Random Thoughts About Thoughts Random

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:33 am

If you ran a March Madness pool and the person that won never paid you, what kind of obligation would you have to pay them? Should I really have to waste my time shaking down other people who didn't pay for someone who was going to make me have to waste my time shaking them down? These are all adult human beings.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:45 am

The guy that won ours didn't pay. I'm thinking about instituting a new rule next year that if you don't pay by Friday before Final Four you are disqualified regardless of your potential to win (he had probably a 75% chance of winning).

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:47 am

Fuck him. He didn't pay, he's not eligible to win. Go down the list to the top person who paid.

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:54 am

A_B wrote:The guy that won ours didn't pay. I'm thinking about instituting a new rule next year that if you don't pay by Friday before Final Four you are disqualified regardless of your potential to win (he had probably a 75% chance of winning).

Well I did say all entries must be paid before the tournament ends but I didn't specify a DQ. It seems a little draconian but not necessarily wrong.

Fuck him. He didn't pay, he's not eligible to win. Go down the list to the top person who paid.

Unfortunately, that's me. Probably wouldn't go over too well.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:10 am

If you don't pay and win you still get the money. If you don't pay and lose you get shamed and banned forever.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:19 am

Maybe that'll teach the guy who didn't pay to pay up next time. Anybody can not pay and only pay after say the first weekend when his Final Four is still alive. Tough shit. Fuck that guy. Pay yourself and make it clear he didn't pay. Group email like "Clown had the most points, but since he's a either a pussy or a fucking deadbeat and didn't pay, he doesn't get the winnings. The winnings only go to people who ante up. Number two is me. Tough shit."

As an aside, I've been looking to practice radical honesty this year. So take that for what you will.

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:23 am

Actually, number 3. Number 2 didn't pay either.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:00 am

If you fill out a lottery ticket and you don't give the cashier the money to pay for it and your numbers hit, does the state pay still pay you? No.

I would make a video of you tallying the points, looking over the names, saying his name won and then go "Awww, look at that. He never paid. Who's next in line? Oh! Me!"

Snooze, ya lose homie. Scrooge McDuck the fuck out of those winnings.

And every so often remind them to not fuck around again.

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:03 am

You guys are cold but you're also kinda right.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:45 am

This seems a pretty common problem in lots of games/fantasy sports. I don't understand why anyone would do this without upfront collection.

Post by **brian** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:50 am

Jerloma wrote:You guys are cold but you're also kinda right.

Just to be passive-aggressive (and to prove a point), you should make him pay you the amount he owes you before you pay off the prize.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:05 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote:This seems a pretty common problem in lots of games/fantasy sports. I don't understand why anyone would do this without upfront collection.

At my office I kind of expect people to just be adults about it.

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:10 pm

A_B wrote:
wlu_lax6 wrote:This seems a pretty common problem in lots of games/fantasy sports. I don't understand why anyone would do this without upfront collection.
At my office I kind of expect people to just be adults about it.

This. I get crazy anxiety about owing anyone money so not only would I never even fill out a bracket without paying or making arrangements to pay, but the idea of it so foreign to me that every year, I just can't imagine it being a problem. Every year, it is.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:19 pm

It depends on who it is. If it's a friend or someone I've met through a friend, I'd pay. If they've paid in the past, I'd pay. If I've never met them, nope.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:21 pm

You shouldn't ever enter a money pool without paying your entry fee. It's part of being an adult.

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:22 pm

a) Why was the bracket accepted without upfront payment?

b) This is touchy. If it's someone you know or have dealt with before and he's never been a bitch about paying even if it's after the games have started, I'd say give him the benefit of the doubt. If you've sent out #s of reminders or asked the guy and he's blown you off, fuck em.

