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Special K

Alicia Kellogg, aka BrutalBrutis, is the 2010 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion (see final standings). Kellogg was deep in the bottom half of the standings for much of the tournament, but she surged to top in the final two weekends as Michigan State and Duke kept winning.

Like Miss America, Kellogg will wear the crown, and the grand prize t-shirt, with pride wherever she goes this year, passing through legions of adoring fans and well-wishers from coast to coast and, indeed, around the globe. She’ll probably get carpal tunnel from signing so many autographs, but that’s a minor sacrifice. She has responsibility now; she has to carry the Chippens torch and be an inspiration to all.

Yes, now the whole world will get a chance to be inspired like I was back in the days when I was her supervisor at Camp Torenta—when I’d make her clean the toilets or mop out the entire cookhouse, or perhaps I’d tell her to stack a huge pile of wood or clean up seaweed from the beach, or maybe I'd even ask her to make hundreds of tie-dye t-shirts, or during certain Fantastic Fridays, I’d have her sit patiently while I instructed a bunch of 8-10 year-olds to play “beauty shop,” which basically involved making a sandcastle on her head with eggs and snails. Yes, while I shot baskets, played four-square, or sunned on the raft, I was amazed at how much work she could get done. Now, the entire planet is amazed at her abilities. 

Alicia’s triumph comes at the expense of WHAC (Angela Penney), who’s bid to be the first-ever two-time champion ended when Butler fell in the last seconds of the title game. Penney dropped to third place behind newcomer and runner-up Mary Kate Gergel.

Other notable finishes:

• Senior Moment (Bill Snider) had his best finish in six years, placing 10^th.
• Lisa Corwin’s 9^th place finish was her second-straight top-10 finish. She moved up to second on the All-Time Average Place list, and she’s now finished in the top 20 in five of the last six years.
• PJ had her best finish in six years, placing 12^th.
• Loren DeHaan had another solid year, placing 5^th. He’s now finished in the top 14 four out the last five years.
• For the first time ever, Chez managed to not place in the bottom four. She finished 48^th. 

The All-Time Records are now updated. See if you make the list!

73 Players Take the Challenge

The 2010 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is underway!

Click HERE to go to the report package, which includes player listing, player picks, current standings, projected standings, and much, much more.

DAILY RECAPS & PREVIEWS

• Day One
• Day Two 
• Day Three 
• Day Four
• Day Five 
• Day Six & The Comedy of Cotter 
• Final Four Preview 
  

Tournament Preview

There are many new and second-year players and many longtime veterans in this year's contest.

One of those returning players is the defending champion, Nicholas A. Schultz, who goes by the handle Blizzard T. Husky. No one has ever won The Challenge twice, let alone back-to-back, but Husky will try to accomplish that this year.

Standing in his way will be past champions PJ, J-Dub, WHAC, and Stumper. Oh, and you'd best be wary of 2009 Chippens NCAA Challenge Champion, who last year--using that same name--finished 71 out of 72. He's looking for some redemption this year. 

Two new-comers to be on the lookout for this year are Jeff & Leo Brillhart. Uncle Leo, as he's known in the family, will have no mercy on any of his fellow competitors, especially if you snub him:



In addition to the formidable Uncle Leo, all but three of the players who own All-Time top scores are in this year's tournament, so it's going to be a competitive year!

Other Notes:

• Due to my work schedule, today's standings will be updated at 4 p.m. eastern time, again at around 10 p.m. eastern time, and then LIVE throughout the rest of the weekend. 
• Make sure you add editor@chippens.com to your address book so that my e-mail updates don't get filtered into your SPAM folder.

The 10th Anniversary Tourney is here!

MAKE YOUR PICKS (BRACKETS ARE NOW POSTED! Deadline is Thursday, March 18 at noon EST.)

The 10th annual Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is set to begin! Entry is once again FREE, and there are three great prizes up for grabs for the top three finishers!

This year, the third place finisher will win a custom Chippens fridge magnet, and second place will win a custom Chippens bumper sticker.

