The Ninth Annual TMMPF Pick Six Game!!

GAME ON! Watch the viking kitties to get psyched up....

The release of the Associated Press preseason poll means it's time to play the TMMPF Pick Six game! If you've never played before, or somebody sent this link to you, it's really easy....

HOW TO PLAY: The AP college football Top 25 is divided into five groups: 1-5, 6-10, etc. You pick one team from each grouping:

A: Ohio State, Texas Christian, Alabama, Baylor, Michigan State
B: Auburn, Oregon, Southern Cal, Georgia, Florida State
C: Notre Dame, Clemson, UCLA, Louisiana State, Arizona State
D: Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin
E: Stanford, Arizona, Boise State, Missouri, Tennessee

Then pick one unranked team. Those are your teams for the whole year. The goal is to have the highest ranked teams at the end of the season. The game ends with the final AP poll after the national championship game. 

The game is so easy, anyone can play. And in fact, kids, cats, dogs, neighbors, etc are all invited to submit an entry. 

HOW TO ENTER: Submit your six teams (don't forget your Pick Sixth), your entry name and your bonus picks (see below) to tmmpf 'dot' blog 'at' gmaildotcom. The deadline is 5pm Central on Thursday, September 3, which is the first game of the season. If you played last year, you can keep the same name or pick a new one.

THE PRIZE: The winner gets something kitschy and college football themed. IMPORTANT: if you live outside the Midwest and find something goofy like a University of Alabama wall hanging made of felt or a 1998 UCLA poster with Cade McNown, acquire it and send it to me. I will be eternally grateful. 

TELL YOUR FRIENDS! We've set attendance records for three years straight, and it would be great to keep that up. The more people you know playing, the more fun it is. If you are on "the social media," spread the word to any real friends, Facebook friends, Twitter pals, co-workers, anyone who enjoys picking one of five things randomly. You can share this link: http://bit.ly/1Jqk8hW

BONUS POINTS! If you read this far, congrats! After the success of the bonus question last year, we're bringing it back. You can win five free points by getting either of these two questions correct:

Who will win more regular season games: Tennessee, Arkansas or the same? 

Who will win the Pacific 12 South division: Choices are: Southern Cal, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado.

There is no penalty for guessing wrong. If you get both right, you only get five points total.

ANY QUESTIONS? Ask away in the comments or via email. Thanks and good luck!

Do it for America. Do it for  Sam. Play the Pick Six.  

TMMPF P6 Bowl Preview

The bowls start this Saturday (Dec. 21). A few of these 35 bowls will undoubtedly affect the outcome of the Pick Six game. But which games should you watch? I'm here to guide you through the bowl schedule from the P6 perspective.

The games fall neatly into three categories:

YOU MUST LOVE BOWL SEASON TO WATCH THESE
New Mexico Dec. 21 Colorado St vs. Washington State
Idaho Potato Dec. 21 Buffalo vs. San Diego State
New Orleans Dec. 21 Tulane vs. UL Lafayette
Pizza Pizza Dec. 26 Bowling Green vs. Pittsburgh
Military Dec. 27 Marshall vs. Maryland
Texas Dec. 27 Minnesota vs. Syracuse
Armed Forces Dec. 30 Middle Tennessee vs. Navy
Music City Dec. 30 Georgia Tech vs. Ole Miss
AdvoCare V100 Dec. 31 Arizona vs. Boston College
Liberty Dec. 31 Mississippi State vs. Rice
Heart of Dallas Jan. 1 North Texas vs. UNLV
GoDaddy Jan. 5 Arkansas State vs. Ball State

Among these, the best matchup for football fans is Arizona/BC. Both feature awesome running backs: Kadeem Carey (great surname for an RB) and Andre Williams, who quietly had such a good year he got invited to the Heisman ceremony. The Liberty may be fun to watch if only to see Rice, who is excited to spend New Year's Eve in Memphis.

