50 States Game (FINISHED!)

[sachmo71]

ohhh, letterman. i like that.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

ohhh, letterman. i like that.

.. This was a tough state for me.. I had to use the web for basically everything, as I know very little about Indiana...

In fact, I JUST thought of something that I'm an absolute idiot for not using... *sigh*...

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by wade moore

.. This was a tough state for me.. I had to use the web for basically everything, as I know very little about Indiana...

In fact, I JUST thought of something that I'm an absolute idiot for not using... *sigh*...

Basketball?

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Basketball?

Nah, considered basketball and figured it wouldn't score that way.

The Indy 500 is what I thought of later.

[Radii]

Nevada

[AR] Silver Mining
[NB] Lehman Caves
[SA] Casinos, Gambling
[SA] Vegas Shows

[WSUCougar]

Bucc and Wolfpack, please report to the Judge's Lounge for warm Krispy Kreme donuts. Then get to work.

[WSUCougar]

Bump for Bucc

[Buccaneer]

Sorry for the delay. The internet has been really sluggish for me the past two days, esp. fofc.

[Buccaneer]

Good job, guys. I submitted some of the highest scores ever in this round. What happened to California?

path12: Not really.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Good job, guys. I submitted some of the highest scores ever in this round. What happened to California?

path12: Not really.

Oh, that bodes well....

[Buccaneer]

path, it was the answer to your statement "Tough one."

I don't even look at (or know) the standings. Is it coming down to this round?

[WSUCougar]

Team 1: sachmo71 & JeeberD—Kansas (13)
1. [NB] Santa Fe Trail 2 (too many words)
2. [SA] Jayhawk Basketball 4
3. [AR] Wheat 5
4. [HC] AT&SF RR 2

Team 2: wade moore—Indiana (13)
1. Notre Dame [SA] 5
2. David Letterman [HC] 3
3. Limestone [AR] 3
4. Lincoln Home [HC] 3
-1 [NB]

Team 3: Butter of 69—Wisconsin (16)
1. Dairy [AR] 5
2. NFL Packers [SA] 5
3. Door County [NB] 3
4. BlackHawk War [HC] 3

Team 4: path12—Vermont (16)
1. (AR) Maple syrup 4
2. (HC) Ethan Allen 4
3. (SA) Eastern skiing 4
4. (NB) Green Mountain 4

Team 5: gstelmack—Colorado (14)
1. Rocky Mountains [NB] 5
2. Garden of the Gods [NB] 2 (too many words)
3. Gold Rush [HC] 3
4. Snow Skiing [SA] 5
-1 [AR]

Team 6: TazFTW—Maryland (17)
1. Antietam [HC] 5
2. blue crab [AR] 4
3. National Anthem [HC] 5
4. Camden Yards [SA] 4
-1 [NB]

Team 7: Masked--North Carolina (18)
1. [SA] College basketball 5
2. [NB] Smoky Mountains 5
3. [HC] Roanoke colony 4
4. [AR] Tobacco 4

Team 8: tarcone--South Dakota (15)
1. (HC) Deadwood 3
2. (NB) BadLands 4
3. (SA) Mount Rushmore 5
4. (NB) Black Hills 4
-1 [AR]

Team 9: Anxiety—Washington (16)
1. Mount Rainier - NB 5
2. Apples - AR 5
3. Seahawks/Mariners - SA 3
4. World's Fairs - HC 3

Team 10: Radii/Oliegirl—Nevada (15)
1. [AR] Silver Mining 4
2. [NB] Lehman Caves 3
3. [SA] Casinos, Gambling 5
4. [SA] Vegas Shows 4
-1 [HC]

[WSUCougar]

Looks like a three-horse race coming down the home stretch.

Alaska is now on the block.

It's pretty obvious how this will break out, but I will be out of town until Friday so you guys should disclose your bids accordingly. Nebraska goes to whomever misses out on Alaska.

Go ahead and begin posting your final state values once the last two states are divvied up.

[Abe Sargent]

Nebraska, not ND.

-Anxiety

[Buccaneer]

I feel stupid for missing the too-many-words entries. I like how all of the scores ended up despite a couple of the 4s being knocked down to a 2.

