Breaking News - The Exchange Player Card is in Play!

A typical Friday Night for Blow My Goat.

At the implied suggestion of Blow My Goat, who won Arrested Development 6's initial contest of 'Who has the most WTF google search avatar' he has decided that in lieu of his Tim Horton's prize (not available overseas or in Cache Creek) that he will use the 'Create a New Rule' card that has been specially designed to help get me out of last place.

Blow My Goat (without realizing it) has picked the Exchange Player Card!

Yes, the Exchange Player Card. Depending on your current position as of October 29th and shown on the right of the blog here, a sliding scale has been created that allows you to exchange a certain # of players according to your position. If you are #1 you can exchange 1 player, if you are #2 you can exchange 2 all the way to lucky #9 who can exchange 9 players!

This is an amazing great idea, I must say and I like to thank Blow My Goat in being so instrumental in his help devising it.

I believe all exchanges must be made online by the commissioner so feel free to email him your choices/hate mail via the usual outlets.

3rd Week and It's Time to Get My Shit Together

Chris Neil finishes putting Evander Kane's head up a linesman's ass.

So, no changes to the standings. The difference maker so far this month is Evander Kane. Who would have thought that a Winnipeg Jet would ever be #1 in anything? That is what makes this pool so unique. Yah, you could have Sidney Crosby (come on concussion-like symptoms!) or Ovie but really, where would that put you? well, in the back with me.

Other news this week - Phil Kessel gets a hattie, which gives anyone who picked him an extra 3 points.  so, way to go mojo-mahambo. Kessel gets Toronto's first hat trick since...(google search comes up blank).


THE HAT CLUB

Kessel joins Crosby, Stamkos, and Spezza as the only picked players with hatties; so here's to Phil Kessel, today's reigning Maple Leaf;

WHAT IS PISSING ME OFF THIS WEEK;

Some websites are already talking about the playoff picture.  1/8th of the way through. It's all fun and games to joke about the Hurricanes or Oilers as per usual, but when 'serious' hockey websites start claiming that the playoff picture is already shaping up or teams are 'in the hunt'.  It just maddens me, like Jim Babcock mad.

' miss the old Downgoesbrown.

Weekly Update Delayed due to Thanksgiving

Here's a picture of Mark Messier in a towel, drinking a beer, groping a small
black kid and laughing because - hey, it was the 80's!

So, it took me exactly one week to break my 'every Monday posting' pledge. This was only 3 days longer than it took for the Carolina Hurricanes to fall from playoff contention.

But in truth, I am in Maple Leaf country and the internet access here is terrible (insert lame Maple Leaf joke here). So, let's just relax for a few days more and i promise when i get back to civilization (another lame Maple Leaf joke) I will submit a better update for you 9 brave souls that have ventured to join this pool.

And yes, I will honor my arrangement and you all have a 1 in 9 (eight, who am i kidding...look at my team) chance of winning that $100 gift certificate at the end of the year, plus this whack of prizes i have already purchased in a marketing write-off so that y'all will refer me to your friends/family for any mortgage/refinancing needs.

This week's mortgage tip- if you are paying more than 4% interest, you need to talk to me.

Gretzky's reaction to another 'unbeatable' record of his being broken-
Taylor Hall 2 goals, 8 seconds.

Pool Update October 7th

Hya everyone!

Welcome to the first weekly update of the Arrested Development Hockey Pool Version 6.0!  Right now, we have 10 great teams duking (no pun intended duke) for about $200 in prizes provided by yours truly in a pretty blatant attempt to get you guys to remember to refer me to your friends and family for all your mortgage or refinancing needs.

Plus, I can update this at work so I consider it a bonus perk of the job.

Cut off for teams to enter is midnight, October 11th because after that I'm taking off for a week of vacation in Maple Leaf territory. Cut off for payments is October 31st, after which if you haven't paid, you can't claim any prizes.


