The Stats Post - updated historical Hopski Stats

A PERFECT 20

Aside from me of course, there are 4 entrants that have participated in all 20 of the Hopskis - thus, a special shout-out to them.......

Kyle Bowers, Mark Kalogeras, 
Blaine Rowlette & John Springer

Interestingly - all 4 have finished in the top 3 (Bowers and Rowlette both are former Champions).  Taking this a step further, there are another 9 entrants that have partaken in atleast 18 Hopskis:

Mary Beck, Ola Hopper, Stan Kwitniewski, Matt Powell, Tom Utroske, Mark Conlon, Susan Eslick, Darin Townsend & Tom Wojt

Out of that group, Stan, Powell and Wojt are the only ones to not finish in the Top 3!

Thus, stay patient as your day of Hopski Podium Glory will come (unless you are Stan, Powell or Wojt.....and are just flat out bad at this!!!)

ALL-TIME TOP 10 FINISHES

OK, one might say that winning the Hopski is a crapshoot, but I think there is certainly something to be said for consistently contending.  Defining "contending" is difficult, but a finish in the Top Ten deserves some credit, though a few entrants that had Michigan winning this year but fell out of the Top Ten may certainly disagree!  Regardless, a Top Ten finish is easier for the home office to track.....so...........


Firstly, a very much belated shout-out to Joe Kozlak, a former Wroclaw, Poland expat now enjoying life (missing Polish gals) in Amsterdam.  He managed to get off of the most Hopskis without a Top Ten finish last year after FIFTEEN long years!!!!

Also not to be overlooked is the fact that our 2017 champion Mary Beck returned this year with a solid 4th place finish!!  A great pair of years from my Best Man and college roommate Rob's wife (she may be slightly better known for her Emmy award winning work for MLB TV!!).  Well done Mary!!

Back to the Top Ten Finishes........there are 17 entrants with at least 3 Top Ten finishes, but above that the list narrows to shout-out level....

Jay Baum, Kyle Bowers & David Miller each have 5 Top Ten finishes and a total 4 championships between then (Bowers having the double).

The 6 with 4 Top Ten finishes also bear witness as follows:  Bill Carey (2007 champion), Eric Gates, Mark Kalogeras, Dylan McGuill, Mark Noferi (2008 & 2018 Champion) and Donna Percy.

ON THE OTHER HAND, 

PERENNIAL NON-CONTENDERS 
(NEVER FINISHING IN THE TOP TEN!)

The drought goes on for a few entrants.  Certainly victory cannot be far away for these without a Top Ten finish (with at least 10 years of entries)........

INDEXED BEST AND WORST 

(YES - A BIT DEEPER INTO THE BEST AND WORST)

OK - here is what happens when I get all too fixated on a spreadsheet......... 90 entrants have participated at least 10 years (and many with multiple entries).  Taking the results of all of those years and using an index to 100 each year to get a percentile finish....... here are the BEST and WORST ten of all-time!!!

THE TEN BEST!!!

THE TEN WORST!!!!

HISTORICAL HOPSKI STATS

2018, despite all of the upsets, managed to trend at the low-end of historical stats, but rallied at the end with 36 entries picking Villanova as Champion.  That 24.3% rate is good enough for 8th all-time best.  One dubious record was recorded this year - our collective pick % was 51.8% - an all-time low - DOH!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST......

THE HOPSKI HALL OF FAME

**Did you really read this update to this point??  I am impressed - confirm with an email!!!!  :)

Show Me The Money & Big Thanks from Burundi

BURUNDI..........

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!!!!

Good friend and former auditor Jack Bell (Noble Rot entry) has taken a look at my spreadsheet for collections.  He has given a 2nd eye ball to the accuracy of my accounting (nothing like an independent review!) and confirmed a total of $720 (collected via paypal or PLN - $5 off the top of entries) that I will anonymously (e.g. not taking a side tax deduction) donate on behalf of the Hopski to GLO.  That, combined with the $1,569 of direct donations to GLO for those that "$5 was not enough" gives  a grand total of $2,289 raised for GLO and Burundi!!!! 

*just to make sure you know where your money is going!

THAT IS AWESOME!!!  A HUGE THANK-YOU!!!  

