Hopski is Back, Just in Time to Say Goodbye!

 It is hard to remember when my Spring Break used to be like this:

When now it is like this:

Yep - that is me in the back, or in the case of the Harry Potter VR thing at Universal - with my eyes wide CLOSED!      That is really a shame......but.....

That though is neither here nor there as for the 2nd year in a row, The Commish was AWOL Championship week, out spending Hopski money like.......

errrr, Hopper money that would be - thanks for everyone's patience again this year - ESPECIALLY those owed HOPSKI money!!!

I only received a couple of calls like that though (thank you Tom Wojt - once again a big winner in our annual Big 10 vs Big 12 bet!)!

CONGRATS TO THE 2022 HOPSKI CHAMPION:

UDAMAN from Mike Ching

Mike is a 20 year veteran of the Hopski, previously serving podium time in 2011 when he took home the Silver Medal!  Aside from picking the Jayhawks championship, Ron racked up 43 underdog points - which were the difference makers vs the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place entrants.  A bulk of those points came from his picking the #11 seed duos of Michigan and Iowa State into the Sweet 16!  Mike is the EY OMP in Honolulu, a life-long Broncos fan (and season ticket holder!) and a graduate of Santa Clara.  When contacted on the beach in Honolulu, Mike said:  "I'll just say that I'm honored to finally be a Hopski champion!!  Having gotten close once before.....2nd sucks, so I am very glad the Jayhawks came through!!  I think I first joined the Hopski 20 years ago, so this would mean that the Hopski has been in my life for 40% of my years on this earth....longer than I've known my kids.  That said, this year also makes my 20 year anniversary with the better half, so glad I've got some coin for the big anniversary gift!!  

KUDOS TO THE 2022 HOPSKI RUNNER-UP.....

FAB 5 FINGERS from CHRIS KINKELA

Chris is another Hopski veteran, now reaching the podium for the first time in his 9th year, besting his 7th place finish in 2016!  Chris also won the 2016 2nd Chance Dance with the unforgettable Rock "U" Like A Patrick Kane entry.  Chris is now killing the Real Estate game, side by side with his wife Silvia, in the Central Florida market.  He is a proud Graduate from Central Michigan University- FIRE UP CHIPS, but roots for The Fab Five Finger Slapping Juwan Howard coached Michigan Wolverines in hoops. When he's not watching college hoops, Chris coaches his son's 5/6yr old baseball team and helps as a prop dad for his two daughters' competitive dance team.  He's also famous for getting blocked by multiple athletes on twitter, most notably Arkansas Football Coach Sam Pittman.

Rounding out the podium, 3rd Place Goes to......

It's Late, It's Tate, It's Great from Don King!!

No - not THAT one, THIS ONE.......

Don is a Hopski rookie lives in Rocky Hill, CT.  When not rooting on UConn hoopsters and the Mets (yes - he is an acknowledged METS FAN!!), he works in IT at an Investment Management Company.  For pleasure, he enjoys spending time in the Caribbean (Pic is from Turks and Caicos).  

Don has graciously donated his 3rd place Hopski winnings ($325) to the Polish Humanitarian Action Fund for their continued support of Ukrainian refugees - A HUGE THANKS DON!!!

That rounds out the podium and on to the Hopski 2nd Chance Dance Champion....

Mathurin Child Reunion from Peter Pell takes the 2022 Hopski 2nd Chance Dance Trophy with 144 points, edging out Ted Schulz's Always Believe entry (had to give Ted a shout-out as he was SOOOOO CLOSE this year in both the main pool and the 2nd Chance Dance to some Hopski $$$$ after 20+ years!!!!!).

