2024 Hopski International March Madness Pool - READY TO ROLL!!

WAKE UP!!!

 

COMB YOUR HAIR!!

AND GET YOUR GROOVE GOING!!

THE 25TH ANNUAL 

HOPSKI INTERNATIONAL MARCH MADNESS POOL 

IS READY TO GO!!!

IF you were in the 2023 Hopski - just go back to runyourpool.com and use your same login info from last year.  If you cannot recall your password - reset with them (don't email me).

IF you have missed a year or more of the Hopski, then use this link to enter

The Pool ID is 226932 and the Hopski is now hosted on runyourpool.com!

Brackets will be announced via this Sundays' 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Selection Show on CBS at 6:00 PM, ET.  Hopski entries may be made immediately thereafter!

Show Us That Ring Nick Adam!!!

 

Congratulations to Nick Adam & his Zero Ducks Given entry!!

The 2023 Hopski International Pool Champion!!

  

The Commish and Hopski Entourage went to Pasadena (near Nick's LA home) to deliver (expected) congratulations in person to this year's champion.  Those were some Oktoberfest-size beers that we enjoyed at Rocco's Tavern (along with I must say some of the best wings that I have ever had) as we watched UConn cruise to the championship.

Some post-game quotes from Nick in response to his addition to the Hopski Hall of Champions:  

"I have been entering the hopski for over half my life. 15+ years!

Attended University of Oregon, Go Ducks. Recently I have been on a yoga journey and will be going to Bali next month to become certified. I also like to travel, golf, and Surf. 

I currently work for adidas basketball on our on and off court footwear as a global merchandiser.  I'm the nephew of the long time Hopski entrant Jack Bell (still searching for that ring), and we often plan our get togethers around basketball, beer and wine."

Here's an at work photo of Nick - possibly with a pair of Wilt Chamberlain's shoes (I am just taking a wild guess)...

Some entertaining live video from the post-game interview with our 2023 Champion Nick Adam can be viewed by clicking here!!
Nick's championship entry was one of 7 Hopski entrants picking the Huskies 2023 title correctly, and leading the pack of runners-up and Hopski Silver Medalist - Michael Rupp and Last Nil Standing.  Aside from one of my favorite entry names this year, CT resident Mike is a Fairield U alum and big supporter of the Stags while working at St. Luke's School in New Canaan, CT.  Michael's UConn insight consisted of the logic "that is I have to deal with unsufferable Huskies fans for the next calendar year, I may as well profit from it!".  Mike has been in the Hopski since 2016, introduced by Mike LoPiano (not idea of LoPiano's link to the Hopski btw) and this is his first podium finish!

Rounding out the podium this year is URINE TROUBLE 812 from Chris Miller!  812 is the Bloomington, IN area code and I will stop any further explanation of the obvious nature of Chris's entry name.  Chris lives in Newburgh, IN and is the nephew of long-time Hopski entrant Steve Miller (owner of a CPA firm that I was privileged to work at my last years at IU).  Unfortunately no recent pic of Chris (nor anything I could source online!).
KUDOS as well to Kyle Bowers and My Bracket Called for Floppin' - which took this year's 2nd Chance Dance POOL!!!  Kyle made his picks from Nigeria but celebrated his 2nd Chance victory from Tirana, Albania.  Kyle is a long-time Warsaw Poland Hoosier expat and we played a LOT of hoops together there in the 90s and up until my departure in 2004.  Kyle remarked on his victory:  "Oohh fantastic! From floppin' to first!! I am grateful for the 2nd chance Hopski for allowing me to see the error of my ways and make amends with the basketball gods. It has also been a pleasure to expand my Hopski portfolio. I believe the only remaining hardware is of the porcelain type....the Toilet Bowl....which I would like to avoid!"

3 TIME HOPSKI TOILET BOWL WINNER - LINDA GENTY!!!


At the other end of this year's Hopski Standings, we have the Toilet Bowl and, well, there is just no way to sugar coat this one.....  "Congratulations" are in order yet again for Linda Genty as her U Who?  WVU, UMiami, UK & IU entry amassed an all-time low points total of just 35!  OUCH!   When reached at her home in the North Chicago suburbs, Linda exclaimed that "I planned it that way, how else could anyone do it so often".  While skill certainly plays a part at either end of the Hopski, winning the Toilet Bowl a record 3rd time has to go well beyond "skill and intention"!!!  It gave us a nice opportunity to speak and catch-up though as it has been 30 years since Linda, her husband Ron, Jack and a few others were young and naive first time expats in the Arthur Andersen Budapest office!!!  

