Thursday, March 20, 2014

121 Take The Challenge

The 2014 Challenge has started! CLICK HERE to view Player Picks, Player Listing, Current Standings, Projected Standings, and much more! 

Daily Recaps:
2014 Preview

 Once again, top competitors from the world over have converged at chippens.com to take part in this greatest of traditions. We've set a new record for participation at 121 challengers as the intoxicating lure of the pageantry and prestige of the Chippens Tournament Challenge brings ever more souls into her supple bosom.

Here's a look at some of the notable competitors this year:

SHOWING THEIR DEDICATION

As in years past, competitors this year submitted picks from west coast to east, but Uncle Leo submitted his all the way from the Far East. The veteran would simply not let a YMCA trip to Vietnam stop him from entering the contest. Rookies, take note: It's that type of grit and determination that sets champions apart. Uncle Leo is getting his 5 Year Ring this year, meaning he's eligible for the All Time Records. In his previous four seasons, he has three finishes in the top 22, and his lowest finish is 49th from 2011. A happy ending to this season could put him on the all-time leader board. 

But there can be no doubt that the one player over all others to watch out for this year is Voltaire (Rodney Dawson). Dawson said he only had time to complete one bracket this year, and he made it this one. Clearly a wise man. Dawson is also in line for his 5 Year Ring, which should make current holders of all-time records very nervous. Dawson's last four seasons have been brilliant: 4th (2010), 11th (2011), 21st (2012) and 16th (2013). Can his incredible run continue? Or will the limelight of a 120 computer screens cast a shadow over his success? Only time will tell.

BRAGGING RIGHTS?

We have a number of players competing this year from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home of the U.S. Airborne Forces and the U.S. Special Forces. Most are rookies, including Airborne Chef, Ft. Bragg, jprose24, Monster, and Mr. Stew. There can be no doubt that their military training and background will have prepared them well for the rigors of the Chippens Tournament Challenge. They'll be in competition against each other now, however, and only one can prove to be sine pari, "without equal," which I understand is the motto at Fort Bragg. 

 BEWARE BOSS HOGG

 What can I say other than look out for this guy. He deserves a section all to himself. A "rookie" in name only, Boss Hogg ran the CHS tournament back in the paper and pencil days of the 1990s, before Chippens even existed. In fact, he was there for the birth of Chippens on that fateful New Year's Eve, December 31, 2000 (ask GG20 for more info on that). A creative entrepreneur and a man of wide-ranging talents, Boss Hogg has always had a gift for spotting and seizing opportunity. In this year of the wolf, it might be time to start asking which among us are the sheep.   

BACK IN ACTION      

MKizzle and hv porter are two top competitors back this year that haven't competed recently. MKizzle was runner-up in 2010 and finished 21st in 2011. She's staked her chances at a glorious return to competition on Duke -- she's the only player in the tournament to take them all the way. 

Hv porter (Liz Reinhart) did not compete last year after putting together a remarkable five-year run. The research manager is currently ranked #1 in lifetime pick percentage, #4 in average place, and #5 in average points. She's back to defend her spots in the record books with an Arizona-Kansas final. If you also have that pairing, you are in good company. 

10-YEAR MILESTONE

This year marks the 14th annual Chippens Tournament Challenge and the 10th since the dawn of the "modern era" in 2005, when we instituted our stringent records retention policy. The following players are not only back this year, they have competed every year since at least 2005. Players with an asterisk are those I believe have been with the tourney since our first year in 2001. 
Honorable Mention: Nicholas A. "Blizzard T. Husky" Schultz has only missed one year (2007) from 2001-2014. 

 TODAY'S UPDATES: Standings will be updated as close to real time as possible today. The Current Standings page always reflects the time of the last update in the top right corner. 

Thanks for playing and good luck!

Posted by chippens at 11:22 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 16, 2014

The 2014 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge

MAKE YOUR PICKS NOW in the 2014 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge!

Once again, entry is TOTALLY FREE and we have PRIZES for the top three finishers. The spectacular Grand Prize T-Shirt is shown below. This vintage piece of Americana features a noble beast on the front that is only worthy of a Challenge Champion. The back features a true American patriot and last year's champion, Cotter, in a state of majestic repose. 

Entry deadline is Thursday, March 20 at 12:00 p.m. eastern / 11:00 a.m. central

*One bracket per person, please. If you submit a second bracket, it will replace your first bracket. If you want to just change a couple picks, contact me and I will do it for you. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.* 

Good Luck!

FRONT



BACK





Posted by chippens at 6:57 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

The Coronation Of Cotter

There is a scene in the 1988 action movie Die Hard where the villain, Hans Gruber, says, "When Alexander the Great saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer."

I have thought about that quote often over the past couple days, for there is no doubt that somewhere out there -- albeit under a thick cream of SPF baby's bottom to protect his albino complexion -- Cotter is at once basking in the brilliant glory of being crowned the 2013 Chippens Tournament Challenge Champion and experiencing a certain feeling of loss and nostalgia, as he has now, like Alexander, accomplished more before the age of 30 than most men in history could ever dream.

Yet Cotter's was not an easy victory.

You see, Cotter -- who I'm told has been asking people to address him as "Your Lordship" -- almost didn't even get his picks in this year. With fewer than 24 hours before the deadline, Cotter decided to fly to Las Vegas.

After a layover in Cleveland, he boarded his flight to Sin City. Everything went great -- except for the fact that somewhere over the prairie states Cotter realized he'd left his laptop sitting out in the terminal at the Cleveland airport. Well, in this day and age, leaving a box-shaped electronic device unattended in an airport tends to cause some alarm.

TSA and local law enforcement responded immediately. They assumed Cotter's Facebook account and began a thorough investigation. But, after contacting a few of Cotter's friends and learning intimate details of his life, they apparently realized just who they were dealing with (i.e., they were overcome with pity) and decided to put the laptop on the next flight to Vegas.

 Still, Cotter would not get his laptop back before the deadline. This meant he had to painstakingly make his picks on his iPhone. 