With such generosity......

There's no way I can say "no" to another year!!

Thus, be ready for the 21st annual Hopski next March!

2018 HOPSKI PRIZE POOL!!

With the 148 total entries this year, the Hopski Prize Pool was distributed as follows:

Paypals are going out on Monday (Nofe - check is in the mail!!)

Adios until next March!!!

The Commish

Who Let The Nofe Out??!!

1st THERE WAS PEYTON

THEN CURRY

AND NOW - THE NOFE!!!!!!

The world's newest 2-time champion (seconds after Villanova Coach Jay Wright) and thanks to the NOFE DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT is this year's Hopski Champion, Mark Noferi!  Mark struck Hopski gold in 2008 and repeated that feat this year behind the Villanova Wildcats along with a few upset picks to boot.  When contacted at Nofe HQ in NYC, Mark had this to say.......

Hey guys. Thanks for having me in the Hopski. So my story of how I got into the Hopski is that Jeff Chamberlin, my best friend from Boston College, played basketball with Mark in Poland when they were 24 or something. 

My recent story is that I’ve been dealing with a fairly serious medical issue (an enlarged blood vessel in my brain).  Jeff took me in to the hospital for a procedure the morning of the first day of March Madness and then we wound up hanging out and watching March Madness alllllll afternoon.  It was AWESOME.  So glad to have the Hopski to keep me entertained the week or two afterwards while I was resting up. I spent a ton of time watching games with my new dog Mamie by my side. 

If I win I think I’m buying one of those cool electric pianos with the sounds, even though I should pay my medical bills. 

Mark's medical issue is indeed serious, but let this victory be the start of many victories to come and specifically getting that blood vessel back to normal.

Congrats on another amazing Hopski run this year Mark!!!!

ALSO ON THE PODIUM

A ROOKIE has managed to grab the #2 spot in this year's Hopski.  THE Waverly Street Gator - Jacob Kivett racked up 153 points and not that it mattered, he was quick to point out he picked the tiebreaker (141 total points in the final) on the nose.  Jacob lives here in Palo Alto, CA and to add to his madness, he has twins in kindergarten with my daughter Sophie.  When not shooting guns or chasing his kids around town, this ex-Floridian works for a VC fund as well as various start-ups in business development and sales.  He was upset about his Gators falling short this year, but hey, that was certainly an upgrade from football season!!

Rounding out the Hopski money winners this year is Lock Sean Miller Up from Ryan Fazio.  Ryan is the son of my friend Michael - who I met on my greatest sports weekend of my life - the 2000 Final Four VIP deal that Arthur Andersen & Co hosted (thanks Jack, Ron, Teresa!) in Indianapolis - simply AMAZING.  Anyway - this congrats is to Ryan who was introduced to the Hopski via his father back in 2008 or so and after a 4th place finish in 2013 has some hard won Hopski cash to add to his resume!!!  Ryan lives in NYC and aside from being a Yankee fan is a Northwestern grad turned trader with the Noble Group.

NOTHING LIKE A SECOND SHOT

Not Gonna Miss My (2nd) Shot from James Keeley - a Boston College alum and currently with E&Y in Chicago.  He was "Hopski'd" by an old Budapest friend of mine - Ron Genty which means this is just one of many such photos most likely!!  Congrats on making that 2nd shot count James!!

BTW - CONGRATS TO THE VILLANOVA WILDCATS!!!!

THE 2018 HOPSKI TOILET BOWL

Fortunately for likely the pool and myself, Eric Gates could not find his photo of my 1st night on the IU campus back in 1989 when I steered his toilet bowl.  That would have been an appropriate pick for my entry of A Bracket Just Begets More Brackets, as it failed miserably this year.  My only solace in such a failure is that I somehow eluded the worst point total of all-time!!!  

2018 HOPSKI BEST ENTRY NAME

If I was at all decent with photoshop and had the time, I would throw some real backboards in a large size on a Warsaw, Poland picture - but alas, this is all you get.  This year's BEST ENTRY NAME WINNER goes to THREE BACKBOARDS OUTSIDE OF WARSAW!!  from longtime Warsaw expat Kyle Bowers (and a 2 time Hopski Champion to boot!!).  Add a toilet bowl next year and you'll have a REAL trifecta Kyle!!

