2002 PRE-NCAA CONTEST NEWSLETTER 3

Standings
All-Name Teams
Mascot Trivia

The winner of Best Picture at this week's Academy Awards was "A Beautiful Mind," a story about a math genius who also suffered from schizophrenia. Well, we'd be hard pressed to describe our contestants' minds as "beautiful," but we have noticed some startling parallels. How else could you explain the fact that more entrants correctly chose three (3) of the Final 4 than chose more than three (3) of the Final 8? That's right, 20 contestants got three of the Final 4, and only 18 got more than three of the Final 8! (In our collective defense, another 21 got three of the Final 8 plus a successful wildcard.)

Not including wildcards, only one player got as many as five of the Final 8 (Jaynes). If you include the wildcard, another six shared in that lofty honor (Cowboy; Gibson's Neighbor; D'Zuro; Jagoda; K Sullivan; Haub). But before we get too carried away in our congratulations, we feel obligated to point out that five out of eight (62.5%) on an algebra exam would qualify you as neither a math genius nor a beautiful mind. Seven others got four of the Final 8, not including wildcards (Packer; Meredith; K Wanger; P Leach; Whiteside; P Kedson; Jenna). 74 entrants got three of the Final 8 (21 of whom had a successful wildcard); 29 managed only two out of eight (five of whom had a successful wildcard); and two cagey contestants (Gordon and Elliot) made only one happy Final 8 prediction.

In another manifestation of schizoid qualities, Jenna successfully picked four (4) of the Final 8, but zero (0) of the Final 4. S Williams achieved the same admirable accomplishment, if you include his successful wildcard.

While 20 entrants did correctly choose three of the Final 4, we'd also like to point out that 25 entrants only had one correct Final 4 choice. 70 people got two correct. In addition to Jenna and S Williams, Elliot and Haklar were also shut out of successful Final 4 selections. Particularly impressive is Haklar, who correctly chose zero (0) of the Final 4 for the second straight year (in fact, Haklar has never correctly selected a Final 4 team in this pool).

Former leader Junior Donadio correctly selected only one of the Final 4, and dropped into a tie for 16th place with eleven year old mutant-spawn Marshall. Now leading is Haub, with 322 points, followed by Connelly (312) and Cowboy (310). The leading non-paying entrant will be Jagoda (330) if Kansas wins, or Jaynes (294) if anybody else does. Money winners, depending on National Champion, are as follows:

IndianaOklahomaMarylandKansas
Haub322Haub322Bland340Haub362
Connelly312Nowakowski319Leeds324Connelly352
Cowboy310Connelly312Haub322T Pappasergi339

At the other end of the continuum, J Broder cleverly chose twice as many Final 8 winners as Gordon (two to one, of course), and the ten points he gained have pushed him ahead of Gordon and into second-to-last place, 180 to 173. Elliot, while safely ahead of J Broder and Gordon, with 193 points, is still behind everybody else.

Our average score is 251.55. Paying entrants (255.45) have nearly a 20 point advantage over non-paying ones (236.74).

In a potential upset significantly larger than Indiana over Duke, males (249.86) currently lead females (247.71). Led by eleven year old Marshall, children have raced ahead of their adult counterparts, averaging 257.67. While felines (250.00) are about average, they're still trouncing canines (233.00). They don't call them "dogs" for nothing. Humans (250.77) have clawed their way past the cats, and have widened their margin over lawyers (244.50). And illustrating that devine influence only gets you so far, "angels" (222.00) are more then twenty points worse than lawyers.

It's "bobbing for pools" in the name game, as the Bobs (267.20) have surged into the lead. The Peters (263.00) have petered out, but they still lead the Brians (253.67), the Eds (253.33), and the Mikes (252.20). David (244.60) and Bill (244.60) are apparently equivalent, but both are slightly better than either Chris (242.25) or John (239,78). And while our average Joe (230.67) is still below our average almost-anybody-else, Rich (222.75) is really poor.

