These are a few of the lessons I learned from the Winter Olympic Games:
1) If you’re female and you snowboard, you’re hot. There’s just something about it.
2) Speeds near 90 m.p.h. are typical in bobsled, luge, and skeleton races. Amazing.
3) Olympic ski teams have incredibly large support crews that manage and support the athletes, ranging from engineers that prepare and test the equipment to meteorologists who predict the racing conditions.
4) To “boot out” is a speed skating term meaning to lean so far into a turn that the side of the boot of your skate touches the ice, lifting the blade from the ice, and sending you sliding into the wall.
5) Bob Costas is still the man.
6) The Olympic Games are about pure competition, in a form that we don’t get to see too often in modern sports. They are experienced in seeing a person fall off the face of a mountain, lay injured and motionless, and then the next day appear back at the top of that same mountain; or a speed skater crying at the start line because her grandfather, who had traveled to see her compete, had died just hours earlier; or a favored biathlete who had fallen in the first seconds of his race be given a chance to win as his countrymen move to the front of the pack to slow down the race until he recovers. Despite some of the media criticism, I think the Olympic Games are fantastic, and I hope they endure and continue to provide a venue for great competition and for “struggles.”
I think the first fantasy games were a complete success. Congratulations to Bryan and Dustin who showed us what it takes to win the game. Good job on pulling ahead for the bronze, Jeremy. I was glad to participate. See you back here again for the summer games in ’08.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
It's all over
The closing ceremonies are nearly upon us and all the U.S. medal hopefuls have competed. That means this year's winter games -- and the inagural year of Fantasy Olympics -- are over. Here are the final results:
Gold: If You Don't Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentary (Bryan) - 20 points
Silver: Cuddling with Lee's Mom (Dustin) - 18 points
Bronze: Jer-Bear's Stairwells (Jeremy) - 8 points
Certificate of Participation: Dark Cloud (Lee) - 4 points
Amazingly, this year's contest turned out exactly like the pre-Olympic power rankings predicted. Looks like SI was on top of things. Still, we weren't without our share of surprises. Those are outlined below.
Before I get to my post-Olympic awards, I just wanted to take an opportunity to share my thoughts on the Olympic games. I've listened to the American media complain all week about how "disappointing" the U.S. team has been in Torino. It's clear to me that these people haven't done any research on Olympic history. Yes, Bode Miller was a disaster, Lindsey Jacobellis cost herself a gold medal by showboating and the Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick feud was ugly for a while. But lost in all this were the heroes of these games... people like Ted Ligety, Julie Mancuso and Joey Cheek. And let's make one thing clear: this year's team has performed better than any U.S. team in history at an Olympics held outside the United States. The old medal record for such an Olympics was 13; this year's team netted 25, just two shy of the all-time American record set four years ago in Salt Lake City. They finished second in the medal count for the second straight winter games -- only traditional powerhouse Germany did better. So let's get some perspective, people. The media is so quick to jump on anyone who makes even the smallest mistake -- like poor Sasha Cohen, who is being roundly criticized for winning a silver medal -- that they lose sight of the big picture. Either that, or Americans are so arrogant that they expect to win the medal count every time out, even though the Americans have never done so at a Winter Olympics. Contrary to what has been said over the last week, this Olympic team has not been a disappointment; in fact, it has been one of the most successful American teams of all time. So let's take the time to enjoy it!
Post-Olympic Awards
MVP: Chad Hedrick
With a trio of medals, Hedrick racked up a total of six points to lead all athletes. If not for an unlikely gold medal for Julia Mancuso, Hedrick would have led Dustin's team to victory.
Biggest Draft Bust: Halie Kim
Kim was the only first-round pick that didn't win multiple medals -- and she did win any. Lee's team never really stood a chance as Hedrick, Davis and Ohno kept winning more medals. The closest Kim came to a medal was a fourth place finish in the women's short-track relay.
Biggest Draft Steal: Hannah Teter
The golden girl of the halfpipe wasn't picked until the sixth round, providing Bryan's team with three valuable points late in the draft.