THE ROOTING INTEREST IS FAIRLY OBVIOUS
Note: the numbers in parentheses are the number of Pick Six players with that team, NOT the Associated Press ranking. 
Las Vegas Dec. 21 Fresno State vs. USC (14)
Beef O Brady's Dec. 23 East Carolina vs. Ohio (1)
Poinsettia Dec. 26 Northern Illinois (3) vs. Utah State
Belk Dec. 28 Cincinnati (1) vs. North Carolina
Holiday Dec. 30 Arizona State (4) vs. Texas Tech
Pinstripe Dec. 28 Notre Dame (24) vs. Rutgers
Chick-fil-A Dec. 31 Duke vs. Texas A&M (19)
Fiesta Jan. 1 Baylor (10) vs. UCF
Compass Jan. 4 Houston vs. Vanderbilt (1)

You can be guaranteed no one in the Pick Six game will be cheering against you in these games. The most intriguing matchup is likely Northern vs. Utah State in a battle of conference championship losers. Who will be motivated to get the win? Baylor and A&M should be huge favorites. Notre Dame is favored by two touchdowns; that game is played in a baseball stadium in New York.

NOW THINGS GET INTERESTING
Hawaii Dec. 24 Boise State (12) vs. Oregon State (9)
Fight Hunger Dec. 27 BYU (1) vs. Washington (1)
Russell Athletic Dec. 28 Louisville (11) vs. Miami Fla. (4)
Buffalo Wild Wings Dec. 29 Kansas State (11) vs. Michigan (17)
Alamo Dec. 30 Oregon (9) vs. Texas (7)
Sun Dec. 31 UCLA (12) vs. Virginia Tech (5)
Gator Jan. 1 Georgia (7) vs. Nebraska (15)
Capital One Jan. 1 South Carolina (18) vs. Wisconsin (20)
Outback Jan. 1 Iowa (5) vs. LSU (12)
Rose Jan. 1 Michigan State (7) vs. Stanford (3)
Sugar Jan. 2 Alabama (27) vs. Oklahoma (15)
Cotton Jan. 3 Missouri (2) vs. Oklahoma State (7)
Orange Jan.3 Clemson (9) vs. Ohio State (20)
BCS Title Jan. 6 Florida State (16) vs. Auburn (1)

All 14 of these games feature P6 vs. P6 matchups. The most "interested" matchup is the Sugar Bowl, with 42 of you/us caring about the outcome. The runner-up is Wisky vs. Cocky, with 38. And, if you're rooting for chaos, you want the leaders' teams to lose. So that means rooting against Alabama, South Carolina, Florida State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Baylor and Michigan State. You'll definitely get a loser in the Sugar Bowl. Root for Oklahoma, because since Bama is favored, they will fall more if they lose. Florida State and Baylor are big favorites so don't expect a loss there.

Most importantly: gorge on the 35 games because when it's over, there's no more football til September.

Good luck! The following clip is true, and also a good reason why you shouldn't let your kids read/listen to this blog:

Time To Play Pick Six 2013!

If you live in the Upper Midwest, like many TMMPF.com readers, you've noticed a certain chill in the air. A crispness that says ... it's football season. And as of today, it IS officially football season, because the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll was released, and that means the Sixth Annual TMMPF Pick Six Game. Cue the Viking kitties.

The Viking Kitty video actually won't play within Blogger. Watch here to get psyched up.

THE GAME IS EASY! If you've played in previous years, you know how simple it is (to enter at least, winning is a different story) ....

The preseason Top 25 poll is divided into quintiles (a word that probably gets used once a year and on this blog only):

A: Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, Georgia
B: South Carolina, Texas A&M, Clemson, Louisville, Florida
C: Florida State, Louisiana State, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Texas
D: Oklahoma, Michigan, Nebraska, Boise State, Texas Christian
E: UCLA, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Southern Cal, Oregon State

Pick one team from each group. Then one unranked team (Group F). There's your Pick Six. The goal is to have the highest ranked teams at the end of the season. (The game ends after the bowls, with the final AP poll in January.)

FAMILY FUN! We've learned the game is more fun when multiple members of your family or household participate. Think you don't care about that Georgia/Clemson game? You will, if you've got the 'Dogs and your spouse has the Tigers!

Cats can play ....

This is Franklin on my lap as I entered my 2011 picks. 

