That, and as a
symbol of all that is good.
The meeting was followed by a birthday celebration for Karen, the better
half of our 2-time Crete Champion, Dan. Dan brought a cake (spelled Happy
Birthday Karin). We sang happy birthday, Karen blew out the candles, and we
devoured the cake and some banana pudding. As a condition of eating cake,
the future-NHASEDers were required to pose for a picture. If anyone has a
good copy of this, please send it to me. Following cleanup and good-byes to
some attendees, we gathered in the basement of the Heil House of Poker for
some cards. Seven players competed in no-limit, Texas Hold 'em action well
into the night.
On Sunday, plans for an outing to Turner Field for the Toronto/Atlanta
interleague baseball games were dashed by inclement weather. The game was
played, but we did not want to risk an afternoon of delays and uncertainty.
Instead, Steve installed brake rotors and pads on the commissioner's vehicle
while we watched the ACC championship game.
Many thanks to Steve and Nina for hosting this year's festivities. Also, to
Derek for travelling the greatest distance (from Lafayette, Louisiana) . . .
and Nancy, Andrew and Kim who travelled from Tallahassee with
future-NHASEDers in tow, which can sometimes substitute for miles in making
it a more difficult trip. If anyone who attended has good photographs or
any items that I have neglected here, please email me. I have posted two
pictures on the Convention web site, and hope to have some video soon.
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/NHASED/Crete.htm
January 9, 2009
Robert wins NHASED 13!
Congratulations to Robert Hall, NHASED’s Crete Champion for 2008. Robert was a game behind entering the bowl season, but went 22-15 in the bowls to surge past Jeff C, who led after 14 weeks. Robert should be considered as our league’s official college football guru for the period of one year. His opinion on matters related to our favorite sport will be considered as fact. Robert earns the envy and respect of the other 39 members (including 2 on probation) and will receive a certificate of accomplishment for winning the league.
Most importantly, Robert wins the coveted Crete trophy. The NHASED Crete Logistic Planning and Transport Committee (NCLPTC) will have to work with Robert on the details, but we hope that he can claim the trophy to display at his residence for the time that he is our champion. If so, he will have the opportunity to respectfully decorate the trophy and bask in its excellence until the commissioner undoubtedly wins it and brings it home to Tallahassee in 2009. Robert is encouraged to continue the new tradition of adding his name on an engraved nameplate. Regardless of the outcome of the NCLPTC findings, the NHASED Crete Presentation and General Convention will go on as usual in the spring. The league can work on date and location in the coming days and weeks. Any suggestions are welcomed.
Congratulations again to Robert, who had the best record of the season despite not winning a single week.
Nancy put together a very impressive bowl season to surge into her best-ever finish of second place in the final Crete standings. She does have a 3rd place on her resume from 2005. Her 27-10 (72.97%) record in the bowl season easily won the week, and shot her from 7th place going into the bowls all the way up to 2nd place to finish the season. Had the championship game summed to exactly 52 points, she would have won the championship. Nancy obviously also claims this year’s Woman of the Year.
Jeff C, the model of consistency in the league, again finished in the top 6 of NHASED . . . his 5th time in 7 seasons in the league. Jeff led going into the bowls, but saw his lead slip away with an 18-19 mark, and fell down to 3rd place. Jeff is the early favorite to finish as high as second place in the 14th edition of the league . . . NHASED 2009 – the Year of the Commissioner.
In fourth place in what was initially projected to be the Year of the Commissioner, we find Andrew. For our league commissioner, who finished in 5th place in 2005, it was his best finish since Bill P edged him by a few lousy percentage points to claim the Crete title in 2001 (still not bitter).
Rounding out the top 5 this season Piet. Piet obviously spent more time researching college football than reading the want ads upon his recent move to San Diego. Congratulations to Piet on 5th place (and for finding employment).
Chris R also found success after a sudden life-changing move (his to Vegas) and finished in 6th place. We have to go down to 7th place to find a former Crete winner. Ed had easily his best record since winning the Crete in 2003. Jamie finished in 8th place. At 9th and 10th respectively, Brian W and Chris H round out the premier NHASEDers of 2008.
The Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy race was interesting this season. And historical, as for the first time, we have a woman champion. Michelle scored 28 bonus points to outlast Brian W, who had 26. Brian T, Nancy, Andrew and Piet had 24 for the season. Derek’s all-time record of 31 bonus points in a season (set in 2001) was challenged, but not surpassed. Congratulations to Michelle for winning the Unnamed Bonus Point championship!
The Bill Perry Doormat Award was decided early this season. John H’s first two weeks were 6-18 and 8-14. He didn’t improve much as the season wore on, and finished with a 162-198 record not including the drop week. Even if you give him a drop week, his winning percentage was 46.43%. John is a veteran and charter member of the league, so I expect him to bounce back in 2009. But, he adds a doormat to his trophy case, which includes 3 Unnamed Bonus Point Awards, and a DJ Red Hot Pick Award.
A rookie won the Samuel L Jackson Bad Mother Locker Award in 2008. Greg and Jeff Hall were locked in a Sammy Sosa/Mark Maguire-esque battle through the first 9 or 10 weeks. Any NHASEDer who invested a token and let it ride with either lock picker is retired and living comfortably now. Unfortunately, you had to know who put it on and when to take your money out . . . and that is what we strive to teach here at NHASED. Robert did nail the lock in 10 of the 15 weeks and finished with a 10-4 lock record to win the SLJBML award. After winning for the first 9 weeks consecutively, we never heard from Jeff and he is probably in a Vegas gutter still claiming that the commissioner jinxed him.
Piet and John H both picked Wyoming (+25.5) to upset Tennessee and tied for the DJ Red Hot Pick Award. Piet wins the award in a tiebreaker by taking Buffalo (+14.5) to upset Ball State.
Along with the Bad Mother Locker, Greg also claimed this season’s Rookie-of-the-Year, though his competition did not present much of a challenge. One rookie dropped out during the season, and the other two had losing records. Our Rookie-of-the-Year finished in 19th place overall. The pressure of the league finally wore on for the rookies, and all three who remain in good standing flopped badly in the bowls. The best bowl record posted by a rookie this season was Tim’s 13-23. Yikes! We have some work to do with this year’s rookie class.
NHASED as a whole took it on the chin this season in the bowl games. After an impressive 23-10 in last year bowls, picking with the majority this year would have landed you a 14-22 record and begging for your shirt. Not everyone had a poor bowl season though. As mentioned, Nancy dominated with a 27-10 record, her first weekly win since week 13 of 2005. Andrew, Jeff Horn, and Jeff Hall were 24-14. Ed was 23-15; Seth and Robert were 22-15.
On the other end of the weekly standings . . . a rookie, Travis, has shattered the all-time record for worst bowl week. He was 7-29 (19.44%) in the bowl season and one can only hope that his online sportsbook account was not connected the last couple of weeks. That record includes winning a paltry 7 of the 34 bowl games, going 0 for 4 in upsets, and losing a 2-point lock risk. Ouch. The previous record of 8-23 (25.8%) was set by Mike M in 2002.
Thanks to all for another successful season in NHASED! 38 of us had perfect attendance in 2008, picking the full list of games in all 15 weeks. We apparently lost 2 members (one rookie, one former Crete winner). They can apply for reinstatement into the league and we can vote on that in 2009. Neither are on this listserve, so it is up to them to take the initiative for reinstatement.
May 27, 2008
Recap of the 12th Annual NHASED Crete Presentation & General Convention
A big thank you to everyone who participated in our 12th annual NHASED Crete Presentation and General Convention and helped to make the event another huge success. Particularly, I want to thank the Taylors for opening their house for the weekend’s fun, the commissioner’s wife for allowing me to open our house for the Friday night meet ‘n greet and fiesta, and all out-of-towners who came to Tallahassee for the occasion. Thanks too for the Tallahasseans who participated, including Kyle . . . our outgoing champion who decorated and delivered the Crete (while fighting back the teardrops).
As predicted, Kim’s taco bar was a muchos grandé hit on Friday night. In addition, she and others prepared some bonus Mexican-fiesta themed dishes that were enjoyed by all at the annual meet ‘n greet. We had another great turnout for the occasion, including 16 entrants into the Texas Hold ‘em tournament. Several other guests attended, but declined the invitation to the tournament, presumably due to intimidation. There were also many future-NHASEDers running amok.
After a brief delay (we had no decent poker chips . . . and some had to be picked up), we began the tournament. We played limit poker for about an hour, then offered an add-on before shifting into no-limit, elimination Hold ‘em. It wasn’t long before we were down to our final table (click for picture), and prizes and trophies were awarded. Three players were eliminated on the very first hand into the final table, and two more were eliminated a couple of hands after that. The final five got down to some serious poker as the payout went to the top-four finishers . . . and more importantly, the NHASED bracelet was up for grabs. In the end, Kristin was left standing as our 2008 champion (click for picture). Funny side note: As my daughter was making the NHASED bracelet, I warned her not to put so many pink beads as I predicted only one or two women would play (turned out to be 3). I must have jinxed all men who entered.
Matt D made a brief appearance in the tournament and has now officially dispelled any rumor that he is a figment for weekly alter-ego picks. Also, many NHASEDers met Scott who too made a brief appearance in the tournament. I appreciate both for showing up at the event, but I highly recommend reading a couple of poker self-help books before next year’s event.
The NHASED picnic was held Saturday afternoon at the grounds of the Municipal Code Corporation. It was a hot afternoon, but we were able to beat the heat by finding shade and drinking cold adult beverages. It turned out that we had two complete cornhole sets at the event and both were in use for much of the afternoon. NHASEDers honed their skills, and I witnessed several 3-cornhole rounds thrown. I don’t think Bill’s team lost all day, so in addition to his hot streak picking college football games, he is our champion cornholer. The future-NHASEDers enjoyed hitting baseballs, golf balls, and each other. Exploring the dry lake bed was also a big hit. The adults relaxed in lawn chairs and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. After cooking some good grub on the grill, six of us participated in a little championship-caliber, killer-croquet. Steve and Andrew were left standing as this year’s champions. Despite the heat, we picnicked until dusk, then packed and headed to NHASED headquarters for the Crete Presentation.
The pool at NHASED HQ was open, and we enjoyed that for a while as we waited for the Crete to be delivered. When the precious cargo arrived, the commissioner helped Kyle unload the mammoth trophy from his truck and it was covered on the front porch until we were ready for the presentation.
When the moment arrived, the crowd gathered out front for the presentation. The commissioner began by congratulating all award winners:
Andrew – Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy
Marti – Bill Perry Doormat Award winner
Robert – Samuel L. Jackson Bad Mother Locker Award
Jason G – Bill K and Kyle Rookie of the Year
Eric – DJ Red Hot Pick Award
Nancy – Woman of the Year
The commissioner then called Bill to the front and presented him with a certificate for his achievement (click for picture) and officially recognized him as NHASED’s college football guru. As outgoing champion, Kyle was asked to unveil and present the beloved Crete to our new champion. The trophy was uncovered and it was evident that Kyle made several notable alterations to the Crete (click for picture). We now have an idol mounted on the front to help properly worship the trophy and to accept our words of adoration (click here for NHASED’s “Creto” and words to the “Crete Rule”). This voo-doo doll will dutifully watch over the champion’s weekly picks . . . if the trophy is properly respected. In addition, Kyle continued the tradition of installing a nameplate honoring Bill as the 2007 champion. A glass manikin head was filled with lights and inserted into the bowl. I give this about the same chance of making it to next year’s presentation as Marti collecting the Crete at that ceremony (sorry Marti, as doormat winner, you are fair game for these sort of barbs). In fact . . . Bill . . . has it shattered yet? Lastly, a University of Illinois license tag was installed onto the front of the trophy. This addition is borderline disrespectful . . . but since the Illini are not a natural rival of Florida State University, and since it is representative of Kyle’s tenure as champion, it was deemed appropriate by those in attendance.
Bill made his acceptance speech and posed by the Crete for a few photographs (click for picture). Several photos from the weekend have been posted to the Crete Presentation and General Convention section of the NHASED web site: http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/NHASED/Crete.htm.
A couple of motions were mentioned, but nothing was officially considered to be placed on the ballot. One was to henceforth name the Doormat Award winner to honor the preceding recipient. In other words, we’d be playing for the Marti Harkness Doormat Award this year. The other motion was to require a weekly lock pick with the current risk factors. This was poo-pood by many, but the commissioner pointed out that 7 of the 11 NHASEDers who picked a lock each week finished .500 or better in lock pick points. Robert was 10-2 and thus gained 8 wins this way. Not only that, but the lock is fun and exciting! Oh well . . . nevermind. I have funning picking a lock, so naaaaaah.
If I have forgotten any other motions, let me know. No minutes were taken, and I had imbibed numerous adult beverages by this hour.
At the end of the evening, the commissioner once again proposed a Champions Breakfast. And, there were takers this year! We agreed to meet at the Cracker Barrel the next morning at 10:30. Unbelievably, the event was held as planned and we actually had 14 people show up. Bill and Dan had a good excuse for not attending as they paid a visit our 1999 Champion, Marty Sloan, who remained in the hospital. At the time, he had improved and was able to speak with them for several minutes. Since then, Marty has improved enough to be released from the hospital to recover at home!
After our 1st-ever Champions Breakfast, we returned to NHASED HQ for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing by the pool. The out-of-town guests returned to Atlanta and Panama City, and another NHASED was over already.
Thanks again to all who helped make this another successful weekend. It is always a great opportunity to see old friends, meet new ones, and watch the families and children grow. I look forward to cranking up the 2008 NHASED season in just a couple of short months. We already have a couple of official road trips planned. The Colorado game in Jacksonville and the Georgia Tech game in Atlanta are certainties as of now.
January 8, 2008
NHASED 12 goes to Bill P
Bill dominated NHASED in year 12, winning by the largest margin in league history. He beat his nearest competitor, rookie Jason G, by a whopping 7.5 games. It was a difficult handicapping season, rife with numerous upsets, but Bill was not hindered and won the Crete going away, hitting on 65% of the bowl games for good measure.
Bill joins Dan and Brian T as the only NHASEDers to collect multiple championships. You may recall that Bill won a furious battle over the commissioner in 2001 (still not bitter). Bill should once again be considered as NHASED's official college football guru and his opinion on any matter relating to our favorite sport should be considered gospel. He will enjoy the envy and respect of the entire league for one season, and will receive a certificate of accomplishment to hang in his classroom.
More importantly, Bill will reclaim the coveted Crete trophy to prominently display in his new home for the period of one year. Our outgoing champion, Kyle, will have until the annual Crete Presentation (to be held this spring in Atlanta on date TBD) to respectfully decorate the trophy. He is also encouraged to continue the new tradition of adding his name on an engraved nameplate.
Congratulations again to Bill for winning the 2007 NHASED Championship! What a year . . . new son, new house and now the Crete.
Finishing in 2nd place and obviously winning the Bill K and Kyle Rookie-of-the-Year Award is Jason G. Jason looks like a force to be reckoned with throughout his NHASED career, but will obviously drop off sharply from his extremely fortunate freshman campaign.
Brian H ended his streak of consecutive weeks without a victory at 91, claiming the bowl season and moving all the way up to third place in the final Crete standings. Amazingly, the streak ended at the same number as his wife Anne Elizabeth’s terminated streak ended back in week 12 of this season.