Biggest Disappointment: Bode Miller
Miller will now rank with Reebok's Dan and Dave as the biggest Olympics disappointments of all-time. Powered by Nike's "Join Bode" campaign and the media frenzy surrounding his comments on 60 Minutes, Miller was the most-hyped ahtlete coming in to this year's Games. He was a favorite to medal in as many as five events. Instead, he left with no medals and was disqualified from more races than he finished.
Biggest Surprise(s): Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety (tie)
Coming into the Games, everyone was talking about the medal chances of alpine skiers Miller, Rahlves and Lindsey Kildow. But Mancuso and Ligety shocked the world by winning gold while the rest of the alpine team came up empty handed. The timing of Mancuso's winning runs will make her a Fantasy Olympics legend, as her gold medal provided the winning points for Bryan's team.
Biggest Story Line: The Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick feud
The feud between these champion speed skaters spilled over into the league, as Davis scored crucial points for Bryan's team and Hedrick carried Dustin's team to a near-victory. Thankfully, Davis and Hedrick were finally able to bury the hatchet, and Davis was seen cheering Hedrick on duing the 10,000m finals. Hopefully, Bryan and Dustin will be able to overcome their differences as well.
Best Free Agent Move: Lee picks up Kathleen Kauth
Lee was the only one who managed to pick-up a free agent that actually earned a medal for his team by dropping biathlete Jeremy Teela and picking up Kauth of the U.S. women's hockey team to earn a bronze medal.
Worst Free Agent Move: Dustin drops Ben Agosto
When Michelle Kwan withdrew from the competition, Dustin made what would have been the best free agent move of the Games by picking up Ben Agosto. If he had stuck with Agosto, Dustin would have earned another silver medal and finished in a tie for first. But a few days later, Dustin dropped Agosto and picked up Emily Hughes, costing himself two points.
Top Undrafted Athletes
-Danny Kass went undrafted and earned a silver medal in the men's snowboard halfpipe
-As the media swarmed to 2002 gold medalist Vonetta Flowers, Shauna Rohbock led USA-2 to silver in the women's bobsled competition.
-Three of the league's four teams picked up members of the women's curling team, but it was the men's curling team that emerged with a bronze medal
-Rosey Fletcher, appearing in her third Olympics, won bronze in the women's snowboard giant slalom.
I think that does it for this year's Games. The Fantasy Olympics were definitely a huge success, so we'll probably have even more teams for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. And as for the next Winter Olympics in 2010, I'll see you guys in Vancouver (yes, I'm actually planning to go... it should be a blast!)
Gold: If You Don't Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentary (Bryan) - 20 points
Silver: Cuddling with Lee's Mom (Dustin) - 18 points
Bronze: Jer-Bear's Stairwells (Jeremy) - 8 points
Certificate of Participation: Dark Cloud (Lee) - 4 points
Amazingly, this year's contest turned out exactly like the pre-Olympic power rankings predicted. Looks like SI was on top of things. Still, we weren't without our share of surprises. Those are outlined below.
Before I get to my post-Olympic awards, I just wanted to take an opportunity to share my thoughts on the Olympic games. I've listened to the American media complain all week about how "disappointing" the U.S. team has been in Torino. It's clear to me that these people haven't done any research on Olympic history. Yes, Bode Miller was a disaster, Lindsey Jacobellis cost herself a gold medal by showboating and the Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick feud was ugly for a while. But lost in all this were the heroes of these games... people like Ted Ligety, Julie Mancuso and Joey Cheek. And let's make one thing clear: this year's team has performed better than any U.S. team in history at an Olympics held outside the United States. The old medal record for such an Olympics was 13; this year's team netted 25, just two shy of the all-time American record set four years ago in Salt Lake City. They finished second in the medal count for the second straight winter games -- only traditional powerhouse Germany did better. So let's get some perspective, people. The media is so quick to jump on anyone who makes even the smallest mistake -- like poor Sasha Cohen, who is being roundly criticized for winning a silver medal -- that they lose sight of the big picture. Either that, or Americans are so arrogant that they expect to win the medal count every time out, even though the Americans have never done so at a Winter Olympics. Contrary to what has been said over the last week, this Olympic team has not been a disappointment; in fact, it has been one of the most successful American teams of all time. So let's take the time to enjoy it!