Keg · Post by **Keg** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:23 pm

I invited a friend to join an NBA keeper league that had an opening this year. After a couple of months my buddy abandoned the league and refused to pay the entry fee. He claimed that some shady dealings were going on in the league, but when I asked for details, he couldnt provide any. Then my buddy got mad at me for not believing him. Now the commish is hounding me to get my friend to pay, but he is ignoring all attempts at contact. Sucks to be in this situation since I put in a good word + vouched for the guy.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:30 pm

Next time you're over your buddy's place, take something from him that's equal to the entry fee as collateral. You pay the commish, and tell your buddy he can have his Fleshlight back when he pays you. Everybody wins.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:31 pm

Keg wrote:I invited a friend to join an NBA keeper league that had an opening this year. After a couple of months my buddy abandoned the league and refused to pay the entry fee. He claimed that some shady dealings were going on in the league, but when I asked for details, he couldnt provide any. Then my buddy got mad at me for not believing him. Now the commish is hounding me to get my friend to pay, but he is ignoring all attempts at contact. Sucks to be in this situation since I put in a good word + vouched for the guy.

This better not be you, Degenerasian.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:36 pm

Something about gambling (and pool) debts just stick in the craw.

I can still remember an idiot from grade 8 who owes my $5 on a football bet, and another one who welshed on an Expos vs Blue Jays total wins bet at University.

Don;t care that they have built successful careers and that one of them is still friends with good friends of mine. Far as I'm concerned, they are total weasels until they pay me what they owe..

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:59 pm

I used to run the office pool and the way I always ran it was you could pay to play or play for fun. If you didn't pay by the time the tourney started (I might give leeway until the next Monday), I just put you in the pay for fun category. I didn't do that as a way to handle deadbeats - it was to get more entrants to make things more fun - but it effectively worked that way.

I'm not sure what I'd do in Jerloma's shoes. If the first paying winner wasn't him, it'd be an easy call.

Is the guy who won actively expecting to be paid?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:25 pm

We agree that if you aren't paying a winner who didn't pay, you can't at the same time keep asking for payments from losers who didn't pay, right? Either there was a bracket invalidation date or there wasn't.

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:41 pm

BSF21 wrote:a) Why was the bracket accepted without upfront payment?

b) This is touchy. If it's someone you know or have dealt with before and he's never been a bitch about paying even if it's after the games have started, I'd say give him the benefit of the doubt. If you've sent out #s of reminders or asked the guy and he's blown you off, fuck em.

He has never proactively paid but eventually gets me when he runs into me which isn't very often. Once a year, maybe.

We agree that if you aren't paying a winner who didn't pay, you can't at the same time keep asking for payments from losers who didn't pay, right? Either there was a bracket invalidation date or there wasn't.

I'm paying him but I still have 30 bucks to collect on top of the 20 that he never paid and I refuse to front it to pay out to someone who didn't pay themselves. I sent out 1 reminder email after the tournament and I absolutely despise shaking people down for cash because as mentioned...we're supposed to be fucking adults. I'm just not going to waste my energy trying to get money for someone who was going to make me have to worry about it with him if Gonzaga didn't forget how to shoot.

I should just give him the 370 that I have and those other dude's email addresses if he wants the extra 30.

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:42 pm

And this is where everyone tells me I'm an idiot for continuing to let someone play who never pays and everyone would be right.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:46 pm

Especially if you never see him. I dropped two people this year from the invite list because I never see the often enough to get their money.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 6:31 pm

Ok wtf. I ran into this girl the other day at TJ's that I hooked up with a couple years back, had a quick stop and chat, and today Instagram suggested that I follow her. I'm not friends with her on FB (or any social media) and frankly didn't even know her last name until just now. No mutual friends or anything. We're all just getting fucking tracked, right?

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 6:34 pm

Any chance she stalked you on IG and it picked that up?

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 6:42 pm

A_B wrote:Any chance she stalked you on IG and it picked that up?

Yeah it's possible but I really don't think she knows my last name either.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:33 pm

P.D.X. wrote:Ok wtf. I ran into this girl the other day at TJ's that I hooked up with a couple years back, had a quick stop and chat, and today Instagram suggested that I follow her. I'm not friends with her on FB (or any social media) and frankly didn't even know her last name until just now. No mutual friends or anything. We're all just getting fucking tracked, right?