 In this way, Cotter's triumph reminds me of the 1988 Jean Claude Van Damme masterpiece "Bloodsport," in which Frank Dux, played by Van Damme, wins the Kumite, the secret fighting tournament in Hong Kong. In the final match, Van Damme's wicked opponent throws powder in his eyes. Blinded, Van Damme must rely on training and instinct to prevail.

Likewise, one can just imagine Cotter, jet-lagged and (no doubt) hungover, valiantly entering his picks on his iPhone, barely able to see the teams through the mental haze created by his own whiskey-tinged stench mixing with the dappled desert sunlight creeping through his window shades. 

 It's a scenario that would have bested lesser men, men who would have cursed the Heavens for their awful plight. Men who would have rolled over and said, "Next year." 

 But not Cotter. No, not Cotter. For where those lesser men would have succumbed to self-pity, Cotter instead heeded the words of Cassius, who in Julius Caesar tells Brutus, "Men at some times are masters of their fates. / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves." Thus, like William Wallace inspiring his peasant army at the Battle of Stirling, Cotter summoned his vast reserve of cunning and pure willpower to overcome all obstacles to realize his destiny.

In so doing, Cotter often seemed more Master Splinter than albino gopher, proving Louis Pasteur's maxim (and Steven Seagal's in "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory") that "chance favors the prepared mind." Yes, with the deft skill of an ancient and wizardly master, Cotter out-classed perhaps the most competitive field in Challenge history, winning by an impressive 16 points over the next opponent.

Indeed, only one player had more teams in the Sweet 16, no one had more in the Elite 8, no one had more in the Final Four, and Cotter was the only player to have a Michigan-Louisville final. He secured the Championship when Michigan defeated Syracuse; the win by Louisville in the final only extended his lead and put him 18th All-Time for a single season score.

Ladies and gentlemen, the albino gopher -- or should I say, His Lordship The Albino Gopher -- is now a champion for the ages.

Other Notable Finishes:

  • With his fifth place finish, Brandon Gamble took over the tournament's #1 ranking. Stumper fell to #3, and Cotter took over the #2 spot. 
  • Julie Thompson (nee Kozlowski) beat her husband and her in-laws for the second year in a row.
  • Jason Jackson, Rodney Dawson, and Chris Schumacher each picked up their third top-20 finish. Dawson and Schumacher will get their Five Year Rings next year. You can bet they will make a move for spots in the All-Time Average Place list. 
  • Congrats to Eric Myszka (that means "mouse" in Polish) and Amber Karecki (Future Mouse), who will be competing as a husband and wife pair next year. 
  • Steve Wood, the tournament's runner-up, finished as the top rookie. He also had the top pick percentage at 70%.  
  • Congrats to 9-year veteran Van Miller on his 4th place showing, his first top 10 finish.   

Thanks for playing! See you next March!
Posted by chippens at 5:47 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 21, 2013

112 Take the Challenge

The Challenge has started! CLICK HERE to view current standings, player listing, player picks, projected standings, and much more!

 Daily Recaps

2013 Preview

It's another banner year for the Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge, with 112 feisty competitors lined up to take the Challenge. 

Once again, we have a healthy mix of wily veterans and hungry rookies, all looking to achieve the fame and glory that can only be earned through being crowned the Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion.

Earning that Championship and the enormous feeling of pride and satisfaction that comes with it is never easy, but I think this year will be the toughest ever. 

Of course, that hasn't stopped several players from engaging in their customary pre-tournament puffery and trash talk. Senor Wences, always willing to talk a few levels above his pay grade, told Lifeguard Leo yesterday to make sure he was wearing his magnifying corrective lenses at the end of the tournament so that he could see the players at the top of the standings. Spirits are definitely high as we begin play. 

Let's take a look at the field.

VETERANS

 We have a lot of veterans returning, including almost everyone on the Most Lifetime Points, Best Average Place, and Best Average Points lists. 

After missing last year, Brandon Gamble (Diet Ginger) has returned to defend his spots in the record books. He currently ranks #1 in Average Points Per Tournament and #2 in Average Place Per Tournament, behind Stumper, who also returns. Stumper ranks #1 in Average Place, and is also the Challenge's Lifetime Points record holder.  

But those precious spots in the record books may be in jeopardy, for this year we have another big group of players getting their Five Year Rings, meaning after this season they will all be eligible for those records. Crawdaddy, Balldoc54, T'd up, DaLambo, Jeffrey T, Sneaky Peat, and sneppihc will all be vying for a spot among the Challenge's all-time greats. 

Jeffrey T (Jeff Marlin) is especially threatening. Although he finished 68th last year, he was leading the field after the first weekend. His previous finishes include 2nd place in 2011, 8th place in 2010, and 28th place in 2009. He was the first player to enter his picks this year. Last year's winner, DirtyErdy, was the first person to enter his picks. Will it work again?

Finally, keep an eye out for The Bryman (Bryan Timm). Bryan fell out of the Best Average Place list last year after puking up a 90th place finish. However, I'm sure that was just a statistical anomaly. He's ready to clean up the mess this year and get his name permanently enshrined in the Hall of Champions.   

ROOKIES

The rookies this year are an especially impressive group representing locations all across the country.

Look out for Slim Pickens (Billy Snider) of Ludington, Mich. Slim is the son of Grumpy Old Man, who is now in his 9th consecutive year of competition and ranks #6 in Lifetime Points. If Slim has the same picking prowess as his father, we could have a rookie take home the title this year. 

PoliticalGrrl (Stephanie Hilton) is the president of the University of Wisconsin Law School's Public Interest Law Foundation. She's also the Senior Note and Comment Editor of the Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender, and Society. This means she's a real go-getter (read: huge nerd) and normally can't concern herself with plebeian diversions like sporting events. Yet, she told me she skipped doing her homework last night to make her picks. This kind of dedication is what Champions are made of.  

But the Bruce Banner of this field is no doubt Lebrons ACT Coach (Dave Froelich). Froelich, now of Houston, Texas, is a Cadillac, Mich. native and a graduate of Kalamazoo College. Always humble, soft-spoken, and gracious, when Froelich submitted his picks he personally thanked me for "supplying all the butt [he's] about to kick." 