Post-Olympic Awards
MVP: Chad Hedrick
With a trio of medals, Hedrick racked up a total of six points to lead all athletes. If not for an unlikely gold medal for Julia Mancuso, Hedrick would have led Dustin's team to victory.
Biggest Draft Bust: Halie Kim
Kim was the only first-round pick that didn't win multiple medals -- and she did win any. Lee's team never really stood a chance as Hedrick, Davis and Ohno kept winning more medals. The closest Kim came to a medal was a fourth place finish in the women's short-track relay.
Biggest Draft Steal: Hannah Teter
The golden girl of the halfpipe wasn't picked until the sixth round, providing Bryan's team with three valuable points late in the draft.
Biggest Disappointment: Bode Miller
Miller will now rank with Reebok's Dan and Dave as the biggest Olympics disappointments of all-time. Powered by Nike's "Join Bode" campaign and the media frenzy surrounding his comments on 60 Minutes, Miller was the most-hyped ahtlete coming in to this year's Games. He was a favorite to medal in as many as five events. Instead, he left with no medals and was disqualified from more races than he finished.
Biggest Surprise(s): Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety (tie)
Coming into the Games, everyone was talking about the medal chances of alpine skiers Miller, Rahlves and Lindsey Kildow. But Mancuso and Ligety shocked the world by winning gold while the rest of the alpine team came up empty handed. The timing of Mancuso's winning runs will make her a Fantasy Olympics legend, as her gold medal provided the winning points for Bryan's team.
Biggest Story Line: The Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick feud
The feud between these champion speed skaters spilled over into the league, as Davis scored crucial points for Bryan's team and Hedrick carried Dustin's team to a near-victory. Thankfully, Davis and Hedrick were finally able to bury the hatchet, and Davis was seen cheering Hedrick on duing the 10,000m finals. Hopefully, Bryan and Dustin will be able to overcome their differences as well.
Best Free Agent Move: Lee picks up Kathleen Kauth
Lee was the only one who managed to pick-up a free agent that actually earned a medal for his team by dropping biathlete Jeremy Teela and picking up Kauth of the U.S. women's hockey team to earn a bronze medal.
Worst Free Agent Move: Dustin drops Ben Agosto
When Michelle Kwan withdrew from the competition, Dustin made what would have been the best free agent move of the Games by picking up Ben Agosto. If he had stuck with Agosto, Dustin would have earned another silver medal and finished in a tie for first. But a few days later, Dustin dropped Agosto and picked up Emily Hughes, costing himself two points.
Top Undrafted Athletes
-Danny Kass went undrafted and earned a silver medal in the men's snowboard halfpipe
-As the media swarmed to 2002 gold medalist Vonetta Flowers, Shauna Rohbock led USA-2 to silver in the women's bobsled competition.
-Three of the league's four teams picked up members of the women's curling team, but it was the men's curling team that emerged with a bronze medal
-Rosey Fletcher, appearing in her third Olympics, won bronze in the women's snowboard giant slalom.
I think that does it for this year's Games. The Fantasy Olympics were definitely a huge success, so we'll probably have even more teams for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. And as for the next Winter Olympics in 2010, I'll see you guys in Vancouver (yes, I'm actually planning to go... it should be a blast!)
Friday, February 17, 2006
Results
Cuddling with Lee’s Mom (Dustin’s team) - 18
Chad Hedrick, speed skating: Gold, 5000m, 3 pts.; Bronze, 1500m, 1 pt. ; Silver, 10,000m, 2 pts.
Joey Cheek, speed skating: Gold, 500m, 3 pts.; Silver, 1000m, 2 pts.
Jennifer Rodriguez, speed skating
Seth Wescott, snowboarding: Gold, Snowboard Cross, 3 pts.
Ted Ligety, alpine skiing: Gold, Downhill Combined, 3 pts.
Jeremy Bloom, moguls
Jamie Johnson, curling
Mark Grimmette, doubles luge
Pam Dreyer, women’s hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.
