Why Singular Picks Are Not Rewarded

Much has been made by some league members that singular picks should be rewarded with additional points. The reasoning is that giving extra points for a difficult achievement should be recognized, that having sources of extra points brings more excitement to the picking process, and that it would provide an avenue for members who are woefully behind the league leaders to catch up. All of these points have been presented to the Senior Advisory Council, and on one occasion the SAC endorsed one such recommendation. However, the Commissioner vetoed it.

While such schemes undoubtedly would bring excitement to the process, that alone should not be the deciding factor. Empty excitement should be achieved elsewhere. A multitude of points degrades each original point. A person who is everywhere is nowhere. Any number of bizarre schemes could be employed to do this, and for each one allowed, the intent and purpose of the league is diminished. Why not 3 points each of Thursday and Monday games?  Two points for every underdog win? One point for a one o'clock win, two points for a four thirty, and three points for Sunday night?

Before long, a person could hit all of those games and out-point the person with the actual better record for the week. The purpose of the league is not to provide people who have made unsuccessful picks a wide avenue for advancement. Rather, it is to reward people who make successful picks.

Secondly, the risk for inaccurate accounting of picks grows exponentially with each gimmick employed. As our IT expert Guido Gonzales explains, the more combinations and permutations that exist, the greater the chance of errors in the computation of points awarded. Given the indignation and bluster that accompanies each small and easily correctable error currently, the apoplectic response to a multiple of errors weekly is horrible to imagine.

Thirdly, the bargaining agreement between the league and the IT contractors requires extra compensation for extra work, so the laborious task of compiling each multi-faceted statistics for each week will cost the league more money and resources. Given the league members somewhat spotty record of paying their dues, this puts even more pressure on the Commissioner to find ways to pay for the changes.

When the league started, the Commish argued that giving 2 points for a Monday night win would inevitably engender calls for more avenues for extra points by those who are challenged to make successful picks. That seems to be happening now, and the Commish has pledged to hold the line on the gimmicks and schemes of those who would transform the league to a wonderland of arbitrary point generation.

The Commish has spoken.