Accounting is WAAAYYYYYYYY BEHIND this year - but I will get to reconciling those entries later this week and I will also have a total donations for Great Lakes Outreach at the same time.  That will all come as yet another inbox filling blog post!!

Thanks sooooooo much for the generosity and most likely -- that will be the tipping point for the 21st Hopski International March Madness Pool in 2019!!

One Shining Moment..........again??!!

MICHIGAN VS. VILLANOVA - FOR THE TITLE!!!

SOME PHILLY STEAK FOR THE GERMAN??

A REPEAT FOR JAY OR A FIRST FOR JOHN??!!

Villanova and Michigan have been here before and recently, with Michigan losing (ahem - asterisk anyone) to nobody (Louisville stripped of the title) in the 2013 Final, while Villanova was the Champion in 2016!  This will be Michigan's 7th National Final (ugh - 1-5 (errr 3) to date - another asterisk here as their 2002 and 2003 runner-ups were stripped as well), with their lone win in 1989 (double ugh - the Big 10's LAST Championship).  Villanova has gone 2-1 in their three National Final appearances, including the memorable upset over Georgetown in 1985.

A REPEAT HOPSKI CHAMPION?!

The Hopski though has some "been there, done that" contenders as well this year as Nofe Disclosure Agreement (from our 2008 Hopski Champion Mark Noferi) is set to pull a Hopski repeat if Villanova wins, whilst One More Year Til the Hopski's Legal (from 2009 Hopski Champion Joe Drozdowski) takes the title with a Michigan victory and a Final point total of 152 or less!!!  Waiting in the wings and hoping for a (surprising) Michigan victory in a high scoring final is Scandy (the entry from Chris Scandalios).  Nofe and Joe D have a shot at joining The Commish (1999 and 2002 - asterisk maybe as this was when the pool was small) and Kyle Bowers (2003 and 2010) as the only Hopski repeat Champions in the 20 years of the pool.  Chris on the other hand would happily become a first time Hopski Champion.  

THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS FOR THE HOPSKI!!!

All three of the contendahs are out New York City this year......something in the wataaaarrrr out there??!!

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO FOR A 2ND CHANCE!!!

No - not Michigan vs. Villanova but.......

Vying for the Hopski 2nd Chance Dance Title is Michigan Homer Pick from Chris Kinkela vs Not Going to Miss My (2nd) Shot from James Keeley!!!  Good luck to both as a place in the Hopski Hall of Fame goes to the WINNAH!!!!

URGENT - PLEASE VOTE FOR BEST ENTRY NAME!!!

PLEEASSSEEEEE GET A QUICK VOTE OUT TO ME TOMORROW!!!  I did find this Best Entry Names article that is some great ideas, though I REALLY hope that we do not have some entrants with copyright issues (or downright plagiarism!!!).  

Gotta go - crazy weekend with Easter and returning from Portland - now in Truckee for some Spring Break Skiing with friends and family!!

Enjoy the Final!!!!!

On to San Antonio

Loyola Chicago vs Michigan and Villanova vs Kansas (hmmmm - where's the ACC and the SEC I ask!!!) are ready to square off in San Antonio!

The Final Four is set, whilst the battle for the Hopski title still has a final four as well!  A pair of former champions – Mark Noferi (2008) and Joe Drozdowski (2009 Champion with all-time highest point total) are each sniffing a 2nd Hopski Title this year (Mark even has TWO entries with a chance at the title.  They are joined by a couple of entries from owners that have never finished on the Hopski podium – Amaizin Blue from Michigander and former Gdansk, Uzbekistan and Burundi expat - Brian Gimotty and Scandy from Chris Scandalios, another NYC trader from Fairfield University (didn’t Indiana always draw them in the 1st round in the good olds days of the 80s and 90s?).

At the other end of the pool spectrum, A Bracket Begets Just More Brackets from Ola Hopper is the winner of the Toilet Bowl!  Yes – Ola was too uncertain of those picks to take credit directly, hence the Commish’s pseudo-ownership til now…..Brave move on Ola’s part to step forward and claim that Toilet Bowl with 45 points!!

