Mediocre World Cup 2014 bracket pick em' pool!
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It's almost World Cup time, and what better way to get people to care than creating a pool?
Here's the link to join the Mediocre 2014 World Cup Pool. The group password is 'itsokiguess'
Some very average at best prizes may be awarded, so get your brackets in before the first games start on 6/12/14.
Good luck and may the most Mediocre one win.
- 46 comments, 35 replies
- Comment
Got Germany pegged to win it all. Too bad that I just don't see Brazil having enough to beat down the Germans, even with home field advantage. With much positivity (and probably a lot of irrationalism) I have my US boys team advancing to the Semis only to be beat out by Messi and gang from Argentina.
glad to know you'll be picking wrong
Totally excited about Facepalm 2014!
Now I can't unsee that. World Cup things tend to look like other things...
Is that... a man... in a boat?
I think it looks like the exoskeleton of the head of a monster sized bug.
I'm more on TC's side as far as what it looks like.
I've stared at this now and again for the last 2 months. I still don't see a guy in a boat. I give up.
@ceagee I was referencing a euphemism for a particularly sensitive lady part, as a way to say the stadium looks like lady parts.
@Thumperchick Thank you for the enlightenment. I hadn't heard that term before.( and yes it does) Regional? Age? Ah well. Now I know !
I'm not sure if my absolute lack of soccer knowledge will help me hit the middle, or will make it harder to be completely, ordinarily, middle of the road.
Be careful, it may help you win.
It's official, some extremely mediocre prizes will be awarded to the winner!
We'll be shipping out some
crapstuff from around the office, including a trophy if we manage to find it among the mountains of googly eyes and horse head masks.If you participated in the Seligman experiment you might even receive what you sent us if it's particularly below average, but with the benefit of it being haphazardly and reluctantly handled by Mediocre employees - how exciting!
Fill out your brackets now and soon you could be doing this:
god, I love this gif more than is warranted
Trying to figure out where to pick "riots" as the big winner.
@dave For more reasons than just soccer this year.
USA to not make it out of the group after scoring 0 goals. Argentina to come in 3rd. Brazil v Germany in the final, Brazil to win it all.
Disclosure: I had some minor surgery yesterday, and am a little foggy.
I actually thought this state of mind would give me and advantage for picking winning teams. But registering is proving a bit much for my brain.
I have what may be the "Stupid Question of the Day":
In registering on ESPN, before I get to the [i[mediocre[/i] part, is that the same as registering my picks name? When they ask for first and last name, and it says: something something this is how we address you for fantasy leagues -- is this where I use my "rat" name or do I actually need to put in my real name. Or as a third choice some wild made up name ? Hey, remember I'm in the recovery zone.
Thank you .
PS If I win, will I be disqualified for having drug enhanced picks ?
I believe if they're asking for a first and last name they want your real one but you can just put whatever or make something up.
Thanks. It took me awhile and one deleted account, but I finally got it done ! Victory in itself.
I created a bracket. It's totally wrong. Totally middle of the road. Not even any huge upsets. The end :)
I feel like I've already won, just managing to complete a bracket. I need to feel like that, because boy do I have no chance of winning anything further.
I feel so unpatriotic not having the USA getting out of the first round (group?). Then I figured Brazil somehow has bribed everyone to win, so I had to go with them.
This is the best site for what games are on, when.
http://pocketworldcupschedule.info
(Better on mobile.)
Also, fivethirtyeight's predictions.
(Can't believe I didn't find this in time to copy off them.)
hey @jont, when do you plan to close the brackets so we can see who everyone picked?
According to the ESPN site they should be viewable as soon as the first game of the group stage begins.
Other brackets are now viewable!
I just realized I spent more time researching and coming up with my team name then my picks. (Pipoqueiro is Brazilian slang for a free-loader, though the name means popcorn maker.)
Will you feel better to know you are not alone? I looked high and low to no avail. So I covered my bases w/ "insert cool WC term here"
Let the games begin.
How can you go against the home team? Brazil all the way!
I can't believe I'm the only one who went for the dark horse Uruguay.
I guess that means I will be the only winner !! bwaaah hahahaha!
@DrCrankn I have them pegged to win the whole thing, but they are some cheating d-bags.
I will heavily contest anyone arguing that THAT was actually a penalty
It's History now! Best part about soccer is complaining about the poor referring! I'm sure there will be 1 or 2 more poor calls!
Another angle: http://gfycat.com/ArtisticSecretBalloonfish
it's not about the bad calls, those are part of the game, and every player/fan accepts that. this is about the player blatantly cheating
@mehtaab This is my first time actually watching the World Cup and I've always been a big soccer naysayer, particularly because of the diving. I give something a chance and this happens in the first game.
It's hard to become a convert of the sport when this happens and there are no consequences and minimal backlash.