[Abe Sargent]

When do we get that reasoning from ya?

-Anxiety

[wade moore]

Ok, Seriously...

How does NC get 4 points for Tobacco but VA gets 3 points for Tobacco AND Peanuts... that makes NO sense to me...

Yeah, I've been bad at this game, but some of the scoring completely baffles me...

[sachmo71]

Next game, the word rule has to end. Jeebsus.

And 2 points for Santa Fe Railroad? That's just...odd.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Next game, the word rule has to end. Jeebsus.

And 2 points for Santa Fe Railroad? That's just...odd.

The two word rule is about 75% of the point of this game.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by wade moore

The two word rule is about 75% of the point of this game.

Funny, I thought the auction part would be at least 50% of the game. Ah well, I think it's dumb.

[Buccaneer]

Ok, let me do a quick run-through.

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

Team 1: sachmo71 & JeeberD—Kansas (13)
1. [NB] Santa Fe Trail 2 (too many words)
2. [SA] Jayhawk Basketball 4
3. [AR] Wheat 5
4. [HC] AT&SF RR 2

Even if the Trail weren't too many words, I think it would only have gotten a 3 at best for NB. It would have a better chance than the RR for HC, don't you think? As far as the RR, I think because they are not the big 2 (UP, CP) and was started about the time they had been completed. For HC, you could have gone with the cattle drives or Dodge City for a better score.

Team 2: wade moore—Indiana (13)
1. Notre Dame [SA] 5
2. David Letterman [HC] 3
3. Limestone [AR] 3
4. Lincoln Home [HC] 3
-1 [NB]

Another trying to latch on to Lincoln. Also, you have seen that picking native celebrities just don't score high in this game.

Team 3: Butter of 69—Wisconsin (16)
1. Dairy [AR] 5
2. NFL Packers [SA] 5
3. Door County [NB] 3
4. BlackHawk War [HC] 3

Dairy and Packers, what a combination. Door County is nice and all but nothing spectacular or unique. The BlackHawk War was one of many 19th century treaty wars that engulfed the Old Northwest states.

Team 4: path12—Vermont (16)
1. (AR) Maple syrup 4
2. (HC) Ethan Allen 4
3. (SA) Eastern skiing 4
4. (NB) Green Mountain 4

I did score this with a couple of 5's because I think you couldn't pick a better list for this state. That's why I said earlier that it shouldn't be a tough one and it wasn't. Good work. Vermont's Maple Syrup and Eastern Skiing are known throughout the world, two things that make the state very special.

Team 5: gstelmack—Colorado (14)
1. Rocky Mountains [NB] 5
2. Garden of the Gods [NB] 2 (too many words)
3. Gold Rush [HC] 3
4. Snow Skiing [SA] 5
-1 [AR]

Sigh. Colorado, I thought, it would be one of those easy 18 pointers but maybe not. I would have gone with three NB and one SA (if that's possible). GotG, despite too-many-words, is worth a 4 but to get a 5, I would have chosen another local favorite, Pikes Peak or the most photographed mountain in the US, the Maroon Bells. Colorado does have a good history of gold (and silver) booms but if you remember back to other scores, the ones that are better known will score higher. SA is spot on. I'm not sure if Broncos/Avs would score a 5.

Team 6: TazFTW—Maryland (17)
1. Antietam [HC] 5
2. blue crab [AR] 4
3. National Anthem [HC] 5
4. Camden Yards [SA] 4
-1 [NB]

A really good entry except that I would have gone with Chesapeake Bay for an easy 5 for NB.

Team 7: Masked--North Carolina (18)
1. [SA] College basketball 5
2. [NB] Smoky Mountains 5
3. [HC] Roanoke colony 4
4. [AR] Tobacco 4

The reason tobacco gets a 4 is that it is still an important cash crop for this state - not anymore for Virginia. In fact, tobacco would get a 4 for Virginia if it was HC instead of AR. Look back at the scorings and see that crops/resources that have been and still are important get a higher score. This is a very very nice entry for North Carolina.

