Final thoughts of 2009 and early look at 2010
Well, 2009 is in the books. The final tally is 13 winners, with a payout of $403 and change each.
This will be the last blog post of 2009. Look for an email announcement for 2010 to be sent out sometime in late July or early August. The email annoucement will go out via the announce_zebrapool distribution list, so make sure you’re on it to receive the announcement.
If you want to be added to the distribution list, you can subscribe by visiting: http://zebrapool.com/mailman/listinfo/announce_zebrapool.com
There’s been a lot of talk over the course of this season about altering some aspects of the game to avoid too many multiple winners next year. Thanks for all of the suggestions, but I think these are the changes that I’m going to implement next year:
- Eliminating all buybacks. It is a survivor pool, after all. The only reason buybacks were in place was to extend the game in the early years of this pool. Everytime I took a look at the payout this season, eliminating buybacks would have decreased the $$ in the pool, but there would also be far fewer players remaining who made it through without needing any buyback advantage. 2009’s payout would have been more than $200 more per player if we didn’t have buybacks.
- Doubling up on picks in specific weeks (to be determined prior to next season). So in certain weeks each player will be required to make two picks instead of just one. Both picks will need to win to move on. There will probably only be two or three weeks where this will happen.
- Changing auto-picks to no longer pick a favored team. Auto-picks will choose an underdog instead. I haven’t decided if this should assign the biggest underdog or not.
Things I don’t think I’ll change:
- Maximum number of picks will remain 5 per person. If you try to skirt this rule by signing up under a different name or there is any suspicious or shady behavior, you’ll get kicked out.
- Entry fee will remain $10 per player. One of the reasons that this pool was started was due a major increase in the entry fee of the previous pool I and some friends participated in.
Add your thoughts below… They aren’t final yet so you might still be able to change my mind.
Happy new year, see ya next fall!
January 4th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
In regards to your changes, the only question I have is why the double-pick weeks? What does this accomplish? I think if you have a double-pick week, then it should be early and then you have buybacks. Otherwise, I have no problems with changes 1 and 3. Just my 2 cents. THANKS again!!
January 4th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
If 2 or more remain after the 17 weeks of the regular season, then each player picks the winners in all games each week of the playoffs. The ones with the most wins move on to the next week. Can do this all the way to the Super Bowl, and if 2 or more are still left, then they split the pool.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:23 am
The first and third rules are cool, but I wouldn’t do the 2nd one. It’s hard enough to pick 1 winner, let alone 2, and especially in the latter weeks of the season. I still say end the pool on week 16 especially w/what occurred on week 17 w/so many teams resting their starters.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:56 am
This was fun. Thanks for a smoothly-run pool. Whatever rules changes you consider, you should probably plan for another mathematic increase in players next season. Looking forward to next year!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Very happy to see that you’re going with an underdog instead of a favorite if an owner fails to submit a pick. The goal isn’t to HELP people advance.
Not a big fan of the double-pick. I could easily see everyone get eliminated in adouble-pick week, and then the pot simply gets split extra early.
And as for the suggestion of advancing the pool into the playoffs… no thanks.
Great job, Bill!
January 5th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Btw… is the Bill who won a share of the pot the same Bill who ran the pool?
January 5th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
i’m not so sure i like the ‘double pick’ idea. maybe if it was just the final week. as far as everything else goes, it’s cool. i REALLY like the idea of auto-picks going to non-favored teams. personally, i think if they can’t get their picks in on time they should be eliminated. hell, the guy who was late this week still won with the Browns of all teams. anywayz, i had a blast and will definately be back next year. hopefully i’ll bring a few more people into the fold to have some local competition. take care and i’ll see ya in the fall.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
I’m fine with eliminating buybacks. I don’t like the double pick idea unless it is just for the final week of the season. Just my two cents. Thanks.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I agree with most of the responses – I am not a fan of the double picks. It is very hard to get thru 17 weeks making one pick. Eliminating buy backs is a good idea and so is the auto pick change. I don’t see the problem in splitting with 10-20 people at the end of the season. Thanks!!
January 6th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Not in league, just found it. I think we have a good rule on non-pick players. “If you fail to submit a pick by the Sunday deadline, then your selection will be made by default in the following order: 1. Home team on Monday game. 2. Road team on Monday game. 3. Alphabetical order of teams you have not selected.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Make this a true survivor pool….No BUY BACKS or AUTO PICKS or the DOUBLE PICK idea…
Why are you trying to fix something when it doesn’t need any fixing…
Stop treating everybody like babies, we don’t need are hands held…
January 7th, 2010 at 10:44 am
all of your idea’s are great. the non-conformists can go find another league. to add a 4th option: make week 17 have 1 pick, but also, pick all games, so if there is a tie, you can have whomever picks more correctly is the tie breaker baring their eliminator was picked correctly.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I don’t necessarily like the double pick idea either, but if you are going to do it an idea may be to make the picks like a pick 17 and pick 18 in the last week – if tied after pick 17 go to pick 18, and so forth.However, I think if you make it all 17 weeks unscathed, you should just be happy with whatever money yu get – I am sure the 13 winners are pleased enough at the moment
January 8th, 2010 at 11:44 am
First, great job Bill! Second, no double picks. Third, keep Week 17 – that’s part of the challenge in terms of picking winners – it’s a major issue in fantasy but should not be in survivor. Fourth, going to the playoffs is worthy of consideration to minimize multiple winners if the pool stays as big as it is. Finally, GO COWBOYS!
January 8th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
My 2 cents…Buy-backs should be kept in place if you are thinking of double pick weeks….with no double pick weeks,eliminate bb’s.Not sure why it matters if poolies have more than 5 teams(?),after all, money is money
January 13th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
I like Eric F.’s suggestion the best. No multi-pick weeks until Week 17, then on Week 17, you make your primary “Week 17″ pick, pick another game as your 18th pick, pick another as your 19th pick, and so on for all the remaining games that week. If that still comes out as a tie, we can live with it. Will definitely be back next year.
August 27th, 2010 at 8:11 am
I see the last comment was Jan 13th. I don’t know if changes were made to the Blog since then or not. I see the Double Picks are still listed. We are now 2 weeks away from the season opener. I’m assuming that Double Picks will be used?? Thanks
August 27th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Please see the post from July 31st. Double picks was not added to this season.