Sunday, April 2, 2000                         http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa
Issue # 14.5.2 "History does not repeat..."		 

                     2000 HWCI NCAA TOURNAMENT POOL
                     ==============================

      MORALES' MOUNDS BECOMES SIXTH DIFFERENT HWCI POOL CHAMPION
     Six years have produced at least 15 winners splitting $1,530

     LA MIRADA, CA (smt)-  The 6th HWCI NCAA Tournament Pool will 
produce its 6th different champion, as Sam N (aka, MORALES' MOUNDS) 
will take home the $180 1st Place prize.  Arguably the most 
unpredictable tournament, the first round gave no sign of it as
25 entries went at least 26-6 in the first round.  Then no one got
more than 9 of 16 2nd Round games correct; no one got more than 3 of
8 3rd Round games correct; and no one got more than 1 of 4 4th Round
games correct.  Three of the four Final Four teams MORALES' MOUNDS
picked never made it out of the 2nd Round but was able to ride
Michigan St.'s road to the Final thanks to Duke's loss in the 
Sweet Sixteen.  Scott T (THE FABONE VI) won 3rd in 1998 and 2nd in 
1999 and will try to win 3rd in 2000 if Michigan St. wins.  Dave F
(THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA) will once again take home money after 
finishing 3rd in the first year of the pool (1995).  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 
(Dave F, 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.  
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 two dual entries (Scott T- THE FABONE V and 
FREE FABONE and Gareth M- CARSERONI and MAJERUS FOR SDSU).  Mark C 
(DARKSHARK) became the first person to go 0-for-7 in the Final Four 
twice (1996).  SHARY BOBBINS (Lisa T, 1st, 146) and CARSERONI 
(Gareth M, 3rd, 120) became the 12th and 13th different people to win 
HWCI NCAA pool money.  Scott T (FREE FABONE) and Gareth M (CARSERONI) 
broke a streak of winless dual entries with a 2nd and 3rd Place finish
in one of their entries.  James L (BIG GAME, 5th, 117) bid to go 
3-for-3 in winning money came falling down with Duke's stunning loss.  
Three of four people who picked UConn (29 picked Duke) to win it all 
won money.  Fernando B (BIG SPIDER BECK, 4th, 118) had just a 4 in
132 chance to win money and took 4th, his second winning entry ever.
Loretta A (TRUE BRUIN, 36th, 67) finished with all-time record low
in points.

     In 2000, a record-tying 36 entries once again tried their
luck as 14 newcomers entered.  Sam N (MORALES' MOUNDS) becomes the
sixth different champion after finishing 26th and 31st in the previous
two years.  He became the first person to either be tied or in the
lead after each of the six rounds.  After a record breaking first round 
that saw two people get 30 of 32 first round games correct, the 
brackets started to fall apart as no one got more than 3 of 8 
Sweet Sixteen games correct and eight people will go 0-7 in the 
Final Four (just six have done so before (117 entries)).  Just 
one #1 and one #2 seed advanced to the Elite Eight.  Dave F 
(THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA) returns to the winner's circle with at 
least a 4th Place finish.  Scott T (FREE FABONE and THE FABONE VI) 
will try to do what James L couldn't do the year before- win money 
in three straight pools.  Beth S (BETHEON, 36th, 62) shattered the 
all-time low in points.  Will newcomer Patrick C (PATTO) become the 
lone correct predictor of Florida's championship or will the fourteen 
who pegged Michigan St. as champions win out?  Will first-time 
predictors Michael K (JACKASS) and Craig E (CRAIGS99) take home some 
money?  We'll find out Monday.

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Thank you for your support...
Scott HW

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