Invite for the 2002 Football Pool
"Houston, we have a football team."
The NFL is roaring back into our lives with more teams than ever before. 32 to be exact. Not since the Carolinas gave birth to the Panthers has there been this much football madness.
"But Ducey," you ask Ducey, "how can I be part of all this excitement?" Well I have the answer right here. It's the 2002 Triple-Elimination Suicide Football Pool. You, however, can call it the Ducey Pool.
The Ducey Pool brings all the excitement of the NFL into your very own living room. It's the only pool that can take a match-up like Jets/Bengals and turn it into a knuckle-biting death-match where every minute increases your frenzied enjoyment. And no, not just because Boomer Esiason played for both teams.
Here's how it works: Every weekend you pick a football team that will win its game. If you can do that week-in and week-out for the entire season, you get money. Pick a winner. Become a winner. It's the American Dream.
You want more rules? I got more rules. First of all, you pay to enter. $10 gets you a season (and post-season) full of hard-hitting football action. Second of all, you can't pick the same time twice during the season. No repeats. It's this tweak that makes the pool so exciting. Sure, St. Louis can beat Detroit, but if you've already picked St. Louis, maybe you have to decide between Cleveland and Cincinnati that week. These are just examples. Do NOT panic. (The panic comes later when Detroit is leading St. Louis late in the fourth quarter and you have pinned your hopes to Kurt Warner and his God-fearing wife's haircut.) And third of all, you can be wrong twice and remain in the pool. After the third incorrect pick you are eliminated, benched until 2003. They're hard knocks, but that's the game.
The pool is in its fifth year. Last year the winner collected a cool $1800. This year, we are expecting 250 contestants, making the potential jackpot for a single winner an even cooler $2500. There must be something you could do with an extra $2500. Of course, you can always donate a portion to the guy who runs the pool, but that's up to you. (The pot can also end up being split between tied contestants. Three years ago, three people split the pot.)
So what do you do now? If you need to explore this whole idea a little more, go to ducey.com and read over the official rules, study previous years' strategies, and check out the frequently asked questions. The rules have changed very little over the last four seasons. Start at this year's site, http://www.ducey.com/pool2002/index.html, and work backwards from there.
Once you have made your decision, immediately send your entry fee. Only the first 250 contestants will be allowed in the pool. As of this writing, 114 people have already signed up. Do not miss out because you waited too long to decide!
You can pay by mailing a check for $10. Make the check out to Kristen Graham and then mail it to John Ducey, PO Box 1411, Studio City, CA 91604. Your postmark date will determine your eligibility for the pool if we reach the quota early.
Do not procrastinate. The football season kicks off three weeks from tonight. That Saturday is the concrete deadline for postmarks on entry fees. But the limit on entries is firm and we are approaching it quickly. I am quite sure 250 will be reached long before September 7. Do not delay.
One entry per person, but multiple entries are allowed from the same household. The tradition of families gambling side-by-side in the Ducey Pool is a long and storied one. We look forward to this year's rivalries.
We would love to have you join our ranks. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ducey
Rules | 2001
Frequently Asked Questions