Team 8: tarcone--South Dakota (15)
1. (HC) Deadwood 3
2. (NB) BadLands 4
3. (SA) Mount Rushmore 5
4. (NB) Black Hills 4
-1 [AR]

Admittedly, I scored this a little lower because it's all a variation on the same theme. Plus I'm not too crazy about the Badlands for NB (I gave it a 3). But you did good in getting a 15 out of South Dakota.

Team 9: Anxiety—Washington (16)
1. Mount Rainier - NB 5
2. Apples - AR 5
3. Seahawks/Mariners - SA 3
4. World's Fairs - HC 3

Agree that the first two are great choices for their respective categories. Seahawks/Mariners are too new to rank any higher. The two most famous World's Fairs in this country were not in Washington but in Flushing Meadows. If you are going to pick an event for HC, make sure they are the most famous. I think I would have taken another NB for a 5 but Microsoft would have done the same thing, I believe.

Team 10: Radii/Oliegirl—Nevada (15)
1. [AR] Silver Mining 4
2. [NB] Lehman Caves 3
3. [SA] Casinos, Gambling 5
4. [SA] Vegas Shows 4
-1 [HC]

No doubt on the Casinos/Gambling entry. Vegas Shows would not get a 5 because Broadway offer a higher prestige factor. Silver Mining may be one too high because it's more of HC than what's been going on lately. I agree with Wolfpack, Virginia City or Comstock Lode would definitely get a 5 for HC from me. Lehman Caves? Eh. Now Lake Tahoe would have been a great entry.

[wade moore]

I have no complaints on the Indiana scoring. i was really desperate as it is a state I know little about.

[Masked]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

Looks like a three-horse race coming down the home stretch.

Alaska is now on the block.

It's pretty obvious how this will break out, but I will be out of town until Friday so you guys should disclose your bids accordingly. Nebraska goes to whomever misses out on Alaska.

Go ahead and begin posting your final state values once the last two states are divvied up.

I'll bid the rest on Alaska leaving Nebraska for Anxiety.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Bucc

Even if the Trail weren't too many words, I think it would only have gotten a 3 at best for NB. It would have a better chance than the RR for HC, don't you think? As far as the RR, I think because they are not the big 2 (UP, CP) and was started about the time they had been completed. For HC, you could have gone with the cattle drives or Dodge City for a better score.

Ah, well, having seen pictures of the Santa Fe Trail, it sure seemed pretty to me. As far as ATSF, we disagree. that's the game, right?

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Sigh. Colorado, I thought, it would be one of those easy 18 pointers but maybe not. I would have gone with three NB and one SA (if that's possible). GotG, despite too-many-words, is worth a 4 but to get a 5, I would have chosen another local favorite, Pikes Peak or the most photographed mountain in the US, the Maroon Bells. Colorado does have a good history of gold (and silver) booms but if you remember back to other scores, the ones that are better known will score higher. SA is spot on. I'm not sure if Broncos/Avs would score a 5.

I didn't go with Pike's Peak simply because Garden of the Gods is just a fantastic spot in comparison. Pike's Peak has a bit more history and the like, but I didn't feel as much Natural Beauty. But yes, that would have been right behind it, and maybe would have made a better bet than the gold rush.

I figured the Broncos/Avs were too young with not enough long-term history to be worth many points. In my eyes they'd be a 3, and only that because of Elway.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Next game, the word rule has to end. Jeebsus.

I'm with keeping it, even with my 2 screwups, including the costly one this round. So many strategies involved, including deciding which two words, or the one my non-clever-and-creative brain didn't figure out early enough, putting two items in one slot with it.

[tarcone]

i kept the theme because, really, the western part of the state is where it is at. i guess the corn palace could have garnered points and in souix falls there is the golf catalog outlet (name escapes me)
im happy with my score

[Wolfpack]

Team 1: sachmo71 & JeeberD—Kansas (13)
1. [NB] Santa Fe Trail 2 (too many words)
2. [SA] Jayhawk Basketball 4
3. [AR] Wheat 5
4. [HC] AT&SF RR 2

*I'm generally in agreement with Buccs points on these choices (though my scores were apparently divergent from his). The Santa Fe Trail works better as history and the ATSF, while a familiar railway, doesn't carry the weight that the UP or CP do. Matter of fact, they're now owned by UP, aren't they?