PEE WEES  

Our numbers have grown this year thanks in part to the large number of elementary-aged competitors that have joined the competition. You'll recognize them by their tough-sounding handles, like Ashtonovich, The Big Dog, and natethegreat.

Those are the boys -- not bad in terms of striking fear in an opponent. 

But they could still take a lesson in this area from the girls, who chose extremely fierce and intimidating names like Squidly the Diddly, The Girl Pink, and -- scariest of all -- Maya Pony Fun.  

STANDINGS UPDATES -- I will be updating the scores as close to real time as possible today. Check back often. The current standings always list when they were last updated in the top right corner of the page. 

Thanks for playing and GOOD LUCK!
Posted by chippens at 11:10 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 17, 2013

MAKE YOUR PICKS!

You can now MAKE YOUR PICKS in the 2013 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge. As always, entry is totally free, and there are great prizes for the winners! First place gets a custom Chippens t-shirt (see below), second place gets a bumper sticker, and third place gets a fridge magnet. Deadline is noon eastern, 11 a.m. central this Thursday, March 21. 

 Those of you who follow Chinese astrology know that 2013 is the Year of the Snake. That means this year, one lucky person will get to make hisstory! While you're waiting for the tourney to start, check out the Hall of Champions and the All-Time Records to see what you have to do to be among the best!
GRAND PRIZE

Front

Back

http://www.mysideline.com/u/2718/collegebbmens/13/tournamententry.htm
Posted by chippens at 6:30 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Erdy First In And Wins

David Erdman (Erdy), the first person to submit a bracket this year, is the 2012 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion. The Cadillac, Mich. native and current resident of East Lansing, Mich. won easily by 11 points. His impressive score of 169 points ranks him 11th all-time. 

Always humble, Erdman likened his victory to a "blind squirrel find[ing] a nut." But it's more like he found Scrooge McSquirel's Nut Bin in the late rounds. After placing just 8 teams in the Sweet 16, Erdman only lost one game, Michigan St./Louisville, where he had a team still alive. From the Elite 8 on, he was perfect in the West, East, and Midwest regions. He then correctly picked the final two teams and the champion. All told, he finished the tournament 12 of 13 over the final four rounds. 

Erdman will now begin his Championship Tour, where he will wear his Grant Prize T-Shirt to meet and greet adoring fans at Michigan hotspots like Johnny's Fish & Game, the candy store at Little Bay De Noc, Thirsty's, The Busy Bee, The Big Buck Brewery, The Pines, and Temple Hill Baptist Church. 

Chris Schumacher (Diagnosticator), a.k.a. The Dog Father, overcame early typing problems and a 5-year hiatus from the Challenge to finish in second place with 158 points, moving him into a tie for 19th all-time. Schumacher meant to call himself the Dognosticator, and he couldn't figure out why I kept "mispronouncing" his handle until he realized that he had spelled it wrong. Still, Schumacher was overjoyed at his second place finish. "This is pure poetry for The Dog Father," he said. "Just another day at the library."   

Katy Buoscio (KB) picked up the third-place prize with her 155-point effort, just edging The Raj by one point. Buoscio, a Challenge rookie, said that even more than finishing third, it was "the thrill of being part of such a prestigious group . . . that brought such excitement." Well, it is completely normal to be star-struck your first year in the Challenge. Kind of like competing in American Idol against the Beatles or in little league against the '27 Yankees. She said that her less able coworkers, Buzzard Beater and Nanoputian, were more than a little upset when Ohio State lost, meaning she could no longer win the Grand Prize. However, she has promised that the fridge magnet she won will be prominently displayed in the IWU admissions hall. 

Other Notable (and some sad) Finishes:
  • hv porter (Liz Reinhart), Bring Back Joakim (Adam Lombard), and Bucephalus (Tim Corwin) each had strong finishes to land themselves on the All-Time Average Place list, the Challenge's most prestigious record.
  • They replaced three typically fearsome players, Polar Bear (Loren DeHaan), brutalbrutis (Alicia Kellogg), and The Bryman (Bryan Timm), who each had by far their worst seasons ever. Timm finished 90th after back-to-back 6th place finishes the last two years. Kellogg finished 89th after winning in 2010 and finishing in 5th last year. DeHaan finished 94th after recording five top 20 finishes in the last six years, including a runner-up performance in 2008. No doubt the Hope alum was crushed by the Flying Dutchmen's loss to IWU in the men's DIII tournament. 
  • With her 97th place showing, G-Baby (Gianina Baker) has now beaten three people in the last four years.
  • One of those players was NOT This is Awful (Matthew Melick), who belied his handle with a strong 27th place finish.
  • Pin High (Tommy Mueller) hit a couple bogeys in his first two years, but he finished in 31st this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him at the top of the leader board in the coming years.   
  • Looking ahead to next year, Obi-Wan (Mike Theune) will get his 5-Year Ring. He finished a very respectable 34th this year, and in the previous three years he's finished 27th, 22nd, and 5th. Another strong finish could place him on the All-Time Average Place list. 
  • Finally, Stumper (Mike Stump) had an off year (for him), placing 26th after five straight years of top-16 finishes, but it was good enough to retain his #1 ranking going into 2013. 
Thanks for playing! See you next March!


Posted by chippens at 12:36 AM 0 comments

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The 2012 Challenge Begins

Click HERE to see current standings, player lists, player picks, and much more!


Daily Recaps



2012 Preview

The field in the 2012 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is the biggest and perhaps the most impressive ever. Once again picks poured in from all corners of the country and the world. But what makes this year distinct from previous seasons is the very strong mix of grizzled veterans with a new bumper crop of rookies, plus a couple players we have missed the past few seasons but are back this year. Perhaps that is why the excitement surrounding this year's Challenge is the greatest I have ever seen. Every year a couple players prematurely guarantee victory (most infamously "2009 Chippens NCAA Challenge Champion," who ended up finishing second-to-last), but this year almost 10 players have already given me their t-shirt size.