CONGRATS ON THE IMPRESSIVE "VICTORY" LINDA!!! (and you have to be in next year's Hopski now as the defending Toilet Bowl champion AND with free entry!!)

DOLLARS, DOLLARS, DOLLARS$$$$$$$$

Well - on that note - all that is left is distributing the DOLLARS to this year's winners!!  Here's the Pool Party Fund:

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!!!!
MOST importantly - thanks to the generosity of all entrants and especially those that made the direct payments to the charity - the 2023 Hopski raised a total of $2,950 for the Polish Humanitarian Action Fund in support of Ukrainian Refugees!!!  

As a final note, I want to firstly say how disappointed I was with the IU women's early exit from the NCAA tournament and how much I enjoyed watching their team this year (with my daughters) all season long.  Looking forward to next year's team as they return most of their top plays.  And wow - what a season for NCAA women's basketball in general.  The Final Four this year was must watch TV for us in this house and Iowa and LSU did not disappoint!!!

Continuing on that theme, I want to share a Hopski opinion that while I certainly don't go for the public trash talk that was happening in the women's tournament (Clark, Reese, etc...), there is no reason that anyone should be piling on criticism of Angel Reese for what she was doing in the final minutes of the women's championship game.  As a player and a coach, yes - thought it was inappropriate and certainly not my style (probably would not have acted too kindly to it either!!), but GET OFF HER BACK!!  She was amazingly strong in that game and throughout the tournament and season.  If that is how she rolls and she can take what she dishes out - then you go girl!!  I for one will definitely tune-in in 2023-2024 for any Iowa/LSU match-up if both Angel and Caitlin stay for another year!
All the best,
The Commish

SORRY - CLOSING UPDATE FRIDAY - JUST RETURNED FROM LA!

 

Zero Ducks Given - Nick Adam - HOPSKI Champion - LIVE

 

This was taken with about 5 minutes to go - when UConn was up 15 - which suddenly went to 5 and Nick was gulping in a big way - thinking the jinx had happened!

Below are in-game photos - live from Rocco’s Tavern in Passadena.

Nick is the nephew of long-time Hopski participant and good friend of the Commish Jack Bell.  I have heard about Nick from Jack since he was probably 5, he joined the Hopski at 14 and what do you know - a Hopski Champion BEFORE Uncle Jack!!  DOH!!!

Full update when I am back in Palo Alto Thursday!!

Championship Monday!!!

It is CHAMPIONSHIP MONDAY for the Hopski and yeah - for that tournament thing too!

For the Hopski we are doing something for the first time, traveling to LA LA LAND and sitting in a bar WITH A POTENTIAL HOPSKI CHAMPION - basically prepared for a live interview with Nick Adams who shall be sitting on top of the Hopski with a UConn victory.  The Commish and Crew will see tears of joy or sadness live tonight and bring it back to the Hopski faithful!!  Nick’s Zero Ducks Given entry has jumped to 2nd place in the Hopski by virtue of the Huskies’ run to the final game, leaving Nick just a point behind our other Champion hopeful, Thomas Stevens and his Slackerufl entry.  Nick leads a contingent of 7 UConn pickers, 6 of which will fly by Slackerufl with a UConn victory tonight.

Joining Thomas in rooting for the Huskies will be Hopski podium hopefuls License to NIL (Michael Rupp’s entry - still waiting on some info from Adolph Rupp’s presumed great grandchild) and Bing Bang Ow (Bill LaFever’s).  On the other side of the coin, RU Screwed (Mike Doud) is pulling for the Aztecs to keep his entry in 3rd place for the final podium.

HOPSKI 2ND CHANCE DANCE POOL

It’s officially OVAHHHHH!!!!!  Thanks as well to the UConn semi-final victory over Miami, the Polish Hoosier Kyle Bowers and his My Bracket Called for Floppin’ entry have already wrapped up the 2nd Chance Dance title this year as no one picked SD State to win from the Sweet 16 (oddly!).   Kyle will be shortly updating us from Nigeria with some thoughts on taking the Sweet 16 title!

That is all for now - not a lot of creativity possible when typing away on the IPad - but nice to not be traveling with the laptop much these days!

Adios-

The Commish

Final Four Preview....... or in terms of the Hopski this year, the Final One

    

For the first time ever - yes - EVAHHHH - there will not be a top 3 seed in the Men's Final Four!  More so - aside from UConn, none of the other three schools (nor their coaches) have ever been in a Final Four either.  March Madness indeed!!