Matt D won weeks one and five of the 2007 season and led for much of the early going. He tailed off at the end, but held onto an impressive 4th place finish, only a hair out of third place. Not bad for his second season in the league.
Robert rounds out NHASED’s top 5 for 2007. This was easily Robert’s best season in the league, though he did lead for much of 2006. Robert was also impressive on lock picks this year, going 10-2 and easily capturing the Samuel L. Jackson Bad Mother Locker Award.
Others who had a good 2007 were: Jeff C, Jason C, Nancy (NHASED’s Woman-of-the-year), Jamie and Zanne.
In the Year of the Commissioner, Andrew finally got a patch for the soon-to-be-developed embroidered NHASED bowling shirt. He will take home the 2007 Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy, his first-ever season accolade. It’s not the Crete, but he will take what he can get. Andrew finished with 23 bonus points, which tied Darin and Chris R. The tiebreaker for this award is rank in the final standings, which Andrew held on to.
On a down note, Andrew collected the doormat of the week for the bowl games with a miserable 13-22 record.
The no longer aptly named Bill Perry Doormat Award will go to Marti, who by no coincidence also holds the all-time NHASED record for most consecutive weeks without a victory (going strong at 95). The commissioner will be taking up a collection at this year’s convention to send Marti to an intensive training camp to sharpen his handicapping skills.
Earlier this season, Eric W and Kelly each picked Stanford (+38.5) to upset USC. As if the handicapping equivalent of sinking a half-court buzzer beater wasn’t enough, Eric also picked Notre Dame (+20.5) to upset UCLA that same day. His 7 bonus points that weekend not only set an all-time record, but it also won him the DJ Red Hot Pick Award.
Picking with the majority for the bowl season would have made some good bread in Vegas. NHASED showed off our skills, going an incredible 23-10 (69.7%) in bowl games. Great job, and like a father watching his son hit a first home run . . . your collective progress brings a tear to my eye.
Brian H led the way for the bowls as mentioned with a 23-11 record. Bill P, Kelly and Ed were 22-12. Jason C was 22-13. Piet and Jeff Ho were 21-14.
April 2, 2007
Recap of the 11th Annual NHASED Crete Presentation & General Convention
Thanks to everyone involved for making this weekend the most successful and best attended NHASED Crete Presentation and General Convention to date.
Special thanks to the out-of-town travelers (the Braggs, Heils, Dugans) who made the trip down from Atlanta for the occasion. Everyone contributed this weekend . . . from Steve who built and transported the popular cornhole equipment, to Beth and Matt Drum who made the delicious smoke beef brisket for Friday’s occasion. Chris R brown-nosed the attending voting members of NHASED by picking up a keg of beer for the picnic and Crete presentation. The Taylors lent the association use of headquarters for Saturday night’s festivities and the commissioner’s wife approved the party late into the night on Friday. Piet, Jason and Steve helped with the poker event on Friday. Kyle brought the grill for Saturday’s picnic and everyone brought food and condiments. Further, there were plenty of activities at the picnic for young and old.
Friday night, we kicked off the weekend with a meet ‘n greet and Texas Hold ‘em tournament at the commissioner’s house. Drum and Beth brought over two huge beef briskets that they had smoked throughout the day. They promptly left before any guests had arrived and never received proper credit for their contribution. This drop and run did nothing to disprove Drum’s reputation as Piet’s alter ego. However, it cannot be disputed that Piet’s alter ego (and wife) can cook a helluva brisket. The commissioner and wife provided other side dishes, kid’s delicacies, finger foods and non-alcoholic beverages. Kim and I were both pleased to have everyone over for the party, and really enjoyed visiting with old friends and meeting some new ones.
The final count for the annual poker tournament was a record 22 participants! 3 tables were set up and chips were distributed. After an hour of limit poker, the offer for a one-time re-buy of more chips was taken up by all players, and the serious poker began. Players were soon being eliminated and it wasn’t long before the field was reduced to 10 and a final table was set. The commissioner awarded the 10 with a fabulous door prize (OK, the prize was not really fabulous . . . but it was built up that way before the anti-climatic unveiling). The final table was whittled down over time and five players were ultimately paid out. Two non-NHASEDers agreed to split the pot when we were down to head-to-head play. Congratulations to Matsu and Duski for outlasting the large field.
Saturday morning and early afternoon was spent by some NHASEDers at various t-ball and youth softball fields around town. Others attended the Springtime parade and events. Others still relaxed and prepared for the long afternoon and evening.
Just before 3:00 pm, a caravan met and left NHASED headquarters for the picnic grounds. It was a very comfortable day in Tallahassee, perfect for an afternoon of outdoor activities. The kids quickly descended to the drained lake adjacent to the MCC grounds and explored the lake bed for a good part of the afternoon. Other activities such as t-ball, soccer, Frisbee, and football were available and taken advantage of. The adult NHASEDers set up the cornhole equipment that Steve so skillfully constructed, and games were soon underway. A challenge system was implemented and some intense games were played. By the end of the afternoon, cornhole was established as the sport of the day. So much so, that our annual tradition of killer-croquet was never played and a new tradition was born. While watching the lawn games being played by the kids and adults alike, there was ample time for relaxing and socializing. New nominee, Chris R, and rookie participant, Zanne, brought a keg and we took full advantage . . . despite the lingering headaches. At 5:00, the grill was fired up and we were soon dining on grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. Thanks to Kyle, Brian, Marti, Dan and the other cooks who helped man the grill. When darkness began to fall, we cleaned the grounds and moved the party to NHASED headquarters.
When all expected attendees had arrived at the headquarters, the commissioner called the meeting to order. Winners of each of the awards were recognized by the commissioner. He then called our champion, Kyle, to the front and presented him with a certificate of achievement. Brian T was then asked to unveil the Crete, which was under a cover to this point. Upon the unveiling, we could see that Brian had purchased engraved name plates for each of NHASED’s champions and installed them onto the front of the trophy. After two years of residence, the Crete was finally going to have a new home. Brian waited until the last minute, but his addition was well-received and much-needed. Now, all Crete winners are prominently and proudly displayed on the trophy. Pictures were taken of the Crete and our new champion.
Throughout the evening, discussions transpired on various aspects of NHASED. It was mentioned that the nominees for next year could result in another large class of rookies. Mary, Jason, Tyler, and Chris R are nominees who participated in many of the weekend’s festivities (did I miss anyone who attended). Other nominees have been mentioned to me (Kelly, Carey, others?), but I ask that they be formalized in the coming weeks. The major item that was discussed and will be placed on July’s ballot is an increasing of the annual dues from $1 to $2. Also, it was mentioned that these dues should be enforced. Dan and Karen volunteered to keep a spreadsheet and manage the money. The entry can be used for expenses such as the engraved name plate that will now be a tradition. Also, some money can be put forth for a keg at the annual conventions. The idea of charging entry fees and awarding payouts was withdrawn from consideration as most agree that the purity of the league would be compromised. We discussed the official road trip and this will need to be broached again via email in the coming weeks as the Clemson, Alabama and Colorado games were all mentioned as possibilities.
Through the engaging conversations, we did keep an eye on the basketball games. To that, the commissioner would like to official recognize and congratulate Brian H on winning his 4th consecutive NHASED Hoops contest! Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game (please Lord, let the Buckeyes win), his 11 points cannot be tied or overtaken.
A champion’s breakfast was discussed, but again never materialized. Thus, NHASED’s annual Crete Presentation and General Convention came to a close late Saturday night as members said good-night.
Thanks again to all who participated and I am already looking forward to next year (which will surely be held in Tallahassee again . . . how long has it been since an out-of-towner claimed the Crete?).
January 9, 2007
Kyle claims NHASED's 11th championship
Kyle has taken the National Handicapper’s Association – South East Division by storm, winning the championship in his rookie season. It was only the second time in NHASED history (not counting our inaugural season) that a rookie has won the Crete (Bill K in 2000). The race for the championship was shaping up to be an epic battle going into the bowl season, and was not weakened through the early bowls. But, our sophomore sensation, Jeff Hall, collapsed at the end . . . missing the final 7 games . . . and finished in a relatively distant second place.
By virtue of his win, Kyle will assume the reigns of the league’s official college football guru from Brian T, who has been our guru for the past two years (and Jesus did he ever abuse that privilege!). Any opinion or statement that Kyle offers about college football is to be considered fact. He will enjoy the bragging rights and the complete envy of the league for the period of one year. Kyle will receive the usual bounty, which is over 1 million email dollars again this year. Should he ever decide to leave NHASED, he will receive a severance package worth over 500,000 email dollars dispersed over the subsequent 5 years. (Note that this will come out of our concession funds and will not affect our regular budget). Kyle will also receive a certificate of accomplishment to honor his achievement.
But most importantly, Kyle will be awarded the beloved Crete Trophy. The large concrete cup housed in a plastic wagon resembling renegade will leave NHASED headquarters after having being prominently displayed (thanks Nancy) on the smoking porch for nearly two years. Our outgoing champion will have until the annual Crete Presentation to decorate the trophy in any reasonable manner before it is relocated. Decoration does not mean desecration, so we ask that any necessary repairs be made before the transfer. Rumor has it that the Crete will enjoy its new home . . . enshrined in a gazebo that Kyle has been planning since about week 8.
Congratulations again to Kyle, who will obviously also claim NHASED’s Rookie-of-the-Year!
As mentioned, Jeff Hall will finish the season in second place. Jeff also fared very well in the ancillary standings. He won the Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy with 21 on the season, beating Robert and Andrew, his closest competitors by 3 points. He also won the inaugural Samuel L. Jackson Bad Mother Locker Award with a 10-2 record in locks. That was good enough to edge his brother, Brian H, who finished at 10-5.
Third place this year will go to Jamie, who is also the NHASED Comeback-Player-of-the-Year. After winning the first two weeks of the season and returning to the states from Vietnam, Jamie leveled off somewhat. He did win a third week in the mid-season and was able to hold onto the honorable third place honors.
Fourth place in 2006 goes to Jeff C. In his five seasons, Jeff has a third-place, a sixth place and now a fourth place finish on his resume . . . yet amazingly he is still seeking his first career weekly win. He is certainly one of the early favorites of the 2007 season . . . as long as he remembers to click “submit” to send his picks.
Jeff’s coworker at Clear Channel, Matt M, claims fifth place in 2006 and continues his solid handicapping year after year. Matt finished in 2nd last year, and in 5th place in 2004. He also has a 6th place finish to his credit in only 5 years in the league. He should be Jeff’s main competition for the Crete next season.
The bowl week was won by Matt D, another rookie, with a 68.6% record (24-11). It was his first weekly win and the 5th win overall by a rookie this year. Kyle and Zanne were 20-14 in the bowls. Andrew was 21-15. Steve was 19-14. Piet and Jeff C were 20-15. Overall, NHASED fared very well in the bowls and could have taken Vegas for a little milk money had we been so inclined.
John P fell late in the season, and (possibly) because he burnt his drop by missing a week, will claim the season doormat award . . . the first of his career. Since John won the Crete in 2002, the commissioner’s office is concerned and will launch an investigation on why his picks sucked so badly this year. One thought is that there has been some unrest at Gallaudet recently, which may have distracted him. But, at NHASED, we always encourage our members to forsake work to do the necessary research. John edged Chris by only a half-game for the dubious honor.
Robert won the weekly doormat for the third consecutive week! With a minimum of 30 competitors in the league, I think that is a record that may never be matched, and will certainly never be broken.
Despite falling sharply from an impressive 3rd place finish last year, Nancy won her 2nd consecutive Woman-of-the-Year award with a 15th overall finish in 2006. John H will claim the first-ever Red-Hot Pick Award with his upset special pick of Maryland (+16.5) to upset Clemson in week 10.
Multiple winners this season were Kyle (rookie), Jamie (three wins) and Jeff Horn (rookie). Derek was the doormat in weeks 1 & 2; Robert was the doormat in weeks 12, 13 & 14 to be the only multiple doormat winners in 2006.
Skunked from a weekly win in 2006 were: Jeff Ha, Jeff C (70 weeks and counting), Matt M, Piet, Brian H (78 weeks and counting), Eric R, Bill P, Nancy, John H, Marti H (81 weeks and counting), Zanne, Scott, Anne Elizabeth (86 weeks and counting), Ed, Derek, Andrew, Eric W, Brian T, Chris and John P.
Thanks to Kyle’s victory, the 11th annual NHASED Crete Presentation and General Convention will once again be held in beautiful Tallahassee, Florida. We hope that the outgoing champion and the incoming champion can agree upon a date that is convenient for both of them and for the majority of the NHASEDers who hope to attend. The event is usually held in the spring, and it has fallen on Final Four Saturday for the last two occasions, which works out well for those who like to drink beer and watch sports. Other possible dates would be the Spring game weekend (could be intriguing this year), Springtime Tallahassee weekend, home baseball series, or spring break weekend for teachers and kids. All or some of these could very well fall on the same weekend.
We plan to have our annual “meet ‘n greet” at the commissioner’s house (followed by our annual Texas Hold ‘em tournament) on Friday night, a picnic on Saturday (with the various lawn games) and the Crete Presentation on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning, a champion’s breakfast will conclude the weekend’s festivities (note that this is not an official sanctioned event and has never actually transpired as a group thing . . . though I do propose it each year).
Please pass along any new member nominations and rule proposals anytime between now and the end of the General Convention. Late new member nominations . . . and because my memory sucks . . . reminders of early new member nominations will be accepted until late July.
Thanks for another great year, and I am already looking forward to NHASED 12 . . . the (real) Year of the Commissioner.
Happy New Year and Go Noles!
August 30, 2006
New Annual Award Announced (Samuel L. Jackson Bad Mother Locker Award)
To confirm the new “Samuel L. Jackson Bad Mother Locker” Award . . . .
The Commissioner worked well into the night brainstorming with his staff on an adequate honor for the person who has the best record on the revamped lock-of-the-week pick. Here is what was decided:
To be eligible for the Samuel L. Jackson Bad Mother Locker Award, you must submit a lock-of-the-week every week including bowl games. No drop weeks
or any excuses. After all, this is the Bad Mother Locker award. We can’t have any mamby-pamby excuses such as “the odds are against me” or “I just
wasn’t feeling a lock this week.” No, this is the pick that you are willing to wager your grocery budget on each week. This is the pick that you
are willing to risk Guido finding you and breaking a few knuckles if you don’t pay up.
At the end of the season, the winner will be the person meeting the above requirements who has the best winning percentage in locks of the week. Note
that even though there are 14 weeks, the risk factors will dictate how many total points are won and lost. If there is a tie, the player with the
best overall record will win as per the normal NHASED tiebreaking rules.
Instead of an actual BMF wallet to pass around, the commissioner preferred to award a prize that the recipient can keep and proudly display
indefinitely (and not have to transfer credit cards, driver’s license, etc.). For this reason, the commissioner has ordered a personalized
rubber stamp with “Bad Mother Locker” in bold print. Also, a white ink pad was purchased. The commissioner will ceremoniously stamp the wallet
of the award winner in the following manner at the annual Crete Presentation and General Convention:
With only minimal guidance from Quentin Tarantino, here will be the lock-of-the-week award presentation process:
Commissioner to Award Winner: I want you to go in my bag, and find my rubber stamp.
Award Winner: Which rubber stamp is it, commish?
Commissioner: It’s the one that says Bad Mother Locker.
