Thursday, July 2, 1998                     http://www.HWCI.com/wc98
Issue # 28.2.6 "Pool update..."

		1998 HWCI WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT POOL
		===================================

   HEADING INTO THE FINAL SEVEN MATCHES, POOL REMAINS WIDE OPEN
    MLSBob has led wire-to-wire but 13 are still in the running

	EL SEGUNDO, CA (smt)-  MLSBOB leads the first ever HWCI
World Cup pool with 104 points and has been in or tied for first
since Day 1 when he began the pool with 18 straight victories.  
However, six other still have a chance to claim the top prize of
$115 while a total of 13 (of the 21 entries) still have a chance of
winning some money.  

	I think the pool has gone well.  The notion that the first
round (one point each) was going to be a factor is proving true.
Getting those early picks right helps.  Remember, the stakes are
higher each round.  The matches tomorrow and Saturday are worth
seven points each.  Amazingly, LUIS ENRIQUE'S ARMADA is still 
hanging in there despite picking Spain to win it all.  He is losing
points each successive round (for Spain) but certain scenarios will
have him come out in first.  This point system is coming out very 
similiar to our HWCI NCAA pools we've been doing for the past four
years.  It's been very competitive and appropiately weighs the later 
matches more without causing one in the lead to fall out of 
contention too quickly nor making it too easy for someone near the 
bottom to rise up.  You must do well in the whole pool, not just the
later rounds.  It's a shame we have to wait for 2002 to play
again.  SOCKER SCOOTER is in 11th place but can have a chance for
first if and only if France (he was the only one to pick them) wins
the World Cup.  That only makes sense.

	BOLDEST PREDICTION:  THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA.  He was the
only one to pick Paraguay to make the Round of 16.

	CRAZIEST PREDICTION:  MM and THE BRUTE SQUAD.  MM picked
USA to win it all while BRUTE SQUAD pegged South Korea.  Not
surprisingly, both have been eliminated.

	GOOD START:  MLSBOB.  18 straight victories to start of
the pool and has won/tied for most wins in each round so far. 

	BAD START:  RUSSO.  The first match played was Brazil and
Scotland and he was the only one to pick Scotland.  He now rests
in 20th place with just 68 points.

	BIGGEST UPSET IN FIRST ROUND:  Nigeria over Spain, picked
by just five people and Iran over USA picked by no one.

	YAWN!:  Eleven matches had everyone in agreement 
(8-1-2 record) in the first round.  The unaminous predictions for
advancing to the Round of 16 were four teams (4-0).

	"What if"?  There are 128 possibilities in how this World
Cup can end.  Which ones would earn you money?  For example, of the
128 final scenarios, I (Socker Scooter) can only make money on 18 of
them, 16 of them needing France to win it all.  On the other hand, 
MLSBOB can win money on 107 scenarios and can't finish lower than
sixth place.  Are you curious to know your own fate?  If you want 
your own personal profile, post your request to the HWCI message 
board (http://www.hwci.com/forum.htm) and I'll email the list to you.

	Tomorrow will begin the Quarterfinals with France (4-0) and
Italy (3-0-1) playing the early match.  (BTW, I don't get espn2 so
I gotta switch to Univsion for this important match for me.  It 
sucks!).  No need to tell you who I'm rooting for.  The ABC afternoon 
match will feature Brazil (3-1) against Denmark (2-1-1).  

RECORDS
-------
Best Record (Round 1) (48):  27-5-16, MLSBOB, LUIS ENRIQUE'S ARMADA
Most Round of 16 teams (16): 14, MLSBOB, LE BIX, BIG BRI'S GOING DOWN
Most wins- Round of 16 (8):   7, MLSBOB, SOCCER SPICE, 
                                 THE FLYING ELVI, CANTONA

Leader after Round 1+R16:   69, MLSBOB
Leader after Round of 16:  104, MLSBOB

Eliminated from finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th (8):  
     THE BRUTE SQUAD (6/27), TOM FUNG (6/27), THE MIGHTY 
     MOBELFAKTA (6/29), SWEETTEETH (6/29), FLASHER (6/30),
     NO KORNIKOVA FOR RONALDO (6/30), RUSSO (6/30), TRIPLEX (6/30).
		
Let's go France!...
Scott HW
                                            
-----------------------------------------\\ || /\ || //  ___
Scott M Tamashiro, HWCI Engineering       \\||//\\||//  /o-o\\ \ \ `
WC98 Pool Administrator                    \  /  \  /  (o-o-o)) ) > > >
Email:    scott@hwci.com                    ||    ||    \`o'// / / ,  
Updates:  http://www.HWCI.com/wc98          ||    ||  WORLD CUP   
----------------------------------------------------  POOL 1998