739 replies to this topic

[KendallHilton]

BSL: Power 5 Conferences Preparing for FBS Season During COVID-19 Pandemic

https://www.baltimor...id-19-pandemic/

[BSLMikeLowe]

ESPN: A better future for college football players? Here's how to make it happen

[BSLChrisStoner]

UConn opts out of the 2020 season.  

They were going to have an Independent schedule, which makes the decision easier. 

[BSLRoseKatz]

Player requests for health/safety from the Big Ten

https://www.theplaye...football-season

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Player requests for health/safety from the Big Ten

https://www.theplaye...football-season

I dont have any major issues with what they are requesting. But I do have one MAJOR issue with something they don't address at all. Where are the player responsibilities laid out? Totally silent on them. So a player can go out and do whatever they please with no ramifications????

[BSLMikeLowe]

BSL: College Football 2020 - Players are Flexing Their Muscle & the Sport May Never be the Same

[BSLMikeLowe]

I dont have any major issues with what they are requesting. But I do have one MAJOR issue with something they don't address at all. Where are the player responsibilities laid out? Totally silent on them. So a player can go out and do whatever they please with no ramifications????

 

It does ring a bit hollow when Rutgers has to shut down preparation for the season due to an outbreak, and contact tracing reveals several players likely contracted the virus at an on-campus indoor party. That's just reckless and if I was a teammate of one of those who were there, and especially if I were one of the positives, I'd be pissed as all hell.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Hey, I am trying to organize a college football pick em league.  I have a preliminary email drafted that I am sending to everyone and was hoping you guys could review it and make sure that I have all the bases covered.  I have intentionally left out the join link and the pay links because it's not quite ready yet.  I just want everyone's feedback and, yea, if you're interested let me know here and I'll make sure you receive the finished product!  Thanks!  Email is as follows:

 

 

Hello,

 

If you're receiving this email it's because I think you're at least slightly interested in a) college football or b) gambling or are c) bored due to COVID and need some reason to wake up in the morning.

 

Anyway, I am trying to organize a college football pick 'em league for this year (and many years after!).  If there is a season, the rules are fairly simple.  Each week I will pick 10 college football games and every member of the league will guess the winner of each game AGAINST THE SPREAD.  The against the spread aspect allows me to pick games that are mostly on national TV (so we can all watch and cheer) and are (mostly) power conference games (apologies to Conference USA).  I will also occasionally pick a lower conference game if there are two top teams playing each other.  Suddenly, LSU being a 13 point favorite at Ole Miss has added intrigue right?  Suffice to say, the 10 games I pick will all be high on the college football radar.  I’m fairly certain I can pick the weekly games each Monday before the week’s action begins.  Each correct pick will earn a point.  At the end of the year, the top winners (most likely the top 3) will win a cash prize AND each weekly winner will win a smaller prize.  The league is run entirely through officefootballpool.com (see the join link below) so there is no funny business.  They do charge a fee to run the pool, but it’s worth it in the end to ensure that all the accounting is correct. Now to the nitty gritty:

1.  Entry fee:  $50 per person.  Normally I would ask for this up front but because this year is *very* up in the air in terms of it actually being played I am delaying the date by which the payment is due (see below).  We will use the honor system and if we have an official season, everyone will have to pay up so the winners can get paid out
2. In the event of a weekly tie we will use a tie breaker for the 10^th game on the weekly list.  Whoever picks the total points scored (going over or under, no price is right rules) closest to the actual total will win the week.  HOWEVER if there is a tie in the overall season points the prize will be split evenly (so if the top two finishers are tied they will split the 1^st and 2^nd place payouts 50/50).  Right now I am thinking that 50% of the pot goes to weekly winners and 50% of the pot goes to the top 3 finishers in the yearly standings – it depends on how many members we have and what the total pot size is.  I will announce the weekly and seasonal payouts before the season begins.
3. We will consider *8 full weeks played* as a full season where the seasonal winners will be paid out with the weekly winners receiving their weekly pay outs.  Once we reach 8 weeks played (i.e. once the games as of Saturday, October 24 are fully played) the seasonal winners and weekly winners are paid out...so, your $50 entry is due by the end of games played on 10/24.  If this whole season collapses before 10/24 nobody owes anything and, well, at least we have the memories we made.  I’ll shoot everyone who still owes an email at that point if it’s necessary.  As of now the college football season is set to end on Saturday, December 5^th (week 14) so that will be the last week of our season).  This is subject to change if teams/conferences need to adjust their schedules.  I will keep everyone apprised.
4. If random games are cancelled that are already on the weekly game slate they simply won’t count.  I’ll do my best to pick games that are likely to be played (I can’t believe I have to type that sentence), but if I pick USC v. Washington and the Thursday before the game it’s called off because 20 players on USC got COVID, well, that game just won’t count towards the weekly total or the seasonal total.
5. All games will be on the Saturday of each week.  No Thursday games, etc.  I have to double check but I believe all game selections lock at kick off.  To be safe I’d have all your selections in by noon eastern each Saturday.  By the way, once the weekly games with the lines are selected (again, likely on Monday), they (the lines) don’t move, regardless of late week injuries, etc.  You can always change your pick up to noon Saturday.
6. If you fall asleep at the wheel and forget to enter your picks you will automatically be given every home team.  Remember, this is against the spread so having all the home teams is not some sort of advantage.

