HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

[pzarquon]

With the NFL season finally upon us, I thought it'd be fun to have another HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em game. Scrivener did a fantastic job last year, handling the near impossible task of tracking everyone's picks and performance by hand, including processing more than a few last minute pick changes and a fair amount of questions.

This time, I'd like to suggest letting a tried-and-true online system take care of the grunt work. Specifically, Yahoo! Sports. To join and start picking your teams:

• PM me or e-mail me for the password.
• Click here to sign up at Yahoo! Sports.
• Join the "Private Group" with ID#49048 with the password provided.

Yahoo! will then handle setting up the weekly match ups, collecting our picks, enforcing pick deadlines, and breaking ties, and everyone will be able to see how we're doing in near real-time. We'll of course post weekly results/standings here at HT for everyone not registered in the Yahoo! Sports system.

While this requires a Yahoo! ID, if you don't have one you don't need to give up your online anonymity to play. You can set up a throw-away account just to participate in the HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em contest, play along, then... throw it away!

This thread will be for discussing the HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em contest specifically. Who you picked, why, and the occasional bout of smack talk. Discussion of NFL teams and games in general this season should hopefully sprout up naturally over in Player's Place.

So, let's play! You have until Thursday, Sept. 6 at 2:25 pm to register and pick your first week's teams!

[pzarquon]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

First week matchups! My totally arbitrary (think dartboard, chimpanzee, or blindfolded toddler) are in bold:

• INDIANAPOLIS v. New Orleans
• BUFFALO v. Denver
• WASHINGTON v. Miami
• CLEVELAND v. Pittsburgh
• JACKSONVILLE v. Tennessee
• HOUSTON v. Kansas City
• GREEN BAY v. Philadelphia
• ST. LOUIS v. Carolina
• MINNESOTA v. Atlanta
• NEW YORK (NYJ) v. New England
• SEATTLE v. Tampa Bay
• OAKLAND v. Detroit
• SAN DIEGO v. Chicago
• DALLAS v. New York
• CINCINNATI v. Baltimore
• SAN FRANCISCO v. Arizona

[ploal5333]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

First week matchups! My totally arbitrary (think dartboard, chimpanzee, or blindfolded toddler) are in bold:

Not too shabby for arbitrary........yeah right...

[scrivener]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

I'm in. I'll post my picks later (gotta get going), but I must say I don't get where they're coming up with their "favorite" and "underdog" tags. What's the thinking in favoring the Jets over the Patriots?

[pzarquon]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

I'm in. I'll post my picks later (gotta get going), but I must say I don't get where they're coming up with their "favorite" and "underdog" tags. What's the thinking in favoring the Jets over the Patriots?

Yay, Scriv! And I have no idea where they get those, either. Then again, I wouldn't know if they were off or not! I'd be curious how someone would do if they chose their weekly picks based entirely on their designated "favorites." The same way I wonder how any arbitrary but consistent methodology would fare, like whichever team's name comes first alphabetically, or whichever city is furthest west and south.

Not too shabby for arbitrary........yeah right...

It is! I swear! My criteria is often effectively as follows. First, Jacksonville. Whoever they're playing. For my wife, don't you know. Second, is it a city I've visited? Third, is it a city where a good friend lives, and/or where I'd like to visit? And fourth, is it a city I've heard nice things about?

Sports knowledge don't enter into it at all. But I'm hoping that ignorance will turn out to be my secret weapon!

I've sent the password to a couple other folks, and would love to see more! Y'all can post your picks and debate them publicly, too, as I've said. By the by, once you're signed up and signed in, you can go straight to this link once logged into Yahoo! services.

[ploal5333]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

...We'll of course post weekly results/standings here at HT for everyone not registered in the Yahoo! Sports system.

pz, I just set up an account with Yahoo and posted my picks, but I have a question. How do you know who's who? I noticed several names which don't look familar here at HT. Will you be translating the names there to the names known here?

[infinitypro]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

I'm signed up, posted my picks...'eh no laugh, especially since I asked NOE, "Bengals or Baltimore COLTS?"

I'm looking forward to learning, strategizing, and laughing!

[pzarquon]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

I noticed several names which don't look familar here at HT. Will you be translating the names there to the names known here?

Ah, an excellent question. Good thinking. I'm guessing your team is 'ploal5333.' I can also guess who's behind 'INFINITYPRO' and 'Scrivener's Bartlebys.' I'm 'Don't Panic.' I would guess that the 'Ka'u Pahala Farmboys' is our wonderful Surfingfarmboy, and that would leave (by process of elimination) HokkiGuy by ItsGoTime.

Subsequent players, please feel free to introduce your team names... and a totally fictionalized team history, if you like!

I'm signed up, posted my picks...

Awesome. Again, you can post your picks here in this thread as well, as I think the only people who can see it in Yahoo! Sports are other players, and of course y'all want to share your NFL brilliance!