Dogs can play ....

USC or UCLA ... which kibble looks tastier?

Heck in 2011 we had a fetus enter the game. He finished 19th. The next year after he was born, he played again and finished first!! (I hope to have more from last year's winner, "Thomas the Train," next week.)

Last year we had a TMMPF-record 60 entries. The more the merrier, so share the info with friends, co-workers, your bookie, whoever you think would enjoy.

PRIZES! Every year I give a kitchsy, college-football themed prize for first place. The last few years have been memorabilia for teams from the Southeast, which is ironic given I live in Big Ten/Notre Dame country. But along with the glory, you could walk away with a prize valued at up to TEN WHOPPING DOLLARS.

You don't have to know anything about football. You don't even have to be sober.

DO I NEED TO DO RESEARCH? If you want to ... whether you are online ...

...or prefer old school newspaper.

IT'S TIME TO ENTER! To play, simply submit your six teams and a name for your entry. If you submit picks without a team name, I will pick one for you. That can be dangerous. If you played last year, you can keep your name or choose a new one.

Send your picks to tmmpf.blog (at) gmail dotcom. Any advice, decision angst you felt, or pictures of kitties/dogs/babies making picks is always welcome, and in fact is a key component of the game.

Call your friends...

Send an email ...

tell them to get their picks in!

DEADLINE: The deadline is Thursday, August 29, 4:55 pm Central, which is five minutes before the first game of the season. No I don't know why North Carolina vs. South Carolina (and Kent State) felt it necessary to start at 5pm.

Every Sunday (God willin' and the Creek don't rise), I'll post a recap on Saturday's games and an updated scoreboard.

QUESTIONS? Reach out to me at my email address if you've got it, the email address above if you don't, or leave a comment here on the blog if it's general.

Thanks and good luck to everyone!

If the sight of this doesn't make you retch, congratulations on giving up on twenty years of hate. You've just identified your Group A pick.

It's Coming

The coaches poll was released on Thursday. Which is meaningless, except for serving as a milestone that we are that much closer to the Associated Press poll. Which means:

August 17, people. Mark your calendars. Get out your Post-It notes and dog food bowls. We'll be back with more details then.

The Third Annual Pick Six Game

I heard a rumor earlier in the week: the preseason AP poll would be released on Saturday. So Saturday morning I woke up, went to my computer, waited til the 9am release time, checked the teams, and announced:

"The Pick Six is officially ON!" (Oh yeah, there are Viking Kittens.)

For those who played before, welcome back. For newcomers, welcome to the game. Read on:

The rules: The preseason AP poll of teams 1 through 25 is broken up into five quintiles:

A: Southern Cal, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon
B: Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina, Arkansas
C: West Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Clemson, Texas
D: Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, TCU
E: Stanford, Kansas State, Florida, Boise State, Louisville

Pick one team from each grouping. Then pick one unranked team (Group F) ... it can be any team not listed above. That's your six. The goal is to have the highest ranked teams at the end of the season (after all bowls are played). The No. 1 team gets 25 points, No. 2 gets 24, down to No. 25 gets one point. The standings will be posted online so you can follow along. (I will update the standings each week, but only the final poll matters.)

My favorite aspect of the game is that it's so easy, your cat or dog can play. Or baby. Hell, last year we had a fetus (who has since turned into an awesome little dude). Feel free to enter a pickset for any member of your household. If you do, please share how your cat/dog/parakeet/infant made his/her picks. It is usually such fun to read the creativity of our contestants.

 

Is this a MAC-tastic hint for an "F" pick? 

 How easy is it? Here's last year's winner:

and the runner-up:

So even if you are a casual fan, or you are a child having this read to you by your mom or dad, You Can Do This!

The prize: As you can see, last year's theme was kitsch from a prominent football program, in the spirit of the original game hosted by Notre Dame blog The Blue-Gray Sky. I'm hoping to keep that theme going this year. Exact item will be revealed later in the season.

