1999 HWCI NCAA Pool Update

Wednesday, March 24, 1999                     http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa
Issue # 12.5.0 "History of pool..."

                     1999 HWCI NCAA TOURNAMENT POOL
                     ==============================

             FIVE YEARS HAS PRODUCED FIVE DIFFERENT WINNERS
   $1,070 will have been distributed to over 12 different people

     EL SEGUNDO/LA MIRADA, CA (smt)-  The 5th HWCI NCAA Tournament
Pool will produce its 5th different champion, as Lisa T (aka, 
SHARY BOBBINS) or Chris R (aka, CHRIS) will take home the $180 top 
prize.  James L (aka, BIG GAME), who won 3rd in 1996 and 2nd in
1998, will try to go 3-for-3 with a money spot this year (he 
didn't play in 1995 or 1997).  Scott T (aka, THE FABONE V and
FREE FABONE) will try to become the first person (five others have
tried before) to win any money when entering twice.  The pool, 
from its modest beginnings in 1995 when just 12 people participated,
has tripled in size with a pot of $360.  

     A little history........

     In 1995, the first year of the pool, just 12 people entered
in a modest effort put forth by HW-UCLA and their close friends. Names 
like BAD ASS and LIVER BOY graced the pool.  Of course, their interest
was heightened because UCLA was favored to win it all.  Indeed, 10
of 12 picked UCLA while 2 picked Kentucky.  This pool featured
the infamous LOSER WHO DIDN'T PICK UCLA (Dennis K) who set an 
all-time record with a 14-2 2nd Round to go from tied for 9th to 
tied for 1st before going 0-7 in the final 3 rounds to finish dead 
last (12th) with 98 points.  TINA'S BOY (Mark C) became the first 
person to be eliminated when the 2nd round ended.  He is, however,
one of only 3 people (all in 1995) to correctly pick the two teams 
in the final and the champion.  BIX PIX (Fernando B, 1st, 148) and 
MR. NELSON (Nelson, 2nd, 146) were the other two and claimed the top 
two spots, winning $70 and $30, respectively.  THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA 
(3rd, 141) claimed third prize worth $20.  All but one finished with 
110 points or more, the highest scoring pool ever (130.6 average).

     In 1996, 19 people participated in the pool.  Without the HW-UCLA
guys picking nicknames, we had some boring stuff like JAMES, JOSEPH,
and HEATHER.  That year, the total points tiebreaker was first used to 
settle ties.  A newcomer, JAYBIAN (Jason S, 1st, 144) rode Kentucky
to a first place prize of $110.  He also set a record going 8-0 for
the 3rd round and never looked back.  BIX PIX TWEY (Fernando B, 5th,
129) hoping to duplicate last year's effort, fell short of winning
money thanks to his loyalty to UCLA.  JOSEPH (Joseph K, 2nd, 140)
and JAMES (James L, 3rd, 139) won $50 and $30, repsectively.  Six
picked Kentucky that year with just as many picking UCLA (who lost
to Princeton in the first round- ouch!).  This was the first year
someone entered twice (Dave F) and ended up 11th (REALISTIC MOBELFAKTA,
113) and 16th (THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA, 106).  MM and HATE THE DUCKS
(Mark C, 12th, 112) became the 2nd and 3rd people to go 0-for-the-
Final-Four.  HATE THE DUCKS had a 64% chance of winning money 
heading into the 4th round, and 0% chance after.  THE CHEF (Douglas H,
19th, 80) set an all-time low in points for a pool.

     In 1997, the first real debate on whether to raise the pool fee
to $20 from $10 was raised.  Fortunately, it was defeated in a vote.
But, three people did plunk down $20 to enter twice as 22 entries
were received in the third annual pool.  Like Dave F before them,
the three people went moneyless (Tuan H- RODERICK (15th, 97) and
RHODES (14th, 97); Alvin K- BAD ASS I (4th, 111) and BAD ASS II (18th, 
93); and Dennis K- LENNY (6th, 107) and DUKE (12th, 99)).  This was
also the first year no one picked the correct NCAA champion.  Arizona,
who usually bowed out in the first or second round, surprised 
everyone, including Kentucky, in winning the championship in overtime.
The #4SE seed beat three # 1 seeds, the first time that's happened.
Twelve had picked Kansas and four North Carolina, neither which made
the championship game.  MAX (Sean D, 1st, 116) bounced back from a
15th place finish the year before to win the $125 top prize.  The
brothers Selander took 2nd (Brian S, THE FLYING ELVI, 2nd, 115)
and 3rd (Jason S, JAYBIAIN II, 3rd, 113) for $60 and $35, 
respectively.  Jason S became the first person to win money twice 
(1st in 1996).  Just half (11 of 22) finished 100 points or higher.

     In 1998, a record 28 entries tried their luck.  ANNA COME LATELY
(Anna, 1st, 126), the last entry we received, seemed like the least
likely to win, picking a Utah over UCLA final.  Well, Utah surprised 
the 27 other entrants (no one else even had them in the Final Four)
and gave ANNA COME LATELY the record top prize of $150.  James L
became the 2nd person to win twice taking the $70 second place
prize (CAVEMAN, 2nd, 113) while THE FABONE (Scott T, 3rd, 110)
won money for the first time in four tries to take home $40.  For
the first time, a 4th place prize was created and that went to SCOTTMAN
(Scott H, 4th, 108), which was also the first time the tiebreaker 
played a part in the top spots as SCOTTMAN won the 4-way tie for 4th
place.  With Kentucky's rally and win over Utah in the final, this
was the 2nd straight year no one picked the champion.  Sixteen pegged
UNC while five hoped for an Arizona repeat.  UTHOPE (Donald G, 24th,
92) became the 4th person to go 0-7 in the last three rounds.  This
was also the lowest scoring pool ever (98.1 average) despite 20 of 28
scorig 100 or better.  ANNA COME LATELY's 13-point win was the largest
margin of victory ever.  Tuan H once again entered twice with the
same results- no money (STRAIGHT BUTTER, 10th, 106 and EN FUEGO, 13th,
104) extending the drought for dual entries to 0-for-5.

     In 1999, a record 36 entries (18 NCAA pool newcomers, 13 pool 
newcomers if you include those who participated in the World Cup Pool)
were received with only one dual entry (Scott T- THE FABONE V and 
FREE FABONE).  The record pot of $360 will be split $180/$90/$60/$30.
We already know that Mark C (DARKSHARK) will become the first person
to go 0-for-7 twice (1996) and that SHARY BOBBINS (Lisa T) will become
the 12th different person to win HWCI NCAA pool money.  This weekend
will tell how this pool will end up.  Will Scott T break the streak
of winless dual entries?   Will it be the third straight year no one
has picked the correct NCAA champion (if Ohio St. wins)?  How low
will TRUE BRUIN (Loretta A), currently at 59 points, go?  Will 
James L (BIG GAME) win money for the third time?  Will Duke, picked
by 29 of 36 people, win it all as expected?  Will BIG SPIDER BECK 
(Fernando B), who had a 4 in 128 (1 in 32) chance of winning money, 
do so (now 1 in 8)?  It'll be fun...

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Thank you for your support...
Scott HW