9. THE TOILET BOWL AWARD:  You can even win by losing!  The entry with the lowest point total receives free entry in next year's Hopski.

10.  SECOND CHANCE POOL!!  Included within your main pool entry fee is free entry into the 2nd Chance Pool as from the Round of 16.  Details will be on the website and you must enter by Thursday the 24TH at 6pm EST to be eligible!!

11.  ALL DECISIONS OF THE COMMISSIONERS OFFICE ARE FINAL.  I CAN BOOT ENTRIES NOT ADHERING TO THE MADNESS CODE OF HONOR (E.G. TRY AND WIN!!).