Despite UConn being somewhat of a consensus favorite now for the title, I really think we will be seeing what could be a very ugly final game between San Diego State and Miami, and ugly in the sense that it will be played in the upper 50s (not temps - but points!).  My money in any respect is on Miami - not that it is a suggestion to throw any of YOUR money that direction!!  I am not betting on The U, though I will change the color herein to dark green.  Take note - FAU DOES have the opportunity to become the lowest seeded Champion ever!!  Miami and SD State ALSO have the opportunity to become the 1st 5th seeds ever to win the title!

On to our leaderboard...........

Yes indeed - it is time for someone to take that leader role and hold onto it in this year's Hopski!  Right now, that contender is Slackerufl from Florida Gator alum Thomas Stevens (Tom is a South Floridian that has heard a lot of FAU talk this year and felt they were a legit sleeper!), an entry buoyed into the top spot by picking 2 of the Final 4 this year - FAU and Miami!!  Thomas finds himself in an unusual position of needing just 1 victory from UConn (NOT a Championship) to win the Hopski.

As the #2 entry on the Leaderboad, our defending champion Udaman2 from Mike Ching of Hawaii, can overtake Slackerufl with a Miami victory (regardless of who wins the other game OR the final)!  More on the opportunity for a historic Hopski repeat title below!

Sorry to 3rd place Kencik and Ken Holding of Warsaw, Poland!  You hopes of a Hopski championship were dashed by Miami and UConn, knocking out a great attempt at picking 3 of the Final Four.  There is still hopes of a podium finish, certainly there is some consolation in that Ken!!

Well.... it pretty much is in terms of the Hopski this year as twelve entries have UConn picked into the Final, with 7 of those picking UConn to take the title.  I suppose a shout out is deserved to these 12 entries (the BOLD 7 have UConn picked for the title:

1. Zero Ducks Given (Nick Adam, LA / Adidas / Oregon man!  We'll be watching the Final together on Monday night in LA!)
2. License to NIL (Michael Rupp of CT - a LOT of you folks in the Hopski btw - a Fairfield U grad and now head of admissions at St. Luke's School in New Canaan)
3. URINE TROUBLE 812 (Chris Miller, relative of my IU days boss Steve Miller) 
4. Bing Bang Ow (sitting President of the Bill Doran Co & Hopski 2010 runner-up Bill LaFever of Rockford, IL)
5. Buckhill (Rob Jeffries of NJ and brother of Logan - but more info I do not have!)
6. KingDon (Don King........)
7. Dan Hurley's Inside Voice (Connecticut State Senator and 2 Time Hopski Champion Ryan Fazio)
8. RU Screwed (Mike Doud of NY and a Rutgers alum)
9. Bunch of Azuolas
10. In Trump We Trust..... Seriously (David Miller of Memphis, TN and our 2013 Hopski Champion)
11. Miyagi-Do Chambo (Jeff Chamberlin - former Warsaw hooper now living in DC - trying to recover the UConn as Champ magic from his Hopski Championship of 2014)
12. Woodson, My Man (Dave Heldman - who I think is still without a top 10 finish after about 20 Hopskis....... though my memory is failing and I have not updated the historical stats file since 2018!)

Aside from those entries, only one other entry has any point upside remaining, the #2 entry from our defending Champion - Mike Ching and Udaman!   - we could have lightning strike twice with another repeat champion this year if Miami takes out UConn!!  This happened on both each side of 2020 (the Covid no tournament year) when Connecticutt's own Ryan Fazio - Dan Hurley's Inside Voice - repeated as Hopski champion and now Mr. Don Ho himself - Mike Ching has a shot!!!  WOW!

Run Your Pool - seems like the software has worked pretty well again this year and certainly the automated scoring and real time updates to standings makes like a LOT easier for the Commish and team.  One funny thing I just noted is their abbreviation for Fairleigh Dickenson.......  being one FAIR DICK!

Over at the 2nd Chance Dance HQ

 - we are down to two entrants in a Pool Championship that will be decided between Miami and UConn.  In the Miami corner, we have U-who? WVU, UMiami, UKentucky, IU from Linda Genty (former Budapest and Tokyo expat now living in N Chicago suburbs and also a 2-time - and very possibly 3-time Hopski Toilet Bowl Champion!!).  Linda recovered from some terrible luck in her main pool pick sheet to contend for the 2nd Chance Dance Title!!!  In the UConn corner is My bracket called for Floppin from Warsaw's favorite Hoosier - Kyle Bowers, a 2 time Main Pool Champion in the Hopski - 2003 and 2010!

