Nationals Predictions

Here's some nationals predictions for you.

Pool A: Brass Monkey, Mr. Briefcase, Flaming Moe, Deliverance

Brass wins, Moe takes second beating Briefcase, Briefcase takes third, and Deliverance fourth. The only thing that makes me think I might be wrong is that Moe could have a close game against Brass Monkey, and then have to turn around and play Briefcase, and could start 0-2. But, I'll say they beat Briefcase, as they were able to do it when it counted at regionals. Why did George Cooke go ahead and screw the central region here? Put the top two qualifying teams from a region in the same pool, yet divide up all the other regions nicely? Switch Puppet and Moe and there is no problem. Just nearly assuring the central regions best teams can't both make quarters unless they both happen to beat the defending champion. Can't really stand by GC on this one at all, the fix is right there.

Pool B: Mischief, AMP, Puppet Regime, Salsa Police

Mischief wins. Puppet Regime takes second, AMP third, Salsa Police fourth. Again, I fear that I could be wrong with the 2/3 positions again. Playing AMP last year, though, leads me to believe that they are not going to be very good. Puppet didn't play well at Tune-Ups, but they only had about half their team. How much does that gloved guy play? If too much, they could be in trouble.

Pool C: Bad Larry, Whoreshack, Hooray, Tandem

Can one of the two lower teams knock off one of the higher seeded teams, who may have weaker rosters this year? It seems like this pool, with Larry and Whoreshack is ripe for upsets, but I'm just not sure Hooray and Tandem can do it, looking at their season's results. If Rival or Puppet or Moe are here, maybe, but not these teams. I'll say this pool goes Larry, Whore, Tandem, Hooray.

Pool D: Gendors, Slow White, Rival, Flycoons

Slow White looks good and had a great run last year until they lost to Larry. They were the only team to beat Brass Monkey, but Brass Monkey has losses in them. They seem to lose about once a tournament, except NW regionals. I don't know much about the Gendors, they won Labor Day, but looking at their scores, they play a lot of close games against weaker teams. I'll say Slow White takes the pool, Gendors second, Flycoons third, and Rival fourth. There is some RSD talk about Rival, but I saw a group of Rival players at Shawn Adams over the 4th weekend in Tennessee and they looked terrible. Probably not their whole team, but they had a lot of people there. I don't see the south rising this year.

Power pool E: Brass Monkey, Flaming Moe, Bad Larry, Whoreshack
Power pool F: Mischief, Puppet Regime, Slow White, Gendors
Pool G: Mr. Briefcase, Deliverance, Tandem, Hooray
Pool H: AMP, Salsa Police, Flycoons, Rival

Pool E: I'll take Brass going 3-0. They have handled Whoreshack over the past two years, and Larry shouldn't be in the same class as them. Larry and Whoreshack both beat Flaming Moe, giving a Brass Monkey, Bad Larry, Whoreshack, Flaming Moe finish.

Pool F: I'll take Mischief winning the pool just barely over Slow White, but the Gendors beating Mischief. Now the point differential. Slow White, Mischief second, Gendors third. Puppet doesn't win and finishes fourth.

F4 plays G1--Puppet Regime vs. Mr. Briefcase. Show me Mr. Briefcase.
E4 plays H1--Flaming Moe vs. AMP. Could be a good game. Give me Flaming Moe. Maybe both central region teams can make quarters after all, but it shouldn't have to be this way.

E1 vs. G1 quarters-Brass Monkey vs. Mr. Briefcase. Come on.
F2 vs. E3 quarters-Mischief vs. Whoreshack. Mischief comes out with it.

F1 vs. E4 quarters-Interesting here. Slow White vs. Flaming Moe. This could be an incredible game. I have to go with Slow White because they've been here and know how to win, but if this game occurs, it could be almost too close to call. Plus, last year, both E1 and F1 were upset in quarters.
E2 vs. F3 quarters-Bad Larry vs. Gendors. Another interesting battle, for they are both SW region teams who know each other well. Bad Larry has tradionally beat Gendors when it counts, so I'll continue to back Bad Larry, although is Bad Larry really semis good? Didn't seem like it last year but I guess they make it again.

E1 v. F2 semis-Brass Monkey vs. Mischief. Man, these games keep getting better. Another big rivalry game. So far, I realized my predictions are following a 2004 pattern. Brass-Mischief is similar to Brass-Shazam. If I have Moe beating Slow White, they only have to play Bad Larry in semis, a team they can beat, similar to CLX avoiding Shazam in semis and playing Six Trained Monkeys in 04. The three way tie, may prove fatal to Brass Monkey again. I should just be throwing multiple predictions out there. I'll say this, IF Moe plays Slow White I'm not so sure it is Slow White who will win, but I have to take that surer bet in the predictions. IF Moe wins, they'll make finals. There. As for this game, I'll go out on a limb and say Mischief wins it. Here's why. Mischief CAN beat Brass Monkey. I don't think it will be Mischief's play that wins them the game, but Brass Monkey's play that loses them the game. Brass Monkey has losses in them, and unfortunately for them, for the second time in three years, that loss comes in semis. Mischief is the one team here that knows how to beat them.

F1 vs. E2 Slow White v. Bad Larry. Give me Slow White. They aren't going to lose to Bad Larry in consecutive years. Last year, Slow White was undeafeated and Bad Larry knocked them out in quarters. Slow White remembers and takes care of business.

F1 vs. F2 Slow White v. Mischief. Okay, do I really believe this will be finals? I guess I have to now. Slow White and Mischief are two of the four or five teams that I think have a really good shot at making finals. Hmm. Can you really bet against the northwest? I can't. Give me Mischief winning it all.

Final standings:
1. Mischief
2. Slow White
T3. Brass Monkey
T3. Bad Larry
5. Gendors
6. Whoreshack
7. Flaming Moe
8. Mr. Briefcase
9. AMP
10. Flycoons
11. Puppet Regime
12. Tandem
13. Rival
14. Hooray
15. Salsa Police
16. Deliverance