Get those votes in for BEST ENTRY NAME by email to me.

Hopefully a more extended update by the end of the week but do not hold your breath as traveling all week (Portland of all places!).

Adios!

Elite 8 Preview / Sweet 16 in the Books

Somehow it seems like the pool was easier to keep on top of over in Europe.  Not sure why but just cannot seem to get the free space to get these updates in the books.  Given that Loyola and K State are almost at halftime, this is obviously in arrears, but hey - better late than never!!

WOW - THE RAMBLERS ARE IN THE FINAL FOUR!!!  They have become the 4th 11 seed in history and the first since VCU in 2011 to make the Final Four!!!  Go get the title Sister Jean!!!

The Hopski Podium - pretty boring here as no change over the past 8 games!

Docent Darling Returns (from the desert) from Bay Area's Terry Kenney refuses to relinquish the top spot - clinging to a two point lead despite having lost its champion (Virginia) and another Final Four pick (Gonzaga).  Terry needs Villanova and Duke to win tomorrow to retain a shot at the title.  I still have no idea as to the origins of this entry name (a little help maybe.....anyone?!) nor can I locate any pic online.....so Terry remains a bit of a mystery while remaining on top of the Hopski!!

The Unpredictable Kim Jong Nofe from NYC's Mark Noferi, the 2008 Hopski Champion, holds onto 2nd place as well, 2 points back of DDR as both picked 3 of the Elite 8 teams.  Nofe has a Michigan vs Kansas title game with KU winning, giving Nofe a shot at the top spot in advance of Sunday night.

Chasing the top spot still from third place is Lock Sean Miller Up from Ryan Fazio - also of NYC!

Ryan dropped 7 points on the leaders, picking only 2 of the Elite 8 winners.  Ryan's Villanova Championship pick of Villanova still gives him a shot at an in the money finish this year!

Aside from our leaders, another TEN entries are still in the hunt for this year's Hopski title as we head into the Elite 8 games.

This Loyola vs Kansas State has no impact for the pool as no entries have picked either of them into the Elite 8.  A big shout out to the Humpty Dumpty entry from Peter Davinci, the ONLY entry to pick K State into the Elite 8.  Unfortunately for Peter, Kansas is the only other team he picked into the Elite 8 and thus, Humpty Dumpty sits in 50th place and pretty much in a free fall with a max point total of 86....still, nice pick with Kansas State!!   Another big shout out to Louisville's Brothel House from Darin "the King" Townsend (a college roommate of mine and famous not only for consumption at IU but also for realizing he had no passport THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR BIG 50th BIRTHDAY SCOTLAND GOLF OUTING!!!   LBH was the lone entry to pick Loyola's advance to the Elite 8!!  That has done little for the King though as his entry sits in the Toilet Bowl for the moment, hoping that Villanova can win tonight and help him avoid finishing in the Toilet Bowl!

The other 3 Elite 8 games will move a lot of entries up and down prior to the Final Four weekend.  Although no entries have picked Florida State into the Final Four, numerous entries will gain from these five teams advancing to the final weekend:

VILLANOVA - 120 entries
KANSAS - 23 entries
MICHIGAN - 30 entries
DUKE - 57 entries
TEXAS TECH -2 (yes JUST TWO!) entries

Hide Yo Wife, Hide Yo Husband from Grant Quasha (a Kentuckian now based in NYC and CEO of Paringa Resources) and and Panicked Final Picks from Eric Gates (a BIG recovery shout out to Eric's wife Laura who is going through a big cancer battle right now - lots of prayers needed there!) were the only 2 to pick Florida State into the Elite 8!!  FSU powered Grant up to 8th place and with Michigan picked to win it all - Grant certainly with Hopski Champion aspirations this year!  Panicked Picks should not have gone with Purdue as Gates is pretty well over with these picks for 2018.  He should have picked his MBA alma mater as Loyola Chicago is just putting K State away at the moment!!  

TOILET BOWL

Well, yours truly thought that he had moved full circle from the title 20 years ago to the Toilet Bowl this year - but as mentioned - there is still a shot to avoid the enigma of the TB as a Texas Tech victory tomorrow night will leave The King with the Toilet Bowl rather than The Commish.  Oh Guns Up please!!!