Peter is the defending Best Entry Name winner from 2021 (No Suggs in the Champagne Room!) and the runner-up in the main Hopski Pool in both 2017 and 2019 (by tiebreaker).  Thus, Peter is one Hopski Toilet Bowl victory away from covering all possible means of victory in the Hopski (Jack - what can we call that??!!).  Peter lives in Long Island (for those of us not familiar with NYC - that would be EAST of NYC he points out!) with his wife and 2 kids and of course a golden retriever.  Peter also has asked that 1/2 of his 2nd Chance Dance winnings also be contributed to the Polish Humanitarian Action Fund - AWESOME - THANK PETER!!!!

Speaking of the Best Entry Name.....

The 2022 Best Entry Name goes to 

Shooter McGavin's Breakfast from rookie Mark Horgan!  I have zero info on Mark - not even sure who intro'd him to the Hopski, but I like the creativity (or atleast his mail-in campaign voters did!!).  Mark can now look forward to free entry in the 2023 Hopski!!

Also receiving votes:

Fab 5 Finger Slap & LONGWOOD....not big enough for the moment (Chris Kinkela)

Put on Your Red Shoes and Dance! (Michelle Johnson)

More Beef Than Kanye and Pete (Bill LaFever)

It's Late, It's Tate, It's Great! (Don King)

I Smell Putin Over Here (David Miller)

Bored Hoosier Yacht Club (Matt Powell)

Big Ol Tytys (Peter Pell)

The Hopski would not be complete without a TOILET BOWL CHAMPION...

This year's winner is long-time (20 years + as well!!) Hopski entrant Julie Grundberg and Play-in Game??  Julie managed to clock just 44 points this year, picking at a 38.1% rate, to just edge out former Hopski Champion Mark Conlon's BUILD BrACKet BETTER!  Julie was the 2019 Hopski 2nd Chance Dance Champion - so she has to be "smellin'" the Podium in her future - certainly a better smell than her current spot :).  Julie is a Hoosier alum that I met in my Chicago days and now she lives in Seattle (I think I have that right!!).

Combining 26 entries with direct donations along with the additional contributions from winnings, that brings the grand total contribution to PAH in support of Ukrainian refugees to $3,768.24!!!  

*as a side note, I take no tax benefit from these donations - even the entry fees that I cover for your private donations - just sayin'!!  Full transparency here at Hopski HQ!

It is a pleasure to be associated with all of you and please continue to push for support of Ukraine in whatever means you have at your disposal!!!!

One last Poland/Ukraine tidbit - if you have 5 minutes - this article is something that I really enjoyed reading today.  A long-time friend, John Lynch wrote and put it out on smerconish.com over the weekend.  It is really amazing what Poland as a country and people are doing - makes me really happy (though feeling really too far removed) to be associated with a great country like Poland!!!

Keep well and have a great Hopski Off-season!  See you in 2023!!

The Commish

**Hopski history & analytics blog post will be circulated shortly this week after work fully attended!!

On Vacation Still!

 A Hopski Championship update will be coming next Monday!   Vacation is going well.  In the meantime a quick congratulations to the 2022 Champion Udaman from Mike Ching!!!!    I am sure that our newest champion appreciates Island (Vacation) time!!

A high recommendation for Hicksville Trailer Park in Joshua Tree btw!  Cool glamping!

Keep well!

The Commish

The Final Four Preview

FIRST AND FOREMOST!!!

Hopski entrants have contributed via the $5 Hopski Charity Tax and Direct Donations $3,362 to the Polish Humanitarian Fund for supporting Ukrainian refugees!!  

Thanks to all of you generous folks - such generosity helps me rally each year to keep the Hopski going!!

If you want to make any further donation - here is the link again:  https://www.pah.org.pl/en/donate/

NOW YOUR PRE- FINAL FOUR UPDATE:

Yes, I know you may be missing the Commish and frequent updates this year, but what can I say, I am just getting older and busier unfortunately!  I certainly need to go the Silicon Valley way................

 - you know, add .com (TheHopski.com) ......

....................and of course hire an intern!!!