On the Tag-Team terrace, the Vibro Contingent (269.00) and the Charleroi Group (268.50) have powered past JJ's so-called friends (or should I say friends of the so-called JJ?), who are currently in third with a 266.00 average. The Koufax Syndicate (258.60) and Arnie's Army of Bridge Players (252.50) just couldn't cut it. The only thing saving the Nova Gang (244.50) from complete ignominy is that we still feel obligated to mention the Leach Clan (240.50).

In the friends and family plan, the Hastings (275.00) have hastened ahead of the Donadios (269.75) and the Harvies (258.33) have hustled into third. The D'Zuros (253.50) have faded, but still enjoy the slimmest of margins over the Natalinis (253.00). The Kedsons (245.50) have once again shown that being related to a Commissioner is no substitute for skill, and the Acchiones (240.75) are a lot closer to the Leaches (240.50) than they'd probably care to admit. The Susan Hanson connection (267.17) is still a lot stronger than that of Al Alberts (250.08).

Urban Philadelphians (259.36) have maintained their edge over suburban ones (248.82), and Central Jersey (269.75) stayed north of South Jersey (246.00). Pittsburgh (260.11) -- or as we like to call it, the Great Southwest -- is way ahead of both the South (236.00) and the (mid)West (also 236.00). The Philadelphia area (249.84) has eeked ahead of Greater Metro New York (249.33) and the Baltimore/Washington corridor (247.36), while Boston/New England (239.50) lags behind.

Among employers, perennial power T. Rowe Price (274.25) has advantageously positioned itself in its dealings with PennDOT (267.50). Urban Engineering (232.40) is so far behind it seems to have built the wrong bridge, and the only thing worse than being self-employed (230.67) is working for the railroad (Conrail -- 225.00). Landscapers (271.00) have mowed down their opposition, and now lead Accountants (268.60), Salespeople (262.00), and those in Finance (255.33). Teachers (263.17) continue to know a lot more than Students (242.00), and Legal Assistants (260.50) have made a mockery of the rest of the legal profession (241.67). If you're an Engineer (247.10), a Journalist (245.00), a Computer person (243.67), or an Analyst (243.00), you might as well be Retired (249.60). And if you're an Architect (232.50), perhaps you should consider unemployment.

Detailed breakdowns of everybody’s picks may be found at “Pool Central,” http://www.DKNoFish.com/PoolCentral.htm. Standings, Mascot Trivia, and All-Name Teams follow. As ever, it’s been fun running the pool.













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ALL NAME TEAMS

The Commissioners have noticed that "All-Name" teams and mascot trivia have become popular among web commentators. As pioneers of this phenomenon, we have just one thing to say: pretty scary, eh? Anyway, here’s our take:

All-Name, First TeamAll-Name Second Team
Royal Ivey (Texas)Quannas White (Oklahoma)
Alpha Bangura (St. John's)Anas Fellah (Arizona)
Winsome Frazier (Miss. St)Brett Blizzard (UNCW)
Stetson Hairston (Southern Ill.)Prosper Karangwa (Siena)
Cavadas Nunnery (Mississippi)Field Williams (Cincinnati)
Sixth Man: Ace Watanasuparp (UConn)Sixth Man: Stijn Dhondt (Boston U)

All-Geography Team
Cleveland Davis (Hampton)
Paris Corner (Wyoming)
Jordan Cornette (Notre Dame)
Richmond Pittman (Central Conn. St)
Ontario Lett (Pittsburgh)
Ontario Harper (Miss. St)


All-Schmorgasbord
hors d'oeuvres:Michael Bree (Davidson)
salad course:Romain Sato (Xavier)
fish course:Chevy Troutman (Pittsburgh); John Salmons (Miami-Fla); Steve Fisher (San Diego St -- Coach)
entrée:Stew Hare (UNCW); Herman Veal (Maryland -- alumni division); Raheim Lamb (UMass -- uninvited division)
side dish:Darius Rice (Miami-Fla); Brad Korn (Southern Ill); Channing Frye (Arizona)
spices:Raynardo Curry (Western Ky); Adam Chiles (Kentucky); Herb Sendek (NC State -- Coach)
condiment of the year:Dijon Thompson (UCLA)
beverages:Jonathan Beerbohm (BC); Bonell Colas (Florida); Jave Meade (Holy Cross); Koko Archibong (Penn)
preparation:Casey Cook (UCSB); Maurice Baker (Okla St); Raynell Brewer (McNeese St)
service:Caron Butler (UConn)
unwanted guests:Carlos Boozer (Duke); Earnest Crumbley (Fla Atlantic); Marcus Belcher (Southern Ill)
home court:Pepsi Arena (Siena); Dunkin' Donuts Center (Providence -- uninvited division)


