The Beautiful Pool

Football is a matter of life and death, except more important.

Bill Shankly

Sorry for the delay.  The complete updated standings are here, and here are the leaders…

As before, anyone who can’t get any more points because their picks have been eliminated are stroked-out.  So it is all down to Sofia, Dan, and Mauricio.   Good luck to all of you.

Here’s what I believe:

• Mario Balotelli is one strange dude.
• We need more of Howard Webb’s refereeing.  Too bad he is out of the final.
• Having solo commentary for a 90 minute game usually just leads to tedious naming of each player to touch the ball.  But, sometimes, the need to fill air-time produces inspired descriptions:  My favourite was “the large-framed Gomez”.  Sounds like something from a bird-spotting book…”Oh look, can it really be?  My first large-framed Gomez sighting.”

Here’s what we know for sure:

• Joe P takes $107.50 for having the best score (14/16) at the end of the Group Stage.
• Sean G and Sherman H are crouched in the cellar waiting to grab their half of the $10 mercy prize.

Bad news for the CIBC Drones, I’m afraid.  The Normal People have edged ahead.  Both groups are still well back of the Other FI Slaves.

I was out at Colin’s graduation last night so can’t publish the complete standings yet.  Full update coming soon.

If ESP beats ITA on Sunday, Mauricio C takes 1st place and Sofia I comes in second.

If ITA wins, Sofia comes 1st, and Dan E is the runner-up.

Either way, Joe P takes 3rd place for his Group Stage score.

Group stage is over.  NED fans are still screaming “No-o-o-o”.

At this point we have 14 participants, jostling for the top 5 positions.  Joe P told me he picked POR with his heart, not his head, but so far the heart knows better.

The full standings are now posted here.   Teams the have been eliminated are shown in strikeout text.  The number of points that each pick has earned is shown in brackets.

Joe P, Ray W, and Cindy B1 all have 7 teams in the quarter-finals, which may give them an edge.  We shall see.

Carlos C has an early lock on the mercy prize, but any number of folks might elbow him out of $10.  This includes Jim T, who took 1st place in the World Cup pool.  To be fair, I think he was shocked when he won that one.  He is probably feels closer to his natural habitat this time.  (Sorry Jim)

There is no clear difference between the CIBC drones and the Other FI slaves.  The average score for CIBC is 8.9 vs 8.8 for the Others.  But the Normal People are falling behind with an average score of 8.0.

Good luck in the elimination round.  I’ll see you after the quarter-finals

Yes this is sooner than expected, but I thought you should know that we have one more participant.

An entry form was submitted to me last week, but went MIA so I didn’t include it in the initial listing.  Welcome Ana G who picked NED to go all the way.

That means that the pot is $10 bigger, so maybe an extra latte for the victors.  Here is an updated version of your picks, including Ana.

PS, one rule that I forgot to mention….

• You can’t claim 3rd prize (for being in the lead after the group matches) and also claim first or second place.   Third prize is intended to share the wealth (such as it is) with someone who has a promising start, but chokes in the elimination rounds.

PSS, I haven’t watched a single football/soccer “fixture” since the World Cup.  But now I remember how baffled I am by the apparent arbitrary nature of the referee seeing a legitimate tackle, a foul/free kick and a yellow card.   I honestly can’t see much difference between them.  Can anyone enlighten me?

PSSS, I miss the vuvuzelas!!!

PSSSS, Among the 47 entries are 13 CIBC drones,  10 slaves of other financial institutions and 24 normal people.

Welcome to the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup pool!

There are 46 entries in the pool, so first prize will be $230, if it goes to a single person.  2nd and 3rd prizes will be $115 and $105, respectively, with $10 up for grabs for the person with the lowest score.  Points will be awarded as follows:

• 1 point for each team advancing to the Elimination Round from each Group
• 1 point for correctly picking the 1st or 2nd place standing of each advancing team
• 3 points for the winner of each match in the Elimination Round, except the final
• 6 points for picking the Euro Cup Winner

The best possible scores are:

• Group Matches: 16
• Elimination Round: 18
• Euro Cup Winner: 6
• Grand Total: 40

All entries have been posted at this link. Please check your picks carefully to make sure they are correct!!

It looks like GER is, by far, the favourite to take the cup.  Here’s he way it looks.

I will send an update at the end of the group stage, for sure.  Maybe earlier.

I’m new to this “wordpress” thing, but I think you should be able to add comments, if you feel so inclined.

Hope you enjoy the games and may the odds be ever in your favour.