The GRAND PRIZE for this year's tournament is a newly-designed, soon-to-be-collector's-item, soon-to-be-worth-many-million-pounds-at-a-Sotheby's-auction, custom Chippens t-shirt!

FRONT

BACK

That's right, folks! This year's winner gets a vintage piece of Americana that is sure to impress your neighbors and in-laws as well as create an excellent addition to your Fourth of July wardrobe.

Complete Instructions:

1. Enter your handle (nickname), location, valid e-mail address, and whether you are a Chippens rookie in the fields at the top of the page.
2. Complete the ENTIRE bracket through the championship game. Scoring rules are listed at the top of the entry page.
3. Select "E-mail Me A Copy" to receive a copy of your picks in your e-mail inbox. This is the only way you will receive confirmation of your picks.
4. Add a comment for the webmaster if you wish.
5. Submit your picks.
6. If you want to change your picks, you have to either (a) complete a new set of picks using the exact same biographical information, i.e. your handle, city & state, and e-mail (your new picks will then replace your old picks) or (b) e-mail me by the deadline with specific changes you'd like to make.

E-mail me at chippens [at] yahoo [dot] com with questions. If you don't think I'll recognize your name, include something about the NCAA Challenge in the subject line or I'll think it's spam and delete it.

Other things to look at:

• Last year's results
• The complete list of All-Time records 

So, MAKE YOUR PICKS, and thanks for playing!

A Blizzard of One

View the final standings

Nicholas Schultz, who goes by the name Blizzard T. Husky, is now officially the 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion with 192 points, a score that ties the All-Time record for points in a single tournament. He edged out Eric Sturgeon by just one point, the closest finish in Challenge history. Sturgeon has already guaranteed another top three finish next year.

Leta Corwin earned the final prize-winning spot, finishing third with 188 points. Corwin’s 83% pick percentage also put her second on the All-Time list for pick percentage in a single season. Corwin now has two top three finishes in the past three years, and she didn’t even compete in 2008.

I feel bad for MSU and the Spartan fans (I am one, after all), but they must realize what they were up against. It wasn’t North Carolina’s basketball skills so much as it was Nicholas Schultz’s now-all-too-apparent preordination as the Champion of this tournament that did in the Spartans. The fact is that Blizzard T. Husky is not merely a man, he is the Ultimate Man, having won that title in a 13-event competition covered by Chippens in 2001. You simply cannot deny the Ultimate Man his destiny. With his victory, Blizzard now has two top three finishes in the past four years. The question now is whether he can become the first-ever two-time Challenge champion.

2009 was a record-setting year all around. Below, you’ll find the updated All-Time records list. There are many who are new to the lists and many who, sadly, have dropped out.

On Monday, the same day that Schultz won his Championship, Major League Baseball opened its season, so this week over at The Chippens Weekly we asked frequent Chippens competitors Bryan Timm and Matthew Melick, fans of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively, to offer their reflections on Opening Day. Check that out while you’re looking up your spot in the final standings.

Thanks to everybody for playing this year; I hope you will all be back in 2010!


ALL-TIME RECORDS (scoring was standardized in 2005):

As of 4/7/09

Most Points in a Single Tournament:

1. 192, Nicholas A. Schultz, 2009
   
2. 192, Tyler Neal, 2007
3. 191, Eric Sturgeon, 2009
4. 188, Leta Corwin, 2009
5. 182, Justin Thompson, 2009
6. 179, Michael Theune, 2009
   
7. 178, Jake Smith, 2005
8. 172, Charles D. Corwin, 2009
   
9. 172, Mike Stump, 2008
10. 171, Lisa Corwin, 2009
    
11. 168, Jeff VanDellen, 2005
12. 165, Leta Corwin, 2007
13. 163, Michael Penney, 2005
14. 162, Adam Emery, 2009
    
15. 162, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
16. 162, Brandon Gamble, 2007
17. 159, Travis Kramer, 2009
18. 158, Liz Reinhart, 2009
    
19. 158, Adam Lombard, 2007
    
20. 156, Brandon Gamble, 2005

Highest Pick Percentage:

1. 84%, Tyler Neal, 2007
2. 83%, Leta Corwin, 2009
3. 79%, Justin Thompson, 2009
4. 78%, Michael Theune, 2009
5. 78%, Charles D. Corwin, 2009
6. 78%, Jason Jackson, 2009
7. 78%, Megan Byrne, 2009
   
8. 78%, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
9. 76%, Nicholas A. Schultz, 2009
10. 76%, Eric Sturgeon, 2009
11. 76%, Adam Emery, 2009
12. 76%, Liz Reinhart, 2009
13. 76%, Mike Stump, 2009
    
14. 76%, Michael Murphy, 2007
15. 75%, Lisa Corwin, 2009
    
16. 75%, Leta Corwin, 2007
17. 75%, Brandon Gamble, 2007
18. 75%, Adam Lombard, 2007
19. 75%, Lisa Corwin, 2007
20. 75%, Jake Smith, 2005

Most Top-10 Finishes Since 2005

1. 3, Brandon Gamble
2. 2, Nicholas A. Schultz
   
3. 2, Leta Corwin
4. 2, Lisa Corwin
   
5. 2, Garrett Davey
6. 2, Michael Penney
7. 2, Adam Lombard
   
8. 2, Tyler Neal

Best Lifetime Average Place Since 2005 (must have competed at least four times between 2005 and 2009; 30 players met that standard):

* - Denotes four-time player (out of a possible five)

1. 9, *Brandon Gamble
2. 16.25, *Leta Corwin
   
3. 16.6, Lisa Corwin
4. 19.6, Mike Stump
   
5. 22.5, *Nicholas Schultz
   
6. 22.5, *Adam Lombard
   
7. 23.6, Charles D. Corwin
   
8. 25.5, *Ryan Horrigan
9. 26, Loren DeHaan
10. 28, Jeff VanDellen
11. 28.6, Mike Penney
    

70 players take the Challenge

Click HERE to view current standings, player listing, player picks, and much more! Daily Recaps:

• Day One

• Day Two

• Day Three

• Day Four

• Day Five

• Day Six & Seven

• Final Four Preview

• Championship Preview
  

The 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is now officially underway! This year's competition is shaping up to be fierce with 70 spectator-warriors entering the fray.* That number is close to the all-time record 0f 73 players in 2005, a year in which an entire seventh grade class joined the competition. There were 57 players in 2006, 58 in 2007, and 64 in 2008.

Picks came in this year from 13 different states, three countries, Washington, D.C., and "Everywhere" (Cotter is a hobo), making 2009 one of the most diverse years on record.

*Jeff VanDellen and Cotter both have two entries. Only "Ape Face" and "Cotter" are prize-eligible.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Former champions Mike Stump (2008), Angela Penney (2006), Jake Willis (2002), and PJ Schroeder (2001) are back this year along with Loren DeHaan (runner-up, 2008), Leta Corwin (runner-up, 2007), Nicholas Schultz (runner-up, 2006), and Jeff VanDellen (runner-up, 2005).

Michael Penney, Garrett Davey, Adam Lombard, and Brandon Gamble are long-time veterans who are usually at the top of the standings.

No one has ever won The Challenge twice.

Welcome back to the many veterans, welcome to the many rookies, and good luck to all!

ALL-TIME RECORDS (scoring was standardized in 2005):

*2009 Player

Most Points (corrected 3/28/09):

1. 192, Tyler Neal, 2007
2. 178, Jake Smith, 2005
3. 172, *Mike Stump, 2008
4. 168, *Jeff VanDellen, 2005
5. 165, *Leta Corwin, 2007
6. 163, *Michael Penney, 2005
7. 162, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
8. 162, *Brandon Gamble, 2007
9. 158, *Adam Lombard, 2007
   
10. 156, *Brandon Gamble, 2005
11. 153, *Loren DeHaan, 2008
12. 152, *Brandon Gamble, 2008
13. 149, *Sean Smith, 2008
14. 149, *Rajiv Shah, 2007

Highest Pick Percentage:

1. 84%, Tyler Neal, 2007
2. 78%, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
3. 76%, Michael Murphy, 2007
4. 75%, *Leta Corwin, 2007
5. 75%, *Brandon Gamble, 2007
6. 75%, *Adam Lombard, 2007
7. 75%, *Lisa Corwin, 2007
8. 75%, Jake Smith, 2005
9. 73%, *Mike Stump, 2008
10. 73%, *Michael Penney, 2007
11. 73%, Billy Peterson, 2007
12. 73%, *Bryan Timm, 2007
13. 73%, *Jeff VanDellen, 2005

Most Top-10 Finishes Since 2005

1. 3, *Brandon Gamble
2. 2, *Garrett Davey
3. 2, *Michael Penney
4. 2, *Adam Lombard
   
5. 2, Tyler Neal

Best Lifetime Average Place Since 2005 (must have competed at least three times between 2005 and 2008; 30 players met that standard):

# - Denotes three-time player (out of a possible four)
* - 2009 player

1. 3.66, #*Brandon Gamble
2. 17, #*Adam Lombard
3. 17, #Lindsay Wilson Lauwers
4. 17, #Tyler Neal
5. 19, *Lisa Corwin
6. 19, *Michael Penney
7. 20.5, *Tim Corwin
8. 20.66, #*Leta Corwin
9. 21.5, *Mike Stump
   
10. 23.25, *Bill Snider

After this year, players will need to have competed in four Challenges since 2005 to be eligible for lifetime records.

Past Results:

2008
2007
2006
2005

Scroll down to the bottom of this post to read about the history of the Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge from 2001-2007.

Entry is open for the 2009 Challenge. Make your picks now!

***Special commentary on March Madness by esteemed sports blogger Brandon Christol is now posted on The Chippens Weekly. Check it out!***


Welcome to the home page for the 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge, which is now in its ninth consecutive year (see last year's results).

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR PICKS FOR THE 2009 CHALLENGE! (Read through to the bottom of this post for complete instructions on how to submit and/or change your picks. Only one set of picks per person, please.)


NEW PRIZES THIS YEAR:

Chippens is offering three awesome prizes for this year's top three finishers. Third place will receive a custom Chippens bumper sticker, and second place will get a free Chippens fridge magnet!

But, competitors, I must say that this year's Champion will receive something so spectacular that I considered contacting my attorney to see if I would need to make players sign a health waiver before competing in case the winner went into immediate cardiac arrest brought on by the pure joy of winning this item. Indeed, I'm cautious about even posting a picture of the Grand Prize here lest even the thought of having the chance of winning--or even merely beholding--such an item causes widespread delirium. Please, folks, do not continue to scroll down this page to see the Grand Prize if you are pregnant, nursing, if you have a history of heart disease, or if you are easily susceptible to wild mood swings that usually result in harm to you, objects, pets, or people close by.

Ok, without further delay, here is this year's GRAND PRIZE:

Front:

Back:


Female Model:

Back:

That's right, this year's Champion will receive a custom Chippens t-shirt!

And, no, your eyes are not deceiving you. Appearing on the back of the t-shirt is none other than the magnificent Rob Deer, famed Detroit Tigers slugger and member of the Mullet Hall of Fame.

So, make your picks now and compete for this piece of history. Good luck!

Complete Instructions:

1. Enter your handle (nickname), location, and valid e-mail address in the fields at the top of the page.
2. Complete the ENTIRE bracket through the championship game. Scoring rules are listed at the top of the entry page.
3. Select "E-mail Me A Copy" to receive a copy of your picks in your e-mail inbox.
4. Add a comment for the webmaster if you wish.
5. Submit your picks.
6. If you want to change your picks, you have to either a) complete a new set of picks using the exact same biographical information, i.e. your handle, city & state, and e-mail (your new picks will then replace your old picks) or b) e-mail me by the deadline with specific changes you'd like to make.
   

E-mail at editor [at] chippens [dot] com with questions. If you don't think I'll recognize your name, include something about the NCAA Challenge in the subject line or I'll think it's spam and delete it.

Thanks for playing!