The award winner brings rubber stamp to the Commissioner who proceeds to stamp “Bad Mother Locker” in white ink on the flat side of the award winner’s wallet. Award winner is duly recognized as the Bad Mother Locker and can proudly display the honor anytime the wallet is broken out (which for some of you, is very rare . . . witness my call for donations yesterday).
A few notes:
1. Women are eligible to be the Bad Mother Locker as well. Just bring your change purse or make-up bag to the ceremony to be stamped.
2. Any SLJBML award winner who is unable to attend the Crete Presentation must mail the commissioner his/her wallet for stamping.
The commissioner will use whatever money is left in the wallet (after keg purchase of course) or any credit card that is still good to
return the wallet overnight.
3. This award is exempt from any official NHASED motion, deadline or voting procedure as the commissioner has funded the award out of his own pocketbook
and will track the standings throughout the year. The official lock-of-the-week rules have been approved and are in place. I am merely tracking
the standings and announcing a winner. It would be like coming to the presentation and awarding someone the “Robin Williams Hairiest Ass Award.”
That wouldn’t necessarily need to be voted upon, though the judging process could be ugly.
April 3, 2006
Recap of the 10th Annual NHASED Crete Presentation & General Convention
The 10th annual Crete Presentation and General Convention was held this past weekend in sunny and beautiful Tallahassee, Florida. Thanks to all who participated and helped make it another fun occasion. The Braggs were the lone out-of-town family to make the trip this year, arriving in time for Saturday’s picnic . . . presumably not solely for the purpose of Dan destroying all discarded MCC documents in a dumpster fire, but rather to enjoy the festivities of NHASED weekend.
NHASED weekend began with our annual Friday night meet ‘n greet and Texas Hold ‘em tournament, held at the commissioner’s house again this year. To fatten the pot, the commissioner invited members of his softball team and basketball stat crew. We laid out beef brisket sandwiches and chicken wings. The Millar’s brought a delicious 7-layer-dip and the Hall’s brought a large sheet cake commemorating the 10th year of NHASED. Other sides were provided, kid’s cuisine was prepared, and we all enjoyed a tasty meal fit for kings and queens of college football handicapping prowess.
Many future-NHASEDers were in attendance at the social, and they enjoyed bouncing on an inflatable sports arena, playing video games, watching movies and generally running amuck (but they stayed out of the adults’ hair for the most part!).
When the softball team arrived . . . fresh from an opening day victory on the diamond (this is what my absence can lead to), we began the poker tournament signup. Although a few attendees abstained, we had 13 players to register . . . a nice increase over the 10 from last year’s event. The large turnout required the use of two tables, which were organized and seated by random drawing. Play began around 9 PM.
Football handicapping did not translate to poker savvy on this night, and our 2005 NHASED runner-up, Matt, became the first victim within a few minutes of play. Our second victim was none other than the esteemed rookie who blew out the NHASED weekly record (22-2), Chris. After that, the poker group settled in. Blinds were raised, competitors were eliminated, tables were merged, beers were imbibed, bluffs were attempted, stacks of chips rose and fell. It was well after midnight before a winner was finally crowned. NHASED’s rookie of the year (Piet) managed a tie for second place with Jason (non-NHASED invitee). For the second year in a row, a guest won the tournament. This year it was a first-timer, Kelly, who outlasted the competition and was crowned NHASED poker champion (Duski won last year, but was a mere spectator by choice this year).
Saturday morning was free time for weekenders. The commissioner coached a future-NHASEDer in his first-ever t-ball game (amazingly, the game ended in a tie and everyone went home happy . . . well . . . except my kids, who were hot, sleep-deprived and cranky). Other NHASEDers enjoyed the always extravagant Springtime Tallahassee parade (both working and as spectators). Other NHASEDers (***cough*** . . . the Halls) slept in. One NHASED family was en route from Atlanta.
At approximately 2:30, the annual picnic commenced at Municipal Code Corporation (MCC). Despite the lower-than-expected turn-out, a good time was had by all. Thanks to Marti/Michelle & daughter, Dan/Karen & family, Brian/Nancy & family, and Piet for joining the commissioner & family at the park. The kids enjoyed t-ball, badminton, croquet, horseshoes, shooting nerf rockets into the air, hunting for spiders and throwing things in the lake. The adults visited for a while, and then (after a few beers) did many of the things mentioned above.
The annual championship-level croquet title was won by our NHASED champion, Brian T. Unfortunately, the commissioner made a critical mistake when he was well in front of the other competitors and committed croquet hari-kari. Burgers and hotdogs were cooked on the grill and we enjoyed the remainder of the cake. After cleaning the facilities and satisfactorily extinguishing the dumpster fire mentioned at the top of this email, we packed our things and moved the party to NHASED Headquarters for the Crete Presentation and General Convention.
Being it final four weekend in NCAA basketball, and since several NHASEDers had rooting interests for the Hoops 2006 contest, special attention was paid to the games on television. Unfortunately for all (even for Piet who had UF), the Crocs beat George Mason in the opener. It came down to the nightcap to decide this year’s championship. Dan needed LSU to win, while Brian H was a UCLA fan. We knew rather early in the game that it would be Brian who would be celebrating his unprecedented third consecutive Hoops championship. If UF wins tonight, Piet will join Dan and Brian T in a tie for 2nd place. Congratulations once more to Brian for winning the Hoops 2006 title. Rules will be discussed on how to employ a handicap for him next year.
Between the two basketball games, the commissioner called those in attendance to order for the Crete Presentation. Brian T brought the Crete out of his laundry room (not exactly prominently displayed as per NHASED rules) and plugged it in for all to admire. Since he was a repeat champion, Brian was under no obligation to decorate the trophy this year. He did, however, manage to snap our flag stick and damage a bulb in one of the light strands, thus rendering it half unlit.
After the Crete admiration subsided, the commissioner acknowledged each of the award winners . . . Derek for winning the Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy, Jamie for claiming the Bill Perry Doormat Award, Piet for being our rookie-of-the-year, and Nancy for being NHASED’s woman-of-the-year. A certificate of achievement was then presented to Brian for his accomplishment in winning the coveted Crete. The commissioner reminded everyone that the trophy would be retired should Brian T win for a third consecutive year. Nancy promptly announced plans to sabotage Brian’s picks.
Some photos of the occasion were taken and posted to the web. More pictures (possibly better ones) may be posted later as others did bring their cameras and may break precedent and actually send them to the commissioner. The Crete Presentation web site is:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/NHASED/Crete.htm
Before we could go back to shooting the crap, drinking adult beverages, smoking stogies, and watching boring basketball . . . a brief meeting was called to order. Discussion was held regarding the official NHASED road trip for next year. It looks like Duke may be the only viable road option this fall (Miami, Maryland and Thursday night NC State being the only other road games). The good news is that tickets in Durham would be no problem. More good news is that it would be a definite probable win. Another bonus is that a few of us could possibly obtain scholarships to play on their lacrosse team as I hear there are some openings. Many of us are combat and field trackball legends after all. Despite the many positives of a trip to Durham, a proposal to designate an FSU home game as the official NHASED football weekend was brought forth and discussed.
Another proposal mentioned at the convention was to begin awarding attendance bonus points in order to encourage participation at NHASED-sanctioned events (Crete Presentation, Road Trip). Being a non-slacker myself, I am in favor of this proposal.
Those two, along with the lock-of-the-week proposal already on the table, will be voted on later this summer.
New member nominees received thus far are Matt D, Scott, Kyle and Suzanne (did I miss or misrepresent anyone?). Please check with your nominee to be sure that they are prepared to dedicate each and every week during the season to make picks, and that they are prepared to accept the Crete at the ceremony should the impossible happen and they win. They will need to deliver the massive trophy to their successor as well. You may want to also mention that there will be a fair share of mindless email banter, and their delete key could get worn out prematurely. If they meet these qualifications, we can proceed with putting them on the ballot this summer for membership in NHASED 11 and they will compete for the rookie-of-the-year.
Thanks again to all who came by this weekend, and to the Taylors for offering their house and job location for the festivities on Saturday.
January 5, 2006
Brian T wins consecutive NHASED Championships!
In an epic battle of NHASED powerhouses, Brian T held off an extraordinary challenge from Matt, and won the Championship for the second consecutive season! Brian becomes only the 2nd NHASEDer to accomplish the feat. Not to take anything away from Dan, a great champion who won in 1996 & 1997, but there were only 8 & 10 competitors in the league during our first two seasons. Brian held off 22 and now 25 challengers.
By virtue of his win, Brian T earns the right to display the coveted Crete trophy prominently at his house (NHASED Headquarters) for another full year. It is completely up to him if he wishes to decorate the trophy this year or wait until I take it from him next year. It should be noted that if Brian happens to win again in 2006, the Crete will be retired, and another trophy will be purchased and put into action.
Brian will continue to be our league’s college football guru, and any opinion he has on the sport should be considered factual. Our champion will have another million email dollars transferred to his account. Brian will be honored as our champion at this year’s Crete Presentation and General Convention, now confirmed to be held in Tallahassee on a date to be announced, and will be showered with all the appropriate accolades at the event.
Congratulations to Brian, who becomes only the 3rd NHASEDer in the modern era (we didn’t consider the spread in 1996) to post a record above 60% (Ed and Bill K in 2003).
Matt should also be congratulated for a valiant effort all season long. His 59.5% would have won any other year except this year and 2003. He held a lead going into this year’s BCS bowls, but picked all four games incorrectly to fall just short of claiming his first championship. With finishes of 2nd, 5th and 6th places in his four years in the league, Matt is an indisputable NHASED force and an early favorite for 2006.
Third place this season goes to Nancy, the highest finish of her career and the highest for a women since Anne Elizabeth finished in 2nd place in 2000 (A-E also took 4th place last year). Marti H bounced back nicely from a 3rd-to-last place finish in 2004 all the way to a 4th place finish this season. In the Year of the Commissioner, the commissioner did come away with an honorable 5th-place finish . . . his best since losing the Crete by a hair to Bill P in 2001.
Jeff C, Piet and John H round out the finishers above 57% this season.
With Texas’ upset win in the national championship game, Derek tied Robert at 23 bonus points for the season. Derek will claim the Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy via the tiebreaker (season winning percentage). Derek, who also holds the NHASED record of 31 bonus points in a season, becomes the 2nd multiple winner of this award. John H has earned the award three times.
Jamie posted the worst weekly record on three separate occasions in 2005, and completely dominated the race for the Bill Perry Doormat Award. His nearest competitor, Eric R, was a full 16 games behind (ahead?). Jamie did pick well in the bowl games and that should give him some confidence going into next season.
Piet held off challenges from Chris and Jeff H to win the Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Look for him to suffer a sophomore jinx in 2006 and fall sharply from his impressive 7th place overall finish this season. Piet also needs to learn how to take full advantage of the drop week. His worst week was only 9-11, and he had the 4th-best record in the league if you do not consider the drop.
As for the bowl games, John H only missed on 9 games, and won the week with an impressive 19-9 mark. Anne Elizabeth and Dan posted 18-11 records. Brian W was 17-11; Eric R and John P were 18-12.
On the other side, Bill P fell down the standings with a lackluster 11-19 bowl record.
Multiple week winners in 2005 were Brian T, Nancy and Steve with 2 each. Skunked from a weekly win this season were: Marti H (69 weeks and counting), Jeff C (59 weeks and counting), Piet, Dan, Jeff H, Derek (ends a streak of 7 years with at least one victory), Ed, Brian H (67 weeks and counting), Anne Elizabeth (NHASED record 76 weeks and counting), John P, Brian W, Robert, Eric R and Jamie.
Thanks for another great season! Brian T can help us schedule the NHASED Crete Presentation and General Convention for sometime in the spring. Hopefully, we can pick a weekend with a lot of activities in town and one that allows the most people to attend. The spring football game or the weekend of the final four have worked out well in the past. At the convention, we’ll accept new member nominations, discuss proposed rule changes (including a new lock-of-the-week initiative that I really like), honor the award-winners, play championship-caliber croquet, grill animal flesh, and drink one or two adult beverages.
I, for one, am already looking forward to the 2006 season when the Noles play 8 home games, we have a ton of talent returning, and the commissioner is a shoo-in to win his first Crete. NHASED 11 – The Year of the Commissioner (seriously this time).
April 5, 2005
Recap of the 9th Annual NHASED Crete Presentation & General Convention
The 9th annual NHASED Crete Presentation and General Convention was another rousing success! Thanks to all who attended and helped to make it so successful. We had a good turnout from local members, and the Dugans/Heils (Nina and Sophia rather unexpectedly) made the trip down from Atlanta.
The weekend began with a meet-and-greet at the commissioner’s house. Actually, first let me thank Ed, Mary and Steve for helping the commissioner finish a long day of moving on Friday. It rained in Tallahassee most of the day, which made it an extremely difficult task. We still had one last U-Haul load/unload remaining when the Atlantans arrived, and I mercilessly put them to work (actually, I was ready to quit because of the pouring rain, but Steve urged me on). The sad irony is that when the last box was taken from the truck, the last drop of rain fell for the weekend. Anyway, we were done by 7, and ready for the NHASED weekend to begin.
The commissioner extended a welcome to members of his softball team to join us for the NHASED meet-and-greet and Texas Hold ‘em tournament on Friday night (our opening night was rained out). Duski took full advantage of the invite and beat our outgoing Crete champion, Ed, with a straight flush. It was poetic justice as a few hands earlier, Ed had salvaged the game with a straight flush of his own. 10 players of impressive skill participated in the tournament, which could and should evolve into an annual event.
Other guests who chose not to take their chances in the tournament still joined us for wings, pizza, and adult beverages as we all stepped around boxes and dealt with plumbing issues. Thanks to all who stopped by to tour the new house and participate in the opening event of the weekend.
Saturday morning brought more work for the movers, but we were done and had the truck returned by 11 am. Again, thanks to Steve and Ed for their help.
Many members and their families met at NHASED headquarters by 2 in the afternoon and made the trip to the grounds of Municipal Code Corporation, the location for our annual picnic. Saturday was a beautiful day in Tallahassee, though the wind made it cool in the late afternoon and evening. Other members, former members and potential members stopped by the picnic location throughout the day and participated in the activities. We had the t-ball, soccer and bubbles going for the kids, and the croquet and horseshoes for the adults . . . the team of Ed and Steve won the annual croquet championship in a remarkable display of strategy and skill. The grill was going throughout the picnic and we cooked up a variety of meats while enjoying ice cold beverages until the late afternoon.
At 6 or so, the party made its way to NHASED Headquarters . . . the Taylor’s house . . . for the Crete Presentation. Hors d'oeuvres were served and cold beverages continued to be imbibed despite the cool weather on the smoking patio. We watched the early basketball game and visited while guests filtered in. Between final four games 1 and 2, the commissioner called the attendees to the patio for the official presentation. Steve was recognized as our Unnamed Bonus Point champion; Eric W as our doormat winner; and Seth as our Rookie of the Year. Then, the commissioner presented a certificate to Brian T declaring him as our 2004 champion. Our outgoing champion, Ed, was called forward to present the Crete to our incoming champion. Ed unveiled the trophy, which was painted jet black with a silver trim and rims. Also, Ed revived a tradition of painting his name, logo and year-won on the tailgate of the Crete transport vehicle. A Guiness hood ornament was installed into the front to complete the improvements. We plugged in the Crete and took several pictures of the incoming/outgoing champions, the Crete by itself, and a picture of the former champions in attendance. The commissioner’s digital camera is packed in the bottom of a box somewhere, so we are at the mercy of the development and scanning of the Taylor’s film camera before any photos can be posted to the web.
