In which I try not to come off like a dick

Let's talk pools. First of all, the big one: the 2006 BigFlax.com NCAA Tournament Challenge. Let me start here by saying that I'm glad to see the interest, especially from a new corner or two. However, the way things have played out in the last three years of the Challenge, and the fact that I'm probably only going to see one of the contestants during the tournament's run, compels me to add the following regulations this year.

If you plan on entering the pool, please e-mail me at this address ASAP. Further, please make sure that I have your entry fee (the customary $5) no later than the first day of the tournament. That's more than two weeks away, so it should be plenty of time. I may be able to grant exceptions with a doctor's note, but I'd rather not have to. This isn't for me, you understand; those who have done this for years know that I don't keep cent one (unless I win). The last two years, however, I've had to keep the winners waiting on their prizes for some time due to certain people not getting their entry fees in on time, and eventually at all - the last three years I've had to make up the difference when at least one person (and, at least once, two people) didn't pay up. Needless to say, this isn't something I look forward to doing again. While I hate to rule people out because I always want more contestants, you're not doing anyone any good if you're not paying to enter. Therefore, at the risk of sounding like a total bastard, I have to insist that the money is in on time, however you manage to do it. Otherwise you will be out, unless perhaps there is sufficient groveling. I assure you, however, that I am not paying more than five bucks myself this year.

I realize, of course, that a good many of you are entered in the iTunes Shuffle Challenge, which may well not have a resolution for weeks. If the winner elects for the free Tournament Challenge entry, they will receive a refund; however, I still must require people to send in the money originally, because otherwise we could have eight people sitting on it for weeks, and that's just not going to work.

Well, this probably wasn't the best way to start... but those of you who have been in the Challenge before know that it's a good time. And what's not fun about filling out tournament brackets? I'm thinking of everyone here, after all. Just ask Craig or Tyler how fun it was waiting until August to collect their winnings.

With that, here's your update on the iTunes Shuffle Challenge, which actually is moving right along at the moment, defying the odds.

Still in Play

The B-52s, "Love Shack"
The Beatles, "No Reply" - Jan
Ben Folds Five, "Don't Change Your Plans" - Drew
Collective Soul, "December" - Ryan
Dave Matthews Band, "Satellite" - Brian H.
Five for Fighting, "Boat Parade" - Rudnik
John Ottman, "I Work for Keyser Soze" (from The Usual Suspects score) - Nemo
Led Zeppelin, "In the Light"
Pearl Jam, "Alive" - Craig
Snow Patrol, "Ways and Means"
Snow Patrol, "One Hundred Things You Should Have Done in Bed"
U2, "Beautiful Day"

Eliminated

The Beatles, "Can't Buy Me Love" - played 2/28/06 at 7:05 PM
Cheap Trick, "I Want You to Want Me" - Greg - played 3/3/06 at 2:55 PM
Fastball, Better Than It Was - played 3/3/06 at 9:38 AM
Guster, "Medicine" - played 2/27/06 at 12:17 PM
Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, "Suite No. 3 in D Major BWV 1068" (from Bach's Brandenburg Concertos) - played 3/3/06 at 4:50 PM
Idlewild, "Quiet Crown" - Stan - played 2/28/06 at 5:59 PM
Jurassic Park, "Six Inch Claw" (movie dialogue) - Alma - played 2/28/06 at 3:39 PM
Marc Shaiman, "The Slow Down Plan" (from The American President score) - played 2/28/06 at 7:03 PM
Mitch Hedberg, "Saved by the Buoyancy of Citrus" - Tyler - played 3/3/06 at 11:42 AM
The Police, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" - JQ - played 3/1/06 at 9:58 AM
The Romantics, "What I Like About You" - played 2/27/06 at 6:27 PM
Weezer, "Butterfly" - played 3/1/06 at 12:18 AM
Weird Al Yankovic, "The Night Santa Went Crazy" - Justin - played 3/4/06 at 6:48 PM

Those in bold are contest entries. I imagine that two questions might come to mind here:

1) What if the song played last isn't one that anyone picked?
2) Two never-previously-played songs were played within two minutes of each other tonight?

The answer to #2 is, astonishingly, yes. I did a double-take when I saw the count. The answer to #1 is, the winner will be whoever's song was played last, because although technically I left myself the loophole of not awarding a prize if no one's song won, that would be really shitty of me, especially when I'm asking for rigorous compliance on the tourney challenge. Since the field is now closed, the 11 of you still in it are now playing against each other only. The chances are better than 50/50 that someone will legitimately win, and I hope it comes down to two songs that people have picked, but I'm not rigging this thing, so we won't know until we do.