Overall, this is simply a pick ‘em league.  One that a lot of us have done and is fairly straightforward despite this lengthy email.  I hope we get a solid roster of members.

If you want to join click this link: 

You’ll likely need to register on the site.  All I ask is that after you’ve joined you send me an email with your league ID so I can add you to my nifty spreadsheet (which keeps track of owners, who has paid, who gets paid out etc.)  Also, feel free to forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in joining – the more the merrier.

Again, if you join the entry fee is not due right away but if you’d like to pay feel free:

 

Paypal:  

Venmo:  

If you pay in advance and we don’t reach a full season you’ll be fully refunded.  Otherwise, payment is due once the games on Saturday, October 24 are completed.  After that weekly winners are paid and the yearly winners are paid once the college football season ends.

As a friendly reminder this is COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONLY.  No NFL here

Ok that’s it for now.  I hope all of you are staying safe and I hope we have a college football season this year. 

Thanks!

 

[BSLRoseKatz]

Are we betting against the spread of coronavirus? Folks! 

[Mike in STL]

I'm in!

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: Coaches Poll top 25 reactions: Oklahoma and Tennessee are underrated while Texas is overrated
https://www.cbssport...s-is-overrated/

[BSLMikeLowe]

It appears there will be no FCS championship tournament this year. As of now 8 of the 13 conferences have announced they will not play football this fall, though some are letting members play non-conference games. The NCAA has said they won’t stage a tournament if more than half of a division’s teams do not play.

[BSLChrisStoner]

The Mid-American Conference has canceled its football season this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic

The MAC is the first conference in Division 1 college football to voluntarily forego all its games in 2020. MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said, "there are simply too many unknowns to put our student athletes in these situations. This is simply a miserable decision."

[BSLZackKiesel]

The Mid-American Conference has canceled its football season this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic

The MAC is the first conference in Division 1 college football to voluntarily forego all its games in 2020. MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said, "there are simply too many unknowns to put our student athletes in these situations. This is simply a miserable decision."

Big Ten presidents are meeting today, sounds like there’s a decent chance they’ll follow suit and cancel the season.

[NickStevens]

The Mid-American Conference has canceled its football season this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic

The MAC is the first conference in Division 1 college football to voluntarily forego all its games in 2020. MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said, "there are simply too many unknowns to put our student athletes in these situations. This is simply a miserable decision."

 

I also cover MAC baseball so I'm on a bunch of communication lists and stuff. Got on a call this morning with some MAC coaches and personnel and it was extremely depressing. These schools are legitimately afraid about their futures at this point. 

[BSLMikeLowe]

The Mid-American Conference has canceled its football season this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic

The MAC is the first conference in Division 1 college football to voluntarily forego all its games in 2020. MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said, "there are simply too many unknowns to put our student athletes in these situations. This is simply a miserable decision."

 

Tuesday nights just won't be the same this fall without #MACtion. It's still the sensible decision, and I think that the other dominoes will fall during this next week.

[BSLMikeLowe]

ESPN: Sources: Power 5 talking about no fall football

 

Several sources have told ESPN over the last 48 hours that the postponement or cancellation of the football season seems inevitable. Many of those sources believed that it ultimately will take a Power 5 conference to move things in that direction, and that either the Big Ten or Pac-12 would probably be the first league to do it.

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: Power Five leaders met Sunday to discuss viability of 2020 college football season, talks continue Monday
https://www.cbssport...ontinue-monday/

[You Play to Win the Game]

Trevor Lawrence came out strong against it. That probably isn't a popular opinion from his fan base either. Good for him. It is really going to suck a lot but it just seems like the responsible thing to do.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Trevor Phillips came out strong against it. That probably isn't a popular opinion from his fan base either. Good for him. It is really going to suck a lot but it just seems like the responsible thing to do.

 

Did you mean Trevor Lawrence? He made a reasonable point - that if players are sent home many will have a tougher time avoiding the virus in their communities, won’t have access to regular testing, and medical care if they need it. He also said many would make more responsible choices with their teammates in mind and their season at stake, which certain players at Rutgers have demonstrated isn't always the case.

 

I still think that not playing right now is the right choice, but we'll see how the NCAA and schools deal with what to do with all the fall sports athletes when the time comes.