Here's a preview of the veterans, rookies, and "prodigal" players to look out for this year:

Veterans

Back in the mix this year is the #1 overall player, Stumper. A Hall of Champions member thanks to his 2008 victory, Stumper has not finished lower than 16th since 2007. Last year, he finished 4th, and he still has a lot of room in that sombrero for more accolades. Tournament savants brutalbrutis and Blizzard T. Husky are also back this year.

Without a doubt, the player who has engaged in the most pre-tourney puffery is Senor Wences. All the "wannabees," he said, "can't and won't compete with me this year." He claimed that his rigorous retirement routine of sunning himself, performing aqua-aerobics with octogenarians, completing sudoku puzzles at happy hour, making penny wagers with house money, and single-handedly keeping Blue Bunny and Hershey's in business has made him "rested, ready, informed, and totally prescient." We shall see.

A host of players earn their Five Year Rings this year, meaning they are eligible for the All-Time Average Place list and have extra incentive to perform well. The players leading that list are probably Bone and hvporter. In the last four years, Bone has three finishes in the top 23, including a second-place finish in 2009. Meanwhile, hvporter has three finishes in the top 16. Mr. Beastly, tigger32382, jungle cat, snoop381, chez, 12spyders, Beast, The Chris, Liz, JT (two top nine finishes in the last three years), and Jackie also get their Rings this year. A top finish by any of these players could really shake up the rankings.

Rookies

The Challenge welcomes 18 new players this year. Last year, Amwau became the first rookie to ever win the Challenge, which proved to me that anything truly is possible. These four players may have the best shot to follow in her footsteps:

Auntie Em has spent the last seven seasons watching her husband, Quik Picks, endure the ups and downs of this tourney, but this year she has struck out on her own. When I told Senor Wences that his big sister had entered the field he said, "She'll be stiff competition for sure . . . but not for Senor Wences." Who better than big sis to cork this braggadocio?

JKrejcarek has spent her whole life as a sports fan and teaching people how to spell and pronounce Krejcarek, so you know she's battle-tested. She has her beloved Badgers getting upset by Vanderbilt in the second round. We'll see if this lack of faith helps or hurts her this year.

Theodore Broosevelt is a Michigan alum and soon-to-be Wisconsin alum, and he apparently has a lot more (blind?) faith in his teams than does Ms. Krejcarek. He has the Wolverines and the Badgers both advancing to the Elite 8 by upsetting the #1 seeds in their respective regions. Will these picks prove to be a big stick he can use to beat the competition, or will it be a rough ride for Mr. Broosevelt?

Finally, Scott T has promised to make it count.

Lost Sheep Return

As the good shepherd of this tournament, I am happy to welcome Doc Love, The Silver Fox, and Diagnosticator back into the Chippens flock.

Doc Love competed in 2005 and 2007, but since then he has been filling in teeth rather than filling in brackets. The shepherd is smiling brightly at his return, but the rest of you might not be: Doc Love has an 11th place finish to his credit in 2007 and could do even better this year.

The Silver Fox recorded a 30th place finish in 2005, but has since chosen to work on his cornhole game (a.k.a. "bags" in certain parts of the country). Having perfected that sport (no one can work a cornhole like this guy), he has returned this year.

Also back with us is the Diagnosticator, who competed in 2005 and 2006. Anyone who knows the Diagnosticator knows that this guy can really pick.

Good luck to everybody this year! I will be updating the scores as close to real-time as possible throughout the day. 


Posted by chippens at 11:18 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Make Your Picks Now!

You can now MAKE YOUR PICKS in the 2012 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge. As always, entry is totally free, and there are prizes for the top three finishers. Check out this year's GRAND PRIZE below!



2012 Grand Prize
Front


Back



Posted by chippens at 6:14 PM 0 comments

Friday, April 08, 2011

Better Ideas, Better Life


That slogan pretty much describes Amwau these days after she won the 2011 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, our new Grand Champion is none other than rookie player Amy Boven, an athletic club manager from Kalamazoo, Mich. Boven was the only player in the pool to correctly pick Connecticut as the champion.

Amy’s success story is unlikely, to say the least. As I’ve already detailed, she barely got her picks in, and yet, the whole time, it just seemed like there was something extra special about the bracket she submitted. Upon first seeing Amy’s bracket after she—finally—managed to submit it, I was like the hero in one of those action movies who, in the moment of great peril, responds to the “silly” character’s escape plan by saying, “It’s so crazy, it might actually work.” 

And, miraculously, it did actually work. Amy put only three teams into the Elite 8, but none of that mattered. VCU took out Kansas, and Duke and Ohio State both lost early, clearing the way for UConn, which never had to play an equal or higher-seeded team the whole tournament.

Now the glory is all Amy’s. She can parade around work with her new t-shirt, flaunting it in front of Hot T. and WHAC, her less fortunate co-workers. She’ll be wearing it when she takes out her Pilates pad and assumes the half lotus to commune with the Almighty, who no doubt whispered UConn into her ear. On the inside she’ll be the picture of serenity, and on the outside she’ll be a giant roaring grizzly bear telling the world who’s #1.

Other Notable Finishes:
  • Mike Stump’s fourth place finish—his fifth straight top 20 finish—pushed him to the top of the All-Time Average Place list.
  • Cotter pulled a bit of a coup. His 7th place finish (he took out Bucephalus on a tie-breaker) helped him move up to 3rd on the All-Time Average Place list in his first year of eligibility.
  • Lisa Corwin’s run of four straight years in the top 14 came to an end with her 79th place finish.
  • For only the second time ever, Ben DeHaan beat his father. Ben finished in 3rd place and will receive a prize.
  • In the battle of the spouses, the wives finished 6-1 against their husbands. That makes Passion Buckets the tournament’s only wife beater.
The All-Time Records are updated! See if you made the list!
Posted by chippens at 8:50 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 17, 2011

The 2011 Challenge Begins

The 11th annual Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is officially underway, and this year’s field is especially robust, as they might say at Starbucks.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PLAYER LISTING, STANDINGS, PLAYER PICKS, and much more.

Daily Recaps & Previews

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

A record 86 players answered the call to join this sacred tradition, and once again all corners of the globe are represented. We have players from Brooklyn to San Diego, Texas to Green Bay, Australia to Afghanistan, and right in the middle in Kansas City. We also have one hobo, Cotter.

