There was plenty of arguing going on over the weekend based upon the lot of us being silly little boys and girls picking our favorite Ninja Turtle. I had a small epiphany though. Why don’t we put that arguing and competitive spirit (because I’m one of the most competitive sons of bitches alive) into a game come this November. A senate selection game, where we choose and predict the outcome of the ’08 senate races. We can pick who we expect to win in every senate race and by how much (minus uncontested races).
Per example of scoring (we can refine this emensely, this is just an idea): 50 points to every one selected correctly and single point deductions to how far off we are. As in this situation. Let’s say I were to have, in Alaska, Mark Begich beating Ted Stevens by 15 points and Begich were to beat Stevens 55-41 (13 point differential). I would have earned 50 points for selecting it correctly and deducted 2 points because I was off by 2. Meaning I made 48 points for that race. But let’s say by some divine intervention, I made that same prediction and Stevens were to beat Begich 50-48 (2 points), because not only Begich lost, leaving me with 0 points for selection but because of the 17 point swing of my prediction, I would have wound up with -17 points.
Like I said, it’s just a thought. But let me know what you think. It will also be going on whille I’m doing fantasy football so I will need a mid-week fix. To the winner go the strangest bragging rights ever. “Why you so happy today?” “Oh nothing I just won a senate prediction game.”
P.S. Leonardo was by far the best Ninja Turtle.
Just tell me when to place my bets!
but 2 separate games should probably be made out of this.
1. plays exactly as you described it, where you make the picks and predict the split losing and adding points as it goes.
the second game should be just based off predictions of who wins what. While I realize that 50 points is a huge number to overcome, there is a chance that a person who predicits fewer races correctly, albeit only 1 fewer race as I think 100 points would be impossible to overcome, could win if he was more accurate with his race splits.
Also, would you make this game include all the races including the safe one or would you limit it to just the competetive ones but the issue here is how to determine which races are the competetive ones.
See here.
I’ll have to discuss it with David, but I definitely think another prediction contest would be a good idea, though I think we’ll probably leave that sort of thing until later in October.