The game is afoot.
Before we get to the standings, I must play the heavy and remind everyone to please follow the rules. We keep getting late predictions, and next time, they won’t count. I don’t like to do that kind of thing, but we have to set SOME deadline, and there’s a chance some new piece of information after the deadline could give you latecomers a competitive edge. Also, please review the rules once more the level of specificity required or not required for entries. That’s not as big a deal, but it can cost you some bonus points if you do it the wrong way.
All right. Back to the fun parts. We began this week as we began last time: With Alexmac at the front of the pack, and stickfigure, God bless, starting in last place. Alexmac is tied for the lead with Kid Gruesome aka Scott Kraus, thanks to the new rule that gives 50 points for correctly calling a decision vs. a KO. There’s an 11-way tie for second place, but that’ll clear up in subsequent standing posts, I betcha.
Almost everybody got 500 points for correctly picking Manny Pacquiao over Joshua Clottey Saturday. Only one contestant went with Clottey, the very brave stickfigure. Sixteen people snagged the extra 100 points by picking Pacquiao to win via unanimous decision.
The week before, seven people went with the upset call, Juan Urango over Devon Alexander. No such luck. (Sorry, stickfigure.) The best call of the whole tourney so far? Not Sure, aka Jay Ari Yin, predicting Alexander would win by knockout in the 8th. That is, the exact round it happened. That’s some Nostradamus stuff, Not Sure, and it gets you the 100 point bonus. Three other smart people — Kid Gruesome, Team Monica aka edub and Alexmac — thought that the iron-chinned Urango wouldn’t see the final bell, good for an extra 50.
Overall, 20 people are two-for-two by going with the favorite in each fight. This week, Wladimir Klitschko-Eddie Chambers will be in play (save your prediction for my preview post later in the week). I haven’t decided yet how we’ll do the week after, with a big Showtime fight, an HBO double-header and a meaningful ESPN2 Friday Night Fights main event. Usually we would do standings updates after two fights, but we might do an update after Klitschko-Chambers then another the next week.
Here are the standings. There are a few people who only predicted for the Pacquiao fight, so I’m not sure they’re actually playing or just wanted to leave their prediction. They’ll be dropped from the standings absent a prediction this week. If you believe I miscalculated, let me know and we can adjudicate.
STANDINGS
Alexmac: 1150
Kid Gruesome (Scott Kraus): 1150
David Schraub: 1100
Hit Dog: 1100
Chris: 1100
PJ Prediction King (PJ): 1100
JB: 1100
Pretty Toney: 1100
cNceddie: 1100
DukeShadeBlue: 1100
Cardscott5: 1100
Not Sure (Jay Ari Yin): 1100
Geordie Dancer (Andrew Harrison): 1100
Team Monica (edub): 1050
B-Side Meth (Tim Starks): 1000
Bigmaxy: 1000
Knees Up Neville Brown (Dobbler): 1000
fadein2bolivian: 1000
Always Wrong (RoWyN): 1000
Donkey Puncher (Brian.McNeely): 1000
Israel: 600
Paul Kelly: 600
Arthur Billette: 600
Unifythebelts: 600
sam.fong: 600
PI Joe (Irvin Ryan): 500
The Queensberry Fools (Eugene Dammrod): 500
willfrank: 500
ScottB: 500
venom.0420: 500
severuck: 500
Bob77: 500
Miguel Angel: 500
Jonna: 500
The Only True Prediction (Serge): 500
SPY: 500
stickfigure: 0