The increase in numbers this year is partly due to an influx of UW-Madison students. We’ll see if they can pick as well as they protest. They join a crop of 18 rookies hoping for some beginner’s luck.

Aaron Atchinson, Jon Charak, Brandon Christol, Eric Myszka, and, yes, Cotter, are all getting their Five Year Rings this year, meaning they will be eligible for the All Time Average Place list. All of the other 29 eligible players are back this year, so there could be a lot of movement on the record board.

Last year’s champion, Alicia Kellogg, is back to defend her title. Other past champions in the field include Angie Penney, PJ Schroeder, Nicholas Schultz, Mike Stump, and Jake Willis. No one has ever won the Challenge twice.

One person who really wants to win is Bucephalus, who said he “can’t even begin to describe how badly [he] wants” the Grand Prize t-shirt. Though I must warn him that he isn’t alone… Several other players, including Duperstar, made similar comments.

The player with the most mojo has to be AK, the “90 million dollar man.” That's all well and good, but he’s hoping to parlay his court room victories into something that really matters—winning this tournament, an achievement that would outshine his other successes like the sun outshines a pen light. He’s promised (at least I’m sure he would promise) a 12-hour open bar all-you-can-eat-and-drink celebration at the BlueLine Nightclub should that come to fruition. 

Finally, Chez is back with us this year for her fourth try. After finishing second and fourth from the bottom in 2008 and 2009, respectively, she vaulted up to 48th place last year and hopes to improve once again this year. Her bracket looks formidable, though her tie-breaker of 6 combined points in the final game could be problematic should it come down to that.

Good luck!
Posted by chippens at 11:19 AM 0 comments

Monday, March 07, 2011

Make Your Picks NOW for the 2011 NCAA Tournament Challenge

The brackets are up! Make your picks by clicking HERE. The deadline is Thursday at noon eastern time. If you have any questions or problems, e-mail me right away and I'll fix it.

A note on the expanded field: Scoring will stay the same. The games on Tuesday are treated as play-in games, the same way the extra game has been treated in the past. For more information, click here.

Once again, entry is FREE and there are PRIZES for the top three finishers. Third place gets a fridge magnet, second place gets a bumper sticker, and the champion gets the extraordinary grand prize shown below. 

The Grand Prize T-shirt 
 

BACK
This extraordinary piece of vintage Americana will be YOURS if you win this year's tournament. Pass it on to your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and one day they will take it on Antiques Roadshow where it will be valued at over $100,000,000.

Posted by chippens at 4:48 PM 0 comments

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Special K

Alicia Kellogg, aka BrutalBrutis, is the 2010 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion (see final standings). Kellogg was deep in the bottom half of the standings for much of the tournament, but she surged to top in the final two weekends as Michigan State and Duke kept winning.

Like Miss America, Kellogg will wear the crown, and the grand prize t-shirt, with pride wherever she goes this year, passing through legions of adoring fans and well-wishers from coast to coast and, indeed, around the globe. She’ll probably get carpal tunnel from signing so many autographs, but that’s a minor sacrifice. She has responsibility now; she has to carry the Chippens torch and be an inspiration to all.

Yes, now the whole world will get a chance to be inspired like I was back in the days when I was her supervisor at Camp Torenta—when I’d make her clean the toilets or mop out the entire cookhouse, or perhaps I’d tell her to stack a huge pile of wood or clean up seaweed from the beach, or maybe I'd even ask her to make hundreds of tie-dye t-shirts, or during certain Fantastic Fridays, I’d have her sit patiently while I instructed a bunch of 8-10 year-olds to play “beauty shop,” which basically involved making a sandcastle on her head with eggs and snails. Yes, while I shot baskets, played four-square, or sunned on the raft, I was amazed at how much work she could get done. Now, the entire planet is amazed at her abilities. 

Alicia’s triumph comes at the expense of WHAC (Angela Penney), who’s bid to be the first-ever two-time champion ended when Butler fell in the last seconds of the title game. Penney dropped to third place behind newcomer and runner-up Mary Kate Gergel.

Other notable finishes:
  • Senior Moment (Bill Snider) had his best finish in six years, placing 10th.
  • Lisa Corwin’s 9th place finish was her second-straight top-10 finish. She moved up to second on the All-Time Average Place list, and she’s now finished in the top 20 in five of the last six years.
  • PJ had her best finish in six years, placing 12th.
  • Loren DeHaan had another solid year, placing 5th. He’s now finished in the top 14 four out the last five years.
  • For the first time ever, Chez managed to not place in the bottom four. She finished 48th. 
The All-Time Records are now updated. See if you make the list!
Posted by chippens at 1:09 PM 1 comments

Thursday, March 18, 2010

73 Players Take the Challenge

The 2010 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is underway!

Click HERE to go to the report package, which includes player listing, player picks, current standings, projected standings, and much, much more.

DAILY RECAPS & PREVIEWS

Tournament Preview

There are many new and second-year players and many longtime veterans in this year's contest.

One of those returning players is the defending champion, Nicholas A. Schultz, who goes by the handle Blizzard T. Husky. No one has ever won The Challenge twice, let alone back-to-back, but Husky will try to accomplish that this year.

Standing in his way will be past champions PJ, J-Dub, WHAC, and Stumper. Oh, and you'd best be wary of 2009 Chippens NCAA Challenge Champion, who last year--using that same name--finished 71 out of 72. He's looking for some redemption this year. 

Two new-comers to be on the lookout for this year are Jeff & Leo Brillhart. Uncle Leo, as he's known in the family, will have no mercy on any of his fellow competitors, especially if you snub him:



In addition to the formidable Uncle Leo, all but three of the players who own All-Time top scores are in this year's tournament, so it's going to be a competitive year!

Other Notes:
  • Due to my work schedule, today's standings will be updated at 4 p.m. eastern time, again at around 10 p.m. eastern time, and then LIVE throughout the rest of the weekend. 
  • Make sure you add editor@chippens.com to your address book so that my e-mail updates don't get filtered into your SPAM folder.
Posted by chippens at 11:41 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The 10th Anniversary Tourney is here!

