Prediction Contest -- Final Standings

Although this contest was decided well before the playoffs (which, on the bright side, made our collective ineptitude in picking the playoff results not quite as noticeable), I did manage to narrowly hang onto second place, and by virtue of being the only one to get any points in the whole Quarterfinal Round, Bioniclime manages to take third. Congrats to the winner for the second consecutive year, Ron Young, who may be starting a dynasty in this contest the same way the Dallas Destiny may be doing so in the league! But be that as it may, I'm sure the other predictors and I will be back to try to dethrone him next year.


Final Standings:


Ron Young: 100 Points (+3 Playoffs)
Arun Sharma: 86 Points (+5)
Bioniclime: 83 Points (+6)
Ed Scimia: 81 Points (+2)





BOS over QNS 2.5 – 1.5


BL: BOS 3 – 1 +2
ES: Tie +0
AS/RY: QNS 2.5 – 1.5 +0



CAR over NY 3.5 – 0.5


AS/RY: NY 2.5 – 1.5 +0
BL/ES: NY 3 – 1 +0



DAL over SF 2.5 – 1.5


BL/ES/RY: SF 2.5 – 1.5 +0
AS: SF 3 – 1 +0



MIA over SEA 2.5 – 1.5


BL: MIA 3 – 1 +2
AS/RY: Tie +0
ES: SEA 2.5 – 1.5 +0



BOS over CAR 2.5 – 1.5


AS/RY: Correct +3
BL/ES: Tie +0



DAL over MIA 3 – 1


BL: Tie +0
ES/AS/RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +0



DAL over BOS 2 – 2


BL/AS/ES: DAL 2.5 – 1.5 +2
RY: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 10

Well other than me horrendously sucking this week, little to report. Barring a bunch of 4 – 0 correct predictions (in the playoffs, no less!), it seems like Ron Young has all but sewn up his second straight victory in this contest. On the bright side, my blazing ineptitude this week has definitely rendered the battle for second and third place quite interesting so we shall see how that ends up transpiring after the Playoffs.


Totals after Week 10:


Ron Young: 97 Points (+14 This Week)
Arun Sharma: 81 Points (+4)
Ed Scimia: 79 Points (+12)
Bioniclime: 77 Points (+10)




CAR over PHI 2.5 – 1.5


ES: CAR 2.5 – 1.5 +3
BL: Tie +0
AS/RY: PHI 2.5 – 1.5 +0


BOS over QNS 3.5 – 0.5


BL/RY: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +2
ES/AS: Tie +0



NY over NJ 2.5 – 1.5


BL/RY: Correct +3
AS: NY 3 – 1 +2
ES: Tie +0



TEN over BAL 2.5 – 1.5


BL/ES/AS/RY: BAL 2.5 – 1.5 +0



MIA over SF 2.5 – 1.5


BL/ES/RY: Correct +3
AS: Tie +0



DAL over CHC 2.5 – 1.5


ES/RY: Correct +3
BL/AS: DAL 3 – 1 +2



ARZ over SEA 2.5 – 1.5


ES/RY: Correct +3
AS: Tie +0
BL: SEA 2.5 – 1.5 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 9

Not a very eventful week on the whole with no one really outshining the competition by much, though Ron Young has extended his lead, and with only one week in the regular season left along with the playoffs (which in total are effectively another full week), the time to catch him grows very short.


Totals after Week 9:


Ron Young: 83 Points (+9 This Week)
Arun Sharma: 77 Points (+6)
Bioniclime: 67 Points (+6)
Ed Scimia: 67 Points (+8)



QNS ties CAR 2 – 2


ES/AS/RY: CAR 2.5 – 1.5 +0
BL: CAR 3 – 1 +0



NY over BAL 3 – 1


ES: Correct +4
BL/AS/RY: NY 2.5 – 1.5 +2



BOS over PHI 3 – 1


BL/AS: Correct +4
ES/RY: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +2



MIA over NJ 3 – 1


ES/RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL/AS: Tie +0



DAL over SF 2.5 – 1.5


ES/AS: Tie +0
BL/RY: SF 2.5 – 1.5 +0



TEN over SEA 2.5 – 1.5


RY: Correct +3
BL/AS/ES: SEA 2.5 – 1.5 +0



ARZ over CHC 3 – 1


ES/RY: CHC 2.5 – 1.5 +0
BL/AS: CHC 3 – 1 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 8

A fairly good week for all of us, at least in terms of the number of points far exceeding what most weeks tend to have. Of course, it also managed to accomplish absolutely nothing in the actual standings (all four of us getting the exact same number of points could have something to do with that perhaps?). With only two weeks and the playoffs remaining, the time to make a move in this contest is running short, but it's close enough that anything can still happen for sure.