One-on-one matches we'd like to see:

Most Holy Division: Jesus Arenas (Texas Tech) vs. Mohamed Diakite (St. John's)
                                   ...who's got winners? Demon Brown (Charlotte)
Eastern Canadian Division: Ontario Lett (Pitt) vs. Ontario Harper (Miss. St)
Dead Chief Executive Division: Stalin Ortiz (Valparaiso) vs. Lincoln Smith (Miss. St)

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MASCOT TRIVIA

(1) Name all teams in the tournament with nicknames that neither include a color nor end in ‘s’ (20 points for each correct answer)
(2) Name the most popular nickname (most teams) in the NCAA Tournament field (8 points)
(3) Among Cats, Dogs, and Birds, which has the most teams in the field? (5 points)
(4) Name the most popular color in the tournament (4 points)
(5) How many teams have a color in their nickname (5 pts.), and how many colors are represented (5 pts)?
(6) Name all nicknames that appear more than once in the field (3 points for each correct answer -- this one is harder than usual this year)
(7) Name the teams that fit into each of the following categories (1 point for each correct answer):
(a) Feline (5 teams)
(b) Canine (7 teams)
(c) Avian (8 teams)
(d) Ursine (3 teams)
(e) Underworld Denizens (3 teams)
(f) Taxidea taxus and Ailurus fulgens (2 teams)
(g) Reptiles (2 teams)
(h) Wind, water, and fire (8 teams)
(i) Cattle and those who work with them (5 teams)
(j) Named after Professional Football Teams (9 teams)
(k) Named after other professional sports franchises ("major" American sports only) (7 teams)
(l) Original Mexicans and Ancient Greeks (3 teams)
(m) Troublemakers (7 teams)
(n) Those who exercise (2 teams)
(o) Titles, parts of titles, or parts of great lines from the movies (3 teams)
(p) Pacifists, shrubs, and rather-than-laters (3 teams)

Note: We counted twelve teams twice, one team three times, and we didn’t bother with the Stanford Cardinal. So, sue us.

TRIVIA ANSWERS

(1) Illinois Fighting Illini, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and North Carolina State Wolfpack.
(2) Bulldogs, Eagles, Wildcats, and Cowboys with 3 each.
(3) Birds by one over Dogs (8 to 7).
(4) Golden (we've decided to distinguish Crimson and Cardinal from "Red" for the purposes of this question).
(5) Eleven teams, representing only three colors (this time, we're calling Crimson and Cardinal "red" -- consistency is boring; and, oh yeah, "Rainbow" is not a color) (Duke Blue Devils; Central Connecticut State Blue Devils; Creighton Bluejays; California Golden Bears; Kent State Golden Flashes; Marquette Golden Eagles; Tulsa Golden Hurricane; Alabama Crimson Tide; St. John's Red Storm; Texas Tech Red Raiders; Stanford Cardinal).
(6) Bulldogs (Gonzaga; Georgia; Mississippi State); Eagles (Winthrop; Boston College; Marquette); Cowboys (Oklahoma State; Wyoming; McNeese State); Wildcats (Kentucky; Arizona; Davidson); Blue Devils (Duke; Central Connecticut State); and Crusaders (Valparaiso; Holy Cross).