Note: DO NOT WRITE "OSU" for your Group D team! I don't care if you live in Ohio and you think I know which OSU you're talking about (or if you live in the south and you think I know which OSU you're talking about). Anybody who submits "OSU" will be assigned the Oregon State Beavers and get any points they earn (that particular "OSU" went 3-9 last year, the way). Similarly, but less likely, don't write "OU" for Oklahoma or Oregon. I will assume you mean the Ottawa Braves of Ottawa, Kansas. Please be clear.

The field: We had 22 entries in 2010 and 52 in 2011. The goal this year, in the spirit of that Olympics thing we dominated this summer, is to grow international. If you have a friend or relative outside the US borders, who likes college football and/or can select one of five items at random, send along the info! I'd love to make this the "World Famous" Pick Six Game. Can we break 80 in 2012? Can we get world famous?

A subtle reminder that Notre Dame finished just outside the poll as the 26th team, highest among the "others receiving votes."

The deadline: Email your picks and your pickset name (for returning players, you can keep last year's or pick a new one) to tmmpf.blog at gmail dot com (to ensure your picks aren't seen early). The deadline is Thursday, August 30, at 5:55 pm Central (five minutes before the first game).

The comment field is open for bragging and taunting. Good luck, and have fun!

IHMF 2012: GOT MY STEELE

WOOOOOOOOOO!

In hand, motherfuckers:

Acquired yesterday, June 1, at Target of all places.

I got a baby now, and my folks are in town this weekend, so the full update is coming soon. But let me say this: Notre Dame #21; Ohio Bobcats #31; Iowa Hawkeyes #38. Phil is either a genius or on the bath salts.

Monday Morning, Back to Work

For you, me ... and the kitty.

That look on his face is pretty much how I feel right now.

Christmas Cheer

Can you hear the bells?

1000 Words: The Eyes Have It

Hawkeyes vs. Buckeyes. A bird vs. a nut? All I gots to say about that:


(from BHGP of course)

Happy Halloween, Hawkeye Fans

(click for bigger version)


(via BHGP, naturally)

Real American Heroes 2009

While I try to figure out where the last three weeks went, it's time to take a moment to celebrate America. Today is our 233rd birthday, and I'd like to acknowledge the Real American Heroes that make this country great.

Thomas Jefferson (from Virginia). For writing the Declaration of Independence. Go read it right now.


John Locke (from Tustin, California). For originally espousing all the ideas that Jefferson stole in writing the Declaration of Independence.


Windell Middlebrooks (from California I believe). For living, and encouraging, the High Life.

"Step aside mon ami."

David Hoffman and Ben Joravsky. Apparently the only two men in town willing to stand up to Mayor Richard M. Daley, the most autocratic mayor since this guy. More vigilance and attention to the dysfunctional, corrupt, wasteful form of government here will open more eyes to the fact that we cannot afford, and simply do not deserve, the Olympics.

This is Hoffman. I assume Joravsky remains unphotographed for his personal safety.

Buddy Guy. Born in Louisiana, rocking his adopted hometown of Chicago today, on Independence Day.

And rocking this pink shirt, too.

Barack Obama (Chicago, via Hawaii). For many things: repairing the damage done to our nation's image after eight years of destruction by the Bush administration, for starters. But to make this list: he wrote an excuse note for a Green Bay child named Kennedy, who skipped school to hear the president speak.

Obama: Making it cool again for kids to want to grow up to be president since 2009.

The Mouse executive who made the decision to pull this blowhard off college football broadcasts. Next, can we get rid of the guy with the biggest Cool Name-to-Awful Talent gap on the planet?

Craig Finn (Minneapolis). For writing the songs that rock my world. For giving voice to Midwesterners in New York City. It's great to see you back in a bar band, baby.

(photo taken by TM, 6/19/09 ... more on this concert soon.)

It's our birthday, Americans ... if it's hot enough where you are, enjoy a popsicle.


You'll notice I didn't mention this guy or this guy ... definitely heroes, but too obvious.

GOT MY STEELE

WOOOOOOOOOO!

Thanks to the lovely TM (who stopped by the Clark/Diversey Borders today) it is, to quote Orson Swindle, "in hand, motherfuckers," two days before the official onsale date.

I've always loved this photo. Spencer's caption is: "Phil Steele’s College Football 2006 Preview, shortly after floating into Orson’s hand from on high."