I'll be posting the final pick table, and the new scores/standings each week, but those only become available as the respective deadlines pass.

[Surfingfarmboy]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

I would guess that the 'Ka'u Pahala Farmboys' is our wonderful Surfingfarmboy

You have guess correctly, pzarquon! I'm in this game to represent! I'm in it to bring glory and the thrill of victory to all of the sodbusters of Waiohinu, Naalehu, and Pahala! Go Kau!

[ItsGoTime!]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

and that would leave (by process of elimination) HokkiGuy by ItsGoTime.

Good point. I think I'll change my team name, if I still can. (Done) As for my picks, I go by the sniff test. I loof at the match-up, take a sniff, and decide who smells better. Most of my decisions are based on the current version of Madden I am playing, which is 2007, btw.

As for those betting lines, the first two weeks of the season are always a crap shoot. So much promise for each team, so much uncertainty. Often the lines are small (+ or - 3), and they give the home team the favour. These lines are not who they believe to be the better team, rather how can they make more money on betting.

[ItsGoTime!]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

My picks:

(picks on left, home team in caps)

Saints over COLTS (Saints have something to prove this year)
Broncos over BILLS (I like the Broncos)
SKINS over Miami (Too many new things in Miami to click right away)
Steelers over BROWNS (I like what Tomlin brings to the Steelers)
Titans over JAGUARS (No confidence in QB, Vince Young era continues, but watch out for that curse)
TEXANS over Chiefs (No good reason, except for LJ's holdout)
Eagles over PACKERS (Can't wait to see what Aaron Rodgers brings to the table)
RAMS over Panthers (When in doubt, go with the home team)
Falcons over VIKINGS (I just can't pick Tavaris Jackson from what I've seen)
Patriots over JETS (But I'm thinking the Jets are a possible upset here)
SEAHAWKS over Bucs (A romp)
Lions over OAKLAND (One of these teams will start the season undefeated)
CHARGERS over Bears (Chargers are the class of the West)
COWBOYS over Giants (Too much turmoil in the Giants camp)
BENGALS over Ravens (Bounce back year for Palmer, Ocho Cinco and Co.)
49ERS over Cards (Don't like the Cards D, but they are going to score more than their QB does)

My picks will never be this detailed again. I have a lot of time right now. Just finished my last job, new job (on O'ahu) hasn't started yet. Who's ready for some football?

PS - I reserve the right to change my picks if smells change

[acousticlady]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

OK - it may surprise some of you that I'm into this. My husband is a huge NFL fan and over the years it rubbed off on me. It was either that or be a football widow . We regularly plays the cards - you know, "for entertainment purposes only". I think he is going to join in too if he gets around to signing up. He spends hours going over stats before making his picks. Me? I have my own ways..... Here are my picks on the left, home teams marked with an H.

indy -H New Orleans
Buffalo-H Denver
Miami Washington-H
Pittsburgh Cleveland-H
Jacksonville-H Tenn
Houston-H KC
Philly Green Bay-H
Carolina St Loui-H
Atlanta Minn-H
New Eng. Jets-H
Tampa Seattle-H
Oakland-H Detroit
San Diego-H Chicago
Giants Dallas
Baltimore Cinci-H
San Fran-H Arizona

[pzarquon]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

My picks will never be this detailed again. I have a lot of time right now. Just finished my last job, new job (on O'ahu) hasn't started yet.

It's all good. To post my picks, I just copy-pasted the Yahoo! pick screen into a text editor (to strip the HTML) then copy-pasted it into a post here. Even if that's too much work, as I noted I'll be posting the 'pick table' for everyone once the picks are locked each week, and we can debate, discuss, and ridicule then as well!

I reserve the right to change my picks if smells change

Of course! But after the weekly lock down (five minutes before the first game, I believe), you're stuck as far as our friendly competition goes. Posting subsequent wouldas and couldas is fine, of course!

[infinitypro]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

Here's our picks...'eh no copy ah! (Cause we have no research whatsoever in our picks!).

INDIANAPOLIS: Manning.
BUFFALO: Name of my former dog.
MIAMI: Umm...just because.
PITTSBURGH: My first favorite team because I DID NOT like the COWBOYS.
JACKSONVILLE: Local boys on the team.
HOUSTON: I lived there for many years.
GREEN BAY: Old school familiarity?
MINNESOTA: Once I met Warren Moon at an ESPN function.
SEATTLE: Family living in the area.
OAKLAND: Again, family.
CHICAGO: Another team with a local boy.
DALLAS: Yeah I know, NOE'S pick.
CINNCINATI: Cause I'm an alumni, MIGHTY TIGERS!
SAN FRANCISCO: Isn't this Hawaii's team?

And there you have it, you'd best be sure that if this system does not work I will be doing my research in the weeks to come!

ARE WE READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???

[jkpescador]

Re: HawaiiThreads NFL Pick'em 2007

I is the Spider-Hunters.