Sunday, August 04, 2024

2024-25 NFL Pick 'Em Pool Files Are Ready!

Folks, this may be the earliest I've managed to get this season's NFL Pick 'Em pool files posted! Like last year, it seems that all I had to do to make this year's version was to update to the 2024-2025 schedule. I did test the automatic score pulling feature, and it seems to be good, but I had to use the scores from 2023 to do that testing since no games have been played in 2024 yet. If you run into issues, just let me know.

Like years past, there's also a companion "Picks" sheet to distribute to pool participants, so they can simply email back the file for the admins to copy-paste into the master sheet. Just remember to always copy, paste special... values when moving their picks into the master sheet, so as to not jack up formatting or other stuff.

Without further ado, here are the files:

If you have any trouble downloading the files, try right-clicking on the links and opening them in an Incognito window (using Chrome.) That always does the trick for me.

Remember, this NFL pick 'em sheet I do for free. That said, if you just _have to_ do something for me for my efforts, feel free to PayPal me whatever you like:

$5.00     $10.00     $25.00     $50.00

Really you just have to change that dollar amount in the URL -- https://paypal.me/excelgeek/50.

Anyways...please enjoy this year's NFL Pick 'Em. If you encounter a bug or need help with using the sheet, let me know.

Later,

Excel_Geek

Thursday, September 07, 2023

2023-24 NFL Pick 'Em Pool Files Are Ready!

Folks, just in the nick of time I've completed and released this season's NFL Pick 'Em pool. Apologies for making so many of you pester me up to the last minute to get it done! Like last year, it seems that all I had to do to make this year's version was to update to the 2023-2024 schedule. I did test the automatic score pulling feature, and it seems to be good, but I had to use the scores from 2022 to do that testing since no games have been played in 2023 yet. If you run into issues, just let me know.

Like years past, there's also a companion "Picks" sheet to distribute to pool participants, so they can simply email back the file for the admins to copy-paste into the master sheet. Just remember to always copy, paste special... values when moving their picks into the master sheet, so as to not jack up formatting or other stuff.

Without further ado, here are the files:

If you have any trouble downloading the files, try right-clicking the links and opening in an Incognito window (using Chrome). That always does the trick for me.

Remember, this NFL pick 'em sheet, like the college bowl pool sheet I do, I do for free. That said, if you just _have to_ do something for me for my efforts, feel free to PayPal me whatever you like:

$5.00     $10.00     $25.00     $50.00

Really you just have to change that dollar amount in the URL -- https://paypal.me/excelgeek/50.

Anyways...please enjoy this year's NFL Pick 'Em. If you encounter a bug or need help with using the sheet, let me know.

Later,

Excel_Geek

Sunday, August 14, 2022

2022-23 NFL Pick 'Em Pool Files Are Ready!

Folks, I've completed and released this season's NFL Pick 'Em pool. I actually got this done before too many of you had to pester me! All I had to do to make this year's version from last year's was to update to the 2022-2023 schedule. Seems too easy. I did test the automatic score pulling feature, and it seems to be good, but, as always, just let me know if things don't seem to be working.

Like years past, there's also a companion "Picks" sheet to distribute to pool participants, so they can simply email back the file for the admins to copy-paste into the master sheet. Just remember to always copy, paste special... values when moving their picks into the master sheet, so as to not jack up formatting or other stuff.

Without further ado, here are the files:

Remember, this NFL pick 'em sheet, like the college bowl pool sheet I do, I do for free. That said, if you just _have to_ do something for me for my efforts, feel free to PayPal me whatever you like:

$5.00     $10.00     $25.00     $50.00

Really you just have to change that dollar amount in the URL -- https://paypal.me/excelgeek/50.

Anyways...please enjoy this year's NFL Pick 'Em. If you encounter a bug or need help with using the sheet, let me know.

Later,

Excel_Geek

Monday, December 20, 2021

2021-22 College Bowl Pool Summary File is Ready!

Ok, everybody! The summary file is ready.