The Crete was admired throughout the rest of the evening as we visited and watched the 2nd basketball game. Our official annual meeting was called to order and discussions were held informally. Those in attendance agreed that most of the rules in place work, and should not be radically changed. The commissioner did consent to drop the premier league/scrub league structure (for the foreseeable future) in exchange for Steve dropping the membership cap policy. We all agreed that before any new member is nominated, the nominating party should receive assurance from the nominee that he/she is willing to participate actively in the contest week-to-week, doesn’t mind mindless banter through email, and would be willing to travel to either Tallahassee or Atlanta if he/she wins the Crete. To date, the Crete Presentations have always taken place in the nearest of these two cities to the incoming champion. The outgoing champion has always taken on the responsibility of transporting the Crete to the new place of residence.
Anyway, no official new rules or rule changes were proposed to the best of my recollection (after several adult beverages). However, there is still time for anyone who couldn’t make the meeting to make proposals. Also, new member nominations are being accepted until the end of July. So far, and correct me if I am forgetting someone, the official nominees for membership in 2005 are: Piet Swart, Chris Heil, and Jeff Hall.
January 5, 2005
NHASED's 9th season wrap-up, Congratulations to our champion, Brian T
From week 1, Brian T should have known that 2004 was destined to be his season. While the rest of us were crying in our tequila over the Noles losing again to Miami, Brian was busy winning week 1 and ending his NHASED-record streak of 72+ consecutive fruitless weeks (since 1998 . . . even longer than FSU’s streak against the Canes!). For good measure, Brian won week 2 and leaped out to a commanding lead in the standings. Most of NHASED thought that it was a fluke and that our vice-president and secretary would soon fall back to his usual spot in the middle of the pack. But, Brian kept putting up decent to good marks throughout the season and only fell from the top spot briefly during the course of the season. When the bowls arrived and Brian held only a somewhat comfortable lead on Brian W, Nancy, Dan and Seth, most thought that he would choke. The big money in Vegas was overwhelmingly in favor of NHASED’s only two-time champion, Dan winning in a landslide. Big money was obviously unaware that Dan’s wife, our former event coordinator, wanted no part of the Crete in Peachtree City. Big money was also unaware that Brian was determined to bring the Crete home in 2004. He won the bowl week with an impressive 19-10 record . . . giving him 3 wins on the season . . . and claimed his first Crete Championship.
For his efforts, Brian is now our official college football guru. Any opinion that he offers about our beloved sport is considered fact. He will enjoy the bragging rights and complete envy of NHASED for the period of one year! Brian will receive the winner’s bounty, which is over 1 million email dollars again this year. He will receive a winner’s t-shirt and certificate of accomplishment. But most importantly, Brian will bring the Crete to its rightful home in Tallahassee and to the official NHASED headquarters where he will hold possession of the coveted trophy during the next college football season. He will no doubt proudly display the award in a place of prominence in his household, and is encouraged to decorate the award as he desires before he relinquishes it to me at this time next year.
Congratulations again to Brian!
Brian W, NHASED’s second place finisher, is proving himself to be a worthy college football prognosticator. Though he did not win a week in 2004, he posted solid efforts week after week and gave our champion a good run until the end. With a 17-12 bowl record, he may very well have claimed the championship had Brian faltered during the bowl week.
NHASED’s 3rd through 5th places were decided by less than 2 tenths of a percentage point*. John H, with a 19-11 bowl record, moved all the way up the standings to finish in third place. Another charter member of our organization, John had an outstanding season and is the early favorite (behind Andrew) to win the Crete in 2005.
Our 4th place finisher, Woman of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year is Anne Elizabeth. It was a great turnaround season for Anne Elizabeth, going from 3rd from the bottom in 2003 to 4th from the top in 2004. She had a solid 18-12 record in the bowls.
Matt also finished 18-12 in the bowls and finished only 6 hundredths of a percentage point behind Anne Elizabeth. Matt is the third member of the Clear Channel group in the top 5 of the final standings. The NHASED strategy meetings from 8-10 each morning has really paid off for these three!
Two charter members battled for the Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy this year with Steve (27) edging out Dan (25) for the honors. It is Steve’s first time winning the award which John H has held a strangle-hold over the years.
Seth struggled in the bowl games . . . his 10-18 mark was third worst (Fellow rookie, Michelle, had the worst with a 8-19 record and our defending champion, Ed had a 9-19 record). But, Seth did manage to hold onto his commanding lead for NHASED’s Rookie of the Year. Look for Seth to suffer a devastating sophomore slump in 2005.
The Bill Perry Doormat Award was not close this year. Eric W broke the all-time NHASED record for futility in a season and won by a landslide. His 10-17 record in the bowl week and losing his drop week early in the season did not help him. It was Eric’s first time winning the doormat, but will not be his last.
Not considering the drop week, the final top five in the standings were: Brian T, Brian W, Matt, Anne Elizabeth and John H.
We welcomed three rookies this year who participated diligently each week and though none of them tasted victory, they each have potential to make an impact in future seasons.
Next year, of course, will be the 10th anniversary of NHASED. Many special events are planned including, but not limited to, a trip to Clemson, a possible return trip to Jacksonville for the ACC Championship game, and (in my dreams) finally the National Championship game (Tempe or Pasadena?).
Thanks to all for making this another exciting season of watching college football and a great season for NHASED!
April 19, 2004
Recap of the 8th Annual NHASED Crete Presentation & General Convention
I would like to take this time to thank everyone involved in NHASED’s 8th Annual Crete Presentation and General Convention weekend. Kudos for another successful event! Thanks especially to the Dugans who planned and hosted many of the events and opened their house to the group. Thanks also to the Braggs who hosted us on Friday night, the Heils and Perrys for helping with activity equipment, specialty sausages, condiments, sides and grilling implements.
For those who weren’t able to make it this year, it was another action-packed, fun, weekend-full of activities. And, the weather in Atlanta was perfect for such a weekend. NHASED-night at the Braves went very well. Thanks to NHASED’s support, the Bravos got the weekend sweep started on Friday night. We managed to score Terrace Level seats behind home plate for $15 apiece. It was noticed that they have taken our bringing the warchant to Atlanta one step further. Now, they use the marching chiefs CD for the rally-starter instead of the organ. This is obviously much better, but hopefully the Chiefs receive royalties. Of course, Dan, Ed and I don’t, so why should they?!
The picnic on Saturday at a local Conyers park was very pleasant and enjoyed by all. Ed picked out a great park, complete with a large playground area for the kids to enjoy, and plenty of shade trees for the adults to relax and drink various cold beverages. After struggling mightily in the exhibition game, the team of Steve and Andrew dominated the Croquet Championships this year. The group also enjoyed playing t-ball, swatting tennis balls for Harper to fetch, and generally hanging out on a perfect day.
We returned to the Dugan household for the Crete Presentation. Winners were acknowledged in the following categories:
Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy: Bill K
Bill Perry Doormat Award: Kevin
Rookie of the Year: Eric R
Crete: Ed
Ed was presented with a certificate of accomplishment for his efforts. Then, he was awarded NHASED’s coveted trophy followed by a photo session and speech by our champion. I hope to have some photos on the web page later this week. The Crete, holed up in the Heil basement for a year, still looked great in its glory, but remained unchanged from last year. This is understandable of course, as our outgoing champion, John P, lives in DC. Ed vowed to remedy that and plans are already in the works for decoration and displaying.
Following the ceremony, the convention was brought to order by the commissioner. The two items brought up for discussion were the Premier League and enrollment caps. The anticipated lively discussion ensued. Upon reflection, the commissioner is considering tabling both issues until next year’s convention. We have only had one new member nomination thus far this season, so the enrollment will certainly not spiral this year. The Premier League idea, though brilliant, can also wait another year. If anyone adamantly disagrees with this decision, let me know, and I will attempt to work out some sort of ballot. Otherwise, we can leave well enough alone. This is not to say that Michelle can be our only nomination for new member status. Anyone in good status is still free to nominate new members, and they will be voted on in late July as normal.
In what has become tradition at NHASED weekends, the day was capped off by a lively, middle-stakes poker game. Mary was the big winner at the end of the night.
I am already looking forward to next year’s Crete Presentation and General Convention, when I will finally get to award myself the certificate and Crete!
March 8, 2004
Karen resigns as NHASED's Event Coordinator
For immediate release:
Regrettably, Karen has resigned her post as NHASED’s Event Coordinator (see notice at the bottom of this email). With our Crete Presentation and General Convention on the horizon, her resignation couldn’t have come at a worse time. However, on behalf of NHASED, I must commend Karen on a job well done, and wish her luck in all future endeavors. She will resume her normal duties within NHASED as spouse of a former two-time champion.
I would like to officially nominate Mary as our Interim Event Coordinator. Mary, who is married to our current champion and lives at the exact address where the Crete is tentatively set to change hands, is completely capable of planning and participating in a party. If she accepts the nomination, her tenure can begin immediately and she can start planning the weekend … which will consist firstly and foremostly of figuring out which weekend is best for the majority of members who want to attend. Second priority will be to estimate how much beer will need to be bought. On second thought, make those priorities 1 and 1a.
On the agenda for the 2004 Convention:
1: Debate and structuring of the Premier league proposal
2: Potential withdrawal and redirection of all sponsorship money from Buckshot Jones and Jerry Nadeau to Greg Biffle …whose name sounds a lot like Wiffle Ball and who drives #16, which is a good number for FSU QB’s past and present.
3: Any new member nominations
4: Open floor
Karen’s letter of resignation:
Dear Fellow NHASED members,
I am writing to tell you that I have made a very difficult, personal decision today to step down as NHASED's Event Coordinator in order to dedicate my attention to certain family matters.
In this situation, we are very fortunate to have such a capable leader in "Person to be named later" who is ready and able to step into the Events Coordinator role. It is my pleasure to inform you that the Board of Directors has appointed "Person to be named later" to the position of Events Coordinator and elected him to the Board effective March 8, 2004. "Person to be named later's" outstanding track record with NHASED and the progress he has already made in positioning the entire organization to grow revenue and achieve operational excellence make him the ideal candidate to lead NHASED going forward. I will continue to support "Person to be named later" and the company as non-executive chairman of the Board of Directors.
Since I joined NHASED in 2000, I have devoted my full energy and determination to realizing our common goals for the organization and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together. We guided NHASED's return to profitability following the spin-off from NHASED Now Including Idaho and Costa Rica. We developed a strategic vision that continues to guide our execution today, including implementing the upset special, refining our web access solution and removing the ridiculous "Push" option.
We all know that our common vision is not yet fully realized. It is with regret that I leave the Events Coordinator position before my work is finished.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to all of you for your hard work and dedication to NHASED. I am looking forward to seeing our continued progress under "Person to be named later's" leadership as Events Coordinator of the company.
Sincerely,
Karen
January 5, 2004
Ed shatters record book, wins his first Crete
In a season for the ages, Ed held off a grueling challenge from our 2000 Crete Champion, Bill K, to win his first ever championship. Ed finished with a 192-119 record, a 61.7 winning percentage! Even if you put his drop week back in, and stripped away his bonus points, Ed won 42 more games than he lost, and could have done quite well for himself in Vegas. The 61.7% winning percentage easily eclipsed Bill P’s 58.9% record mark that he miraculously achieved while winning the 2001 Crete. Ed also set a record for the best record without considering the drop week (59.9%), beating Dan’s record of 56.9% set in 1997.
For his accomplishment, Ed is now our official college football guru. Any opinion that he offers about our beloved sport is considered fact. He will enjoy the bragging rights and complete envy of NHASED for the period of one year … an extra day of bragging this leap year! Ed will receive the winner’s bounty, which is over 1 million email dollars again this year. He will receive a winner’s t-shirt and certificate of accomplishment. But most importantly, Ed will hold possession of our coveted Crete during the next college football season. He will no doubt proudly display the award in a place of prominence in his household (pending Mary’s approval), and may decorate the award as he desires before he relinquishes it to me at this time next year.
Congratulations to Ed!
Bill K put up a valiant effort his season, and will finish in second place. His 60.6% would have been good enough to win any prior NHASED season except 1996 when we didn’t consider the point spreads. Bill will increase his lead in the career NHASED winning percentage standings. Jeff, in only his second season, finished in third place and could have been in the running with Ed and Bill had he not missed the 2nd week of the season. This cost him his drop week and made it nearly impossible to win the Crete. With an impressive showing in the bowl week, Steve took home 4th place honors in 2003. The top four finishers all beat NHASED previous best record. Marti H finished in 5th place this season after 2 years of placing in the bottom 3rd of the final standings. If you are keeping score, that’s 3 Atlantans in the top five and 2 Tallahasseans. No other cities were represented.
For the bowl week, our outgoing champion, John P, proved he still has a flicker of handicapping brilliance. He won with a 21-9 record. Steve (19-11), Nancy (18-11), Ed (17-11) and Dan (18-12) also did well. Bill P, Brian H and Kevin could only manage to pick 33.3% of their bowl games correctly (10-20). Brian H will take home the weekly doormat as he somehow thought that LSU/OU would combine for 57 points.
Bill K and Ed also battled for the Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy in 2003. Actually, Bill K’s 27 total bonus points handily beat Ed, Nancy, Mike and Jeff, who had 24 points each. It was Bill’s first Bonus Point trophy in his 4-year career.
The Bill Perry Doormat Award was dominated this year by our resident Croc, Kevin. He beat out our resident Domer, Eric W (who was ineligible anyway for missing two weeks), and our resident Rocky Topper, Anne Elizabeth for the dubious award. It was Kevin’s first Doormat award in his 2-year stint with NHASED.
The Rookie of the Year award goes to Eric R, who finished just out of the top 5, and four games ahead of our other rookie, Brian W. Both did quite well considering their status. I’m sure that both will suffer sophomore slumps next year and finish near the bottom.
The Woman of the Year goes to Nancy for the 2nd consecutive season. More importantly for her, she beat her husband in the final Crete Standings. Of course, there weren’t many of us whom she didn’t beat.
Thanks to all for another great season! The college football year was exciting once again, despite the Noles losing twice to the hated Canes. FSU did improve over last season … winning the vastly improved ACC, beating our arch-rivals and finishing the year in the top 10 in one poll (11 in the other), so it’s all good. I expect that we will be near the top 5 when the preseason polls are released for 2004. But, next year will be another difficult one with the revamped ACC schedule. NHASED’s 9th season should be fun.
It looks like NHASED’s Crete Presentation and General Convention should be held in Atlanta once again. I’d like to shoot for the spring, possibly around a homestand for the Bravos. That way, we can have our 2nd annual NHASED night at the Braves (which replaced the NHASED Open golf tournament last year). At the Ted this year, there will be about a 50% chance that JD Drew will be healthy enough to be in right field. The specific weekend should ultimately be determined by outgoing and incoming champions and any out-of-towners who wish to attend. We can leave the planning to our very capable event coordinator, Karen. Hopefully we can have good attendance again this year for the picnic and ceremony.
