And re: "free square" plays that were actually off the board when the contest lines were posted, I wouldn't mind those going off the contest card, too.
Although it's not that big of a deal to me personally because I'm used to dealing with the supposed free square situation as a matter of contest strategy. To me it's not a given that everyone has to pick that square, like they've got a gun to their head. Free squares don't always come in, so it's always a strategic decision to me as to whether to make that play, use something else, or possibly even go the other way because I think that the final market number is just flat wrong due to groupthink. (Although, in that last situation, I'm still more likely to just skip the play and root against the free square play on Sunday -- if I pick a different winner in a situation where everyone and their brother is on the wrong side, I still get a point while the vast majority of the field is getting zip. I don't necessarily have to step in front of a bad market number to get that contest point, even if I think the market has gone bonkers.)
But what has happened in the past when contests have taken the approach of leaving games off the card, then a different cadre of gripers complain that there's not enough games to choose from, especially during bye season.
So from the books' perspective, they get criticized either way they go.
I just roll with whatever way the book handles that situation, in terms of looking for the best strategy in the particular format chosen.
Sometimes the SuperBook is pretty good at forecasting where the line will be. Sometimes not so much, particularly where the real world situation is fluid and markedly changes the number. Sometimes the books that don't include the then off-the-board games wind up with a fairly short contest card for a week.
That all goes into the mix in strategizing while cutting down to five picks before the deadline.
Short of real-time contest lines -- administrated impeccably with no hijinks, like "flash" numbers available only at 2:30 a.m. PT to benefit select customers given the heads up -- the various ways of handling this situation (off-the-board games) as well as the others is just part of the backdrop in which one conducts strategy.
If they cut the off-the-board games, fine. If not, well, OK.
* * * *
Overall, separate and apart from improving contest formats generally, the SuperBook is going to have to do more than incremental rules changes to recapture the momentum that it had in prior years.
I liked the "swarming locusts"imagery, WW. They've really screwed these contests up with so many in-season prizes at the expense of the top money prizes.
Although it's not that big of a deal to me personally because I'm used to dealing with the supposed free square situation as a matter of contest strategy. To me it's not a given that everyone has to pick that square, like they've got a gun to their head. Free squares don't always come in, so it's always a strategic decision to me as to whether to make that play, use something else, or possibly even go the other way because I think that the final market number is just flat wrong due to groupthink. (Although, in that last situation, I'm still more likely to just skip the play and root against the free square play on Sunday -- if I pick a different winner in a situation where everyone and their brother is on the wrong side, I still get a point while the vast majority of the field is getting zip. I don't necessarily have to step in front of a bad market number to get that contest point, even if I think the market has gone bonkers.)
But what has happened in the past when contests have taken the approach of leaving games off the card, then a different cadre of gripers complain that there's not enough games to choose from, especially during bye season.
So from the books' perspective, they get criticized either way they go.
I just roll with whatever way the book handles that situation, in terms of looking for the best strategy in the particular format chosen.
Sometimes the SuperBook is pretty good at forecasting where the line will be. Sometimes not so much, particularly where the real world situation is fluid and markedly changes the number. Sometimes the books that don't include the then off-the-board games wind up with a fairly short contest card for a week.
That all goes into the mix in strategizing while cutting down to five picks before the deadline.
Short of real-time contest lines -- administrated impeccably with no hijinks, like "flash" numbers available only at 2:30 a.m. PT to benefit select customers given the heads up -- the various ways of handling this situation (off-the-board games) as well as the others is just part of the backdrop in which one conducts strategy.
If they cut the off-the-board games, fine. If not, well, OK.
* * * *
Overall, separate and apart from improving contest formats generally, the SuperBook is going to have to do more than incremental rules changes to recapture the momentum that it had in prior years.
I liked the "swarming locusts"imagery, WW. They've really screwed these contests up with so many in-season prizes at the expense of the top money prizes.
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