And Finally the Toilet Bowl......

We have a battle for the Toilet Bowl that will not be settled until the 2nd half of Monday night's championship game as both entries - Udaman (Mike Ching - somehow effectively hedged in full his two entries this year such that one can win the Hopski while the other loses!) and U-who? WVU, UMiami, UKentucky, IU from Linda Genty - managed to tie with a record setting low of 35 points this year!!  That leaves the total points in the Championship Game as the tiebreaker for these two entrants - one of whom will emerge Monday night with the Toilet Title and free entry for 2024's Hopski (if it happens........ as I am with less and less motivation, time and ability to manage this thing - motivation being the primary issue!!!).  In any event - U-Who predicted 90 points to be scored on Monday night (Wisconsin flashback maybe??!!), while Udaman went with the opposite end of the spectrum and 165 points!!  Thus, 127/128 will be the threshold that will break this tie and determine a WINNER, with the closer guess finishing higher in the FINAL STANDINGS and avoiding the Toilet Flush!

I am off to visit colleges on Sunday in hopefully sunny LA LA Land with my oldest daughter - so the next update may not be until all is said and done given the expected 7 hours of driving quality time on Sunday!  I will do my best though to entertain!

Keep well-

Your Commish

ELITE 8 PREVIEW - Just 29 entries with Champions remaining

Just 8 teams are left chasing the 2023 One Shining Moment and NONE of them are number one seeds.  That is a FIRST in March Madness history and the Hopski point totals are taking a beating as a result.  Surprisingly though, the underdog point totals on average are nearly an all-time Hopski low!!  Go figure.

So - 29 entries have their champion still alive, but that is not equally spread:

        Texas - 13

        Gonzaga - 9

        UConn - 7

So if your entry did not pick one of the above - best root against them!!

The Hopski Pool pulling an "0-Fer" on picking the champion has only happened once - in 2014 when UConn swept through the tournament behind Shabazz Napier and unexpectedly won the title.  Three years - only one entry picked the champion (2003, 2006 and 2016).

Another lowlight this year in terms of picking is in respect to the average number of Elite 8 teams picked.  This year's 2.0 is just slightly above last year's 1.6 (an all-time record low)!!  C'mon Hopskis...... STEP IT UP!!!

HI AND GOODBYE!!

Our fearless leader as we enter the Elite 8 is running on fumes, with only a pick of Texas to make the Final Four accounting for his upside.  So let's say a good old Hopski "HI and GOODBYE!" to CantReadCantWriteKentSt#2 from Dave Iantosca.  You did well but not well enough this year!

Charging up the Leaderboard and into 2nd place is Kencik (Dukie Kent Holding of Warsaw, Poland).  Kent killed the Elite 8 - picking 6 of the teams - best in the Hopski this year.  Kudos on the side to Princesss of Darkness #12 and Mark Conlon for picking 5.  Kencik is relying on the Longhorns of Texas to win the pool, with SDSU and the Zags joining them in the Final Four (Purdue was his fourth pick).

There is a tie for 3rd place between crowd favorite Guinness and Whip Cream (Joe Wagoner) and Princess of Darkness #12 (Mark Conlon).  Both entries though have lost their Champion pick, though GWC has a slim shot if the Zags and Creighton can advance!

Defending champion Mike Ching and his Udaman #2 entry have quietly moved into contention and currently reside in 5th place!! (please ignore Udaman #1 - easy to do as it is languishing at the bottom - more to come on this!).  Mike has KSt, Miami and the Zags advancing with Miami even into the final game!!  Not sure how that brilliant pick came about but kudos in a big way to the Ragin' Hawaiian!!

Over in the 2nd Chance Dance, Warsowian Kyle Bowers and his My Bracket Called for Floppin' picked 7 of the 8 Elite 8 and hold the lead!

TIME TO PAY THE HOPSKI!

What can I say - I really detest late payers and unfortunately - every year there are a few.  This year - there are 10 and I would hope that you would all immediately go and pay the $30 entry fee.  BETTER YET - donate $100 to the Polish Humanitarian Fund and support some displaced Ukrainians in Poland, just as a penalty to yourself for giving me extra work!!

Gotta gooooo - off to see the Depeche Mode concert in San Jose!!  Adios!!!