Season 20-BFL is 20

[marcusblade]

Hi All!

Commish Adam “ATOM” Saal here and both proud and somewhat in shock to say that we are preparing for the 20th season of competition for the BFL Football Pool! The site is now open and ready at www.MarcusBlade.com and Week 1 picks are due by 6 p.m. EDT, this Thursday, September 10.

What started as the CART Office Pool in Detroit back in 1996 has continued and grown in its two decades of existence to the point where two dozen players from around the country have regularly participated in the BFL the last few years. Welcome back to all of you who have played before, and the BFL is open to any and all new players too. Feel free to invite your friends and family.

Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge Karen "AKA Kip" Tardich who joins your humble Commish as the only BFL players who have participated in each of the last 19 seasons. Yes, we are old!

Also want to thank Karen and Marc “MarcusBlade” Matlen for truly making the BFL happen each and every year. Karen is our accountant and Marc is the tech guru who keeps our website running. Me, not so much, but we couldn’t do the BFL at all without Karen and Marc.

And congratulations to first-time 2014 BFL Champion Kevin “Surfside Sam” Wilkerson who ended the season tied with Rena “Mrs. Backmarker” Shanaman who also had a career BFL year. Kevin ended up getting the title based on a tiebreaker so be sure and take a look at the rules for both weekly and championship tiebreakers below.

Full rules follow but here are the highlight need-to-knows:

*Weekly fee is $5, payable only in two installments - Half Season ($42.50) or Full Season ($85.00).

*Your weekly pick sheet and entry must be filed on time in order to play. The pick sheet deadline is Thursday at 6 p.m. (an hour or so before each week’s first game).

*The BFL has a zero-tolerance late-pick policy. If in doubt, fill it out early in the week and submit.

*Returning players who want to use the same name can register using your password from last season. If you can’t remember, shoot MarcusBlade an email at: bfl@marcusblade.com or click on the “Contact Us” tab on the main BFL Pool menu at www.MarcusBlade.com.

*New players can register using: BFLLives. Once in, you can change to your own password.

Again, full rules below, but for now I will just say good luck, welcome back and here’s to a great 20th BFL season! Get in the game now at www.MarcusBlade.com.
Good luck in the BFL in its 20th year!

ATOM


BFL 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.

*Every weekend of play counts toward the championship. The old throw-out week rule was done away with long ago. 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 at 6 p.m. (an hour or so before each week’s first game).

*The BFL has a zero-tolerance late-pick policy. 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, the Detroit Lions game’s combine score is used. We will pick and alternative game when the Lions are on Bye.

*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.

*Returning players who want to use the same name can register using your password from last season. If you can’t remember, shoot MarcusBlade an email at: bfl@marcusblade.com or click on the “Contact Us” tab on the main menu.

*New players can register using: BFLLives. Once in, you can change to your own password.

*All disputes will be decided by Commish ATOM, and every year a new and entirely unexpected one emerges! Remember, sportsmanship and fair play will be at the foundation of all decisions. Seriously… really, even in this day and age.

*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.

*Join us now at www.MarcusBlade.com!