MAKE YOUR PICKS (BRACKETS ARE NOW POSTED! Deadline is Thursday, March 18 at noon EST.)

The 10th annual Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is set to begin! Entry is once again FREE, and there are three great prizes up for grabs for the top three finishers!

This year, the third place finisher will win a custom Chippens fridge magnet, and second place will win a custom Chippens bumper sticker.

The GRAND PRIZE for this year's tournament is a newly-designed, soon-to-be-collector's-item, soon-to-be-worth-many-million-pounds-at-a-Sotheby's-auction, custom Chippens t-shirt!

FRONT


BACK

That's right, folks! This year's winner gets a vintage piece of Americana that is sure to impress your neighbors and in-laws as well as create an excellent addition to your Fourth of July wardrobe.

Complete Instructions:
  1. Enter your handle (nickname), location, valid e-mail address, and whether you are a Chippens rookie in the fields at the top of the page.
  2. Complete the ENTIRE bracket through the championship game. Scoring rules are listed at the top of the entry page.
  3. Select "E-mail Me A Copy" to receive a copy of your picks in your e-mail inbox. This is the only way you will receive confirmation of your picks.
  4. Add a comment for the webmaster if you wish.
  5. Submit your picks.
  6. If you want to change your picks, you have to either (a) complete a new set of picks using the exact same biographical information, i.e. your handle, city & state, and e-mail (your new picks will then replace your old picks) or (b) e-mail me by the deadline with specific changes you'd like to make.
E-mail me at chippens [at] yahoo [dot] com with questions. If you don't think I'll recognize your name, include something about the NCAA Challenge in the subject line or I'll think it's spam and delete it.

Other things to look at:
So, MAKE YOUR PICKS, and thanks for playing!
Posted by chippens at 1:40 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

A Blizzard of One

View the final standings

Nicholas Schultz, who goes by the name Blizzard T. Husky, is now officially the 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion with 192 points, a score that ties the All-Time record for points in a single tournament. He edged out Eric Sturgeon by just one point, the closest finish in Challenge history. Sturgeon has already guaranteed another top three finish next year.

Leta Corwin earned the final prize-winning spot, finishing third with 188 points. Corwin’s 83% pick percentage also put her second on the All-Time list for pick percentage in a single season. Corwin now has two top three finishes in the past three years, and she didn’t even compete in 2008.

I feel bad for MSU and the Spartan fans (I am one, after all), but they must realize what they were up against. It wasn’t North Carolina’s basketball skills so much as it was Nicholas Schultz’s now-all-too-apparent preordination as the Champion of this tournament that did in the Spartans. The fact is that Blizzard T. Husky is not merely a man, he is the Ultimate Man, having won that title in a 13-event competition covered by Chippens in 2001. You simply cannot deny the Ultimate Man his destiny. With his victory, Blizzard now has two top three finishes in the past four years. The question now is whether he can become the first-ever two-time Challenge champion.

2009 was a record-setting year all around. Below, you’ll find the updated All-Time records list. There are many who are new to the lists and many who, sadly, have dropped out.

On Monday, the same day that Schultz won his Championship, Major League Baseball opened its season, so this week over at The Chippens Weekly we asked frequent Chippens competitors Bryan Timm and Matthew Melick, fans of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively, to offer their reflections on Opening Day. Check that out while you’re looking up your spot in the final standings.

Thanks to everybody for playing this year; I hope you will all be back in 2010!


ALL-TIME RECORDS (scoring was standardized in 2005):

As of 4/7/09

Most Points in a Single Tournament:
  1. 192, Nicholas A. Schultz, 2009
  2. 192, Tyler Neal, 2007
  3. 191, Eric Sturgeon, 2009
  4. 188, Leta Corwin, 2009
  5. 182, Justin Thompson, 2009
  6. 179, Michael Theune, 2009
  7. 178, Jake Smith, 2005
  8. 172, Charles D. Corwin, 2009
  9. 172, Mike Stump, 2008
  10. 171, Lisa Corwin, 2009
  11. 168, Jeff VanDellen, 2005
  12. 165, Leta Corwin, 2007
  13. 163, Michael Penney, 2005
  14. 162, Adam Emery, 2009
  15. 162, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
  16. 162, Brandon Gamble, 2007
  17. 159, Travis Kramer, 2009
  18. 158, Liz Reinhart, 2009
  19. 158, Adam Lombard, 2007
  20. 156, Brandon Gamble, 2005
Highest Pick Percentage:
  1. 84%, Tyler Neal, 2007
  2. 83%, Leta Corwin, 2009
  3. 79%, Justin Thompson, 2009
  4. 78%, Michael Theune, 2009
  5. 78%, Charles D. Corwin, 2009
  6. 78%, Jason Jackson, 2009
  7. 78%, Megan Byrne, 2009
  8. 78%, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
  9. 76%, Nicholas A. Schultz, 2009
  10. 76%, Eric Sturgeon, 2009
  11. 76%, Adam Emery, 2009
  12. 76%, Liz Reinhart, 2009
  13. 76%, Mike Stump, 2009
  14. 76%, Michael Murphy, 2007
  15. 75%, Lisa Corwin, 2009
  16. 75%, Leta Corwin, 2007
  17. 75%, Brandon Gamble, 2007
  18. 75%, Adam Lombard, 2007
  19. 75%, Lisa Corwin, 2007
  20. 75%, Jake Smith, 2005
Most Top-10 Finishes Since 2005
  1. 3, Brandon Gamble
  2. 2, Nicholas A. Schultz
  3. 2, Leta Corwin
  4. 2, Lisa Corwin
  5. 2, Garrett Davey
  6. 2, Michael Penney
  7. 2, Adam Lombard
  8. 2, Tyler Neal
Best Lifetime Average Place Since 2005 (must have competed at least four times between 2005 and 2009; 30 players met that standard):

* - Denotes four-time player (out of a possible five)
  1. 9, *Brandon Gamble
  2. 16.25, *Leta Corwin
  3. 16.6, Lisa Corwin
  4. 19.6, Mike Stump
  5. 22.5, *Nicholas Schultz
  6. 22.5, *Adam Lombard
  7. 23.6, Charles D. Corwin
  8. 25.5, *Ryan Horrigan
  9. 26, Loren DeHaan
  10. 28, Jeff VanDellen
  11. 28.6, Mike Penney
Posted by chippens at 1:15 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 19, 2009

70 players take the Challenge

Click HERE to view current standings, player listing, player picks, and much more! Daily Recaps:The 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is now officially underway! This year's competition is shaping up to be fierce with 70 spectator-warriors entering the fray.* That number is close to the all-time record 0f 73 players in 2005, a year in which an entire seventh grade class joined the competition. There were 57 players in 2006, 58 in 2007, and 64 in 2008.