Week 1

First, let's not get too excited about the standings you can find here just because my team, The Mighty Pints, is for some f@#$kin reason attending it's usual spot down in the bottom of the pile. I mean, seriously, I know someone has to lose but I'm getting pretty tired that it always seems to be me. I'm currently 70 points out of 1st, which would make for a great story that i will beat to death if i can make some type of comeback.

Thrilla makes a strong showing in 1st with his two top Winnipeg picks, followed by El fucking Diablo.  If you haven't figured this web blog out yet, the standings can be found on the side under the heading 'STANDINGS AS OF'

Highlights this week in the NHL include the George Parros knock out, Grabvoski's hat trick, Peter Laviolette's firing in Philadelphia thereby breaking the record held by Denis Savard for quickest firing at the start of a season, Ovie leading the scoring pack with 6 points and yours truly receiving a twitter reply from TSN's James Duthie telling me to 'listen more carefully' about who is on the anti-fighting side of the supposed 'debate' over fighting in the NHL.
For the record he seemed a bit of a jerk and quoted Stevie Y (Tampa Bay), Jim Rutherford (Carolina), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Scotty Bowman (retired) as being the 4 in favour of banning fighting in the game. Looking at their teams, it's easy to see why (BURN!).  

That said, it's on to the Shits and Giggles Department...

Welcome to the Big Leagues!

Hockey was different in the 70's.

FAQ     ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT HOCKEY POOL V6.0

What's a hockey pool?

it's an attempt by a part of society (mostly Canadian males) to relive their childhood of playing NHL Sega 94 and possibly provide them some bragging rights amongst fellow poolies about how smart they are in picking a winning team. It's like Sex and the City, but for men and doesn't involve any sex. 

What's an Arrested Development Hockey Pool?

Pretty much the same as a regular hockey pool, but with a few extra bonuses such as a monthly newsletter, perhaps a shout or boo out to your favourite team or player on this hockey pool dedicated blog. Arrested Development is also on the leading edge of monthly prizes to give everyone a fighting chance to win something, not just a winner-take-all. 

What do I do to start? 

Well, you are here so that's good. Choose a simple yet elegant team name that sums up your personality in 15 characters or less. Then go to the boxes under 'choose your players' and pick one player per box. It's pretty simple really, even your wife could do it. 

Hey! Get your wife to join then hope to Gordie Howe she doesn't beat you.

Where do I sign up? 

Go to www.hockeydraft.ca then under pool name type jay royston  

the password is mortgages

pick out your unique team name as if a prize might depend on it

then pick one player per box and when done, press enter. You're done.

What's the entrance fee? 

The entrance fee is $10 because multiple tests have shown people care more for something if there is a value placed upon it. So this pool is worth $10. I will forward reminders to people who haven't paid once the season starts. If you haven't paid by the end of October, I won't pursue it much further - but if you win, you don't. Get it?

Who should I pick?

Better question is who will everybody else pick? Decide if you are going to follow the herd or be a trail-blazer. Call each player and ask them how they are feeling. Ask your kids or your next door neighbour. Better yet, invite them to join. 

That's all the advice you are going to give?

I'm in this pool too, you know. I also write another mostly hockey blog here at www.ogieoglethorpe.blogspot.ca which you should read to satisfy my ego.

I don't see Luongo, where is he?

The goalie selections are 6 per box, giving you the maximum range to select from. Luongo is hidden at the bottom of one of those boxes. Use the scroll bar on the right to find him. Or just pick Schneider.

How do I win?

The best way to win is to just by showing up (and paying me). If you wind up winning the pool and you haven't paid, all you get will be bragging rights. 

Okay, but how do I win? Like most points, fights, what?

The beauty of Arrested Development is there quite a few ways to win; does your team have the player with the best mustache for Movember? You win! Is your team so far out of contention due to injuries? You win! Does your team win all the fights but can't find the back of the net with a zamboni? You win!

Other questions?

Just use the trash talk feature so that whole league knows what your question is and maybe someone will answer it for you OR contact me directly and I will clarify anything you are curious about. 

-jay