That certainly sounds like a plan for Hopski 2023 - then again - I would probably just get pissed off at an intern anyway

Alas - we'll have to thus settle for the "when i can" posts such as this - 

YOUR INTRO TO THE 2022 FINAL FOUR!!!!

That is the hooded blue villian waving good-bye to Hopski Hopefuls as unless you picked this year's brackets based upon the color blue - it has been a tournament of blues that has lead us to a dreaded Blue Bloodiest of all Final Fours that only an alum of one of these schools could love!

In game 1, we'll have the Baby Blues vs the Devil Blues.  Cannot imagine anything finer for a Tar Hell than sending Coach K off with losses at Cameron and a loss in the Final Four to his bitter rival.  That could cause many a man to unretire!!!

Then our Saturday nightcap though probably not mine though as, oh by the way, the Commish is on a 2nd annual Family Trip Final Four Weekend Spring Break and will be loading up on U2 in Joshua Tree National Park come Saturday night soooooooooo DO NOT EXPECT A PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE FROM THE COMMISH - E.G. CONTACT MY INTERN IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS!)

 

**Bono likes the Heels to take it all!!

Back to our 2nd game on Saturday - 2 more literally blue blooded programs will go to battle.  IMO this pits one of the game's better coaches against one of my most disliked cheaters.......  I'll let you figure that one out......

YAWN - as I said - only an alumnus of one of these schools could love this Final Four.......  the damned Big 10 let most of us (Midwesterners) down again - ugh - 2 years in a row without a team making the Elite 8!!!

Yes - I agree with Davison on this one - WTF??

Must Move On..... as I am rambling and have to pack and then off to a Journey/Toto concert tonight (don't ask!).  A commitment that I am sure I will somehow enjoy after a couple of beers, but probably not the priority of the week / month / year / etc.....

Where are you Steve???!!!

Let's start with some congratulations to the Hopski Leaderboard as for the first two - this is the last congrats that they will receive this year as their Championship Hopes were dashed in the Elite 8 with the Zags going down and with St. Joseph's and Miami getting knocked out!

King Slayer from Keir Novesky (New York art director / graphic guy at GQ) has been comfortably at the top of the Board for a few rounds now, but he's run out of underdog bonus points to keep him there (though a UNC over Nova final gives him a well deserved 3rd place!).  Jenada10 from Eric Gates (long-time IU closest friend that is in Chicago suburbs for ages - make sure you ask him about Jenada the next time you see him btw - classic story!!!) also has been smelling the podium for awhile, but alas, the Kentucky 1st round exit has caught up.  Thank you for the memories and collect your Top Ten Finish plaques at the door.....

In third place heading into Final Four weekend is none other than AarUpThere from Aaron Jackson.  I love the entry name but have not info on the entrant that I can recollect (another challenge these days with providing updates!!).  Aaron has a shot at the Hopski title - needing a UNC over Villanova final result!

That completes the podium task. This year's Hopski though is WIDE OPEN heading into the Final Four - with 14 entries still with a chance to finish "in the money" in the top 3!!!  Here are the scenarios.......

Once the final game is decided - please drop me a quick email with a recent interesting photo (mug shots preferred) and a bit of a bio / why you love/hate the Hopski so I have some decent fill materials for the Final Update.  I am wholly unsure of my ability to get that update out next week (e.g. - DISNEYLAND is planned for TUESDAY vs updating the blog!!!) - but I will get something out at some point!

The 2nd Chance Dance Pool continues to be led by Russian Warship, Go F**K Yourself from Jacob Kivett (Palo Alto friend and THE ORIGINAL FLORIDA MAN!!)!  Jacob picked 7 of the Elite 8 winners and 3 of the Final Four to lead the pool into the final stretch.  He'll need a Duke championship to take home the title though!  Always Believe (Ted Schulz - one of the early 90s Warsaw expats with International Paper and who I think has missed only 1 Hopski Pool in his lifetime and if I remember right - has never really contended.....  HE HAS A SHOT!!!!)  Both at the BIG POOL and the 2nd chance dance (KU>Duke).  Go Ted!!!!