Word is that the commissioner plans to bring up the topic of capping a Premier league at 25 members and have the rest compete in a feeder league for the opportunity to move up to challenge for the Crete. A healthy debate should ensue. Brian H suggested that we should raise the upset special limit during bowl week to 4 since we pick 28 games. Other topics are welcomed at the General Convention as well as nominations for any new members.
Happy New Year to all and how ‘bout them Noles!?!
April 30, 2003
Recap of the 7th Annual Crete Presentation & General Convention
NHASED’s Crete Presentation and General Convention, sponsored in part by
House of Heil Incorporated and the Dugan move to another part of Conyers
Project, was held in Atlanta Georgia this past weekend. Many thanks
to those who attended and to those Atlanta residents who hosted out-of-towners.
The weekend started on Friday when the Atlanta Braves hosted the Milwaukee
Brewers. It was father-child night for NHASED as Andrew, Dan and Brian
each took their eldest child to the ball park. We bought cheap $5 tickets
and were allowed to sit in $18 seats thanks to the generosity of the usher
of an empty section (go figure) in the right field bleachers. The Braves
fell thanks to a career night by Richie Sexson, who set the franchise record
for most total bases in a game (3 HRs, 1 double). However, a good time
at the ball yard was had by all.
On Saturday morning, it was rise and shine for NHASED as Dan, Steve and Andrew
drove to Conyers to help the Dugans move to another part of Conyers.
We were lavishly rewarded with 4 cases of various adult beverages for our
efforts. No backs were strained (severely) and no toes were crushed,
and we had the truck loaded, delivered, and unloaded in less than 3 hours.
We made it back to the House of Heil in time to eat, shower and make it to
the NHASED picnic just after 2 o’clock (Dan was delayed slightly by the unfortunate
occurrence of having a flat tire on the return from Conyers). The Taylors,
Bradys, Braggs, Heils, Perrys (including our champion, John), and the Dugans
secured a pavilion near the playground and began to picnic. Just as
we were settling in, we were uprooted by a group of 120 or so Atlanta yuppies
who had reserved the pavilion (and actually paid for it) for a company picnic.
We moved to another pavilion only to find that a group of Mexican-Americans
had reserved that spot for a 1-year-old’s birthday party (the upside is that
we learned the correct way to hoist a piñata). That group was
nice enough to let us remove the abandoned grill and relocate it to a group
of nearby picnic tables. We were finally settled and had an enjoyable time.
Brian T, through absolute brilliant play, won the 2003 NHASED Croquet Championship.
We all pitched in to grill various meats, and Dan (in a close, disputed battle)
was unofficially crowned as the NHASED’s gorger of the day. Our champion,
John, took on the locals in a pick-up basketball game. The kids had
a blast playing on the playground. And, we put a dent in the adult
beverage stash.
At 7 or so, we left to return to the House of Heil for the Crete Presentation.
A brief ceremony was held where Bill P was acknowledged as our 2001 Champion,
and his brother, John P as our 2002 champion. Bill unveiled the Crete
and pictures were taken for posterity. The Crete was decorated patriotically
and festively. Bill K had cemented an American Flag into its base,
and Bill P followed by affixing Christmas lights around our coveted trophy.
Pictures of Crete and its champions are now available on www.nhased.com (click
on photos of the Crete).
Afterwards, the women took a field trip to Kohl’s for power shopping while
the men (+Mary) babysat kids, nursed adult beverages, and ultimately played
poker (or played ultimate poker). No new business was motioned, and
no new members were nominated. However, either can be accepted via
email until mid-July or so.
All-in-all, it was a successful and enjoyable weekend, and the commissioner’s
office expresses deep gratitude to those who brought it together. The
Crete will be on display at the House of Heil until our champion can secure
a big enough truck to take it to our nation’s capital. Next year, bank
on the Crete making its return to Tallahassee as the commissioner himself
is the early favorite for 2003 championship.
January 4, 2003
John P comes from 2 games down to win the 2002 Crete!
John P overcame a 2 game deficit at the start of the bowl season to
claim the 2002 Crete Championship over Tom, who impressed as a rookie.
With the win, John receives the usual email dollars, the envy of NHASED,
and bragging rights for the next year. He will be referred to as
"NHASED's College Football Guru" in all social settings. He will also
receive the Crete trophy and a champion's t-shirt at the Crete
Presentation and General Convention, which will be held in the spring at
a place and time to be determined. Bill P, our outgoing champion, is
encouraged to decorate the Crete in a respectful manner before the
presentation.
Tom finished only a game out of first place, and was victimized by
picking his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes, who also had an impressive season
before choking in the bowls. But, Tom will take home NHASED's "Rookie
of the Year" award, and will be an early favorite in NHASED's 8th
season. He also accomplished his only announced goal of beating his
two
son-in-laws.
Dan won the bowl week, and made a serious run for his 3rd Crete ...
finishing in 3rd place overall. His 20-11 bowl record edged Andrew's
19-11, Derek's 18-12, John P's 17-12, and Jeff's 18-13.
Nancy finished in 4th place and earned the "Woman of the Year" award.
She edged John H by .01 percentage points in the final Crete standings.
In addition to his 5th place finish, John also won the Unnamed Bonus
Point Trophy for the 3rd time. His 23 bonus points tied Steve, but
John
had a better overall winning percentage to break the tie.
Eric S had a line on the Bill Perry Doormat Award from early on.
He had
a minor blip by winning the final regular season week, but finished
strong (weak) with an 11-20 bowl record to claim the dubious award.
Bill P, with a 9-21 bowl record, made a heroic effort to claim his
namesake award. But, no one in the history of NHASED has had a worse
bowl week than Mike. His 8-23 record (25.8%) topped Andrew's old record
of 7-20 (25.9%).
Bill P set a NHASED record with fewest bonus points in a season with 8.
He, along with Dan, held the old record of 9.
The final standings along with the bowl results have been posted to the
NHASED web page.
With a record 25 competitors and another down-to-the-wire finish, it was
a great year for NHASED. Congratulations to John for taking the Crete
north to our nation's capital, for what will certainly be a brief,
one-year visit. Hopefully, the Crete will be treated with the respect
it deserves after spending the past two years holed up in Bill K's
Atlanta basement.
Thanks to everyone for your enthusiasm again this year. Although
we did
have a few NHASEDers lose their drop week, no one was ruled ineligible
for missing more than one week. We had 25 people submitting 20 picks
for 15 weeks, and there were only a few hiccups. With 6 rookies and
more than a couple of rule changes, this was no easy feat.
We'll crank it up again next August. Before then, we'll try to work
with our incoming and outgoing champions to set a time and date for the
Crete Presentation. It looks like Atlanta may be the place to hold
it,
though that didn't work out too well last year. John may need to
procure a large vehicle for transport.
August 12, 2002
NHASED kicks off its 7th season!
The National Handicapper's Association - Southeast Division (NHASED) welcomes
you to the 7th season of college football
prognosticating at its highest level!
The commissioner's office has been bustling with excitement during the
off season and it looks like we're in for our best year ever.
We will have as many as 25 participants in 2002, easily beating our previous
record of 18. College football will have an extra week
to shake things up some more. Add in a couple of rule changes and some
Crete controversy, and you can't help but to get
ffffffiiiiiiiireeeeeeeeedddddd up for some fewbawl!
First, let me announce the results of the new member and rule change election,
voted on by our returning members. We had 15 of 18
members cast votes this year. Hopefully, Nancy, Derek and John P plan
to continue in NHASED despite choosing not to vote.
These three can let us know of their intentions by picking (or not) the exhibition
games.
The 6 new members and our one returning member were all voted in by unanimous
decision. There were only a few abstentions.
Jamie Gillen, Eric Watson, Tom Wagner, Kevin Espy, Jeff Cameron and Matt
Millar will vie for the Rookie of the Year Award in
2002. Eric Sellers is welcomed back to NHASED after a 1 year hiatus.
I strongly encorage each new member to read through the
Rules of NHASED and familiarize yourselves with the NHASED web site.
The "lock of the week" was passed by a 7-5-3 (7 yeas, 5 nays, 3 abstained)
vote. Please refer to the NHASED rules for a
description. Ask me if you still don't understand.
The split into 2 divisions was voted down by a 5-10-0 vote.
The "no push" was voted in by a 11-1-4 tally (this action will prove irrelevant
based on later issue). We'll remove the push as an
option from the games list.
Changing the limits of the bonus point system was voted in by a 11-1-3
margin. Please refer to the rules for a description and the
new limits.
Altering the point spreads to eliminate pushes was passed by a 7-6-2 margin.
All lines will now have the suffix of 1/2. Upset
specials and locks of the week will still be decided on the original odds.
See the rules page for a more detailed description.
Anchoring the Crete in the city of Tallahassee was voted down by a 6-7-2
margin. The Crete will continue to travel to the front door
step of the winner, regardless of their city of residence.
Each of the new rules are spelled out in much greater detail on the Rules
of NHASED page.
NHASED will again hold a one week exhibition. This gives the new
members an opportunity to become acclimated to our rules and
for the returning players to be refreshed. The exhibition week will
not count towards the final standings. Nearly every rookie has
made at least one mistake with the upset special, and I'm sure some mistakes
will be made using the new lock of the week. If you're
not sure about a rule, ask me. This goes for returning players as well.
Your chances for the Crete are greatly hampered if you don't
understand the nuances of the rules.
The games will continue to be released on Monday mornings. You will
have until Friday at noon to submit your picks. Everyone's
picks will be put on the web Friday afternoon in .pdf (Adobe) format (sorry,
no html this year ... too much trouble). Usually, the
weekly results and updated standings are posted to the web on Sunday.
The above schedule is slightly different for the exhibition week and week
1 due to our family vacation (culminating in Kansas City on
the 24th ... come on now!). Exhibition games are due this Sunday, August
18 at noon. I'll post the picks to the web at that time. It'll
probably be Monday night (8/26) or Tuesday morning (8/27) when the games
for week 1 are posted. The exhibition results will also
be available at that time.
Refer to the NHASED record book to see the records which are in jeopardy
this year. With the new members and stiffer
competition, Brian T and Tony stand a good chance of breaking Dan's record
for most consecutive weeks without a victory (53).
Andrew and John will have to fight to keep their streak of 6 seasons with
at least one weekly win. Dan, however, does have the
most Crete victories (2). John H has the most Unnamed Bonus Point trophies
(2). Bill P, our current Crete holder, holds the record
for the most Doormat Awards (3).
2001 award winners:
Crete - Bill P. (NHASED single season record of best winning percentage -
58.9%, completed an amazing worst to first story, then
lost the Crete in our former champion's basement)
Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy - Derek (NHASED single season record of 31 bonus
points. Where is he? He was last seen leaving
the FSU/NC State baseball game on April 27)
Doormat Award - Marty S (can't blame him for finishing last ... doesn't even
get an extended summer vacation to prepare for the
season)
Rookie of the Year - Marti H (scared our only other rookie in 2001 so bad,
he quit mid-season)
Residence of NHASED Members (to the best of my knowledge):
Tallahassee (10)
Atlanta (7)
Tampa (3)
Lexington, KY (2)
Miami (1)
Washington DC (1)
Panama City (1)
There will be an informal NHASED general convention the weekend of the
Virginia game. Times and locations to be discussed.
However, the rules have been passed and the Crete is stuck in an Atlanta basement,
so it will probably be more of a NHASED
post-game party or something.
This Years Officers:
President & Commissioner -- Andrew
Vice President -- Brian T
Secretary -- Brian T
Treasurer -- Bill P.
Sergeant of Arms -- Mike
Event Coordinator/Consultant -- Karen
Click here to go to the NHASED Home Page
Click here to go to this week's games.
I advise everyone to bookmark the NHASED home page. Funding ran out
for the www.nhased.com domain, so it has been
disabled. However, you can still get to the NHASED page by going to
www.bradybunch.cc if you are away from your bookmarks.
Also, please let me know if the email address that you received this message
is NOT the one your prefer to use for NHASED
business. It's not a bad idea to create your own email list for NHASED
members. That way, if you want to do a little trash-talking,
everyone's email address is at your fingertips. However, I will continue
to maintain the "email all members" list on the NHASED
home page. Or you can always "reply to all" from this message.
January 4, 2002
Bill P sets a record en route to the 2001 Championship
Bill P withstood a late surge by NHASED's commissioner to win the 2001
Crete Trophy. Bill won 2 of the first 4 weeks of NHASED's 6th season,
and stayed at or near the top for the entire season. His third win
in
week 11 propelled him to the top for good. Andrew won the final two
weeks to seriously challenge the 3-time doormat award winner, but Bill's
records for those two weeks were also good, and just enough to hold on.
Bill is the second NHASEDer to go from worst to first in the 6 year
history of the league. Mike won the 1997 doormat, then the 1998 Crete.
Andrew claimed the final two weeks of the season with records of 16-6
and 17-9 (shy of Brian T's record 17-5 bowl mark), but Bill countered
with records of 14-7 and 16-10. The fierce battle between the two
veterans inspired both to beat the all-time best season record set by
Bill K last year. Bill P's 58.87% record will now go into the books
as
the modern record.
With his first ever Crete win, Bill earned the respect and envy of all
NHASEDers. Two million e-mail dollars will be credited to his account.
At this year's Crete Presentation & General Convention (likely held in
Atlanta considering the residence of the two principals), he will be
given a 2001 NHASED Champion T-shirt & an Official Certificate of
Achievement. But, most importantly, he has earned the right to be the
keeper of the Crete for the upcoming year. Bill K, our outgoing
champion, is encouraged to decorate the Crete & to present the trophy
to
Bill at the Presentation Ceremony (date and time to be determined as
discussed later in this email).
This year's top five finishers:
Bill P
Andrew
Derek
Bill K
Steve
Despite not winning a week, Bill K was impressive in his defense of the
Crete. He was an honorable champion, and we look forward to his
challenge next year.
Derek set an all-time record in winning the Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy.
His 31 bonus points on the season ousted the previous record by 7, and
set the bar to a nearly insurmountable level. Steve (28) and Brian
T
(24) also equaled or bettered the previous record held by Tony. This
season was so upset-filled that the top three upsets picked by NHASED
each week yielded 26 bonus points.
Marty S will take home the 2001 Bill Perry Doormat Award (which I
suggest we rename each year to reflect the previous winner - e.g. the
2001 award would be the Bill Perry Doormat Award ... the 2002 award
would be the Marty Sloan Doormat Award, etc.). Marty beat out Eric
to
complete his two year freefall from the Crete championship in 1999.
Anne Elizabeth wins the 2001 Woman of the Year for the second
consecutive year. NHASED recruiters need to muster up some new
challengers for this award next season. Anne Elizabeth won the title
despite finishing in 13th place.
But, if you think that award is undeserved ... Marti H won the rookie of
the year award despite finishing in 16th (out of 18) place. His only
other challenger, Ben, dropped out after finding only mild success.
Derek and Ed had good seasons in their return, but were ineligible for
the rookie of the year. We hope to have more rookies to challenge for
this award next season.
A few new records were set this year in NHASED. In addition to Bill
P
beating the all-time best season record, and Derek topping the season
bonus point mark ... Tony (twice) and Andrew hit 5 bonus points in a
single week to tie the record set by John H in 2000. Also, John H and
Andrew extended their record to 6 seasons with at least one weekly
victory.