Team 2: wade moore—Indiana (13)
1. Notre Dame [SA]				5
2. David Letterman [HC]			3
3. Limestone [AR]				3
4. Lincoln Home [HC]				3
-1 [NB]

*Notre Dame was an easy score, but the remaining selections did leave a bit to be desired. Lincoln did grow up in Indiana, but hardly anybody identifies him with the state. Letterman was an interesting choice, but he's not the standard by which all others are measured.

Team 3: Butter of 69—Wisconsin (16)
1. Dairy [AR]					5
2. NFL Packers [SA]				5
3. Door County [NB]				3
4. BlackHawk War [HC]				3

*Again, generally agree with Bucc's takes, though I did give more on Door County. Guess not living in the Rockies doesn't jade me to pretty lakeshores like it does Bucc (j/k).

Team 4: path12—Vermont (16)
1. (AR) Maple syrup				4
2. (HC) Ethan Allen				4
3. (SA) Eastern skiing				4
4. (NB) Green Mountain				4

*I'll admit to being nitpicky about "Green Mountain" as opposed to "Green Mountains" since one denotes a single place, while the other takes the entire range, but it was only a point. Otherwise, everything is about as well as you can choose for this state.

Team 5: gstelmack—Colorado (14)
1. Rocky Mountains [NB]			5
2. Garden of the Gods [NB]			2 (too many words)
3. Gold Rush [HC]				3
4. Snow Skiing [SA]				5
-1 [AR]

*This is clearly Bucc's stomping grounds, so I'm going to let his critique stand for mine. Tangentially, Garden of the Gods is something of a legendary place in my family because apparently my grandfather drug his family across the blazing heat of Kansas to get there one time in what apparently was the only legitimate vacation he ever took or something like that, since every other one went back to the family homestead in downstate Illinois. It's almost a mythic place to me as a result.

Team 6: TazFTW—Maryland (17)
1. Antietam [HC]				5
2. blue crab [AR]				4
3. National Anthem [HC]			5
4. Camden Yards [SA]				4
-1 [NB]

*Great choices all around for Maryland, though I did go a little lower on blue crab, simply because in the grand scheme of national foods, it's not really a staple item and something everyone has to have, but I can accept it being a '4'.

Team 7: Masked--North Carolina (18)
1. [SA] College basketball			5
2. [NB] Smoky Mountains			5
3. [HC] Roanoke colony				4
4. [AR] Tobacco					4

*Well done and so glad you didn't say "Dean Smith", "Michael Jordan", "Coach K", "UNC", or "Duke". I'd have handed you a "0" to spite you and let someone else give you the five. Hard to pick out what could have done better, really.

Team 8: tarcone--South Dakota (15)
1. (HC) Deadwood				3
2. (NB) BadLands				4
3. (SA) Mount Rushmore				5
4. (NB) Black Hills				4
-1 [AR]

*Good choices here, and to me, the Badlands were a '5'. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there when I went a few years ago. Deadwood did fall a little flat, though. Heck, "Sturgis" could have gotten a '4' possibly because the rally there is now pretty much embedded in the culture. Or, you could go girlie and take "Laura Ingalls", since the inspiration for much of Little House on the Prairie was from her time in South Dakota. (I ought to know, because my wife dearly loves the books and a stopover in DeSmet was a pre-requisite for going to the Badlands and Mount Rushmore)

Team 9: Anxiety—Washington (16)
1. Mount Rainier - NB				5
2. Apples - AR					5
3. Seahawks/Mariners - SA			3
4. World's Fairs - HC				3

*First two were well-chosen, obviously. Mt. St. Helens probably would have been a better SA choice and perhaps "Klondike gateway" could have worked for HC. Maybe "Boeing airplanes" or "Microsoft", due to how pervasive both are in our lives.

