Some of you know the origins of this site. I’ve been running an NCAA Hoops Pool for 17 years now. It had humble beginnings with my times in the Bay Area when my daughter was like 6 months old. I was a lowly real estate agent – translation, unemployed – so I bought the NCAA Tournament Package from DirecTV. I got my friends to sign up, and there were just 10 of us that first year. I created my own scoring system which is the same today:
Basic Scoring: 1 Point per Round of Correct Picks
Round 1 = 1 point, Round 2 = 2, Sweet Sixteen = 3, Elite Eight = 4, Final Four = 5, and Champ = 6
Bonus Points: Here was the wrinkle, if you selected a lower seed to beat a higher seed, then you get 2 extra points
As a result, I had to email everyone out their scores (before I had a website that would do it for me). So, I decided to score each sheet after each day of the tournament and provide the standings in an email. The email recapped the day’s games, and then the standings would list the Player with a unique nickname based on their standings, like Jimmy “Sucking Big Time” Wegs. I actually came in 10th that year.
The following year, I moved back to Chicago (after going broke in the Bay Area). I ran the Pool on CBS that year and in my new office got about 29 people including the original folks and a couple of people in Michigan who someone in the office went to college with or something. I still provided the daily updates and nicknames, but I added a Shirt “prize” for the loser of the Pool with commitment from the loser to take a picture in the shirt.
After that and I attribute this to both me moving companies a couple more times and the proliferation of people from all over (and those Michigan poolsters who spread the word), the Pool grew each year to the current over 140 people. I started a Facebook account to display the pictures appropriately called, Wegs Pool. I did change the format to a Round by Round update with nicknames and game action. Plus, Yahoo does my scoring system, in lieu of my Excel Spreadsheet scoring (not a lot of sites do my scoring system without charging big bucks).
We have quite a following with loyal Poolsters playing upwards of 10 years. Also, I’ve had brothers win back to back shirts. I have had people tell me their nickname was incorrect, in the case of Matt “Great Grandson of Willie” Mosconi, actually tell me he was the Grandson of the famous billiards player. I do have my favorite nicknames, which I’ll use at some point again with poolsters, like Dan “Easy” Bakle “Oven” or Robert “Steak and” Egbers or Sabrina “Sorry Ms.” Jackson “I Am For Real.”
So, after years of doing write ups and nicknames, I decided to start this blog to share my sports ideas and takes (and now dating advice/stories).
The point of this post is to include my loyal readers in the action. If you are interested in participating and all are more than welcome, simply click the link below and follow the prompts. It is limited to 1 entry per person ($10). Information is on the Yahoo page on how to get me your entry fee. I’m a stickler for that, so you will have one shot to win the cash (70% for First) or the Shirt (free of charge and chance to rep the Wegs Pool on all avatars for a year – Thanks, Jen Hoffman).
https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/5045/invitation?key=43b1583825036cd1&soc_trk=lnk
Hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as others have over the years. It is truly a labor of love for me each March and early April. I also host a viewing party – this year on Friday, March 29th at Four Shadows Bar at 2758 N. Ashland Ave. to watch the Sweet Sixteen. Come on by.
Good luck to you all.
Wegs