RULES OF THE GAME

KING OF THE HILL IX

Each week of the regular season you pick one team to win (no point spread). If your team wins, you advance to the next week. If your team loses, you drop into the loser’s bracket. If you lose again, in the losers bracket, you are out.

Each week that you advance, you again pick one team to win. Here's the catch -- you cannot pick a team more than once during the season, even if the team loses.

The last person standing wins and is "King of the Hill", the last person standing in the loser’s bracket gets second place.

Additional rules: Your pick for the week must be sent to me 1/2 hour before the early game kick off on Sunday. If you wait to the last minute, obviously you cannot pick a team that played before your pick is submitted. Please send picks via email to kingpicks@yahoo.com. This is the only address at which I will accept picks.

If I do not receive a pick from you by the deadline, or if you pick a team for the second time, you will be assigned the team favored by the highest point spread, which you have not previously selected. I will use the Friday USA Today as my point spread guide. Ties lose, you must pick a winner each week.

If multiple players remain in the winners bracket and they all lose on the same weekend, they will all drop into the loser’s bracket and play will continue (in this situation the winner of the loser’s bracket will get 1st and 2nd place money). If there are two or three players in the loser’s bracket, and none remaining in the winner's bracket, and they all lose on the same weekend, the pot will be split evenly. If there are more than three players that all lose and none in the winner's bracket, all will continue until a winner is determined. In this situation, the losing team selected cannot be used again.

The entry fee is $35. The winner’s bracket champion will receive $25 from each entry. The loser’s bracket champion will receive $10 from each entry. I hope to have 50 paid entries - $1,250 and $500 to the champions. You can enter more than once, but not more than twice.

King of the Hill is limited to people I know. If you don't see someone on this list and you think they would be interested, please tell me (most of you know many of the same people I do).

And my favorite rule. I play one pick for free (for all this work).

Please let me know if you would like to participate.

I am collecting money now. The season starts September 7th. Money must be in before your first pick. Please mail a check to me at 999 Bay Ridge Dr. Benton, LA 71006.

I had a few stragglers last year; please pay $35 before the first week.

During the season I will update this blog at least twice a week. The first update will list the losers from the previous weekend and remind you to get your pick to me. The second update will include a list of picks for the upcoming weekend, I will add this on Sunday, hopefully during the early game.

Previous Champions:

King I - Doug Horstman (11 weeks)
King II - Paul Bowman (5 weeks)
King III - Dick Hein (14 weeks)
King IV - Kevin Kelley and Rusty Atkinson (11 weeks)
King V - Ralph Berry (13 weeks)
King VI - Josie Valcho (9 weeks) My Mom
King VII - George Valcho (8 weeks) My Dad
King VIII - Mike Boggs and Tim Swigor (17 weeks - undefeated all year)

I'm already thinking about the NFL season. I was so excited last year when my favorite Steelers went all the way. It was so incredible and so unexpected, and that was the beauty of it.

This upcoming NFL season opens in Pittsburgh on Thursday, September 7th. Miami at the Steelers. I can't wait. Believe me, I don't expect a repeat, but I am fired up none-the-less.

Big Ben had the motorcycle accident, the schedule is tough, everyone wants to beat the champs. But we now know...anything can happen!

Here we go STEELERS!