As for futility, Dan won in week 12 to end his streak of (at least) 53
weeks without a win. Brian T and Tony hold active streaks of (at least)
42 weeks. Those who were skunked this year are: 1 year - Bill
K, Anne
Elizabeth, Nancy, Eric; 2 years - John P, Marty S; 3 years - Tony, Brian
T.
The top five bowl records:
Andrew: 17-9
Bill P: 16-10
John P: 15-10
Steve: 17-12
Derek 15-11
The top five finishers with no drop week considered:
Bill P
Derek
Andrew
Tony
Steve
The complete standings are now on the NHASED web page, as well as the
results of the bowl games and the weekly detail. All weeks' results
will be held in an archive for future reference.
The date, time, and place for the 6th Annual Crete Presentation &
General Convention will be determined later. The presentation is
usually held in March or April to give the outgoing champion ample time
to decorate the trophy. I suggest that Bill K and Bill P work together
to recommend a date that they are available, and we can discuss from
there. Remember to include our event coordinator, Karen, in all
discussion and planning.
Thanks to all for participating this year. Though the season wasn't
the
greatest for our beloved Noles, NHASED was just as challenging and
enjoyable as ever. Nominations for new members for the 2002 season can
be made anytime between now & early August. A vote will be held
subsequently. I look forward (and plan on getting over that elusive
hump) to NHASED's 7th season next fall.
August 17, 2001
NHASED kicks off 6th Season!
I'm pleased to announce the start of a new season for NHASED.
The college football landscape is wide open this year, and
consequently we could be in for the most competitive NHASED season in our
history! This year, we have a new logo, a new web
appearance, a more automated - thus more accurate tracking spreadsheet (internal
use only), and four new players! Well ... actually
only two new players ... Derek and Ed are making their much ballyhooed return.
But, I'm happy to welcome the four, who were all
voted in by wide margins.
Marti Harkness and Ben Hood are our new members for 2001. They will
compete for the Rookie of the Year award this season.
Each will try to duplicate Bill Kebba's unimaginable accomplishment last
year ... winning the Crete as a rookie!
But, they will have competition. In fact, we could have as many as
22 players competing for the coveted Crete in 2001*
As we do each year, we'll have a one week exhibition schedule. These
games won't count, but will allow returning members to
re-familiarize themselves with the procedure, and new members to learn it.
Please refer to the NHASED rules before you proceed to the Games Page.
If you have any questions about the rules, please let me
know. It is very important that you understand the upset special, the
push, the tiebreaker, and all other NHASED specific
handicapping rules. It could cost you a chance at the Crete if you
don't understand all rules. The exhibition week will consist of
seven games and one upset special. The regular season will consist of
20 games and 3 upsets per week. The bowl week will consist
of 25 games and 3 upsets.
The odds will again be taken from the USAToday Vegas Odds page, and copied
onto the NHASED Odds page. Please use the
NHASED page as your source for picking upset specials.
I will post each week's games on Monday mornings. All picks are due
by Friday at noon, but I prefer them by Thursday night. I will
try to post all picks on the web page sometime Friday. Late picks due
to extenuating circumstances are allowed on occasion.
The most important rule: You are not eligible to win the Crete if
you miss more than one week. You must also participate in the
bowl games. Members who have perfect attendance may drop their worst
week.
Check the e-mail address that I'm sending this message to. If you
prefer a different address, let me know. Otherwise, please use this
list-serve for any banter among members.
One the line this year:
Of course, the coveted Crete.
Bill K will try to defend the Crete. Last year, Bill finished with
a 57.45% winning percentage with 3 weekly victories. He also won
the Rookie of the Year Award.
John H will try to defend the Unnamed Bonus Point Award. John finished
with 22 bonus points in 2000 ... three better than his
nearest competitor.
Bill Perry will try to defend the Bill Perry Doormat Award. Bill is
a three-time winner of the dubious award. However, he does still
hold the all-time one-week best record.
Marti H and Ben will vie for the 2001 Rookie of the Year Award.
Nancy, Tracy, Anne Elizabeth, and Debbie* will again compete for the Woman
of the Year Award. Last year, Anne Elizabeth ran
away with this honor. In fact, had there been no drop week, she would
be the holder of the Crete right now.
All Time bonus point record is 24, held by Tony.
Most weekly wins in a season is 4, held by Steve (twice) & Andrew.
All time weekly best record (Bill, 21-3, 87.5%)
All time weekly worst record (Tony, 3-16, 15.8%)
All time season best record** (Bill K, 162-120, 57.5%)
All time season best record - no drop week (Dan, 170-129, 56.9%)
All time season worst record (Dan, 123-145, 45.9%)
All time most Crete victories - 2 (Dan, 1996 & 1997)
The following NHASEDers are skunk award winners from last year (zero weekly
wins):
Eric S, Bill P, John P, Tracy, Tony, Marty S, Mike, Brian T, and Dan
The following NHASEDers are two time skunk award winners (zero weekly wins
in two years):
Dan, Brian T, Tracy, Tony, and Eric S
The following NHASEDers are three time skunk award winners (zero weekly wins
in three years):
Dan
**modern day record (we can't compare with the first year of NHASED where
we didn't pick against the spread).
This Years Officers:
President & Commissioner -- Andrew
Vice President -- Brian T
Secretary -- Brian T
Treasurer -- Bill P.
Sergeant of Arms -- Mike
Event Coordinator/Consultant -- Karen
NHASED Web Pages:
http://www.nhased.com
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/NHASED/
Click on 2001 Exhibition Games from the main page to fill out the form
for the exhibition games. There is a Thursday night game
included on the exhibition game slate. Therefore, picks are due by
kickoff of this game.
Good luck to all, and Go Noles!
Andrew
* Debbie is a question mark this year. I think she must have changed
jobs as her email address is no longer valid. However, she is
welcome to play if she shows up for competition.
April 2, 2001
Recap of the 5th Annual Crete Presentation & General Convention:
The Commissioner would like to thank the following NHASED members &
their families for helping to make the 5th Annual Crete Presentation &
General Convention a success: Andrew, Bill K, Dan, Bill P, Brian T,
Nancy, Mike, Brian H, & Anne Elizabeth. We especially appreciate
the
sacrifices that Bill K, Dan, Bill P and their families made by driving
from Atlanta to attend the festivities.
The weekend began with an informal welcoming ceremony at NHASED
Headquarters (the Taylor's front porch) on Friday night. NHASED members
caught up with each other's life, and we discussed Seminole sports, the
geekiness of Fantasy Baseball, automobiles taking over the planet, &
bluegrass music among many other topics.
On Saturday morning & early afternoon, the members were allowed free
time for individual activities. Andrew, Dan, Mike, Bill P, & Bill
K got
together to play in the 1st ever NHASED Invitational golf tournament.
The format was best ball with Andrew & Dan on one team, Bill P &
Bill K
on another, & Mike forming his own team. Andrew & Dan's bogey
golf was
good enough to win the tournament, and each was awarded a trophy later
in the evening. Other NHASED members & families used the free time
by
going shopping in town. Still other members were among the estimated
300,000 at the Springtime Tallahassee parade.
At around 4 o'clock, NHASED held a picnic at the Municipal Code
Corporation park. It was a perfect day for a picnic, and a good time
was had by all. A championship caliber croquet match entertained some
members, while others played with the children and/or visited. A slide
& children's picnic table were brought by Brian & Anne Elizabeth H
that
the children (Olivia, Peyton, Phillip, & Jackson) thoroughly enjoyed.
After the extended croquet match ended, Brian H & Dan & others cooked
hamburgers & hot dogs for the group. After enjoying the meal, a
couple
of members left to attend the FSU/Wake Forest baseball game at Dick
Howser Stadium. A few other members were able to squeeze a game of
horseshoes before darkness began to fall. We tidied up the park, and
headed to NHASED Headquarters.
At NHASED Headquarters, some watched the Duke/Maryland basketball game,
and the FSU/Wake Forest baseball game. The children were bathed, and
enjoyed watching movies and playing with toys before bedtime. We all
relaxed and drank NHASED's official beverage (quite extensively for some
of us). After the group returned from the baseball game, the Official
Crete Presentation began. First, the winners of the NHASED Invitational
golf tournament were awarded trophies. Then, Dan passed the Bill Perry
Doormat Award to Bill Perry. The trophy is a pink doormat with "NHASED
Loser" inscribed. The commissioner, Andrew, noted that Anne Elizabeth
won the "Woman of the Year", Bill K won the "Rookie of the Year", and
John H won the "Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy". What went unsaid at the
ceremony, but deserves mentioning was that Dan won the 1st ever
"NHASEDer of the Millennium" award. To crown the champion, Andrew first
presented Bill K a "Crete Champion" tee shirt that was made and shipped
by Steve for the event. The shirt has a picture of the Crete on the
front with the standings on the back. A certificate of achievement was
read and awarded to our new champion. Then the moment everyone was
waiting for arrived. Since our outgoing champion, Marty, was unable
to
attend, Brian T unveiled and passed the Crete to Bill K on Marty's
behalf. The Crete now has wheels for easy transport! Marty took
a
child's wagon, painted it to resemble an Appaloosa horse (Renegade), and
inserted the Crete into the seat. Many pictures were taken of the
winner with his trophy. The Crete Presentation ended and a good time
was had by all.
Then, all hell broke loose at the NHASED meeting. Partly because
the
commissioner (and nearly everyone else) was under the influence of
alcohol, partly because the secretary didn't take notes, and partly
because nothing really was accomplished ... I'm not sure if I can even
begin to recap the meeting. I do know that we discussed the location
of
next year's Crete Presentation, the agenda of future Crete Presentation
weekends, and the importance of having the former champion and the
current champion at the event. I'm not sure if any motions on rule
changes were even made at the meeting. Brian T did nominate Marty
Harkness as a potential new member for next year. That brings the count
to a possible 2 new members (Marty H & Ben) & 2 returning members
(Derek
& Ed). If everyone else plays next year, we'll have 22 members
competing for the Crete Championship of NHASED's 6th year!
Because I have no evidence of motions made at the meeting, and because
half of NHASED was unable to attend, I think it may be best to take any
official motions now for potential rule changes and/or changes to the
location/agenda for the Crete Presentation & General Convention.
I
hereby open the floor indefinitely for motions. After all motions are
made & discussed, I'll close the meeting and we'll hold an on-line vote.
Overall, the 5th Annual Crete Presentation & General Convention was
another rousing success! I would like to especially thank Brian &
Nancy
Taylor for once again being gracious hosts for all of the festivities.
You can view some pictures of the new Crete & the Crete Presentation
Ceremony on NHASED's web page:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/NHASED/
or
www.nhased.com
Andrew Brady
NHASED Commissioner
February 1, 2001
Date & Itinerary Announced for 5th Annual Crete Presentation
& General Convention
March 31 is the announced date for the Crete Presentation & General
Convention. The date has changed from the original schedule as it sounds
as if no one is really interested in attending the FSU spring football game,
and the Wake Forest baseball series will be less likely to sell out than
the Clemson series. This, though the Deacons have won two Atlantic Coast
Conference championships in the last three years!
The itinerary can remain the same with golf in the morning, a past champion's
luncheon in the afternoon, & exciting Seminole baseball that evening prior
to the much-anticipated event. It looks like the FSU/Wake game will
be televised on the Sunshine network, so those who don't want to attend in
person can watch on TV (maybe at NHASED Headquarters pending unanimous approval
by our Vice-President & League mom).
This plan is still subject to approval & possible vote by anyone who
wishes to attend ... specifically our past winner, present winner, hosts,
and other members, spouses, & children.
Please bring any pertinent topics for discussion to the General Convention,
which immediately follows the Crete Presentation. Also, nominations
for new members can be made anytime between now & the end of summer.
It looks like the Birmingham Thunderbolts will be the official team sponsored
by NHASED. Sponsorship dollars will be allocated from NHASED's unlimited
resources & sent directly to the club's front office. Please offer
your support this Sunday as the Bolts battle the Memphis Maniax in their
first home game. Tickets are still available to see SEC legend, Jerry
DiNardo, as he will lead Casey Weldon & company on the gridiron for this
historical event.
January 6, 2001
Bill K wins NHASED's 5th Season
NHASED's 5th season concluded on January 3rd with a rookie winning the
coveted Crete. Bill K, who battled near the top all season, picked
solidly in the bowl games to leap over Anne Elizabeth for the prize.
Anne Elizabeth was vying to be the first woman to win the Crete.
Instead, she'll finish in a respectable 2nd place. Nancy won the bowl
week with a 19-9 record, edging her husband, Brian, who had a 17-10
record. It was Nancy's second win of the season.
For winning the Crete, Bill K has earned the envy & respect of all
NHASED members. He has been awarded $2 million e-mail dollars.
At the
Crete Presentation & General Convention, he will be given a 2000 NHASED
Champion T-shirt & an Official Certificate of Achievement. But,
most
importantly, he has earned the right to be the keeper of the Crete for
the upcoming year. Marty, the outgoing champion, is encouraged to
decorate the Crete & to present the trophy to Bill at the Presentation
Ceremony.
In addition to being the 4th winner of NHASED, Bill was the first rookie
to win the award since Dan won in the inaugural NHASED season. Bill
is
the oldest rookie to win the award. He is also the first Atlanta
resident to be awarded the Crete (Dan won while living in Charlotte,
then moved along with the Crete to Atlanta). If Bill is able to string
together two more championships, he will be allowed to keep the Crete,
and NHASED will find a suitable replacement.
The 2000 Top Five
1. Bill K
2. Anne Elizabeth
3. Eric M
4. John H.
5. Dan
Other awards that will be presented at the NHASED Crete Presentation &
General Convention to be held at NHASED Headquarters:
Bill Perry Doormat Award - Bill Perry
Bill edged out his brother to receive the award currently held by Dan.
The Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy - John Hintz
John fell two short of the NHASED record, but used his 22 bonus points
to finish only 3.5 games out of first.
NHASEDer of the Millennium - Dan Bragg
With 2 previous championships & a 5th place finish this year, Dan
compensated for last year's doormat award. Competition for the next
millennium award begins in August.
Rookie of the Year - Bill Kebba
No question. Rumors of Bill P bringing in a ringer were found untrue
when an FBI investigation determined that Bill K was a Baccarat ringer,
not a football guru during his tenure in Vegas.
Woman of the Year - Anne Elizabeth Hall
Another no-brainer. Incredibly, Anne Elizabeth's drop week during the
regular season was a 10-11 record. She would have won the Crete had
the drop week rule not been implemented after our 2nd season.
Records:
Two records of futility were set this year. Tony set the single week
worst record with a 3-16 mark. Andrew set the worst bowl week record
-
7-20. Bill K set the mark for the highest final season winning
percentage with a 57.45% (Dan had a higher percentage in NHASED's first
season when we didn't pick against the spread). The mark for bonus
points (24 - Tony), number of wins (4 - Steve twice, & Andrew), and best
single week (21-3 - Bill P) remained intact.
Skunk Club:
Dan, Brian T, Mike, Marty, Tony, Tracy, John P, Bill P, & Eric S did
not
win a week, and became members of the skunk club this year.
The date for the 5th Annual Crete Presentation & General Convention
will
be determined later. As a proposal, I am looking at April 21, 2001.
FSU usually schedules the spring football game to coincide with the
FSU/Miami baseball series which is that weekend. We can discuss and/or
reschedule if needed. All NHASED members are invited to attend.
Bill K
will need to bring a powerful truck.