Emily Hughes, figure skating
Dark Cloud (Lee’s team) - 3
Halie Kim, short track
Daron Rahlves, alpine skiing
Todd Hays, bobsled
Lindsey Jacobellis, snowboarding: Silver, Snowboard Cross, 2 pts.
Rachel Steer, biathalon
Erik Schlopy, alpine skiing
Casey FitzRandolph, speed skating
Kris Freeman, cross country skiing
Kathleen Kauth, women's hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.
Margaret Crowley, speed skating
If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery (
Shani Davis, speed skating: Gold, 1000m, 3 pts.; Silver, 1500m, 2 pts.
Lindsey Kildow, alpline skiing
Shaun White, snowboarding: Gold, halfpipe, 3 pts.
Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarding: Silver, halfpipe, 2 pts.
Julia Mancusco, alpine skiing: Gold, giant slalom, 3 pts.
Hannah Teter, snowboarding: Gold, halfpipe, 3 pts.
Tanith Belbin, figure skating: Silver, ice dancing, 2 pts.
Toby Dawson, moguls: Bronze, moguls, 1 pt.
Maureen Brunt, curling
Natalie Darwitz, women’s hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.
Jer-Bear’s Stairwells (Jeremy’s team) - 8
Anton Apolo Ono, short track: Bronze, 1000m, 1 pt.; Gold, 500m, 3 pts.; Bronze, men's relay, 1 pt.
Bode Miller, alpine skiing
Chris Witty, speed skating
Sasha Cohen, figure skating: Silver, women's figure skating, 2 pts.
Christy Wendell, women’s hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.
Cassie Johnson, curling
Steve Mesler, four-man bobsled
Wendy Wagner, cross county skiing
Anthony Lobello Jr., short track
Jay Hakkinen, biatholon
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Thoughts after Week 1
After one week, we’ve seen a lot of surprises at the Olympic Games. Lee’s Mom has experienced the thrill of victory as upstart Ted Ligety won the gold. The Stairwells have experienced the agony of defeat as American “stars” Bode Miller and Apollo Ohno have come up empty. With a week to go, many more surprises could be on the horizon. But let’s take a look at where the teams stand so far.
1. Dustin – four medals, 12 points
Seth Wescott’s gold today in snowboard cross put Dustin’s team alone in first place. Already with four gold medals to his credit, Dustin may be on his way to breaking Eric Heiden’s Winter Olympic record of five gold medals. The best events are still ahead for Chad Hedrick and Jennifer Rodriguez… and who knows what else Ligety – certainly the steal of the draft in the fifth round – is capable of. Were it not for disappointing performances from Jeremy Bloom and Mark Grimmette, this contest could already be over. Still, Dustin appears to be in control for now.
2.
After loading up early on snowboard medals,
3. Jeremy – no medals, 0 points
Ohno and Miller have each laid an egg so far, but they still have five events between them. If they are able to win some medals, preferably gold, the Stairwells will be right back in the thick of things. A solid performance from Sasha Cohen is also a must. Not surprisingly, Jeremy’s cross country skier and biathlete came up empty.
4. Lee – no medals, 0 points
A Dark Cloud certainly seems to have settled over Lee’s Team. First-round pick Halie Kim looked awful in her first event and rumors of an injured ankle have to pose a concern about her medal potential. Lee’s best hope for a medal is probably Lindsey Jacobellis, who is the last medal contender from the high-powered
Random Olympic thoughts…
No, I am not a Bodeist. So stop asking, Nike… but seriously, has there ever been an American athlete with more hype do absolutely nothing? What? This happens all the time? Like every year at the NFL and NBA drafts? Are you serious?... either way, Bode needs to shut up and win something… Random note: Apollo Ohno is dating Allison Baver, also a member of the short track team. But I’m guessing they didn’t meet on the ice. Those speed skating outfits aren’t flattering on anyone… One thing we learned watching Lindsey Kildow’s gutsy downhill run: She could definitely beat me up. That girl is tough… Is Ohno turning into Dan Jansen? He seems to be falling down a lot… Just for the heck of it: Johnny Spillane… I feel bad for Michelle Kwan, but I think she did the right thing by stepping aside gracefully… The
Monday, February 13, 2006
Weekend Update
The preliminary power rankings hold true through the first weekend of spirited Olympic competition, with Bryan "I've got a fever and the only prescription is more halfpipe" Clark pulling ahead early. His snowboarder hopefuls went big, and pulled down three of the five medals for Team USA. Not to be out paced, the first draft for Dustin "Hugging the Turns" Torres brought home gold in the 5000m speed skating event.