Totals after Week 8:


Ron Young: 74 Points (+13 This Week)
Arun Sharma: 71 Points (+13)
Bioniclime: 61 Points (+13)
Ed Scimia: 59 Points (+13)



NY over PHI 3 – 1


BL/ES/AS/RY: NY 2.5 – 1.5 +2



CAR over NJ 2.5 – 1.5


BL: Correct +3
ES/AS: Tie +0
RY: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +0



MIA over DAL 3.5 – 0.5


ES/AS/RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL: DAL 2.5 – 1.5 +0



BOS over BAL 3 – 1


BL/AS/RY: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +2
ES: Tie +0



QNS over CHC 3 – 1


ES: QNS 2.5 – 1.5 +2
AS: Tie +0
BL/RY: CHC 2.5 – 1.5 +0



SF over TEN 3 – 1


BL/ES/AS/RY: Correct +4



SEA over ARZ 2.5 – 1.5


ES/AS/RY: Correct +3
BL: SEA 3 – 1 +2

Prediction Results -- Week 7

Another good week by me to solidify my position in second, with me receiving another couple of lucky breaks late in matches as New York and Queens both seemed to be headed towards the wrong result before the typical USCL curse that randomly strikes teams late in matches hit, which happened to serve me favorably this week. We'll see if it continues to do so to allow me in the next weeks to allow me to claim first place for the first time in this contest this season.


Totals after Week 7:


Ron Young: 61 Points (+13 This Week)
Arun Sharma: 58 Points (+13)
Bioniclime: 48 Points (+6)
Ed Scimia: 46 Points (+6)



NY over BOS 2.5 – 1.5


AS/RY: Correct +3
ES: Tie +0
BL: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +0



QNS ties NJ 2 – 2


AS: Correct +4
BL/ES/RY: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +0



CHC over TEN 2.5 – 1.5


RY: Correct +3
BL/ES/AS: CHC 3 – 1 +2



CAR over BAL 3.5 – 0.5


BL: CAR 2.5 – 1.5 +2
ES/AS/RY: BAL 2.5 – 1.5 +0



DAL over PHI 2.5 – 1.5


RY: DAL 2.5 – 1.5 +3
BL: Tie +0
ES/AS: PHI 2.5 – 1.5 +0



MIA over ARZ 3.5 – 0.5


BL/ES/AS/RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +2



SF over SEA 3 – 1


ES/AS/RY: SF 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL: Tie +0

Prediction Results -- Week 6

Another pretty reasonable week for us predictors with Monday going well for all of us. Naturally the craziness on Wednesday prevented anyone from being especially successful there, but overall, especially compared to previous weeks, certainly this one wasn't a terrible one.

On a personal front, I took a great stride, vaulting into second place. After feeling robbed last week by the finish of the Arizona vs Carolina match, it seems the teams decided to make it up to me this week, for one Arizona themselves salvaging those two miracle draws at the end to help me get their match score exactly (which, granted helped three out of the four of us), but mainly Chicago scoring an improbable win late to tie the match and give me the exact score while leaving the others out in the dark, when it seemed the exact opposite was about to occur, was a welcome gift.


Totals after Week 6:


Ron Young: 48 Points (+8 This Week)
Arun Sharma: 45 Points (+11)
Bioniclime: 42 Points (+6)
Ed Scimia: 40 Points (+7)



SEA over NY 2.5 – 1.5


ES/AS/RY: Correct +3
BL: SEA 3 – 1 +2



SF over ARZ 3 – 1


BL/ES/AS: Correct +4
RY: SF 2.5 – 1.5 +2



CAR over QNS 2.5 – 1.5


RY: Correct +3
ES/AS: Tie +0
BL: QNS 2.5 – 1.5 +0



NJ ties BAL 2 – 2


BL/AS/RY: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +0
ES: NJ 3 – 1 +0



PHI over BOS 3.5 – 0.5


ES: Tie +0
AS/RY: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +0
BL: BOS 3 – 1 +0