BEST ENTRY NAME

NOW is the time to drop a quick email with your vote for BEST ENTRY NAME for 2018!!  Send me an email this week so we can celebrate some creativity.   A few of my favorites include:

One More Year Until the Hopski's Legal (Joe Drozdowski)
Hide Yo Wife, Hide Yo Husband (Grant Quasha)
50 Fades of Grayson (Matt Powell)
#metoomuch (Scott Hoagland)
How Sad.....Very Sad!! (Jay Baum) - my daughter drops this on me all the time unfortunately!!
Three Backboards Outside Warsaw (Kyle Bowers)
Searching For Steve Fisher (Chris Kinkela)
$100,000 Make Ya Hollar (Cat Miller)
It Was A Dark and Stormy Daniels Night (Richard Rykhus)
My Picks Changed More Than Trump's Cabinet (Dave Menzel)
Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Ramblin (Beth Paul - why didn't you pick them to win!?!)
If These Balls Could Talk (David Miller)

PLEASE VOTE!!


PLEASE PAY!!!

I have still not checked payments to entries - but you know who you are and if you have not paid - please make my job easier and get the money in now (Snow?)

Round 2 Update

Are we the sane ones here??  Any of us?!  I mean, year in, year out, we along with 50 million other folks fill out these seemingly straightforward brackets of 64 teams and then, seemingly in days, they are thrown out in the trash.............

Yes, SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG!!!

This year is no different, though certainly we were tossing out our collective brackets in hours and minutes rather than days and weeks this year!  

Let's first start with how many entries have now lost their Champion pick - 66!!  Yes - 45% of the pool have lost their chance (for the most part) at the 2018 Hopski Title after just 2 rounds of games - unheard of!  

Out of those 82 remaining entries......only 22 of them have their final 2 teams still in the hunt!!!

Looking at just the left half of the bracket - containing the South and West regions (e.g. the utter chaos and hell half) - only 5 entries have their regional champion picks remaining!  They have all picked Kentucky to take the South, splitting their East champion votes between Gonzaga and Michigan.  

Out of those 5 brackets - ONLY 2 - YES - ONLY 2 brackets out of the entire 148 entries - have a complete FINAL FOUR remaining.  A Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge Hopski kudos goes out to the Rick Pitino Memorial Bracket from the nomadic Julie Grundberg from Indiana, Chicago, Denver, Antarctica and Seattle to name a few options!!  Julie is a double-digit Hopski participant (this is her 11th Hopski) and this year - maybe THIS is her year.  It certainly has some serious potential!  Joining Julie in this Hopski salute is none other than Eric f'n Gates' entry of Boats n' Hoes.  Yes - that would be THE Eric Gates of Valparaiso, Indiana University and for the last 30 years, the Chicago Suburbs!!!  THE Eric Gates that has in a way spawned the Hopski as it was THE Eric Gates that fostered the young and naive Mark Hopper through his freshman year of college at IU - instilling in me priorities such as basketball, music, alcohol and wearing sweatpants all of the time!  Dare I say that looking back on the past couple of weeks - only alcohol seems to be missing (not entirely of course!) from my day to day life these days!


THE LEADERBOARD

Nothing speaks like the podium of the bracket and as in many of years past, that highest on the podium after the first weekend will likely only be moving downward.  Docent Darling Returns (from the desert) - Terry Kenney of ......... (those dots are me searching linked in) - oh my - San Francisco!!  Oh my - the whole Kenney clan lives out here (we need a Hopski party!)......Yes - DDR (from the desert) from Terry Kenney (an independent museums and institutions professional clearly violating all kinds of cultural norms in his profession by participating in this madness) is leading the Hopski with a whopping 42 underdog points (leading that category too) but unfortunately for Terry, he went with the Virginia squad to win it all and faces a hard slog to remain in contention this year.  Alas - for a weekend though - he was the King!!  **On a side note - anyone with any idea on that entry name origin?!  Fill me in - ok?!