It's even the Midwest regional cover, with Clausen, Pryor and a Michigan running back.

Here's the quick overview: ND at #7, and #9 in the Power Poll. Iowa at #20, and #16 in the Power Poll. So Steele thinks ND will end the season slightly better than their talent would predict, based on an easy slate, and Iowa will be hurt by their four tough road games (PSU, OSU, Wisky, MSU). He's got Penn St. first in the conference, then OSU and Illinois (WTF?!?!) tied at second, then Iowa.

And, because I haven't used the "MAC Attack" tag in a while: Phil likes the Bobcats to win the MAC East, saying they were "much better than (their) final '08 record and this season will fly under the radar" as his No. 2 Most Improved Team.

Full report Tuesday.

Phil gives his own magazine a thumbs up.

XRT Learns Its Lesson

I have railed, in private and on TEH INTERNETS, about the stupidity of having a British band headline the XRT Free Fourth of July Concert, aka the Independence Day concert, aka the day we declared freedom from the British.

After several years of American artists (like Counting Crows, Indigo Girls, Wilco, Moby I think*, John Mayer), last year XRT chose Gomez as the headliner. It must have pained the organizers to see two Texas favorites, Alejandro Escovedo and Old 97’s, thrill the crowd for two hours, which then headed en masse for the exits. I’ve never seen so many people leave before a concert is over.

Pictorial representation of the crowd between Old 97's and Gomez, Petrillo Bandshell, approx. 5pm, 7/4/2008.

Apparently XRT has learned from its mistakes, however blatantly stupid they are: This morning Lin Brehmer announced this year’s headliner: Mr. Buddy Guy!

Yes, Buddy Guy, who was born in Louisiana and resides right here in Chicago, Illinois. Buddy Guy, who plays 20 or so shows every January at the club he owns in the South Loop, Buddy Guy’s Legends. Buddy Guy, a real hometown hero. Take that, limeys.

Now THIS is a man you want headlining a Chicago concert in honor of America.

To celebrate properly, here’s Buddy Guy’s classic from 1991, “My Friend, You Are Absolutely Fucking Correct That I Indeed Have the Blues,” a title shortened by censors and editors down to “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues.”

Click here to play “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues.”

If you prefer Buddy with pictures, here's a Youtube of "Five Long Years."



* I think he played, not I think he's American. He’s from New York NY which despite its worldly feel is technically part of America.

My Bracket Sucks

The tournament starts tomorrow (wrote this last night, posted today). I already hate my bracket.

First of all, allow me my Al Bundy moment. Every year I try to recapture the glory of 1991, when I picked 15 of the Sweet 16, 8 of 8, 4 of the Final Four and the two teams in the championship (picked the wrong winner ... I think the teams were Duke and UNLV, can never remember who won/who I picked). Over the years I have come close ... oh, OK fine I've hardly ever come close. Hell, the novice I advised will probably do better than I.

Yoda makes his champion pick known.

I'm a believer in a Bracket Of Integrity, a term popularized in 2008 by two guys both named Mike who have a radio/TV show. I realize it's all guessing anyway, but if I had it to do all over again*, this is what I woulda done:

Pay more attention to injury reports. I'm not revealing who my national champion pick is (OK, it's the same as the president and everyone else in the country), but oh by the way the point guard has an ouchie toe. There's enough talent on the team to survive without him for a game, maybe two, but ultimately his lack of health, even if he plays, will catch up to the Tar Heels.

Actually look where teams are playing. I've learned from football and previous March Madnei that travelling across the country wears on even the most talented athletes. East Coasters in California, West Coasters in the East, anybody from this side of the Mississippi in Boise--it's a recipe for disaster. Someone on this list is going down: Utah or Arizona State in Miami; Marquette, Xavier or Florida State in Boise; UCLA in Philly.

If you want to mock my bracket, it's right here ... as long as you're willing to reveal your own for mocking.

Boy my overlapping passions of sport and music make this so much fun.

Finally, one question: Finley, how far do you have Binghamton going? And can you find Binghamton on a map?