(7)
(a) Kentucky Wildcats; Arizona Wildcats; Davidson Wildcats; Missouri Tigers; Pittsburgh Panthers.
(b) Gonzaga Bulldogs; Georgia Bulldogs; Mississippi State Bulldogs; Boston Univ. Terriers; UConn Huskies; Southern Illinois Salukis; North Carolina State Wolfpack.
(c) Winthrop Eagles; Boston College Eagles; Marquette Golden Eagles; UNCW Seahawks; FLorida Atlantic Owls; Kansas Jayhawks; Creighton Bluejays; Oregon Ducks.
(d) California Golden Bears; UCLA Bruins; Montana Grizzlies.
(e) Duke Blue Devils; Central Connecticut State Blue Devils; Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
(f) Wisconsin Badgers; Cincinnati Bearcats.
(g) Florida Gators; Maryland Terrapins.
(h) Kent State Golden Flashes; Alabama Crimson Tide; Miami Hurricanes; Hawaii Rainbow Warriors; Illinois-Chicago Flames; St. John's Red Storm; Tulsa Golden Hurricane; Pepperdine Waves.
(i) Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma State Cowboys, McNeese State Cowboys; Wyoming Cowboys; UC Santa Barbara Gouchos.
(j) Winthrop Eagles; Boston College Eagles; Oklahoma State Cowboys, McNeese State Cowboys; Wyoming Cowboys; Charlotte 49ers; UNCW Seahawks; Siena Saints; Pittsburgh Panthers.
(k) Pittsburgh Panthers (ice hockey); Missouri Tigers (baseball); Illinois-Chicago Flames (ice hockey); Hampton Pirates (baseball); Alcorn State Braves (baseball); Creighton Bluejays (baseball); Montana Grizzlies (basketball).
(l) San Diego State Aztecs; Michigan State Spartans; Southern Cal Trojans.
(m) Notre Dame Fighting Irish; Illinois Fighting Illini; Hampton Pirates; Valparaiso Crusaders; Holy Cross Crusaders; Texas Tech Red Raiders; Ole Miss Rebels.
(n) Murray State Racers; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
(o) Indiana Hoosiers (Hoosiers); Xavier Musketeers (The Three Musketeers); Utah Utes (My Cousin Vinnie).
(p) Penn Quakers; Ohio State Buckeyes; Oklahoma Sooners.

SCORING:
1 You’re exaggerating.
2-20 You’re kidding.
21-50 You’re lying.
51-182 You’re cheating.