Picks came in this year from 13 different states, three countries, Washington, D.C., and "Everywhere" (Cotter is a hobo), making 2009 one of the most diverse years on record.

*Jeff VanDellen and Cotter both have two entries. Only "Ape Face" and "Cotter" are prize-eligible.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Former champions Mike Stump (2008), Angela Penney (2006), Jake Willis (2002), and PJ Schroeder (2001) are back this year along with Loren DeHaan (runner-up, 2008), Leta Corwin (runner-up, 2007), Nicholas Schultz (runner-up, 2006), and Jeff VanDellen (runner-up, 2005).

Michael Penney, Garrett Davey, Adam Lombard, and Brandon Gamble are long-time veterans who are usually at the top of the standings.

No one has ever won The Challenge twice.

Welcome back to the many veterans, welcome to the many rookies, and good luck to all!

ALL-TIME RECORDS (scoring was standardized in 2005):

*2009 Player

Most Points (corrected 3/28/09):
  1. 192, Tyler Neal, 2007
  2. 178, Jake Smith, 2005
  3. 172, *Mike Stump, 2008
  4. 168, *Jeff VanDellen, 2005
  5. 165, *Leta Corwin, 2007
  6. 163, *Michael Penney, 2005
  7. 162, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
  8. 162, *Brandon Gamble, 2007
  9. 158, *Adam Lombard, 2007
  10. 156, *Brandon Gamble, 2005
  11. 153, *Loren DeHaan, 2008
  12. 152, *Brandon Gamble, 2008
  13. 149, *Sean Smith, 2008
  14. 149, *Rajiv Shah, 2007
Highest Pick Percentage:
  1. 84%, Tyler Neal, 2007
  2. 78%, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
  3. 76%, Michael Murphy, 2007
  4. 75%, *Leta Corwin, 2007
  5. 75%, *Brandon Gamble, 2007
  6. 75%, *Adam Lombard, 2007
  7. 75%, *Lisa Corwin, 2007
  8. 75%, Jake Smith, 2005
  9. 73%, *Mike Stump, 2008
  10. 73%, *Michael Penney, 2007
  11. 73%, Billy Peterson, 2007
  12. 73%, *Bryan Timm, 2007
  13. 73%, *Jeff VanDellen, 2005
Most Top-10 Finishes Since 2005
  1. 3, *Brandon Gamble
  2. 2, *Garrett Davey
  3. 2, *Michael Penney
  4. 2, *Adam Lombard
  5. 2, Tyler Neal
Best Lifetime Average Place Since 2005 (must have competed at least three times between 2005 and 2008; 30 players met that standard):

# - Denotes three-time player (out of a possible four)
* - 2009 player
  1. 3.66, #*Brandon Gamble
  2. 17, #*Adam Lombard
  3. 17, #Lindsay Wilson Lauwers
  4. 17, #Tyler Neal
  5. 19, *Lisa Corwin
  6. 19, *Michael Penney
  7. 20.5, *Tim Corwin
  8. 20.66, #*Leta Corwin
  9. 21.5, *Mike Stump
  10. 23.25, *Bill Snider
After this year, players will need to have competed in four Challenges since 2005 to be eligible for lifetime records.

Past Results:

2008
2007
2006
2005

Scroll down to the bottom of this post to read about the history of the Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge from 2001-2007.
Posted by chippens at 10:34 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Entry is open for the 2009 Challenge. Make your picks now!

***Special commentary on March Madness by esteemed sports blogger Brandon Christol is now posted on The Chippens Weekly. Check it out!***


Welcome to the home page for the 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge, which is now in its ninth consecutive year (see last year's results).

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR PICKS FOR THE 2009 CHALLENGE! (Read through to the bottom of this post for complete instructions on how to submit and/or change your picks. Only one set of picks per person, please.)


NEW PRIZES THIS YEAR:

Chippens is offering three awesome prizes for this year's top three finishers. Third place will receive a custom Chippens bumper sticker, and second place will get a free Chippens fridge magnet!

But, competitors, I must say that this year's Champion will receive something so spectacular that I considered contacting my attorney to see if I would need to make players sign a health waiver before competing in case the winner went into immediate cardiac arrest brought on by the pure joy of winning this item. Indeed, I'm cautious about even posting a picture of the Grand Prize here lest even the thought of having the chance of winning--or even merely beholding--such an item causes widespread delirium. Please, folks, do not continue to scroll down this page to see the Grand Prize if you are pregnant, nursing, if you have a history of heart disease, or if you are easily susceptible to wild mood swings that usually result in harm to you, objects, pets, or people close by.

Ok, without further delay, here is this year's GRAND PRIZE:

Front:


Back:


Female Model:

Back:


That's right, this year's Champion will receive a custom Chippens t-shirt!

And, no, your eyes are not deceiving you. Appearing on the back of the t-shirt is none other than the magnificent Rob Deer, famed Detroit Tigers slugger and member of the Mullet Hall of Fame.

So, make your picks now and compete for this piece of history. Good luck!

Complete Instructions:

  1. Enter your handle (nickname), location, and valid e-mail address in the fields at the top of the page.
  2. Complete the ENTIRE bracket through the championship game. Scoring rules are listed at the top of the entry page.
  3. Select "E-mail Me A Copy" to receive a copy of your picks in your e-mail inbox.
  4. Add a comment for the webmaster if you wish.
  5. Submit your picks.
  6. If you want to change your picks, you have to either a) complete a new set of picks using the exact same biographical information, i.e. your handle, city & state, and e-mail (your new picks will then replace your old picks) or b) e-mail me by the deadline with specific changes you'd like to make.
E-mail at editor [at] chippens [dot] com with questions. If you don't think I'll recognize your name, include something about the NCAA Challenge in the subject line or I'll think it's spam and delete it.