Team 10: Radii/Oliegirl—Nevada (15)
1. [AR] Silver Mining				4
2. [NB] Lehman Caves				3
3. [SA] Casinos, Gambling			5
4. [SA] Vegas Shows				4
-1 [HC][/quote]

*I had the reverse scores on 1 and 2, but that's quibbling. It seemed to me silver mining isn't as big of an industry as it once was (though apparently gold is from what I've read), though I might've been a little generous with the caves. Lake Tahoe probably would have been the better NB choice. Ironically, given my thoughts on the silver mining choice, I'm somewhat surprised "Comstock Lode" or "Virginia City" wasn't chosen as an HC choice.

[Wolfpack]

After a one-round hiatus, I've gotten my act together and done the points/dollars average rankings again:

1) Butter of 69--$1.03/point ($69/66 points)
2) Masked--$1.17/point ($79/67 points)
3) TazFTW--$1.24/point ($70/57 points)
4) tarcone--$1.40/point ($85/60 points)
5) path12--$1.46/point ($94/65 points)
6) radii/oliegirl--$1.48/point ($81/56 points)
7) sachmo/JeeberD--$1.62/point ($89/55 points)
8) gstelmack--$1.69/point ($99/57 points)
9) wade moore--$1.74/point ($92/51 points)
10) anxiety--$1.75/point ($99/58 points)

Average: $1.46/point

Well, the overall average has crashed a bit over the last two rounds as teams take advantage of states won on-the-cheap. Chiefly notable is path12's rocket ride up the standings as he trimmed nearly a full dollar off his average over the past two rounds. All of the top four in overall points are currently in the top five in averages with the two front-runners in points also leading in average.

[Buccaneer]

Well done, Wolfpack. I'll complete my comments on the last two states above.

[tarcone]

forgot about sturgis

[Abe Sargent]

The difficult one for me in Washington was S/A. Would the Space Needle have gotten a 4? I was considering it, then put it in with the World's Fairs.

I was looking at Microsoft and Boeing for AR but I realized that Apples would be so much easier. I never even thought to move Boeing to HC.

-Anxiety

[Abe Sargent]

Uhhh......Bump?


-Anxiety

[WSUCougar]

Masked grabs Alaska, leaving Nebraska for Anxiety as the last state.

Alright, folks, time to post your final state values. Get to it!

DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME AT THE DERBY!!!

[Butter]

We're so close to wrapping this baby up!

[TazFTW]

New York

NY Yankees [SA]
Broadway, museums [HC]
Niagara Falls [NB]
9/11 [HC]

[tarcone]

TENNESSEE

Elvis Presley (HC)
Beale Street (SA)
Dolly Parton (NB)
BBQ,Blues (AR)

[tarcone]

Whew...Done

[Butter]

California
1. Napa Valley [AR]
2. TV / Films [HC]
3. Yosemite Park [NB]
4. LA Lakers [SA]

[Abe Sargent]

Nebraska

U. Nebraska (SA)
Corn/Beef (AR)
Scotts Bluff (NB)
Union Pacific (HC)


-Anxiety

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Nebraska


Union Pacific (HC)


-Anxiety

GOOD CALL!!

[path12]

Wyoming:

(SA) Yellowstone Park
(NB) Grand Tetons
(AR) Coal, Gas
(HC) Range Wars

[path12]

Dola, I've really enjoyed this game. Thanks for putting it on WSU.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

GOOD CALL!!

Thanks!


-Anxiety

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by path12

Dola, I've really enjoyed this game. Thanks for putting it on WSU.

My pleasure! You guys have all stuck with it for the long haul, so thanks to you all as well.

Let's get those last entries in so we can wrap it up.

[tarcone]

I agree it was fun and i learned things that could be helpful in the future for vacation spots

[sachmo71]

im waiting to hear from Jeebs...but I can post the entry right now if everyone is ready. everyone other than jeebs, that is. :P

[sachmo71]

Utah

NB - Moab
AR - Aerospace Research
SA - Winter Olympics
HC - Brigham Young

[Masked]

Alaska

[AR] Seafood, oil
[SA] Iditarod
[NB] Denali, Kenai
[HC] Eskimos, Beringia

[wade moore]

Connecticut

1. UConn Basketball [SA]
2. Yale University [HC]
3. Long Island Sound [NB]
4. WWE [SA]