It is not too late to play.
The contest is still open to new players but this is the final week. All you need to do is make your selections and you will receive a score from week 1 based on the missed a week make-up system. Keep in mind though you are only allowed to miss 3 weeks total and if this is your first week playing last week does count against you.
I am not sure I am going to do this every week but here are this week's games and anything to note based purely on the schedule:
TB @ MIN
PHI @ ATL (prime time) (second week on road for PHI)
GB @ CAR (long week for GB)
CHI @ NO (long week for NO)
If you are a new player this year please read everything in this first post and ask any questions.
I added 8&9 on things we learned from previous years and some FAQs. Everything else below the line is the same as last week.
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First, lets start with suggestions based on what we learned from previous year's contest. These suggestions will help make sure we do this a fourth year so please read.
1.Just list the winners and use only city names and preferably the normal abbreviations. This is different from last year where I accepted the city or the name of the team. The more consistent it is the easier it is and the less likely it will be for me to make a mistake. Whatever you do, don't just quote someone else's pick and agree because it likely to get missed. Please feel free to comment on your selections, I enjoy reading your thoughts but please do it under the picks not to the side.
Example for week 1:
GB
ATL
DET
CAR
2. Read the first section of these threads each week. Anything new will be before the line that I have drawn. In those sections I will give you important information for the week and let you know if there have been changes to the lower sections you need to read.
3. Please try to keep this thread on topic as much as possible. However, feel free to ask questions about any aspect of the contest.
4. If you change your screen name let me know so I can check your name history and update the spreadsheet. People make picks that are not in the contest so if you don't let me know I might miss it.
5.Make your picks early. You can always edit them later but if you don't make them at all you risk being disqualified. Last year we even had a situation where the board was taken down for a software update for most of Friday morning and a few people were left out in the cold.
6. Be on the lookout for Tandy who has graciously offered to help co-host the contest this year. There may be weeks where she starts this thread.
7. I will not warn you if you are close to being DQed. While I will track it in my spreadsheet I will also not list it as I have done in the past. If you want to know how many weeks you have missed ask in the results thread and I will let you know. It is up to you to remember to play.
8. Please don't neg people for their selections. We have fans of other teams play and some of our own may want to pick against us at times.
9. In the past all of our division rival fans have been respectful in this thread even when they disagreed. Let's continue to keep it clean and neutral. Thanks.
DISCLAIMER:
This contest and prize are being provided by me personally and none of it is affiliated with the Falcons organization or the NFL in any way.
Game Rules and Prize Information:
1. You must enter the contest before the deadline of week 2. To qualify you must have a membership date on or before September 1, 2011. Only the original account you started with may play.
2. You are not required to be a fan of the Falcons to play.
3. It is free to play.
4. All picks have to be posted before the established deadline. Once this thread is locked the deadline has passed.
5. Only your first set of picks will be used. If you make a second post in this thread with another set of picks they will be ignored. If you want to change your mind, edit your original post.
6. Do not PM your picks. Picks made by PM will be ignored. Post them in this thread.
7. This is a message board so allowances have to be made for missing a week here and there. However, to keep this contest simple this year if you miss a week you will be assigned a score for the week. That score will be based on the average of what everyone else picked for the week rounded down to the nearest whole number. Last year I rounded it up in some cases but I am changing it to make it even easier.
8. You may not miss more than 3 weeks of picks during the season. If you miss more than 3 you will be listed as disqualified the next week and your name will then be dropped from my spreadsheet.
9. The final score or how close the score was doesn't matter.
10. The results of previous weeks will be posted in the Predict the NFC South Game Results thread as soon as I have time to tally them. That results thread will also have the list of disqualified players.
11. I am capable of making mistakes. If you don't check your personal results and let me know if there is an error they will be locked in 7 days after they are posted.
12. The prize will be awarded at the end of the season or as soon as a tie breaker can settle the outcome.
13. If you get permanently banned you cannot re-enter the contest under a new name. No exceptions.
14. If you win you will need to PM me your email address so you can receive the online certificate. I suggest that you NOT use a work email address because it coming directly from the NFL Shop and it might get caught in your company's spam filter. If you have home spam protection you will need to make sure the email can get through or set up a hotmail account. If you have any doubts whether or not the email can come through I strongly suggest setting up an account with one of the reputable free email services. I would HATE if I spent the money and no one got to enjoy the prize. However, if it gets caught or rejected I will not be responsible if you cannot collect your prize.
15. These rules may change to adapt to issues that may come up during the season.
What are you playing for?
To Be Determined.
FAQ:
Why does the prize amount say "To Be Determined?"
As some of you know my home was hit by a tornado in April. I got to miss the draft and everything. As of right now it is still unclear how willing my insurance company intends to be to pay for all the costs of repairing my home. I am going to do my dead level best to offer the same $100 prize as last year but I can't guarantee that right now.
Is there anything special I need to do to play?
Making picks before the contest is closed to new players is all you need to do to enter the contest.
Why do you have a Friday deadline when the first game of the week is not until Sunday? Don't you realize there is a lot of information that could help us make more accurate picks if you wait closer to kickoff to close the contest? Also, some of us forget and we could use more time.
1) The playing field is level. Any new information that comes out after the deadline can't be used by anyone.
2) I do most of my posting from my desk at work so it makes it easiest for me to remember to close it during the workday. If I made the deadline on Sunday and forgot to close the thread before kickoff the integrity of the contest for that week would be ruined. Sorry, this contest is about winning more than it is about getting all of your picks exactly right because a starting QB got hurt late in the day on Friday.
3) It is up to you to remember to play. I know for a fact that we have had players in the past make picks from their phones at airports. There are plenty of ways to get electronic weekly reminders and there is always the low-tech stickie note.
The stated dealine has passed but the thread has not been locked. What gives?
I work for a living. The deadline is a soft target. I will do my best to lock the thread around the time that I have given but sometimes it doesn't happen until hours later. You can keep making picks or editing your picks until the thread is locked. Don't count on it ever being late though. There are weeks I lock it right at noon.
What happens if you (Finally) wins?
If I win I will be an insufferable gloat intent on proclaiming to anyone who will listen how I won and you all are miserable losers. I will give a whole new dimension to the term bad winner. However, I do intend to give out a prize so the runner-up (least of the losers) will collect the prize.
Edited by Finally, 08 September 2011 - 11:47 AM.