@JonT as someone who loves playing and watching the game so much, it's really hard to swallow. Fact is the risk/reward for diving is non-existent. Worst case scenario, referee ignores it. Best case, you get a foul (in this case a penalty and a basically guaranteed goal), and the defender might get a booking, or even sent off (it's happened before).
There is no retro-active punishment for shit like this because FIFA/UEFA/PGMOL or whoever say that if the referee saw it, his call is final. If players started getting banned for diving using video-replays or something, it would stop real quick. Now the guy that dived and effectively cheated his team to victory will get away scot free, while the defender that didn't touch him is one step closer to being ineligible to play later games (a yellow card in two group stage games equals a suspension in the third).
Hopefully it's an isolated incident at this World Cup, it should be a lesson to the refs to step up their game. Stick with the tournament man! It's gonna be one of the best
It's hard when the refs family is held captive by Yakuza that have a lot of money riding on this game. Good old mob-economics.
This is the weirdest brackets I've played in. You have to sit and wait for a bunch of games to be played before you have any real idea how anyone is doing.
The upside of that is it is the only time every one else will be doing as bad as I am or as good as I am !
Not to mention the 1 & 2 rankings out of each group that completely shapes the brackets differently, the madness is only beginning
My reaction when the team I chose to win is already out:
I'm sorry brotha! It's "The Beautiful Game."
ouch, that hurts @jont
Hope you don't give up on soccer.
Fifa World Bras!
I have no idea how or why I am in the 99% so far.
I have no idea what any of the scores on the bracket mean. Anyone care to try and explain it ? I never knew soccer could be so confusing.
Scoring System
A correct answer in a given round is shown below:
Group Stage - 1 point per correct pick
Group Stage Bonus - 1 point per pick if team is in correct slot
Round of 16 - 2 points per correct pick
Round of 16 Bonus - 2 points per pick if team is in correct slot
Quarterfinals - 4 points per correct pick
Quarterfinals Bonus - 4 points per pick if team is in correct slot
Semifinals - 8 points per correct pick
Semifinals Bonus - 8 points per pick if team is in correct slot
Finals - 32 points for correct pick
Maximum Points Breakdown
Group Stage: 32 points
Round of 16: 32 points
Quarterfinals: 32 points
Semifinals: 32 points
Finals: 32 points
Total Max Possible Points = 160 points
So basically the reason you're in the 99% is because only 2 of the 8 groups are locked in completely. I lost major points because I picked Spain to go all the way and they're already eliminated.
So far, I'm middling it up! Come on!
Wow. I'm at 0.1% so far. It takes talent to be that below par.
Very impressive, well done!
The goal is to get in the middle, not the bottom. Congrats on achieving something though! ;)
Media is always yacking about about 1% vs 99%, so if you use that basis .1% is extra special.
Ooh, I'm up to 2.7%
ESPN needs a bracket for the World Cup of Writhing
Got this email today.
I thought my entry was complete. What does this mean?
At least instead of doing well, I'm now at 35%. -- Nice and mediocre.
4-0 Germany only 26' in! Looking good for those of us (me & Scott) who picked Germany in the bracket!
Ooh! A strong finish for me with 0.8%! I don't think I could have tried be that below par.
congratulations !
Impressively sub-par!
Ooh, make that 0.7%!
16.3% here. And tied for 16th place in the group. I better go buy a lottery ticket w/ the number 16 on it.
or not.
I'm winning so this is clearly rigged. C'mon Netherlands!
Wow, I am horrible at picking brackets... lol. It's comical. TC, how on Earth did you out mediocre me?
talent?
Lack of maybe. Please teach me the ways of your superior mediocrity! Seriously though, you deserve some sort of prize
With 23 playing, I guess 12th is in the middle. I'm currently in 11th, need to do just a touch worse to "win"
After spending that $5 to back meh.com I didn't have much left for bribing the officials, currently sitting at 20th.
1) I pick Germany to win in extra time.
2) I think it's funny how the round picture shows up on the preview page for this thread: "FIFA World Bras"
-=C=-
So there were 23 participants... but the 23rd guy didn't make a bracket, so really there were 22. I guess 11 and 12 tied for mediocre-est scores?
Congrats guys... I guess?
11) Hodor. Hodor.cettelbrick
12) Pipoqueiro Dave415ucv_
Woohoo, that's me! Totally mediocre at this.
So what prizes did the "winners" get ?
Well the top 3 were all employees, so they get nothing but I'll figure something out.
Looked at the main ESPN brackets page. I'm amazed at how many had 100% ! Tricky w/ the ties and such.
Considering how many there were and I'm sure how many just under them, I think it's safe to say we were all rather mediocre. Congrats to all the mediocre folks here who took a stab at WC bracket.
What ever happened with this?
@Thumperchick Good question, I'll followup on this
@JonT ಠ_ಠ