Thanks for playing!

Posted by chippens at 5:59 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 20, 2008

2008: 64 players and 64 teams

Click HERE to view the tournament homepage for standings, results, player listing and picks, and much much more.

The field is set for the 2008 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge, and it looks to be another stellar year. Participation numbers this year are close to an all-time high (even without the help of an entire seventh grade classroom like in 2005), and the tournament features a good mix of newcomers and grizzled veterans. Once again, the brackets came in from all over. This year, we received picks from three continents, thirteen states, and Washington D.C.

Returning to the field are past champions Angela Penney (2006), PJ Schroeder, Julie Gehrke (2001), and Jake Willis (2002). No one has ever won The Challenge twice, but these fine competitors will try to make history this year.

They join longtime veterans Bill Snider, Loren DeHaan, Ben DeHaan, Charles D. Corwin, Lisa Corwin, Jeff VanDellen, Tim Corwin, Zach Gorsage, Mike Penney, Adam Lombard, Nicholas Schultz, Wally Waltz, Garrett Davey, Ryan Horrigan, Stumper, Brandon Gamble, Van Miller and many more.

Rookies to watch:

Joining the field this year is Jeff Bergren, who is a new resident in Northern Michigan after living most of his life in Connecticut and, most recently, West Virginia. He’s still crowing about the Giants’ win in the Superbowl. He claims he “called the final score and the winning play,” and he’s pretty sure he’s going to duplicate his success in the Chippens Tournament.

I’d also look out for the man whose friends know him only as “Beast.” He may be making his debut this year in the tourney, but his reputation obviously precedes him. His Green Bay, Wisconsin home puts him only about 140 miles southwest of the Chippens Headquarters as the crow flies (or Coho swim, whatever).

Greg Gielczyk has been a sports writer for over thirty years, and the wily veteran has seen it all. He has Wisconsin running the table.

And last but not least, Brian Keilen [1, 2] joins us this year. He submitted his picks by declaring that St. Johns (yes, that dump of a place by Lansing) is better than Cadillac, so we already know that his judgment is skewed.

Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge History and Facts

2001 – “The Great Beginning”
Champion: Julie Gehrke

Notes: It all started in 2001 with 14 players and a $10 entry fee. The champion wasn’t determined until the final game, and a party was held at Chippens headquarters (parents’ basement) to celebrate the historic event. Duke beat Arizona to give the championship and an envelope full of cash to Julie Gehrke, upsetting early favorite Jake Willis, who would have to wait until 2002 to get his payday. Gehrke still claims that it is the proudest moment of her life.

2002 – “The April Fools Fiasco”
Champions: Katie Erdman (free) / Jake Willis (pay)

Notes: 2002 marks the first year that the tournament was held on the Chippens website. In order to accommodate a wider audience, organizers set up two pools, one for the gamblers and one for the novices.

Controversy broke out after the tournament ended when on April Fool’s Day the Chippens webmaster (CLC) told Mr. Willis that he had decided to give all the money to his then-girlfriend, Katie Erdman, since she had more points than Mr. Willis and had “paid her entry fee in secret” because she “didn’t want anyone to know she gambled.”

CLC completed his gag by initially sending Mr. Willis only enough money to cover the second place payout.

Mr. Willis was so enraged by this injustice that he sent out a mass email railing against Chippens and everyone associated with it. Little did he know that the rest of his money was already waiting for him in his paypal account.

A few minutes later, Mr. Willis sent out another mass email detailing how he’d been fooled, or as they say now, “punk’d.” He remains contrite to this day.

2003 and 2004 – “The Dark Ages”

Not much is known or remembered about these years. That’s probably because during the tournament the Chippens webmaster was on spring break in locales like New Orleans, Panama City, and Honolulu. Also, all official records were destroyed in the Great Chippens File Purge around this time (this was before the age of unlimited server space for mere pennies). If you have any information on these years, kindly send it to editor@chippens.com.

2005 – “The Modern Era”

Champion: Jake Smith
Runner-up: Jeff VanDellen

Notes: 2005 marked a new beginning for the Chippens Tournament Challenge. The scoring was standardized, and a record 78 people participated. Jake Smith finished first and Jeff VanDellen finished second, riding on the success of his Michigan St. Spartans, who made the Final Four that year.

Both Smith and VanDellen had to fend off a furious charge by Mackinaw Trail Middle School seventh grader Frank Fuzi, who correctly picked a flurry of amazing upsets and would have won it all had Illinois beaten North Carolina in the championship game.

2006 – “The Year of Utter Futility”

Champion: Angela Penney (WHAC)
Runner-up: Nicholas A. Schultz (Blizzard T. Husky)

Notes: 2006 marks the only year in which not one person picked the champion correctly. No one had the foresight to pick Florida to go all the way (most picked either UConn or Duke), and Angela Penney was the only player to have Florida and UCLA in the Final Four. Nicholas Schultz was the only player to have UCLA making it to the championships.

Schultz also finished second in the Div. III pool that year, finishing behind Van Miller.

2007 – “Back to Form”

Champion: Tyler Neal (The Rear Admiral)
Runner-up: Leta Corwin (MOM)

Notes: 2007 was a barnburner with several lead changes throughout the tournament. It was anybody’s game right up to the very end, but Tyler Neal belied his moniker as “The Rear Admiral” to emerge victorious. In doing so, Neal became the first-ever champion that is not a native of Cadillac, Michigan. He set tournament records with 192 points and an astounding 84 percent accuracy rate.

Finishing runner-up to Neal was Hart, Michigan native Leta Corwin, who was propelled to success mostly because her son is in law school at Florida (so she of course picked them to win it all), and the Gators just happened to win last year.

Past results:

2007
2006
2005
Posted by chippens at 3:00 PM 0 comments
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