Thanks to all for participating this year. Each year, we get more
members and have more fun. Nominations for new members for the 2001
season can be made anytime between now & August. I look forward
to
cranking it up in 8 months.
August 21, 2000
NHASED continues to grow into the 21st century!
Using our new election process, three new members were elected into the
National Handicapper's Association - Southeast Division, Still Including
Oregon. Nominees were taken, then voted on by members in good
standing. All three (Debbie Spenner, John Perry, and Bill Kebba) were
voted in by wide margins. Unfortunately, Derek will not be able to
participate this season due to rainforest constraints. Still, our
membership should be a record 19 for the 2000 season. It might be 18,
depending on the status of our Oregon representative, Ed. He still
doesn't have e-mail that I'm aware of. Last year, he stumbled upon
the
page in the nick of time.
As we did last year, we'll have a one week exhibition schedule. These
games won't count, but will allow returning members to re-familiarize
themselves with the procedure, and new members to learn it. This year,
we have the option of choosing a "push" against the spread for 5 bonus
points. If you choose this option and lose, you'll simply lose the
game.
Please refer to the NHASED rules before you proceed to the Games Page.
The exhibition week will consist of five games and one upset special.
The regular season will consist of 20 games and 3 upsets per week (with
the exception of the bowl week). If you have any questions about the
rules, please let me know. Last year, a couple of the rookies were
unsure of the upset special rule. It could cost you a chance at the
Crete if you don't understand this rule.
The odds will again be taken from the USAToday page, and copied onto the
NHASED Odds page. Please use the NHASED page as your source for picking
upset specials.
I will post the week's game on Monday mornings. All picks are due
by
Friday at noon, but I prefer them by Thursday night. I will try to
post
all picks on the web page Friday morning. Late picks due to extenuating
circumstances are allowed on occasion.
The most important rule: You are not eligible to win the Crete if
you
miss more than one week. You must also participate in the bowl games.
Members who have perfect attendance may drop their worst week.
Check the e-mail address that I'm sending this message to. If you
prefer a different address, let me know. Otherwise, please use this
list-serve for any banter among members.
One the line this year:
Marty tries to defend the Crete. Remember, a new rule stipulates that
any three-time winner may keep the Crete forever.
A few members will compete for NHASEDer of the Millennium. Brian Hall
has already been awarded the NHASEDer of the century.
Tony tries to defend his Unnamed Bonus Point Award. He broke a NHASED
record last year with 24 bonus points.
Debbie, John P, and Bill K vie for the Rookie of the Year Award.
Dan will try not to defend his Bill Perry Doormat Award
Debbie, Nancy, Tracy, and Anne Elizabeth compete for the Woman of the
Year
All time best week, held by Bill with a 21-3 week.
And, most importantly ... The coveted Crete is on the line.
This Years Officers:
President & Commissioner -- Andrew
Vice President -- Brian T
Secretary -- Brian T
Treasurer -- Bill P.
Sergeant of Arms -- Mike
NHASED Web Pages:
www.nhased.com
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/NHASED/
Click on This Week's Games from the main page to fill out the form for
the exhibition games.
Good luck to all, and Go Noles!
April 3, 2000
Results of the NHASED ballot:
Item 1: 6 yeas, 3 nays -- predicting a push will be allowed next
year
(instructions will be provided)
Item 2: 6 yeas, 3 nays -- you can continue to hedge your pick
Item 3: 7 yeas, 2 nays -- any new members will have to be voted in
Item 4: 9 yeas -- 3 time Crete winner keeps the trophy (only two more
times, Tara!)
Item 5: 2 yeas, 7 nays -- the games will continue to be picked in the
same manner
Item 6: 9 yeas -- HQ will remain on the Taylor's front porch
March 29, 2000
NHASED Message Board Up and Running
The NHASED message board that was proposed at the Crete Presentation and
General Convention is up and running. This may be the new forum for
meaningless banter.
You can go directly to the board:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/~abrady/dcboard.cgi?az=list&forum=DCForumID1&conf=conference
or link there from my NEW BradyBunch.cc message boards main page:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/~abrady/dcboard.cgi
I also put a link on nhased.com.
I need testers, so go check it out. Let me know of any problems that
you have. I haven't tested in Explorer yet ... I assume it works using
that browser.
March 27, 2000
Recap of the NHASED Crete Presentation & General Convention.
NHASED held its annual Crete Presentation & General Convention at the
NHASED headquarters on Saturday, March 25th, 2000. Eleven of NHASED's
17 members were present.
The evening was very festive, as the Presentation & Convention were
held
after Dan & Karen's baby shower. The food was delicious, and the
beer
went down easy.
The presentation began with some non-NHASED business. Dan was given
two
six packs of FSU National Championship Coke bottles (one for him, one
for Steve). Unfortunately, only 11 of the 12 bottles survived the
evening.
Eric was recognized as NHASED's rookie of the year, and Brian H was
named the NHASEDer of the decade/century. The fight for NHASEDer of
the
millenium will be determined after next season.
The Bill Perry Doormat Award was presented to Dan, who was the award's
first ever recipient. Dan was given a pink doormat with "NHASED LOSER"
inscribed along with the award name.
Tony was recognized as the first recipient of the still Unnamed Bonus
Point Award. Tony wasn't able to attend, but the award was recognized
in his honor.
Then the highlight of the evening came when Marty was presented with the
Crete. First, Marty was given the official Crete Winner T-shirt.
He
and the commissioner (who wore the traditional commissioner's shirt)
posed for pictures. The commissioner presented Marty with a certificate
officially naming him as our champion. Then, our outgoing champion,
Mike, unveiled the Crete. The Crete was painted garnet & gold,
and
commemorated Florida State's two national championships. The items
that
Dan had cemented into the Crete were left untouched along with the
broken chip of concrete. The Crete was so professionally done that
Tara
happily agreed to let the Crete be prominently displayed on their deck
(like she had a choice!). Plenty of pictures were taken, and hopefully
these will be added to the NHASED web site soon.
The rest of the evening was dedicated to discussion and motions
concerning the NHASED by-laws. Many topics were discussed, and meeting
was well organized and civil (mostly). Members were recognized, and
took the floor to make suggestions. Six items made the ballot for all
members to vote on this week. Another 2 items were suggested, but will
be tabled. In addition, officer elections are included in the ballot.
Please review the items for vote (located below) before continuing to
the official ballot.
The ballot is located here:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/NHASED/Ballot.htm
There is also a link from bradybunch.cc.
Item 1: Predicting a push allowed --- 5 bonus points awarded
A motion to allow NHASED members to predict a push in any game (not
upset specials). The award if the game is a push is 5 points.
The
penalty if the game isn't a push is a regular loss.
Item 2: Hedging your pick allowed
Hedging your pick happens when a member picks one way on the spread of
the game, but the opposite on the upset special. For example, Florida
State is favored to beat Florida by 3. A member picks FSU to cover
the
spread, but takes Florida as an upset special. A motion was made to
disallow this strategy.
Item 3: New Members voted in
A motion was made to have any potential members voted in before they may
compete for the Crete.
Item 4: Three time winners keep the Crete
A motion was made to retire the current Crete to any member who wins
three consecutive seasons. A new Crete would take its place the
following season.
Item 5: Change the way games are chosen
A motion was made to change the current way games are picked for the
weekly contest. If this motion passes, a new ballot will be made for
the various ways that have been suggested. The method that current
games are chosen is the following:
1) two top twenty five teams are involved 2) other marquee games 3) ACC
league games 4) SEC league games
Item 6: Headquarters to remain on Taylor's Front Porch
Headquarters have unofficially been located on the Taylor's front
porch. I guess this motion was made to make it official.
The two items that will be tabled are:
1) If you don't pay your fees, you don't play. Note that the
annual
fees are one dollar per member per year payable to Bill Perry. I think
all members who attended paid Bill for last year, and most paid him for
the upcoming year. Those who haven't paid should send Bill a check
for
the dues owed (You can prepay for years to come if you like). Since
I
don't have Bill's address here at work, I suggest emailing him. Or
Bill
can post his address and who owes what if that's easier.
2) Should the winner not be able to pick up the Crete, the board
members will decorate it for the next year. (I think we should wait
until this bill is necessary before adopting it into a by-law. If it's
June or July, and the Crete winner still hasn't claimed the award, the
rest of the members can vote at that time what should be done).
Officer nominations:
Only one member was nominated for each position. You can write in a
vote if you choose.
President -- Andrew
Vice President -- Brian T
Secretary -- Brian T
Treasurer -- Bill
Sergeant of Arms -- Mike
Please place your vote using the ballot at the address given above.
I
tried to refrain from making personal opinions on these issues on this
email, but I wouldn't object to members lobbying for certain issues for
the benefit of those who didn't attend. I'll happily respond with my
opinion.
I hope that the ballot accurately reflects the motions and discussion.
Mike, our outgoing secretary took good minutes of the meeting, but the
commissioner had several beers and it is possible that I forgot
something.
All ballots are due by Friday, March 31, 2000 at 5pm. Only members
from
last year (1999) are eligible to cast ballots.
January 6th, 2000
Marty wins NHASED's 4th Season
After the hangovers have subsided, and life begins to return to normal,
I'd like to reflect on the glorious football season behind us. I
apologize for not having any sappy music to play in the background.
Congratulations again to Marty for winning his first ever Crete.
The
Crete, having been decorated by our gracious outgoing champion and
current sargeant-of-arms, Mike, will be presented to Mr. Sloan at the
Crete Presentation & General Convention to be held at a time and date
to
be determined later. Marty has earned the respect and envy of
all
NHASED members & will receive 2 million email dollars. He will
have
undisputed bragging rights for the year. A NHASED 1999 Champion t-shirt
& certificate of achievement will be also be awarded to him. I'm
sure
Tara & Marty will have some serious discussions on where the Crete will
be displayed in their new domicile.
What a great football season! Not only did the beloved Seminoles
win
the national championship with a perfect 12-0 record, but the NHASED
season was more dramatic than ever. Marty broke through a six person
log-jam to take the championship, but didn't clinch until the final
score of the Sugar Bowl was determined.
Also, NHASED stayed on the cutting edge of technology with a new web
site complete with form entry & our own URL address. A record 17
members participated including 3 women who were allowed in after a much
heated debate following the last Crete Presentation & General
Convention.
Broken Records:
Three records were tied/broken this season ...
** Tony broke the all-time bonus point record with 24. The previous
record of 23 was held by Dan & Derek, and tied this season by Tracy.
** Steve tied the all-time record for wins in a season with 4. He also
achieved that mark in 1996 and Andrew achieved the 4 win plateau in
1997.
** Bill broke the modern record for best individual week with a 21-3
record in week 8.
Awards:
Several NHASEDers are honored with awards.
** Marty wins the "Crete".
** Tony wins the "Unnamed Bonus Point Trophy".
** Dan wins the "Bill Perry Doormat Award" (actually Bill looked to try
to remove his name from this inauspicious award by winning twice this
season, but fell to 13th place overall late in the season)
** Eric S wins the "Rookie of the Year" with an impressive 3rd place
finish.
** Eric M becomes the third member of the "I'm losing so I quit club"
joining Scott & Fred. He is more than welcome to compete again
next
year.
** Nancy wins the newly created "Woman of the Year" award.
and finally,
** Brian H wins the "NHASEDer of the Decade Award". It was a close
call between him & Dan -who is our only two time champion-, but Brian
has been the most consistent with a 2nd place, 3rd place, and 4th place
finish in his 3 years. Steve also deserved some consideration with
a
career record of 9 weekly wins. The "NHASEDer of the Millennium Award"
will be awarded following the 2000 season.
I enjoyed being commissioner of NHASED for the 4th year, and look
forward to cranking it up again in 8 months. If any NHASED member knows
someone who is interested in competing next year, let me know. We're
always looking to expand.
Andrew
September 16, 1999
Transcript of the 1st Meeting of the NHASED Revolution
A NHASED bug was placed on Brian & Nancy's front porch, and captured
this meeting -- a secret meeting of the NHASED revolution. No action
has been taken by the commissioner as of yet.
Location: Brian & Nancy's front porch
Mike: Why the hell did Andrew put the Memphis/Mississippi St
game on the pick list?
All: Andrew's an idiot.
Mike: Seriously, why did he?
Brian T: I agree, I mean he never puts the Ducks games on the
list.
Steve: He always puts Mississippi teams on there.
All: Yep, he's an idiot.
Steve: And another thing, how come no one's in town for the
FSU game?
Marty: Hey, guys I just got back from St. Pete ... how'd the
Noles do?
Mike: Poooshoooo ... we won.
Brian H: Let's get back to the conversation at hand. I
would like to see more Arkansas games on the list.
Tony: And I would like to see less Auburn games, it's too embarrassing
that they can't cover the spread against teams like Appy State and Idaho.
John: I heard that ... what's wrong with having Idaho games
on there?
Brian: John, what the hell are you doing here?
John: Idaho got kinda boring.
Eric S (entering): hey guys, what's going on?
All: We're bitching about the commissioner. He's an idiot.
Nancy (sternly): you guys need to be quiet, Phillip's sleeping.
All (in a whisper): Sorry.
Derek: I wouldn't mind seeing some Costa Rica State games.
Tony: Who the hell are you?
Derek: I'm Derek.
All (to Tony): Who the hell are you?
Tony: I used to be a member of the world famous Absolut Crap
Dart Team & Traveling All-Stars.
Brian T, Nancy, Marty, Eric: Us too, those were the days, weren't
they?
Bill (entering): Hey guys, what time's the soccer game?
Dan: You missed it ... where were you?
Bill: I was entertaining the Kebba's ... how'd it go?
Dan: We won, but I got ejected, and we had to play with only
4 players.
Marty: Yea, I would've played but my knee's still a little tender.
Ed: Could you guys please get back on the subject before Andrew
gets here. I came all the way from Oregon for this meeting, and I would
like to see this thing settled before I leave.
Anne Elizabeth (entering): What is the subject?
All: Andrew's an idiot, and he won't put games that we want
on the list.
Anne Elizabeth: Really ... as long as Tennessee's on there, I'm
happy. They are National Champions after all.
All (holding in what they really want to say): Good point Anne
Elizabeth.
Brian T: I propose the following: "allow the NHASED members to
pick the teams that would be represented every week that they played.
For instance, I pick TCU before the season starts, then during the season,
every week that there's a TCU game, they're on the list of games. If they
are not playing, then the commish gets to pick a substitute game.
All: Great idea Brian, suggest it to the idiot.
Brian T: OK, Marty, first you entice some mindless bantering,
then I'll follow through with the above suggestion.
Marty: Have you guys bantered without me?
Mike: Poooooshhhhoooooo.
Tracy: Come on Mike, let's go ... didn't you want to go shopping?
Brian H: OK, this meeting of the NHASED revolution is hereby
concluded.
Eric M (entering): Sorry I'm late ... can I still participate?
All: Yep, but you won't get a drop week.
September 3, 1999
NHASED kicks off 4th Season
NHASED has gone big time!
Steve ponied up $60 a year to create a URL for NHASED.
Therefore the new address for NHASED is ........
http://www.nhased.com
As commissioner, I will impose a $5 voluntary special charge in addition
to the $1 mandatory annual dues to cover these fees. This should be
collected by our treasurer, Bill, who will then reimburse Steve.