Current rankings as of Monday morning Eastern Time:
If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery (Bryan’s team): 8
Cuddling with Lee’s Mom (Dustin’s team): 3
Dark Cloud (Lee’s team): 0
Jer-Bear’s Stairwells (Jeremy’s team): 0
Current rankings as of Monday morning Eastern Time:
If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery (Bryan’s team): 8
Cuddling with Lee’s Mom (Dustin’s team): 3
Dark Cloud (Lee’s team): 0
Jer-Bear’s Stairwells (Jeremy’s team): 0
Friday, February 10, 2006
Pre-Olympic Power Rankings
Using the Olympic medal projections from Sports Illustrated, I compiled the following power rankings. I know other projections might be different, but I just went with the one that was easiest to find. Obviously, it only matters how things turn out in a couple weeks, so this is just for kicks.
1. Bryan - 19
His team is anchored by Shani Davis, though he is already wondering if he made a mistake by passing on Apollo Ono. He put a lot of faith in the halfpipe hopefuls. If they fail to medal, he could end up near the bottom.
2. Dustin - 17
Hedrick is one of the guys that everyone is talking about. If he is able to medal in all his events, Dustin could run away with this one. Michelle Kwan is also a wild card. She's not expected to medal... which might be just what she needs to finally win one.
3. Jeremy - 13
Getting Ono at the fourth pick was probably the steal of the draft as the SI predictions have him second in total points only to Hendrick. Bode Miller is also a high risk/high reward proposition. If he is on his game, he could medal in every event. It's also just as likely that he won't finish half the events. Jeremy could win it all if Ono lives up to his expectations and Miller plays it safe.
4. Lee - 6
Lee's advantage is that he opted for athletes with a lot of events rather than those who are favored to win. If one of these athletes happens to catch fire this week, he could be right in the thick of things. Also, Casey FitzRandolph is a proven winner and could duplicate his Salt Lake City magic in Torino. The head scratcher of the draft was Lee's selection of two biathletes and a cross country skier. No U.S. athlete has ever earned a medal in the biathlon and the only cross-country medal was won by William Koch in 1976. Of course, if any of these athletes have a breakthrough Olympics, Lee will look like a genius.
1. Bryan - 19
His team is anchored by Shani Davis, though he is already wondering if he made a mistake by passing on Apollo Ono. He put a lot of faith in the halfpipe hopefuls. If they fail to medal, he could end up near the bottom.
2. Dustin - 17
Hedrick is one of the guys that everyone is talking about. If he is able to medal in all his events, Dustin could run away with this one. Michelle Kwan is also a wild card. She's not expected to medal... which might be just what she needs to finally win one.
3. Jeremy - 13
Getting Ono at the fourth pick was probably the steal of the draft as the SI predictions have him second in total points only to Hendrick. Bode Miller is also a high risk/high reward proposition. If he is on his game, he could medal in every event. It's also just as likely that he won't finish half the events. Jeremy could win it all if Ono lives up to his expectations and Miller plays it safe.
4. Lee - 6
Lee's advantage is that he opted for athletes with a lot of events rather than those who are favored to win. If one of these athletes happens to catch fire this week, he could be right in the thick of things. Also, Casey FitzRandolph is a proven winner and could duplicate his Salt Lake City magic in Torino. The head scratcher of the draft was Lee's selection of two biathletes and a cross country skier. No U.S. athlete has ever earned a medal in the biathlon and the only cross-country medal was won by William Koch in 1976. Of course, if any of these athletes have a breakthrough Olympics, Lee will look like a genius.
Draft results
Here are the draft results. Good luck everyone!
