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April 8, 2007 All good things must come to an end, and so it is for the FABINPC. In a tight race that could've gone many different ways over the final week, we are
pleased to crown our first Junior Champion, our rookie Alec . Following right on his heels were former champs Steve and Bernie , finishing in
the second and third spots, respectively. Congratulations to all three, who may each now see their names engraved on the plaques over at the ABINPC Hall of Fame! A special ABINPC Acknowledgement goes out to Steve ,
who was only two points shy of becoming the first ABINPC repeat champ in 15 years!
That wraps it up, folks. Thanks for playing and be sure to join us again next March, when we will lace them up again! |
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April 1, 2007 Well, Fun Seekers, it all comes down to this. It's a battle between the Rookies. Standing on my left is JoVial, a little too smug in his/her/its confidence about the prospects of Ohio State delivering a knockout blow on Monday Night. On my right is Alec, poised to become the youngest ABINPC Picker to ever hoist the prestigious trophy if Florida can become the first team to win back-to-back titles in 15 years (Go to the Archives and see the FABINPC's first trivia question this year). The Commish is headed out of town first thing in the morning, and I won't be able to update the site until next weekend. But everybody will know who the champion is anyway. Thanks for playin' and join us again next year for what we hope is a more exciting NCAA Tournament and an even better ABINPC. Ciao for now. |
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April 1, 2007 Here it is, the skinny, the poop, the straight dope, the real deal. I count seven pickers who still have a shot at the FABINPC title. Curiously, our defending champ Steve, who trails our leader by the slimmest of margins, is not on the list because his remaining picks are identical to those of Alec , and Steve has no possible Goodies remaining. Please note that we have the possibility of a Clown Champion looming. I never thought I'd see the day, and frankly, I still don't, but in the long-standing tradition of the ABINPC, if one our celebrity pickers takes the title, an Asterisk (*) title is awarded to the top-ranked non-celebrity picker. I am not particularly envious of the first picker to distinguish himself in ABINPC history with the dreaded Asterisk. (*) - Actually Lost to a Clown! So, without furthur delay, here they are:
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March 25, 2007 I really have no time to write tonight, but just wanted to pass along that our top 3 contendahs all have Florida winning it all. Check back tomorrow for a thorough analysis of the remaining possibilities. |
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March 24, 2007 [Insert Nasal voice here] Oh the Times they are a-changin'. That's right, the FABINPC along with the NCAA is down to six remaining teams, and a new leader board has emerged. It is headlined by a ten-year old boy (who is a teriffic basketball player) and a clown. And let's not forget Jammie , who has started feeding at the Goodie trough. Folks, I know Chris Jackson retired, but this ABINPC is about as tight as Aunt Beulah's dungarees after the all-you-can-eat pot pie dinner down at the Baptist Church. I'm not smart enough to figure out all the possible winners at this point, but I think it's just about everybody except your poor Commissioner. Please note that we've awarded Round 4 Goodies where possible, but some pickers will earn additional Goodies in categories that have already been awarded. It's so complicated, and that's why we've invested in a big ol' Computer to figure it all out. Enjoy the roundball and keep an eye on the N.I.T. and the Pat Summitt Invitational, because I think those teams are gonna have a little something to say about our leaderboard. Over and out. |
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March 24, 2007 One. Two. One. Two. One. Two. One. Three. So many close games and no upsets. Like Tommy , I feel kinda gypped by all these top seeds pulling out the nailbiters. Meanwhile, in the ABINPC, we've got a new leader: Fred . However, he better not get too comfortable because things are packed pretty tightly up there in the ABINPC stratosphere. We would be remiss if we didn't send out a big ABINPC "We're Not Worthy!" to Fred , Jammie , and Alec , who each completed an Elite Eight Exacta by nailing all eight of the remaining teams. That's an impressive feat, gentlemen, even if you didn't have the guts to pick any underdogs. Finally, I have to voice my annual diatribe about the self-annointed all-knowing voice of the NCAA: Billy Packer. Why in the heck can't they mothball this guy? I had to mute the TV tonight. Fer cryin' out loud, I would rather listen to my daughter's Care Bear CDs for two hours! |
March 19, 2007
Brent , is trying to put a little distance between his lead steed and the rest of the field. Defending champ Steve remains as his closest competitor, with a surprising Rippie clowning his way into third. These top three pickers have five, six, and seven of their Elite Eight remaining, respectively. There are four pickers who still have all eight, so look for things to tighten up a little bit on Thursday and Friday. No real shockers yet in the NIT or Women's tourneys, so most folks are still alive for lotsa goodies.
