Season 14-BFL Looking For Third Consecutive Repeat Champion

[marcusblade]

For Immediate Action
Contact: 1-886-PLA-YNOW

BFL Looking For Third Consecutive Repeat Champion as 14th Season Readies for Launch Just Two Weeks from Today
Full Entry of BFL Champs, Veterans and Rookies Ready to Battle in The BFL

COCOA BEACH, Fla. (August 26, 2009) – The mighty BFL – the premier football pool in the world of motorsports and beyond – will be looking for a third straight repeat champion when the league’s 14th year of competition begins with the opening-game of the season on Thursday, September 10. Week 1 pick sheets are due to be filed by Midnight on Wednesday, September 9 – almost exactly two weeks from now – and are currently available at www.marcusblade.com or www.msu.edu/~matlenma/.

Last year’s season ended with the unblemished Christine (Christine Reinhart) capturing her second championship in as many years of BFL competition. Christine grabbed her first crown as a rookie in 2005 and then sat out the following two seasons before coming back last year and posting an even more convincing title run. Her repeat followed 2007’s encore championship by ATOM (Adam Saal), who won for the first time in 2001, to mark the first time in the illustrious history of the BFL that back-to-back seasons produced repeat champions. The only previous time a BFL baller managed to put together a pair of championships before the recent double run was a decade ago when former league player Kim Parker (1998 & ’99 … think we can find her on Facebook?) did it in back-to-back fashion.

Among the other former BFL Champs ready to repeat this season are BFL legend Freddie T (Fred Tenorio – 1997), Pikachu (Alec Applebaum – 2002), House of Cain (Merrill Cain – 2003) and Marcus Blade (Marc Matlen – 2006). Before any player starts making room for a second or third trophy (uh, we don’t have them!) this season, they will need to get by the expected record entry of veteran and rookie players alike that is expected to take up the BFL challenge this year. Here is what it is all about:

The BFL is a season-long confidence pool with both weekly payouts and a season championship up for grabs. The rules are pretty simple, and players just pick the outright winners of each week’s games – straight up, no spreads – and rank each match up with confidence points based on the total number of games played that week.

As usual, the annual football follies are open to anyone who wants to play and pay in a timely manner. Two and only two payment options are available. Based on a weekly entry fee of just $5, you can either pay the whole season in advance ($85.00) or go with the half-down/half-later payment plan ($42.50).

Regardless of your payment plan, all players must have their money in by the beginning of Week 2 in order to continue in the league. If you choose the split payment program, your second payment is due November 1, 2009. The mailing address for checks is listed in the complete rules below and be sure to follow them if you want to contend for the title.

As always, please join the Commish in giving a note of thanks to Marcus Blade and AKA Kip (Karen Tardich) who are the tireless people who really do the work in the BFL. They are back once again to handle the web site and accounting duties, respectively, and let them know you appreciate it. We wouldn’t have the BFL without them.

The Rules:

*The BFL is a confidence points pool. The objective is to pick the winner of each game played on each weekend while allocating points to each game based on the number of games played. So, in a 16-game week (always check the total number of games being played each week!), you would pick each game’s winner and then rank each game from 1 to 16. Games you believe will be blowouts should get the highest points allocations (16, 15, 14, etc.) while games that seem to be too close to call should get the lower point allocations (3, 2, 1, etc.). You earn points only for the games you win.

*The player accumulating the most points each week is that week’s winner. The player accumulating the most points in the season wins the championship.

*No spreads are used. Make your picks based on outright wins, not against the line.

*Entry fee is $85 for the full season or $42.50 for a half season (remaining $42.50 due by November 1st). Regardless of which payment method you choose, payment is due by the beginning of Week 2. IF IT HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED, YOU ARE IN DANGER OF BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE BFL.

*A weekly prize fund and season-long bonus pool are up for grabs. Each week’s winner receives 90% of that week’s purse. 10% of each week’s pot goes into the season-long pool which pays 60% to the winner, 30% to the runner-up and 10% to third place at the end of the season.

*Every weekend of play counts toward the championship. The old throw-out week rule was done away with during one of the Bush Administrations. All 17 weeks of play count.

*Your weekly pick sheet and entry must be filed on time in order to play. The pick sheet deadline is Thursday midnight for regular weekend games and Wednesday midnight for weekends with Thursday games (NOTE: THE 2009 OPENER IS A WEDNESDAY MIDNIGHT DEADLINE AS IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS).

*The BFL has a zero-tolerance late-pick policy. Blade usually has each week’s pick sheet posted several days before the deadline. If in doubt, fill it out early in the week and send it in.

*Weekly ties are broken by the combined score of each week’s Monday Night Football game. Be sure to fill that out on each week’s pick sheet. In the event a further weekly tiebreaker is needed, total season weekly wins to that point will be used, down through highest weekly finishes.

*Championship ties will be broken by total season weekly wins down through highest weekly finishes.

*If an actual game(s) within a weekend’s schedule is postponed and BFL players have picked and allocated points for that game(s) in a weekly pick sheet, those points will come into play if and when the game(s) is played. If necessary, that week’s payout will be held until the postponed game(s) can be played and a clear weekly BFL winner can be determined. If the game(s) is cancelled outright, no points will be allocated or reinstated.

*In the event a full weekend of actual play is postponed, the Commish will make the sole determination as to the best course of action for the BFL.

*It is OK to have a team of people for a single entry but no one may be involved in more than one team, individually or in a group. No double dipping!

*Unlike other fantasy or game sports sites, you can’t register in advance for the BFL. Your team name will be registered for the season when you file your first picks. You can do that now, but it is always wise to wait until a few days before the opener… but don’t miss the deadline!

*All disputes will be decided by Commish ATOM, and every year a new and entirely unexpected one emerges!

*Once you have registered and paid, drop The Commish an email at adamsaal@yahoo.com with details of who you are (BFL team name and your real team name), where you are from and how you found out about the league.

*Again, the league’s web site is www.marcusblade.com or www.msu.edu/~matlenma/. Check it out and get in the game!