Steve mentioned making t-shirts with our web address on the front with
the yet uncreated official logo. For those of you busily creating our
new logo, you may be able to incorporate the new web address in there
somehow. Hopefully this can be done before NHASED's Crete Presentation
and General Convention to be held at date to be announced.
August 23, 1999
NHASED kicks off 4th Season
Progress is the cornerstone of NHASED's 4th annual college football picking
contest. Not only have we expanded to another
western state (assuming Kevin, the Gator in Colorado, plays), but we have
also updated our web presence, changed a couple
of rules, and become politically correct. This season, an estimated
19 players will participate - shattering last years record of
12 members.
1) Adding another state --
NHASED will now be known as -- National Handicapper's Association - South
East Division, still Including Idaho, Oregon,
and the rainforests of Costa Rica, now including Colorado -- or NHASEDSIIORCRNIC
2) Updating our web presence -
NHASED home page has been updated with an easy to navigate front page.
In addition, the picks will now be made on-line.
Click on "This Week's Games" from the home page to access a form that will
allow you to make your picks. This will save the
NHASED user from having to re-type all the winners, and will also prevent
skipping games, or forgetting the tiebreaker, etc. In addition, NHASED's
home page is certified Y2K compliant. I don't really know if this is
true or not, but I just want you to feel secure.
3) Changing a couple of rules -
This year the tiebreaker will become more significant. In addition to
earning bonus points for your upset specials, you can earn
2 more points for hitting the tiebreaker on the nose. The perfect attendance
rule is still in effect. This means you can drop your
lowest week if you participate in all contests throughout the season.
Annual dues for NHASED members will be $1 beginning
this season. Payments may be mailed to Bill Perry or handed to him
in person. The positions of Treasurer (Bill), and Secretary (Mike) were
added. Since no entries for the NHASED logo contest were submitted,
we'll continue with the NASCAR looking one that Steve made for now.
I'm a little disappointed that with all the artists in the league, no one
could come up with
anything. Marty made an attempt, but gave up after just sending a draft.
The lack of a logo also mean that no embroidered
shirts will be ordered.
4) Becoming politically correct -
NHASED members, in a sometimes heated debate, voted to allow women into the
league. Luckily, most of the women in our
circles know enough about the game to NOT pick winners based on cuteness of
the quarterback's butt. And, since some
members let their dogs pick the games anyway, it would not be that preposterous
if they did. So far - Tracy, Nancy, and
Christy have applied.
How to play -
Please take time to review all of NHASED rules that can be found here.
This week will be the preseason for NHASED. The
five games of August 28th and 29th will not count towards the regular season,
but will allow you to familiarize yourself with the
new format, and allow me to see who's playing. If you know anyone who
wants to join the league, please forward this e-mail,
and refer them to the home page. If you don't want to play this year,
don't submit preseason picks or, even easier, e-mail me.
Also, let me know your preferred e-mail address if it is different from the
one I'm sending this to.
This week will consist of 5 games and one upset special. Please review
the rules if you're not sure of the procedure of the
upset special. The upsets will have a heavy impact on who takes home
the Crete this year. Your name, your picks, the upset
special, and tiebreaker are required fields on the picks form. You
can enter a comment if you desire, but it's not required.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Annual Crete Presentation and
General NHASED Convention last April. Our
defending champion, Mike, has reportedly already begun to decorate it.
Mike has the opportunity to become only the second
member of NHASED to win back-to-back years. Dan accomplished this feat
in 1996 and 1997.
Please go to my home page at:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~abrady/
then click on NHASED to begin.
Thank you and good luck,
Andrew "The Commish" Brady
April 30, 1999
Photos of the Crete are released
The publishing department at NHASED Headquarters has released two
photographs taken at the Crete Presentation & NHASED General Convention,
held in Tallahassee, Florida. These pictures can be found here.
Also, a "NHASED News" page has been added to the web site.
I'm sure everyone is feverishly working on the new NHASED logo to be
unveiled in the fall. Send 'em in to my e-mail address when they're
finished.
Only 120 days 'til the Noles take care of the Auburn stand-ins on the
way to Bobby's second national championship & a record 13th consecutive
10 win season.
Lovingly yours,
Andrew
NHASED Commissioner & good guy
April 22, 1999
Tracy Haire's appeal to join NHASED and the Commissioner's
response - officially
allowing women into the league
Tracy C. Haire wrote:
>
> I just wanted to greet the commissioner. I can't tell you how honored
I am
> that I will have the chance to join the prestigious NHASED club.
I didn't
> intend to start any trouble among you guys, I just asked a simple
question
> regarding women in the club- something like, "Do any of the women
> participate?". The next thing I know it's up for a vote.
Knowing the way
> you guys enjoy a healthy debate, I'm sure y'all made the most of it.
> I will try my best to keep my estrogen in check and not let it get involved
> in any of the NHASED activities.
>
> Ruggedly humbled,
> T-rex
It did get ugly in the conference room the last couple of weeks, but after
the
dust cleared - NHASED will welcome both genders into its organization.
Our greatest fear is that some of the fairer sex may not take the contest
seriously, and may lose interest mid-way through the season. Most of
us have
participated every week for 3 football seasons. Our hope is that new
members
will be as dedicated to the NHASED.
Having said that, you seem to have as much pigskin knowledge, and handicapping
savvy as most of us. Also, you come highly recommended as a promising
prospect
who will commit herself week in and week out to NHASED. Most importantly,
you
seem smart enough NOT to copy Mike's picks.
We welcome you into our league. Your email has been added to the
master list.
More information will be sent at a later date.
Sincerely,
Andrew (opening doors everywhere) Brady
NHASED Commissioner
April 20, 1999
NHASED final vote tallies for 6 Proposals
To all:
The polls have officially closed regarding the 6 proposals set before the
members
of NHASED. I did not receive votes from Bill, Ed, or Brian H.
It appears that
these members may have been intimidated by the rhetoric over the past week
or
two. Especially since one is to be wed in a little over a month, one
is an
expecting father, and the other is studying the cultures of a far eastern
country
and probably has lost all desire to vote.
To recap the vote:
Proposal 1. The $1 annual fee was passed 6-2. Method of payment
is discussed in
Proposal 2.
Proposal 2. The position of treasurer was passed 6-2. Bill was
the unanimous
selection. We can send payment to him in August, or pay him in person
if we see
him. We'll need to develop a position description before his inauguration.
Proposal 3. The position of secretary was passed 6-2. Mike was
the unanimous
selection. We'll also need a position description before his inauguration.
Proposal 4. Women will be allowed in by a vote of 5-3.*
Proposal 5. A two point bonus will be included this year for anyone
hitting the
tiebreaker exactly. It passed 5-3.
Proposal 6. Embroidered shirts passed 5-3. After a logo is created,
we can
begin to price around.
*It seems that 2 members may have been co-erced into a vote of "yea" by
means of
a frying pan to the head. Another voted "yea" to try to pick up chicks.
Still
another voted "yea" to spite NHASED because he lost "the Crete". And
the last
"yea" voter was too busy nesting to place a rational vote. But, as
a democratic
society we must accept the wishes of the majority. Therefore women
will
reluctantly be allowed. We'll issue towels to everyone to cover up
around the
clubhouse. Also, a women's barracks will be constructed (another separate
barracks will be constructed if & when gays are voted in). We can
serve wine
coolers & quiche & whatever the hell else they want (thanks Fuzzy)
at next year's
awards ceremony.
Please inform me of any new members (and their email addresses) that wish
to
participate. We still have until mid-August to form the final NHASED
roster, but
I'd like a general idea of how many we'll have. Later in the summer,
we'll
discuss the possibility of starting new members in a lower division, and
the
thought of a higher membership fee for rookies.
All in good humor,
Your loving commissioner
January 4, 1999
Mike wins NHASED's 3rd Season
A new NHASED champion!
Congratulations to Mike for winning the 3rd annual National
Handicapper's Association - Southeast Division, still Including
Idaho, now including Oregon and the rainforests of Costa Rica
college football picking contest.
For winning, Mike will receive the coveted "Crete" which may
be decorated in any reasonable fashion by the departing 2-time
champion, Dan. Mike will also receive millions of e-mail dollars,
and the envy of the other members of NHASED. He will
have bragging rights for the period of one year. Also, for the
first time, a NHASED Champion T-shirt has been made
by three-year member, Steve.
Mike, in his second season, hung out in the middle of the pack
for most of the year - then made a furious run at the end,
overtaking Brian T in the bowl week. Last year, Mike finished
in second-to-last place, only finishing ahead of Fred who dropped
out midway through the season.
Brian T held on to second place, 1 spot better than last season.
Brian led for most of the season, but pulled the biggest choke
job since Latrell Spreewell. Brian should still be congratulated,
he did finish ahead of the other 10 of us.
Third place is still up for grabs. Brian H would take 3rd if
Tennessee covers the spread or (gulp) wins outright. If FSU
wins by 5 or more, Andrew would finish in 3rd, and Brian
would slip behind Andrew, Derek, and Marty.
I'll send out the final standings on Thursday. I'll be away
from the office tomorrow and Wednesday.
Go Noles!
Andrew
Then, Thursday, January 7, 1999
Enclosed are the final standings for NHASED's third season. Again, congratulations
to Mike for claiming the championship and
bringing "the Crete" back home to Florida. If any of you Georgia boys
are coming home, please stop by Dan's and get the
Crete out of the tool shed. We need it for an awards ceremony to be
held at a place and time to be determined.
Brian H, by way of marrying a Vol and having to pick UT, takes third place
- one spot behind Brian T. Brian H. finishes 1
bonus point behind the NHASED record of 23 set last year by Derek and Dan.
Mike, Brian T., Andrew, and Marty are the only handicappers to finish above
.500 without the aid of bonus points.
Bill finishes in the basement for the 2nd time in 3 seasons.
Marty, Steve, and Dan are the only handicappers to NOT win a week this
season. Marty has won 1 week in 3 seasons.
Scott becomes the 2nd member of the "I'm losing so I quit" club.
He joins Fred.
We hope to have both former members back next year. NHASED is always
recruiting, so if you have any potential members
for next year, we'll pass it through the Board of Directors for acceptance.
Tony and Ben are potential members.
One rule change that will be proposed for next season -- 2 bonus points
for hitting the tiebreaker on the nose.
Steve, if you have the NHASED logo in .gif or .jpg format, email it to
me please.
Here are the final standings:
Thanks for your participation, we'll crank it up again in 8 months or so.
Your loving commissioner,
Andrew
July 30, 1998
NHASED sponsors two NASCAR teams! votes tabulated
The National Handicappers Association Southeast Division,
still
Including Idaho, now Including Oregon and the Rainforests
of Costa Rica
has named the NASCAR driver that will receive sponsorship
and the full
support of the members of NHASED.
Actually, as commissioner, I decided that 2 drivers
will be chosen.
Jerry Nadeau narrowly defeated Buckshot Jones in the
vote, but since
Buckshot is officially a Busch Series driver, I felt
that an exception
could be made.
It should be stated that Jerry Nadeau was selected
primarily because of
his sponsor (Cartoon Network), and because he is replacing
the legend
Lake Speed. His contract with CN is continued
week to week, and could
end anytime. Therefore, NHASED has decided NOT
to put all of their eggs
into his basket, and issue sponsorship blessings to
the runner-up as
well.
Buckshot Jones was selected primarily because of
his name, and we will
support him for the remainder of his limited Winston
Cup races and his
full Busch Series racing. He is sponsored by
Bayer Aspirin, Aquafresh,
and this week - Realtree. Hopefully next year
he will get sponsored by
the Cartoon Network for his official rookie season.
Good luck to Jerry and Buckshot today for qualifying
and Saturday for
the Brickyard 400.
Final vote count by NHASED 1st place votes in parenthesis:
Jerry Nadeau (2) ------10
Buckshot Jones (2) ---- 9
Kyle Petty (2) --------- 7
Sterling Marlin (1) ----- 6
Ken Shrader (1) ------- 3
Jimmy Spencer (1) ----- 3
Ricky Craven ---------- 3
Rick Mast ------------- 2
Todd Bodine ---------- 2
Hut Strickland --------- 2
Terry Labonte --------- 2
Joe Nemechek -------- 1
Bill Elliot -------------- 1
July 23, 1998
The Commissioner announces Lake Speed's retirement, and
an appeal to select a new driver for NHASED's sponsorship money
As you already know, Lake Speed abruptly retired
last week, leaving
NHASED without a driver to sponsor. The board
of directors held an
emergency meeting last night to discuss the situation.
It was
determined that a new driver must be picked based on:
usability of
sponsor, coolness of name, loyalty to driver/make of
car, and other
miscellaneous factors such as skill. Once a driver
is decided, it is
the responsibility of the members of NHASED to support
him - we have
already allocated 17/18ths of our yearly budget to
sponsor a car. I
suggest we each select 3 drivers from the list, ranked
1st to 3rd. I'll
tabulate the votes poll-style, and we'll have our new
driver.
Please note that Jerry Nadeau is the new driver of
the Cartoon Network
Ford Taurus. The following list is in current
order of standings. The
bottom 10 or 12 drivers have raced in a limited number
of races - they
may or may not race again this season.
As commissioner of NHASED, and probably the only
one who really cares
about this, I must mention a couple of factors that
might influence your
decision. First, every pseudo-race fan chooses
Dick Trickle as their
favorite driver based on coolness of name - let's not
fall into that
trap. Second, check out nascar on line to see
pictures, bios on the
drivers if you're not sure. I would hate to pick
someone evil like
Ernie Irvin based on his cool sponsor (Skittles).
Thirdly, find a
redneck and ask him who you should support - I'm sure
he'll have plenty
of stories about a particular driver. Lastly,
if Lake Speed comes out
of retirement at any time this year or next year, we
will abandon our
new driver and return our support to him.
January 5, 1998
Dan Repeats!, Wins NHASED's 2nd Season
Dan suffers his worst week this season, but still
finishes nearly 1.5%
above the closest competitor. Brian T. wins
the bowl week and nearly
overtook Brian H. for second place. Andrew
and John round out the top
5. Congratulations to Dan for his 2-Peat.
The passing of the "Crete"
can be waived this year if Dan so chooses.
E-mail dollars and
resentment may be passed along at Steve and Nina's
wedding weekend, or
Marty and Tara's wedding weekend (Congrats to these
two on recent
engagement). Of course, the Memorial Day weekend
could become the
traditional time and place for the passing of the
"Crete".
Thanks to all for participating in the 2nd Annual
National Association
of Handicappers - Southeast Division (this year
including Idaho)
Picking Contest. Only eight months until we
crank it up again.
Here are the bowl results, and the end of the
season totals:
Season Number Bonus
Bowls Total
Percentage of wins Points
Dan 8
- 13 170 -
129 56.86% 1
23
Brian H. 15 -
7 175 - 141
55.38% 2 20
Brian T. 17 -
5 174 - 142
55.06% 2 20
Andrew 13 -
9 171 - 143
54.46% 4 18
John 12
- 9 169 -
145 53.82% 2
18
Derek 11
- 10 159 -
140 53.18% 2
23
Marty 0
- 0 139 -
129 51.87% 1
13
Steve 13
- 9 157 -
149 51.31% 1
10
Bill 10
- 11 152 -
155 49.51%
11
Mike 12
- 9 137 -
152 47.40%
10
Fred 0
- 0 78 -
90 46.43%
8
How 'bout them Noles?
Andrew