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March 19, 2007 Lordy, Lordy, look who's back on top. It's ABINPC defending champ Steve, who, along with Rookie JJ, had seven outta eight bulls-eyes in the first half of the second round. JJ has climbed into a money position, but I gotta tell you the ponies are packed pretty tight after those two leader positions. Great games yesterday! Anybody else besides me think that the 5th foul on Oden could've easily been called an intentional, thereby sealing the fate of the Ohio State Buckeyes? I wasn't rooting for them, but you have to be impressed with that comeback. We should be treated to some more good ones today. Here's hoping your refrigerators are well-stocked. I've been having a lot of internet problems this weekend, particularly with Earthlink's mail and FTP servers, so there could continue to be delays in updates. Patience, Grasshopper. |
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March 16, 2007 Round 1 is in the books, and Brent, Steve, and Jackie came out smokin'. They each nailed 28 out of 32 first round picks. Joe used a 30 point Goodie to sneak into second place. We should let Brent enjoy his lofty perch high atop the ABINPC leader board, because you see poor ol' Brent is a Dookie, and at least his pole position offers some solace for the early exit of K's boys this year. The NCAA Tournament is always a lot of fun, and I'm enjoying this one. However, the utter lack of success by the low seeds and the rarity of nail-biters probably made this the least exciting first round in my memory. But I'm a "glass is half full" kind of guy (Shut up, Doug), so I think this means that we'll be treated to a much more competitive second round than usual. The good news is, when you get up tomorrow, you get to look forward to eight more games. And then eight more on Sunday. Check back for frequent updates. This is the Commissioner signing off. |
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March 16, 2007 The FABINPC officially has 22 pickers, a new record! After a single day of madness, Joe has taken the lead, thanks to his inability to go out on a limb and pick an underdog other than an 8/9 game. Hey, when all the favorites win, pickin' is so easy a Caveman could do it. Or even an RPI Clown. |
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March 14, 2007 Here it is, eleven hours till tip-off and we've got 14 sheets in the bank. We're still expecting another handful of returns from the Shenandoah Valley, which has a weak turnout so far in this contest. We would like to welcome back Rippie the RPI Clown for his 6th consecutive attempt for ABINPC fame. Our Guest Clown has failed miserably in his past five attempts, but doggedly defends his creed that, you can take the record of each team and the combined records of its opponents, apply an arbitrary arithmetic weight to these two values and generate a statistic that is meaningful to selecting teams and picking winners. Whatever, Rippie. |
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Sunday March 11, 2007 - It's Time for FABINPC!!!! Welcome to the home page of the FABINPC. If you're a seasoned ABINPC veteran, we're glad you're back. If you're visiting us for the first time, we're glad you're here. Not sure if you want to join us or play in some other contest? Check out what these folks have to say about our contest... "This damn thing has been around a long, long time. For all I know, it might be the oldest on-line NCAA bracket contest in the world." - Doug Heatwole, winner of the 1st ABINPC in 1993. "It's the only bracket contest I'll play." - Rippie the RPI Clown "How could Duke be a 6-seed Baby? They've got seven McDonald's All-Americans! I know the ABINPC pickers will show some love to America's favorite team, headed up by the nation's classiest coach! " - Dick Vitale, ESPN Basketball Analyst "What the %*$(#)# is an ABINPC? I don't have time for this #@#)$)+@. Hey, get that #$@$#@# kid off the court! Did somebody give the #@@#$% refs their $@@!#$% money yet?!? " - Mike Kryrzewski, Duke Men's Head Basketball Coach As you can see, the experts agree that the ABINPC is the place to be for March Madness. Check out our site and be sure to enter your picks before the games start on Thursday. For the Newbies There's not a lot to know -- you'll need to fill out the entire NCAA men's tourney bracket. Please keep in mind that ABINPC rewards those pickers who correctly predit upsets. Lower seeds and deeper runs into the tourney yield greater rewards. You are also asked to provide five additional goodie picks: the NIT winner, the NCAA Women's Champ, the winning team in the biggest first round blowout (margin of victory), the first major conference to be eliminated (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10, or SEC), and a Dark Horse national champ (should be #3 seed or lower -- sometimes a #1 or #2 is OK [see Rules page]). For the Veterans Same ol' same ol'. We do hope you'll attempt to use the SelectBracket java program that was mailed out to generate your picks this year. It makes things a bit easier on our staff.