Some IMPORTANT ADMIN......

PLEASE VOTE FOR THE BEST ENTRY NAME!!!  THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!  EMAIL ME OR DROP A QUICK POST ON THE POOL MESSAGE BOARD.  THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD ONES (I love Its Late, Its Tate, Its Great for some reason!!!!).

FINAL POOL PAYOUT FIGURES:

KEEP WELL - 

THE COMMISH

Elite 8 Preview - sorry

 I am running behind today as the intent was to do a quick Elite 8 Report - but we had a car delivery today from Carvana (worked pretty well) and it has been a bit crazy.  Now i have to run to SF for the Duke/Arkansas game.

Quickly though:

Only 17 entries have their Champion Pick still alive!!  Duke leads with 8, Kansas with 5 and Villanova with 4.  What a crazy year!!

King Slayer continues to lead the Hopski with 125 points - he'll be rooting against all 3 of those teams as his Gonzaga pick is GONE!

Udaman in 10th place is the highest placed entry with a champion still picked (Kansas).

Safer Picks Than Gas Station Sushi sits in 12th place and is highest placed entry with Duke!

Rounding out those still alive - The Swedish Krzyzewski in 28th place still has a shot with Villanova picked to take it all.

Let's not overlook More Beef Than Kanye and Pete - sitting in 28th but with the highest possible point total in the pool and with Duke picked to win it all.  This entry has Duke beating Villanova in the Final!!

Jacob Kivett and Russian Warship, Go F**K Yourself is leading the 2nd Chance Dance, having picked 7 out of the 8 winners and has Duke to take it all.

Back in the main pool - WE HAVE A CHAMPION.......kind of........  congrats to Play-in Game from Julie Grundberg!  Not only was one of the first entrants to lose her picked Champion this year, but she has wrapped up the Toilet Bowl Last Place Trophy with just 44 points and receives free entry into the 2023 Hopski!!!  Congrats Julie!!  (this text color is the closest I could get to what is in the toilet bowl!!)

I am off to the Elite 8 - GO HOGS!!!

Sweet 16 Preview

 

Welcome to the Sweet 16!  

With about 3 hours to go until the Hopski 2nd Chance Dance Deadline hits, we have 75 entries chasing Sweet 16 Pool glory.  

The Commish and my 10yo sidekick Sophie (Chicken Life entry) will get to experience some March Madness live today as we head to the Chase Center to root on the Zags and Red Raiders (she picked Duke though).  A good online purchase when they went on sale about 9 months ago - should be fun though taking the binoculars!!

Unfortunately - we also have 14 entrants that have yet to make payment.  Aside from bringing down the full wrath of the Commish in the next pool update - these entrants will be booted from the 2nd Chance Dance if payment not received by tip-off today.  

I mean hey - ya got time for another set of brackets but 3 clicks to donate to the Ukraine or paypal Hopski is just too much??  Dikembe says NO!!!!!

As we look to the Sweet 16 and the MAIN POOL standings - here are the match-ups in terms of entries picking each team into the Elite 8:

Gonzaga 125 vs Arkansas 5

Texas Tech 60 vs Duke 58

UCLA 62 vs North Carolina 6

Purdue 37 vs Saint Peters - ZERO

Arizona 99 vs Houston 12 (I bet quite a few of those 99 might like a do over!)

Villanova 52 vs Michigan 9

Kansas 81 vs just ONE for Providence

Iowa St 4 vs Miami 3

Presuming the delinquents all pay - here are this year's Prize Pool and Payouts:

I will finalize the figures for Ukraine donations in my next update - hopefully after the delinquents pay up!!!  Right now though it appears we have raised about $3,000 for PAH!!  That's a job well done to everyone!!!!

All the best-

The Commish

The Post-First Madness Weekend Hopski Update

The admin blog updates are out of the way now (2nd Chance Dance and Platform User Guide sent already), so.......

