End Of An Era

There were some final games played last night and one more will be played today, but the title of this article has nothing to do with players retiring. Instead, it's a reflection on this blog and how long it has run. No, I'm not shutting it down, but I am closing down a recurring item. The HBIC Playoff Pool, one of the easiest annual contests to play, is officially being retired this season after a lot of thought and decisions. It wasn't easy coming to this decision, but it's the right move at this time. As much as I enjoyed the interaction with readers and friends through this pool, there are things happening this spring that require my time and attention that normally would be occupied with scoring the pool.

I want to let the pool regulars know that this decision didn't come quickly or easily. As stated above, my time is required elsewhere this spring and summer as I've signed up for a class, I've accepted a larger role umpiring in the league I work with, and I have a number of projects around HBIC Headquarters that I want to accomplish. All of these require time that I'd normally have to organize and score the pool, so I regretfully have to cancel it.

One of the major factors in this decision was the fact that the NHL basically took the pool I ran and created their own Bracket Challenge. The only thing they didn't copy was the game-winning goal-scorer for additional points, but the NHL.com contest is virtually the same. Yes, they use different point totals for their pool, but the point values really don't matter as long as they're consistent. In the end, the NHL can offer prizes that I simply cannot, and I've lost pool players to the NHL's contest as per some of the emails I've received.

In the end, the commitments I have accepted in my real life will result in me having less time than I normally do every spring, and that will mean less time to follow up on emails which is always something I have to do, less time to watch hockey and score the pool, and less time to organize everything. Again, I do regret this decision, but it's the right decision when it comes to managing my time.

There will be a contest this summer, but the HBIC Playoff Pool is taking this year off.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!