Cuddling with Lee’s Mom (Dustin’s team)
Chad Hedrick, speed skating
Joey Cheeks, speed skating
Jennifer Rodriguez, speed skating
Seth Wescott, snowboarding
Ted Ligety, alpine skiing
Jeremy Bloom, moguls
Jamie Johnson, curling
Mark Grimmette, doubles luge
Pam Dreyer, women’s hockey
Emily Hughes, figure skating (dropped Michelle Kwan, figure skating for Ben Agosto, ice dancing... dropped, Ben Agosto for Emily Hughes)
Dark Cloud (Lee’s team)
Halie Kim, short track
Daron Rahlves, alpine skiing
Todd Hays, bobsled
Lindsey Jacobellis, snowboarding
Rachel Steer, biathalon
Erik Schlopy, alpine skiing
Casey FitzRandolph, speed skating
Kris Freeman, cross country skiing
Kathleen Kauth, women's hockey (dropped Jeremy Teela, biathalon -- Feb. 10, 2:45 p.m.)
Margaret Crowley, speed skating
If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery (
Shani Davis, speed skating
Lindsey Kildow, alpine skiing
Shaun White, snowboarding
Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarding
Julie Mancusco, alpine skiing
Hannah Teter, snowboarding
Tabith Belbin, figure skating
Toby Dawson, moguls
Maureen Brunt, curling
Natalie Darwitz, women’s hockey
Jer-Bear’s Stairwells (Jeremy’s team)
Anton Apollo Ono, short track
Bode Miller, alpine skiing
Chris Witty, speed skating
Sasha Cohen, figure skating
Christy Wendell, women’s hockey
Cassie Johnson, curling
Steve Mesler, four-man bobsled (dropped Steve Holcomb -- 2/23 at 11:35)
Wendy Wagner, cross county skiing
Anthony Lobello Jr., short track
Jay Hakkinen, biatholon
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Draft time
Draft time is set for 1 p.m. EST on Friday. Be there or be square. That gives us an hour to draft before my class at 1 p.m. CST... so make sure you are prepared.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Breaking News: Men's Curling---hurling?
A show called "The Olympic Zone" has been airing on NBC at 7:30 this week. Tonight they had a profile on one of the members of the U.S. Men's Curling Team. The whole time he was making and pigging out on PIZZA. I know the games are still a few days away and I am not an expert on the typical diet of a curler, but this can't be good news.
Looks like Torino is already having its effect. Too bad we won't be able to count on a location like the States where they ALWAYS eat healthy.
Men's Curling stock = down, down, down
I felt the need to put the red flag alert on the wire for those unable to catch the program.
Looks like Torino is already having its effect. Too bad we won't be able to count on a location like the States where they ALWAYS eat healthy.
Men's Curling stock = down, down, down
I felt the need to put the red flag alert on the wire for those unable to catch the program.
Draft order
The order for the draft will be as follows:
Round 1:
1. Dustin
2. Lee
3. Bryan
4. Jeremy
Round 2:
1. Jeremy
2. Bryan
3. Lee
4. Dustin
Round 3:
1. Dustin
2. Lee
3. Bryan
4. Jeremy
Etc.
The draft order was set by a very scientific method. I put all our names on a piece of paper and drew them out of my backpack as I sat here in the Wash U law library. I know, I know... you're all very impressed.
One additional note: To accomodate the tie-breaker set forth by Jeremy below, the draft will have 11 rounds. You may choose your alternate country at any time, but keep in mind that the country's medal count will only be used in the event of a tie and it will not factor into your overall score.
Only two days until the draft, so make sure you know who you're taking (and if you have no clue, allow me to recommend cross-country skiers).
Round 1:
1. Dustin
2. Lee
3. Bryan
4. Jeremy
Round 2:
1. Jeremy
2. Bryan
3. Lee
4. Dustin
Round 3:
1. Dustin
2. Lee
3. Bryan
4. Jeremy
Etc.
The draft order was set by a very scientific method. I put all our names on a piece of paper and drew them out of my backpack as I sat here in the Wash U law library. I know, I know... you're all very impressed.