There is a 3 way tie for the 2nd spot on the Hopski podium coming out of turn number two this year.....2 of them (Lock Sean Miller Up from Ryan Fazio of NYC, a trader at the Noble Group and The Unpredictable Kim Jong Nofe from Round 1 leader Mark Noferi) have a shot at sticking around for awhile as both have potential scores in the upper 100s and that appears to be the target number at this point for winning this year's Hopski.  Nofe is one of just a few entries picking Kansas to win it all - with a Michigan runner-up no less.  That combo is just unique enough to win this thing.  Joining them on the podium for this one brief moment is 50 Fades of Grayson from fellow '89 Hoosier Grad Matt Powell of Cincinnati!!  Matty P


THE TOILET BOWL

There is a battle at the bottom for now between Where for art thou Romeo (from the King, Darin Townsend right out of A-Town, Anderson, Indiana - one of my college roommates) and Slick Rick's Adidas Escort Service (from David Lowery), however, each of them have their champion picks still alive and thus, their toilet bowl visit is likely not to last.  In fact, let's just say that a LOT is riding on the Purdue vs Texas Tech match-up for Iona Gaels (Kyle Cody) and A Bracket Just Begets More Brackets (The Commish)............irony of all ironies in that I will be rooting for the Boilermakers!


THE HOPSKI SECOND CHANCE DANCE (SWEET 16 POOL)

Get your entries in by tip-off on Thursday night in order to enter the Hopski 2nd Chance Dance!  Entry is FREE due to your main pool entry (paid!) and there is a 5% prize to the winnahhhh!!!


ETC...  ETC....

The Hopski field favorite - Villanova - has survived this bizarre 2 rounds of high seed slaughter - giving the 36 entries picking them to win it all some hope!!

On a side note - something rather unusual in itself - only 23 entries picked the #1 seed Kansas Jayhawks to win the Midwest Region, instead picking #2 seed Michigan St (64 entries) and #3 Duke (57 entries).  Just an oddity - basically no one wanted to pick all #1 seeds and Kansas and Xavier were the odd teams out in that respect (only 20 entries picked Xavier into the Final Four!).  

An even BIGGER shock than UMBC!

Yes - the 2nd round report is DELAYED DUE TO WORK and other life responsibilities!!

Hoping to find time tonight (Tuesday) or definitely Wednesday for a proper update.

In the meantime - make it easier on me and get your payment in if you have not already done so.

Further, the Hopski 2nd Chance Sweet 16 Dance is up and running - entry is covered by your entry into the main pool and there is a 5% prize to the winner!

Enter the 2nd Chance Dance here!  Deadline is 1st game on Thursday night (about 6pm EST I think)!

Back to you soon!

Where to start............simply in a state of shock!

Baltimore...................

whose Hopski fame basically amounted to entry names and quotes from The Wire.........

who would have believed it.......maybe THIS guy..........nah.....

a reminder of why this great game of basketball and March Madness in particular are so loved......

Ah heck - we should have seen this coming, after all, this is.......

Finally it has happened - UMBC (aka University of Maryland Baltimore County Retrievers - yep - had to look that one up during the game) 

- pulled off the upset of all upsets tonight - a #16 seed taking out a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  A historic first since the field went to 64 teams in 1985 - with 135 teams over 33 years falling short of what UMBC accomplished tonight!!  WOWOWOWOW!

Kudos to the UMBC team and Coach Odom (who in a bizarre twist was once a Virginia ballboy)......

Well - there were 4 entries in this year's Hopski picking a #16 seed - however none of them picked UMBC - so the Hopski field went a collective 0 - 148 on this monstrous upset.

The 1st round is complete and out of 32 games, 9 were upsets, 3 though were barely that - being 9s over 8s.  In addition to the UMBC victory, 2 #13 seeds were victorious as well as two 11 seeds.  A pretty crazy 1st 2 days giving the opportunity for a maximum of 49 underdog bonus points to the Hopski field of 148.  Two entrants picked up pool high totals of 34 underdog points - our leader and 2008 Champion - Nofe Disclosure Agreement (NYC immigration lawyer Mark Noferi - fresh off a cerebral angiogram, a matter which is still under review by the Hopski Anti-Doping Council as it has led the Nofe to a 1st place spot for the moment) and I'm A Rambling Man (ex-Warsaw expat/hooper and suburban Chicago teacher Bill Lyon).  At the other end of the spectrum - and maybe they just did not read the rules, were three entries that managed just 2 underdog points over the past two days (you know who you are).