CHC ties MIA 2 – 2


AS: Correct +4
BL/ES/RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +0



TEN over DAL 2.5 – 1.5


ES: Tie +0
BL/AS/RY: DAL 2.5 – 1.5 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 5

Finally a reasonable week for us predictors with the scores peaking up this week after several weeks of severe mediocrity (or incompetence depending on how harsh you want to be). I'm happy to have crawled out of the basement for now even though I'm fairly certain someone (probably Greg) is trying to sabotage me, as I was tragically robbed of the points I clearly deserved but failed to get via the ridiculous fashion in which the Arizona vs Carolina match ended in. Putting that aside, here's how it looks right now.


Totals after Week 5:


Ron Young: 40 Points (+9 This Week)
Bioniclime: 36 Points (+10)
Arun Sharma: 34 Points (+10)
Ed Scimia: 33 Points (+7)



QNS over NY 3 – 1


AS/RY: QNS 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL/ES: Tie +0



MIA ties TEN 2 – 2


AS/RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +0
BL/ES: TEN 2.5 – 1.5 +0



NJ over PHI 3 – 1


BL/ES/RY: Correct +4
AS: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +2



CHC over BAL 2.5 – 1.5


ES/RY: Correct +3
AS: CHC 3 – 1 +2
BL: CHC 3.5 – 0.5 +2



BOS over SF 3 – 1


BL/AS: Tie +0
ES/RY: SF 2.5 – 1.5 +0



SEA ties DAL 2 – 2


AS: Correct +4
ES: SEA 2.5 – 1.5 +0
BL/RY: DAL 2.5 – 1.5 +0



ARZ ties CAR 2 – 2


BL: Correct +4
AS: ARZ 2.5 – 1.5 +0
ES/RY: CAR 2.5 – 1.5 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 4

Well after predicting two correct results to start the week on Monday, I suppose going 0 – 5 on Wednesday to put myself in dead last again was the only fitting thing to happen given my general record this season. The other predictors generally fared a bit better, but with shocking results like Carolina sweeping New York, it seems that maybe only Ed Scimia's dice have a realistic chance of getting that elusive perfect week. Here's how things stand now.


Totals after Week 4:


Ron Young: 31 Points (+7 This Week)
Bioniclime: 26 Points (+6)
Ed Scimia: 26 Points (+9)
Arun Sharma: 24 Points (+6)



QNS over BAL 3 – 1


BL/ES/AS: Correct +4
RY: QNS 2.5 – 1.5 +2



SEA over CHC 2.5 – 1.5


ES/RY: Correct +3
AS: SEA 3 – 1 +2
BL: CHC 2.5 – 1.5 +0



NJ over BOS 3 – 1


RY: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +2
ES: Tie +0
BL/AS: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +0



CAR over NY 4 – 0


ES/RY: NY 2.5 – 1.5 +0
BL/AS: NY 3 – 1 +0



DAL over MIA 2.5 – 1.5


BL/AS: Tie +0
ES/RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +0



SF over PHI 3.5 – 0.5


ES: SF 3 – 1 +2
BL: SF 2.5 – 1.5 +2
AS/RY: Tie +0



ARZ over TEN 2.5 – 1.5


BL/ES/AS/RY: TEN 2.5 – 1.5 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 3

After I mocked all of us predictors (myself included unfortunately) for none of us being able to get more than a paltry six points last week, who would have thought that not a single one of us would manage to get even that this week?? Clearly, there is something tremendously wrong with all of us or with the league players. The obvious way to win this contest now seems to be to make all predictions based on one's instinct and then turn around and do the opposite on each. Which one of us predictors will take the plunge and go with that approach? I'm not sure, but here's a hint: it probably won't be me. Here is how we stand right now.