Standings Going into Final Four
 Back to Top

NameScoreConf ChampsWild CardChampionFinal 8Final 4
Mike Haub32217ConnecticutKansas43
BRETT CONNELLY31217Kent StKansas33
Cowboy31014ConnecticutDuke43
Bland30014ConnecticutMaryland33
Dodger30014ConnecticutDuke33
Todd Pappasergi29915ConnecticutKansas33
John Donadio29418ConnecticutDuke32
BC Jaynes29414Western KyDuke53
Kate Sullivan29215ConnecticutKansas42
Brian Jagoda29010Kent StKansas43
SeligOstroBrooks SOB28511MissouriDuke33
MaryEllen Donadio28417CaliforniaDuke33
edward leeds28416ConnecticutMaryland32
Dad Koufax28215ConnecticutMaryland32
Bill B28116ConnecticutDuke32
Junior Donadio28018ConnecticutDuke31
John Marshall28016ConnecticutMaryland22
Chris Nowakowski27916WisconsinOklahoma33
Bruno Pappasergi27915TexasMaryland33
Ruben27917ConnecticutDuke22
Chaudhuri27813Kent StDuke32
Marc Kleiman27715CaliforniaKansas33
paul brady27615ButlerMaryland33
RCNatalini/ Amy Wendel27513ConnecticutKansas32
Jon Gibson27513ConnecticutKansas32
Curt Whiteside27416Western KyKentucky42
Sarah Adams27312ConnecticutDuke32
Jim Fenstermacher27312Kent StKansas32
Bob Huffnagle27312ConnecticutMaryland32
Peter O'Brien27213ConnecticutMaryland32
Matt Mazeffa27114ConnecticutMaryland32
Bob D'Zuro27014ConnecticutDuke41
Gibson's Neighbor27014ConnecticutKansas41
Grandma Kedson26816HawaiiKansas42
Eric Wagner26715Maryland33
Al Alberts26617Texas TechKansas32
Russell Karpp26618Mississippi StDuke32
Nick Mahalko26512XavierMaryland33
Packer26514CaliforniaMaryland42
David Simon26516Western KyDuke23
Kelly Wanger26414Texas TechMaryland42
Bob Peloso26317Western KyKansas32
Neil Baumgarten26015CaliforniaDuke32
Audrey Kohart26019ConnecticutDuke21
Rick Schlegel25912ConnecticutMaryland31
John Shadle25911Duke33
PETER YOUNG25918MinnesotaKansas32
Jeff Clark25812Western KyDuke33
Peter Hastings25813PepperdineMaryland32
Kevin Biebel25714Michigan StDuke32
Andy Kennedy25612ConnecticutDuke31
Coach Doc25513Texas TechDuke32
POLLY SHAFFER25514CaliforniaDuke32
Bob Shaw25512Texas TechKansas33
colin fitch25216CaliforniaDuke22
Matt Josephs25113ConnecticutFlorida21
Jim Lee25112MissouriDuke22
Maggie Peloso25114Texas TechDuke32
Rich Warmbier25115CaliforniaMaryland32
Arrowman25013CaliforniaKansas32
claude gatto25013XavierDuke32
Randy Wanger25013CaliforniaDuke32
Amy Acchione24913Western KyMaryland32
Arnold Selig24913Texas TechDuke32
Laura Harlan24814Texas TechDuke32
Joe Glowacki24715UtahKansas32
Adam Littlefield24713CaliforniaMaryland32
Kevin Kasprzak24613Notre DameMaryland22
Jackson Quarles24613Michigan StDuke32
Israel24514PepperdineDuke32
DS Harvie24413CaliforniaKansas32
William Acchione24315Western KyMaryland22
David Kedson24317Western KyDuke31
Piper Landrum24313Kansas32
Dan McGraw24315Kansas22
Joe Sixpack24313Texas TechKansas32
Stanley Williams24314ConnecticutOregon3
Michael Meredith24212VirginiaDuke42
Jon Landrum24114Duke22
Edward Leach24112ButlerDuke32
BRIAN CAMPBELL24013Duke32
Perry Leach24011Duke42
Marshall Linton24013CaliforniaMaryland22
Butch Acchione23812Western KyCincinnati32
David Josephs23714UtahMaryland31
Ed Humen23512Southern IllDuke32
Chris Beane23413Duke32
Dave Johnston23412MemphisDuke22
Jake Acchione23311Western KyKansas32
Will Simpson23316AmericanDuke22
Will Simpson 223316AmericanDuke22
Will Simpson 323316AmericanDuke22
Brian Corrin23115Mississippi StMaryland31
Christopher Hurrell23017Duke21
Patsy Riner23013Duke22
Sappenin', dude?23013CaliforniaAlabama31
Greg Craig22913Texas TechMaryland31
jeff gore22812Duke22
Craig Weinberg22812Duke22
Michael Mc22713XavierDuke31
Chris Ridolphi22611CharlotteKansas22
Adam Scott22413Duke22
GEORGE BRINDISI22315SyracuseOhio State21
Grandpa Kedson22310Texas TechMaryland31
Haklar22215Western KyDuke3
Lucia Donadio22110CaliforniaCincinnati31
Rachel Broder22012TempleDuke32
Dee Jenna21913Texas TechArizona4
Jamie Smith21611Western KyDuke31
Karen Hutchinson21510Duke22
Mike Wilson21512Mississippi StDuke21
Frank Conte21210Western KyDuke22
Rick Simon2129Michigan StDuke31
Julie Reeve20614VirginiaDuke21
Joe McAtee20212Tennessee TechKansas21
JOHN FORREST19811Texas TechMaryland31
Mark Elliot19313CaliforniaCincinnati1
Jon Broder18010TempleDuke21
ellen gordon17313TempleDuke11