Back the 1st place Noferious entry...a serious Hopski shout out not only for leading the pack after the first two days, but more importantly for a very speedy fix of your brain (Mark was recently diagnosed with a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) - basically a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain.  This may lead to invasive surgery soon - but however it is treated - may it be successful as we need more lawyers (geesh - do not quote me on JUST those 4 words) and people like you dealing at the forefront of the immigration solution!

GET WELL NOFE!!

The other big 9 bonus point upsets in the first round were more fortuitous for some of the Hopski field as 13 entries picked Buffalo's upset of Arizona while 28 picked Marshall's win over Wichita St.......boy we'll miss her expletive filled support for hubby Gregg and Wichita st...."won't we"......  

BOTH of these 9 pointers were picked by of course our two underdog point leaders mentioned previously as well as the Humpty Dumpty entry from Peter Davinci (guessing at the name based upon email address as only Peter was giving - well done whomever you are though!)

A LOT of brackets have been blown apart and virtually eliminated from Hopski contention as 28 entries have already lost their picked champion (Arizona or Virginia).  Ooops!!  Don't worry - the 2nd Chance Dance Sweet 16 Pool will give you new life and a shot at some prize money starting Monday (entry included in the $30 you should have already paid by now).

A few other 1st round notables....Fear the Fork (Joey Wagoner - famed son of my college roommate Jeff Wagoner and even more famous for a pic I saw this year of his date in each hand toga party) and Bruce Pearl Necklace (Dylan McGuill) both picked 26 of the 32 1st round winners.  On the other hand, Justin Robinson for Prez from Chris Maloney had the low pick % at just 14!  And bringing up the rear is Slick Rick's Adidas Escort Service from David Lowery with just 19 total points - though he still has his champion pick (Duke......really?!).


It is getting late here but more to say......it will have to wait though.  Cinderellas are only "crowned" if they get to the Sweet 16 - so Marshall, Buffalo and UMBC still have some work to do - but man - it would be quite cool to have a Buffalo vs UMBC match-up in the Sweet 16!!!  BTW - only 5 entries have either Buffalo or Marshall picked into the Sweet 16 and just one - our favorite Ramblin Man Bill Lyon - has BOTH picked!!  Good luck on that one!!

Adios-

   

The Madness Has Begun!!!

The 20th Annual Hopski International March Madness Pool is off and running, with 148 entries this year from 117 entrants (quite a few hedgers out there!)!  Who has the warning signs??!!  They are running rampant here in The Hopski's Palo Alto HQ.  I have to say that without a doubt, watching games from 9:30am until 9:30pm beats the the heck out of the European all-nighters!!

Day 1 is at the halfway point and there was some excitement but just a single bonus point upset!

Thank you Donte Ingram of Loyola of Chicago!!!  He drained a 3 with .3 seconds remaining to give the Ramblers the first upset of the tournament over Miami (FL)!  These 5 bonus points were not exactly an upset within the Hopski as 110 entries picked Loyola to deliver the goods (we really need to put some thought into altering the scoring for next year - creating a bit more risk to picking a bunch of 1st round upsets......anyone with ideas please offer them up!!).

Despite some very close games for #4 Gonzaga and #5 Ohio State - the seeds won 7 out of 8 so far today.........yawn!!!

17 entries have gone 8 for 8 today - just 11.5%!!!!!  How quickly the "perfect brackets" are blemished!!

16 different teams have been picked to cut down the nets on April 2nd this year - a very big number (dare I say Hopski record).  Leading the pack are Villanova (36), Michigan St (26) and Virginia (25) - all #1 seeds - but only 3 entries picked the 4th #1 - Xavier.  Surprisingly (to me atleast) - Duke was picked 20 times.  To see the full list, click on Report, Champions Summary.

Here's hoping for a few upsets in the 2nd half of today's games.  I will be watching my daughter's game at 6pm and then out to a bar for the last games of the day - so an end of Day 1 update (at least for the standings) will be posted near 11pm PST!