If you have not unsubscribed from the RSS Mail Chimp Feed

LET'S CELEBRATE THOSE PEACOCKS!!!!!!!

Yes, those beautiful PEACOCKS of ST. PETER'S!!!!  They are just the 3rd #15 seed in history to make the Sweet 16 and as an added bonus, they eased so many of us Hoosier fans away from the edge of the roof, the cliff or whatever we were preparing to jump off of after losing to St. Mary's - by eliminating the hated Kentucky Wildcats!!!

That started off a parade of double digit seeds into the Sweet 16 this weekend, with Iowa State, Michigan and Miami all dealing out underdog bonus points to their faithful entrants!

31 entries nabbed 8 points from Michigan, 23 entries took 8 from Iowa State (hey that's great - aka Schoolhouse Rock) and Miami delivered 8 points to 8 of its followers!!  Not a bad haul to say the least, though no one took St. Joseph's (seriously - 2 picked them to beat Kentucky but Murray State - that was too big of a mountain to climb?!).

As a result, King Slayer from Keir Novesky (New Yorker & GQ Design Direct that had identical picks to Peter Pell last year, drove me crazy, after checking out his work - will need to get a Hopski Logo at somepoint!) leads the Hopski with 101 points (with a whopping 58 underdog points!!!).  With 3 of his Final 8 out of it (including Indiana?!), it will be tough sledding to stay on top though!

**some of Kier's work - FORCE OF HOPSKI has a better ring - just sayin''''

In 2nd place with 97 points (and the highest possible points at 243) UDAMAN from long-time Hopski entrant Mike Ching and the 2011 runner-up (since he was last at the top of the leaderboard midway thru the 2017 Dance, Mike has returned to EY as a partner in Honolulu).  Udaman has a LOT riding on the Iowa St and Michigan advancing another round as one of only 4 to predict Iowa St and 9 to tab Michigan into the Elite 8!  Mike's also 1 of 5 to have Kansas winning it all.

Rounding out the first weekend podium in 3rd place is AarUpThere from Aaron Jackson (Aaron is a dancing sensation out of Chicago who loves Arby's and surgical power tools - we'll presume in that order).  AarUpThere combined accuracy (26/32 first round winners) with the Iowa St and Michigan picks into the Sweet 16 (Iowa St into the elite 8).

ButlerDawgs from Brad Miller (relative of my Indiana U boss Steven Miller) was our first round dart thrower, picking 27 of 32 first round games, albeit losing his Champion Kentucky in the process - e.g. - end of Hopski Championship hopes.  

Three entries picked 11 of the 16 (B10 Brethren, My A** (Eric Gates - longtime IU friend - we were just golfing last weekend and debating on our commitment to rooting for other Big 10 teams), Mahonez (Zach Mahoney - a Hopski rookie - I think - unless it is Maloney....) and BGifty (Brian Gift - a 20+ year Hopski entrant and the only one of these 3 to get 11 of 16 AND still have their Championship hopes intact!

At the other end of the spectrum and with a early inside track on this year's TOILET BOWL is Mark Conlon - from - you guessed it - that deft and creative due Mark Conlon of Minneapolis.  Mark has won the Hopski back in 2006 but I guess he has forgotten the need to have a decent entry name!!  Karma clearly is working against him in 2022, though he does have Gonzaga remaining.  The lowest possible point total is Play-in Game (Julie Grundberg - another IU alum and current Seattle resident) at 86 points.  That is an early low water mark set to go lower if Gonzaga is eliminated!  

34 entries lost their Champion this first weekend - congrats to the remaining 133 as maybe you still have a chance at the title!

That about catches us up on the standings and such.  We have 137 entries this year, though I have yet to verify entry fees nor total up the charitable donations (which look great btw!!!!).  I will leave that for later this week and a Sweet 16 Preview.

Stay well - 

The Commish