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| ABINPC Goodie Watch |
| Defending champ Florida has no shame when it comes to ABINPC Goodies. They launched a 3 at the buzzer to win by 43, thereby earning this year's Blowout Goodie. Seven different pickers
each collect a point for each wheel on a semi. For the lowest-seeded pick to survive the 1st round, it was slim pickins this year. The Rams of VCU and Winthrop each won out of the 11-hole, vanquishing |
| Brent was already enjoying the ABINPC lead when the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV bestowed another 36 freebies on him by reaching the Sweet 16 with a 7 seed. All six Major conferences are still represented, although several are hangin' on by the short hairs. |
| Down go the Orangemen of |
| For the lowest seed to reach the Final Four, it appears that BJ will collect the treats if the Ducks of Oregon can work an upset. Otherwise it will be awarded to those who picked UCLA, possibly addended by those who picked Georgetown. The Best Region Goodie will go to Jammie for an unblemished San Antonio region. Huzzah! Jackie will share in the spoils if the Hoyas top the Heels on Sunday. We can also begin rewarding First Conference Out. Four pickers who selected the Big 12 (R.I.P.) have already been awarded 16 points (4 points for each of the 4 teams). Since this Goodie is awarded by Round Eliminated instead of Chronological Time, some other pickers will be rewarded tomorrow as either the ACC or the Big East, and possibly the SEC exit the Tourney. |
| For the lowest seed to reach the Final Four, eighteen pickers pick up 42 points apiece for picking either UCLA or Georgetown. Sadly, #2 is the lowest seed in the Final Four. The Best Region Goodie goes to Jammie and Jackie for having unblemished brackets in San Antonio and East Rutherford, respectively. First Conference Out Goodie goes to 4 pickers for taking the Big 12 (16 points each - 4 teams times 4 points) and 4 pickers for taking the ACC (28 points each - 7 teams times 4 points). |
| We have an ABINPC first, a husband and wife team (Joe & Vivi) aka JoVial that has collared the NIT Goodie of a whopping 60 points for correctly identifying the Mountaineers of Florida in the Big Apple Showdown. That little treat puts JoVial in a second place tie with Steve , a layup behind our leader. |
| The Women's Championship Goodie goes to Pat Summitt fan Jerri , who went with tradition and picked the Volunteers of Tennessee despite the trendier picks out there. In all fairness, we must throw an Attaboy out to our favorite clown Rippie for doing the same. |
| ABINPC Trivia Time |
| Question: Name the last team to win consecutive National Championships, the years they did it and the names of their opponents in the final game. |
| Doug picked up a quick Four by identifying the Duke Blue Devils as the last repeat National Champs in 1991 (vs. Kansas) and again in 1992 (vs. Michigan). |
| Question: This year's bracket and last year's have two teams who repeated their seeds exactly -- same region and same seed number. Two points for one and Five points for both. Go! |
| Doug strikes again! Does he ever sleep? He picks up a fiver by replying that the UCLA Bruins repeated in the 2-hole out West, while the
Wildcats of |
| Question: James Williams was 5th in the nation in scoring in 1972-1973. After a career in professional basketball, Williams was shot (not fatally) by an off-duty New York court officer and subsequently arrested for attempted robbery and other crimes. Where did Williams play his college ball, what was his nickname, and where did he begin his pro career? Six points for all the info and an extra point if you can provide a link that shows whether he was ever convicted. |
| Doug (aka Mr. Know-it-All) has claimed his third consecutive trivia Goodie, identifying the mystery player as James "Fly" Williams from
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| No further questions at this time, Your Honor. |