---

* Even though technically I COULD do it over again, I don't believe in multiple brackets. Besides, changing your answer is death, because then you kick yourself when your original pick pulls out the victory.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Party With Paddy

I can't believe it's here already, but Saturday is St. Patrick's Day (Chicago Observed), which means the annual downtown parade. I moved to Chicago in 1999, which means my first parade was probably 2000. Which means this year is the tenth anniversary. Which means we're partying hard, people. Hopefully no cats will get sick this year, so I'll be live and in person for this year's parade.

Quigley feeling his Irish.

Here's the deal. If you are a FOB (friend o' the blog) you know where we live. If you want to caravan downtown with us, be here before 10:30. If you want to start your day with a "MPF Special,"* come over a little earlier, about 10am. The parade starts at noon. We're leaving at 10:30 to get a decent spot on the parade route. Afterwards we're going to our traditional post-parade lunch spot, so have a good breakfast and/or a MPF Special*. After lunch we head back up north for unspecified activities and frivolity. No one knows what will occur. Maybe you'll steal a cop's hat. But I can tell you this, to paraphrase a recently viewed dumb movie: There Will Be Beer. Oh, and keep your eye out for any molesting Irish rabbits.

What, you think I was speaking figuratively?

More info on the city's website here. My favorite part of this site was that it recommended the parade for "multicultural Chicago enthusiasts." I guess that's one way to describe me.

Finally: Longtime readers know my distrust of monarchy. However there is one day in the year I will acknowledge a royal authority, and so bow down to honor your 2009 St. Patrick's Day Queen.


* --my co-author loves it.**
**--that's not dirty. Other guests can have one too.

Best of MPF 2008: Bonus Tracks

Every year I put out a "best of" list. And every year, starting a day or two after the release, I remember things I wished I'd put in there, or categories from previous years I left out. With this new blog technology, I can now create an addendum, instead of sending out five followup emails to say "Ooh! One more I forgot!"

Worst song (pop): Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl." Metallic, droning, uninteresting, unmusical, and far inferior to the 1994 Jill Sobule song she ripped off.

Best no-hitter watched: Big Z. We started watching in the 2nd inning, and midway through the game TM commented, hey, Z hasn't given up a hit yet. So often you catch the final out or two of a no-hitter, when a national sports network cuts in. Rarely do you see a game like that essentially from the beginning. (Sept. 14)


Best opening act: Alejandro Escovedo, opening for Old 97's at the XRT Free Fourth of July concert. Technically, the 97's were an opener too, for Gomez. But everybody left after their set. I'm sorry, but to celebrate American independence from Britain, you simply DO NOT book a British band for the holiday concert.

Technology I think is stupid and unnecessary and thus I'll probably be using in three years: Facebook. In five years: Twitter. (If this category existed three years ago the winner would have been "blogging.")

Most humane moment: Marketa Irglova, with Glen Hansard, won the Oscar for their fantastic song "Falling Slowly." But as she approached the microphone, she was cut off by outro music. After a commercial break, host Jon Stewart invited her back on stage to finish her thank-yous. According to this article, it was the EP and not Stewart who made the decision to bring her back. No matter. Stewart handled the situation with class and grace. (Feb. 24)

This was nice.

Best taunt of a rival: In August, UCLA's athletic department bought this full-page ad in the LA Times. Keep in mind, Neuheisel's UCLA record at the time was 0-0.


Someone in the USC Internet world created this:


Oh, and how about Best T-shirt, seen at the Notre Dame-Michigan game:


OK, fine, so I didn't technically see that shirt at the game. But I did see this one:


And who would wear such a thing? This fine gentleman.

Christmas LOLCats

Lord, I'm discouraged. In these dismal times (economy and weather-wise), I could use some cheering up. And you know what cheers people up? LOLcats.

If you are unfamiliar with this Internet phenomenon, get caught up at LOLCats.com or I Can Has Cheezburger.

And hey, everyone loves Christmas, right? So to extend the holiday, here are Christmas LOLcats, starring Quigley.

* * *

If you want to write your own captions, you can do so at ICHC's LOLbuilder. (This link should take you to the Q pictures.)