Without further ado...the files:

If you have any trouble getting the download links to work, try a couple of things: 1) try opening the link in an icognito tab, 2) try using a different browswer, 3) try right-clicking and opening in a new tab or "saving as...". Honestly, I don't fully understand the underlying issue with Chrome and these download links.
For those unfamiliar with the two-file system, the idea is that pool managers can distribute the simple, single person Entry Form version to those in their pool to make their picks and assign confidence points. The participants them email back that file, and the manager can simply copy, paste special... values those picks and points into the Summary file -- once I've got that posted -- which is where they manage everything.

As always, the file is protected, but not with a password, so feel free to unprotect the workbook and then unhide some of the sheets running this stuff behind the scenes to see how it works. And if you add some cool hacks/additions, pass them along, so we can all enjoy them.

We'll see if we can make it through the entire bowl season without changes, cancellations, etc.

Finally, as also always happens each year, several folks, as they were pinging, pestering, checking-in with me offered to pay me or donate to me for the sheets. This, like the NFL pick 'em sheet I do, I do for free as a labor of love. That said, if you are so compelled, feel free to PayPal me whatever you like, and I'll put these donations towards website hosting fees:

$5.00     $10.00     $25.00     $50.00

Really you just have to change that dollar amount in the URL -- https://paypal.me/excelgeek/5.

Enjoy, everyone!

Thursday, December 16, 2021

2021-22 College Bowl Pool Entry Form is Ready! (Summary file to come)

Ok, everybody! I've got this season's college football bowl pool Entry Form file finally ready! I'm still working on the modifications necessary to bump up the old version to include this year's 43 total bowl games. (I didn't include the FCS Bowl, which was already played back on the 12th.) I'll try to wrap that up this evening, but since I know many of you pool administrators out there need to get picks in from your participants, here's at least that file. Special shout-out to super fan Kendall for helping get some of the info pulled together for me this year. Thanks, man!

Without further ado...the file:

For those unfamiliar with the two-file system, the idea is that pool managers can distribute the simple, single person Entry Form version to those in their pool to make their picks and assign confidence points. The participants them email back that file, and the manager can simply copy, paste special... values those picks and points into the Summary file -- once I've got that posted -- which is where they manage everything.

As always, the file is protected, but not with a password, so feel free to unprotect the workbook and then unhide some of the sheets running this stuff behind the scenes to see how it works. And if you add some cool hacks/additions, pass them along, so we can all enjoy them.

We'll see if we can make it through the entire bowl season without changes, cancellations, etc.

Finally, as also always happens each year, several folks, as they were pinging, pestering, checking-in with me offered to pay me or donate to me for the sheets. This, like the NFL pick 'em sheet I do, I do for free as a labor of love. That said, if you are so compelled, feel free to PayPal me whatever you like, and I'll put these donations towards website hosting fees:

$5.00     $10.00     $25.00     $50.00

Really you just have to change that dollar amount in the URL -- https://paypal.me/excelgeek/5.

Enjoy, everyone!

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

2021-22 NFL Pick 'Em Pool Files Are Ready!

Folks, I've completed and released this season's NFL Pick 'Em pool. Like past years, many of you have been diligently pestering me for a few weeks now. The tweaks I had to make to this year's version from last year's were to 1) update to the 2021-2022 schedule, which adds a Week 18 for the first time ever, and 2) make one small change to the macro that automatically pulls scores from FootballDB.com, as they must have just slightly altered their HTML code on the scores pages. I did test that change using prior years and all appears to be working, but, as always, just let me know if things don't seem to be working.

Like years past, there's also a companion "Picks" sheet to distribute to pool participants, so they can simply email back the file for the admins to copy-paste into the master sheet. Just remember to always copy, paste special... values when moving their picks into the master sheet, so as to not jack up formatting or other stuff.

Without further ado, here are the files:

As also happens each year, several folks, as they were pinging, pestering, checking-in with me offered to pay me or donate to me for the sheet. I remind them that this, like the college bowl pool sheet I do, I do for free. That said, if you just _have to_ do something for me for my efforts, feel free to PayPal me whatever you like:

$5.00     $10.00     $25.00     $50.00

Really you just have to change that dollar amount in the URL -- https://paypal.me/excelgeek/50.