One additional note: To accomodate the tie-breaker set forth by Jeremy below, the draft will have 11 rounds. You may choose your alternate country at any time, but keep in mind that the country's medal count will only be used in the event of a tie and it will not factor into your overall score.
Only two days until the draft, so make sure you know who you're taking (and if you have no clue, allow me to recommend cross-country skiers).
Monday, February 06, 2006
Doping Tests
In accordance with the Fantasy Olympics Committee Eligibility Standards Section 220, Item 17, Line 304, "No player shall engage in the use of performance enhancing substances yadeeyadayada..."
Please send your urine samples to Bryan by Friday's opening ceremony. In fact, get your friends together and send him as much urine as you can. Only one sample will be tested, but he likes the taste.
Please send your urine samples to Bryan by Friday's opening ceremony. In fact, get your friends together and send him as much urine as you can. Only one sample will be tested, but he likes the taste.
Tiebreaker
As if U-S-A olympic spirit wasn't about to seize the nation like a Vice Presidential heart attack, this contest certainly will.
Thanks to BC for getting the rules started. I suggest one minor tie-breaking addendum:
4.1) Each player will also select one non-USA country whose gold medal count will be used to determine a winner, in the event of a tie among two or more players’ aggregate scores. If the gold medal count fails to break the tie, then the silver count, and finally the bronze count, will be used. Failing a clear winner, a Burr/Hamilton-style duel in the Las Vegas sun will settle the issue.
Thanks to BC for getting the rules started. I suggest one minor tie-breaking addendum:
4.1) Each player will also select one non-USA country whose gold medal count will be used to determine a winner, in the event of a tie among two or more players’ aggregate scores. If the gold medal count fails to break the tie, then the silver count, and finally the bronze count, will be used. Failing a clear winner, a Burr/Hamilton-style duel in the Las Vegas sun will settle the issue.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Rules
1. Live draft will be held on Feb. 10 via conference call. Time TBD. Happy birthday, Jeremy.
2. Draft order will be determined by a random draw conducted by Bryan Clark. Round 1 will go in order from 1-4, round 2 from 4-1, round 3 from 1-4, etc. Each player gets one pick per round for 10 rounds.
3. Each player will select a total of 10 athletes from the U.S. Olympic team. Any athletes not drafted will be deemed Free Agents. Teams may add, drop or trade players through their first event. Whoever holds the athlete at the time of his or her first even is locked in and cannot remove the athlete from the roster.
4. The winner will be the player with the most points at the end of the Winter Olympic games. Points will be assigned as follows: 3 points for a gold medal, 2 points for a silver medal and 1 point for a bronze medal. Each player's final score will be based on an aggregate score from his 10 players.
5. Medals in team sports can only count once toward the final total. For example, even if a player selects two members of the U.S. Hockey, they can only earn points for one medal in hockey.
6. Players will be responsible for updating their medal count on the Web site as their athletes compete. The winner will be subject to an audit at the completion of the Games by the Fantasy Olympics Committee.
7. A formal ceremony honoring the winner will take place via conference call during the Closing Ceremonies. Good luck.
2. Draft order will be determined by a random draw conducted by Bryan Clark. Round 1 will go in order from 1-4, round 2 from 4-1, round 3 from 1-4, etc. Each player gets one pick per round for 10 rounds.
3. Each player will select a total of 10 athletes from the U.S. Olympic team. Any athletes not drafted will be deemed Free Agents. Teams may add, drop or trade players through their first event. Whoever holds the athlete at the time of his or her first even is locked in and cannot remove the athlete from the roster.
4. The winner will be the player with the most points at the end of the Winter Olympic games. Points will be assigned as follows: 3 points for a gold medal, 2 points for a silver medal and 1 point for a bronze medal. Each player's final score will be based on an aggregate score from his 10 players.
5. Medals in team sports can only count once toward the final total. For example, even if a player selects two members of the U.S. Hockey, they can only earn points for one medal in hockey.
6. Players will be responsible for updating their medal count on the Web site as their athletes compete. The winner will be subject to an audit at the completion of the Games by the Fantasy Olympics Committee.
7. A formal ceremony honoring the winner will take place via conference call during the Closing Ceremonies. Good luck.
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