Totals after Week 3:


Ron Young: 24 Points (+5 This Week)
Bioniclime: 20 Points (+4)
Arun Sharma: 18 Points (+4)
Ed Scimia: 17 Points (+4)



DAL over BOS 2.5 – 1.5


BL: Tie +0
ES/AS/RY: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +0



SF over MIA 2.5 – 1.5


RY: Correct +3
BL/ES/AS: Tie +0



NY over PHI 3 – 1


BL: NY 2.5 – 1.5 +2
ES/AS: Tie +0
RY: PHI 2.5 – 1.5 +0



BAL over CAR 3 – 1


AS: BAL 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL: Tie +0
ES/RY: CAR 2.5 – 1.5 +0



CHC over TN 4 – 0


ES/RY: CHC 3 – 1 +2
BL/AS: CHC 2.5 – 1.5 +2



QNS over ARZ 3 – 1


ES: QNS 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL/AS/RY: ARZ 2.5 – 1.5 +0



SEA ties NJ 2 – 2


BL/AS/RY: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +0
ES: NJ 3 – 1 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 2

Not exactly the best of weeks for us prognosticators with no one getting more than six points (after the lowest score was eight in the first week), and three matches being failed to be predicted even semi-correctly by any of us. From a contest perspective this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it ensures the contest itself will remain competitive for now, but in regards to our job security, it could be a definite issue with our employers likely to seek more competent people to fill our roles. Nevertheless, here are the standings.


Totals after Week 2:


Ron Young: 19 Points (+6 This Week)
Bioniclime: 16 Points (+5)
Arun Sharma: 14 Points (+6)
Ed Scimia: 13 Points (+4)



QNS over NJ 3 – 1


ES/AS/RY: QNS 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +0



PHI over BAL 2.5 – 1.5


BL: Correct +3
AS: Tie +0
ES/RY: BAL 2.5 – 1.5 +0



BOS over CAR 3 – 1


AS: Correct +4
ES/RY: BOS 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL: BOS 3.5 – 0.5 +2



MIA over NY 3.5 – 0.5


RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +2
BL/AS/ES: Tie +0



CHC ties SF 2 – 2


BL/AS/RY: SF 2.5 – 1.5 +0
ES: SF 3 – 1 +0



TN ties SEA 2 – 2


ES: SEA 2.5 – 1.5 +0
RY: SEA 3 – 1 +0
BL/AS: SEA 3.5 – 0.5 +0



DAL over ARZ 3 – 1


BL/AS/ES/RY: ARZ 2.5 – 1.5 +0

Prediction Results -- Week 1

So again the battle for best guessing the future in regards to USCL Matches begins with Week One being in the books. This year the contest will be amongst myself (picks posted here), Ron Young (last year's Champion), Bioniclime, and Ed Scimia. The same scoring system as last year will be used, with as usual you receiving two points for every correct result (correct team winning or correct draw) and the following bonuses for additionally predicting the correct score.


Each exact score of 2.5 – 1.5 receives 1 bonus point.
Each exact score of 2 – 2 or 3 – 1 receives 2 bonus points.
Each exact score of 3.5 – 0.5 or 4 – 0 receives 3 bonus points.


Unfortunately, my personal quest to regain this title which was so brutally taken away from me last season didn't exactly start off the way I was hoping with myself being in dead last after the first week. After such a promising first match (being the only one to exactly predict Arizona vs Chicago), I was quite optimistic, but when the Commissioner linked to my predictions with the aura of "predicts all draws in the East", I knew I was in for trouble and sure enough, not a single match in all of Week 1 being drawn sort of epitomized the result I was in for. Nevertheless, I do have plenty of time to catch up so I'm far from discouraged.


So without further ado, these are the actual standings (myself = AS, Ron Young = RY, Bioniclime = BL, and Ed Scimia = ES)


Totals after Week 1:


Ron Young: 13 points
Bioniclime: 11 Points
Ed Scimia: 9 Points
Arun Sharma: 8 Points



ARZ over CHC 2.5 – 1.5


AS: Correct +3
BL/ES/RY: ARZ 3 – 1 +2



BOS over NY 3 – 1


ES/AS: Tie +0
BL/RY: NY 2.5 – 1.5 +0



NJ over BAL 3 – 1


BL/RY: NJ 2.5 – 1.5 +2
ES/AS: Tie +0



QNS over PHI 2.5 – 1.5


ES: Correct +3
AS: Tie +0
BL/RY: PHI 2.5 – 1.5 +0



CAR over TEN 3 – 1


BL/RY: Correct +4
ES/AS: CAR 2.5 – 1.5 +2



SF over DAL 2.5 – 1.5


BL/AS/RY: Correct +3
ES: SF 3 – 1 +2



MIA over SEA 3.5 – 0.5


RY: MIA 2.5 – 1.5 +2
ES: Tie +0
BL/AS: SEA 2.5 – 1.5 +0