Anyways...please enjoy this year's NFL Pick 'Em. If you encounter a bug or need help with using the sheet, let me know.

Later,

Excel_Geek

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

2020-21 College Bowl Pool Files Are Ready! Finally!

Ok, everybody! This season's college football bowl pool files are finally ready! I'm sorry I didn't get these out late Selection Sunday, per usual, or even yesterday before the first game, as I'd planned, but it was a challenge to make all the modifications I needed to, and the last minute changes kept rolling in.

Many, many noteworthy items this COVID-19-impacted year:

  • There would have been 3 new bowl games added this year, had it not been for the pandemic. There is the Myrtle Beach Bowl, which was actually played yesterday. There would have been the Fenway Bowl, which was to be played at Fenway park a la the Pinstripe Bowl played at Yankee Stadium, but it was canceled due to COVID, and was replaced with a one-year-only Montgomery Bowl, which will be played tomorrow. Finally, there was to be a LA Bowl played in southern California, but it was canceled this year due to COVID.
  • 16 bowl games canceled, some stating that it was "due to the pandemic" (or similar), and a few outright saying they canceled because there weren't enough teams to play, given the large number of otherwise eligible teams choosing to opt out of the bowl season. We've lost the Bahamas Bowl (COVID, travel restrictions), the Frisco Bowl (SMU couldn't play due to COVID cases), the Celebration Bowl (both the MEAC and SWAC canceled all of their fall sports), the Las Vegas Bowl (pandemic reasons), the Hawai'i Bowl (COVID, travel restrictions), the Independence Bowl (couldn't find team to play Army), the Quick Lane Bowl (pandemic reasons), the Military Bowl (had selected Army when the Independence Bowl canceled, but couldn't find another team), the Pinstripe Bowl (pandemic reasons), the Holiday Bowl (pandemic reasons), the Cheez-It Bowl (this is the old Copper Bowl, not last year's Camping World Bowl, which this year is the Cheez-It bowl -- couldn't find enough teams to play), the Redbox Bowl (was the first to cancel due to COVID back in August), the Sun Bowl (pandemic reasons), the Birmingham Bowl (couldn't find enough teams), and the previously would-be new Fenway and LA Bowls (pandemic reasons).
  • All in we're left with 29 games, down from last year's 41. (41+3-16+1=29)
  • We did have two title sponsor changes. Last year's Camping World Bowl becomes this year's Cheez-It Bowl, which isn't to be confused with last year's Cheez-It Bowl, which was really just an incarnation of the old Copper Bowl, which is no more. The Belk Bowl from last year is this year's Duke's Mayo Bowl, which is probably one of my favorite title sponsor-named bowls of all time.
  • I've updated the sheets with opening betting lines for your convenience, but you should probably update these as we get closer to the games, as the lines are constantly being updated until game time. I use the "VI Consensus" lines from Vegas Insider.
Without further ado...the files:
For those unfamiliar with the two-file system, the idea is that pool managers can distribute the simple, single person Entry Form version to those in their pool to make their picks and assign confidence points. The participants them email back that file, and the manager can simply copy, paste special... values those picks and points into the Summary file, which is where they manage everything.

As always, the file is protected, but not with a password, so feel free to unprotect the workbook and then unhide some of the sheets running this stuff behind the scenes to see how it works. And if you add some cool hacks/additions, pass them along, so we can all enjoy them.

I'll personally be shocked if we make it through the entire bowl season without more changes, cancellations, etc., to bear with me and I'll try to keep up.

Finally, as also always happens each year, several folks, as they were pinging, pestering, checking-in with me offered to pay me or donate to me for the sheets. This, like the NFL pick 'em sheet I do, I do for free as a labor of love. That said, if you are so compelled, feel free to PayPal me whatever you like, and I'll put these donations towards website hosting fees:

$5.00     $10.00     $25.00     $50.00

Really you just have to change that dollar amount in the URL -- https://paypal.me/excelgeek/5.

Enjoy, everyone!