2006 HWCI NCAA Pool Update

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Previous Nickname Issues: [ 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 (JC) | 2001 ]

Thursday, March 30, 2006
Issue # 14.4.4 "Name that name!"
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CERRITOS, CA (smt) - Despite not having the website up for the first 21 hours due to a hardware failure, a record 85 entries were received, topping the 82 we had last year and marking the fourth straight year the number of entries has increased.   More curious, a record 71 entries were from previous years, meaning that for whatever strange reason, people like our HWCI NCAA pool (or just don't mind throwing $10 away).  A record total of 77 people submitted the 85 entries and an amazing 42 people (46 entries) have participated in at least five of the 12 pools.

This year, we had the return of some old nicknames which have brought JAYLOC (last used in '99) and BIX PIX ('02) good luck (so far) but the same bad luck for FLYING ACE ('00).  Others have settled on their nicknames year after year (such as THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA (all 12 years), JINX, BIG LUTHER, SOURCE, PSW, ZIPPY, INDY, SHRINER, FABIO, CARSERONI, and KRISPY KREMER) while others have used the same name in back-to-back years (in process of settling or just couldn't think of another clever nickname?) (such as TERMINATOR, METHOD TO THE MADNESS, FLIP FIGHTERS (probably because this is the name what won it for Robinson C last year), COBI'S CRUSADERS, and WOODEN_SOLDIER).  We even had someone from our 2002 HWCI World Cup pool participate in our NCAA one for the first time (EEK).

There were references to TV shows (RACEAROUNDTHEWORLD, AGENT 86 OF CONTROL (tribute to the late Don Knotts?), RICHARD BELDING (classic!), and FRANK GRIMES) and movies (HOLLYWOOD HOOP, (Vi N for) VENDETTALESS, and FAT BASTARD (or is it the wine? Which I had in St. Louis)).  There were flyers (FLYING ACE & FLYINGELVI), samurais (TEAM SAMURAI & SAMURAI JACK (same person)) and buckeyes (BUCKEYE & BUCKEYE MIKE - neither apparently Ohio St. fans).  There were egos (THEMAN (Erman C, who tried to sneak "THEMAN WILLWIN" as his name; had he won, I wonder how he would have cashed his check made out to "THEMAN WILLWIN"??), IMYOURHUCKLEBERRY, JOLBSTER THE GENIUS, and MR. WONDERFUL FC! - all eliminated by the Elite 8) and eagles (YANKEEAGLE) and slight references to the military (SARGE and THE ROCKET).

There were the ABC's (AJ, QUEEN B, BOBBY CEE) and the G's (G-DOGG and BAMA-G).  Some resembled online gaming screen names (KYLIAAR, DL32, AKUMA, DTERP, KOBERAJ, and ANNIHIATOR44) while others reassembled names in their nicknames (Quang Phung -> PHUQUA CLAN, Dan Henderson -> HENDO, David O -> DAVYBOY, Debbie M -> DEB & BUSTER, Suzanne M -> SUZNANA, Jay S -> JAYLOC, Sam Pitak -> SPITAKULARR (clever, but why the extra "r"?), and Steve Norat -> THE RAT PACK).  Some were optimistic (BELUCKY1 & BELUCKY2ME (both Cliff T's picks)), some seemed bitter (ANGRY HAWAIIAN, KILLER, MADPRO, and BOMBARDMENTBOMBARDMNT), and some relished in others' failures (SCHADENFREUDE (one of the all-time great nicknames)).

There were those that liked Duke (CHRONICLES OF REDICK) and those that didn't (HE HATE DUKE which made me laugh thinking about the original)- both picked UConn to win it all.  There were Bruin (UCLA, that is) fans (BRUINS4LIFE, PAC10ATTACK, and LORENZO MATA (who did not pick UCLA to win it all and it might cost him)), the Fighting Illini fan (KEEP CHIEF ILLINIWEK (I agree!)), and the ever optimistic (and it might pay off this time) Florida fan (note the singular - j/k) GATORS NEVER CHOKE.  Others just referenced the game of basketball itself (ZONE DEFENDER, 360 DUNK, and BASKETBALL JONES).

As always, we have our colors (THINKPINK (who's a different "pink" every year, which is cool and original), BLUESTARS1996, and YELLOW MONKEY (the band?)) and, in what seems to run in the Chay family, non-colorful names of DARA (Dara Chay) and BOROTH CHAY (who is... Boroth Chay! - go figure).  Troy B's two entries perplexed me (UOPTAYLOR and KANAKAKIDZ) and I just didn't know how to categorize Robby D's LERAGER, which sounds cool but I don't know why.

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Next year? Maybe Baker's Fabone for our 13th year...
Scott (aka, THE FABONOUS DOZEN)