How locked down is your Facebook presence? For example, if we're friends on Facebook, and my wife (via her own account), visits my Facebook page, and peruses my friends' list, will she find your name?

My guess is she thought up a few instances of shared acquaintances and got lucky. You got Kevin Bacon'd!

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:11 am

EnochRoot wrote:
P.D.X. wrote:Ok wtf. I ran into this girl the other day at TJ's that I hooked up with a couple years back, had a quick stop and chat, and today Instagram suggested that I follow her. I'm not friends with her on FB (or any social media) and frankly didn't even know her last name until just now. No mutual friends or anything. We're all just getting fucking tracked, right?
How locked down is your Facebook presence? For example, if we're friends on Facebook, and my wife (via her own account), visits my Facebook page, and peruses my friends' list, will she find your name?

My guess is she thought up a few instances of shared acquaintances and got lucky. You got Kevin Bacon'd!

This thing has happened to me before but I could always find some tangential reasoning for why an algorithm would line us up. For this girl, there's literally nothing. I met her right when she moved here (so she knew no one), she lives in a different part of town, like a decade+ younger, completely different line of work, and I've literally not spoken to her for 2 years.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:22 am

Well? Are you going to hook up again?

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:28 am

Nah. She's attractive but kind of a weird and conversation is awkward/too much work.

duff · Post by **duff** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:41 am

And he has his eyes on the coworker that is freshly on the market.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:46 am

That would be a wrecking ball-level disaster, for both my career and rep. Although fun to consider what the appropriate buffer time before moving in would be.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:49 am

Wait until after lunch, atleast.

duff · Post by **duff** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:49 am

Get on it before the ink dries on the papers.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:53 am

I'd lean yes on the tracking. Both have cell phones with location enabled. You both cross paths and the data overlaps via an always on app. Not sure how to prove it exactly, but the coincidence is too random.

That situation kinda happened with me. But I think it was due to similar hashtags used and checking into the same place. I use the explore feature and I see a familiar face. I click and it was her. Thing is, she came by my office for training once. A couple weeks later she showed up. So yea, I'm thinking there are greater forces at play here. Might be worth it to email a techy geek who writes for Gizmodo to be sure.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:59 am

Johnnie wrote:I'd lean yes on the tracking. Both have cell phones with location enabled. You both cross paths and the data overlaps via an always on app. Not sure how to prove it exactly, but the coincidence is too random.

That situation kinda happened with me. But I think it was due to similar hashtags used and checking into the same place. I use the explore feature and I see a familiar face. I click and it was her. Thing is, she came by my office for training once. A couple weeks later she showed up. So yea, I'm thinking there are greater forces at play here. Might be worth it to email a techy geek who writes for Gizmodo to be sure.

Not to get into tinfoil-hat territory, but as I understand it, FB can access your phone's mic (unless you turn that off in some deep-level privacy setting) and I most definitely said her name when greeting her. So Skynet learned that we in fact know each other.

Post by **brian** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 11:09 am

P.D.X. wrote:
Johnnie wrote:I'd lean yes on the tracking. Both have cell phones with location enabled. You both cross paths and the data overlaps via an always on app. Not sure how to prove it exactly, but the coincidence is too random.

That situation kinda happened with me. But I think it was due to similar hashtags used and checking into the same place. I use the explore feature and I see a familiar face. I click and it was her. Thing is, she came by my office for training once. A couple weeks later she showed up. So yea, I'm thinking there are greater forces at play here. Might be worth it to email a techy geek who writes for Gizmodo to be sure.
Not to get into tinfoil-hat territory, but as I understand it, FB can access your phone's mic (unless you turn that off in some deep-level privacy setting) and I most definitely said her name when greeting her. So Skynet learned that we in fact know each other.

You sure she didn't know/remember your last name? I think Occam's Razor probably suggests it's more likely she stumbled on to your Instagram account and had viewed your profile. (Hell, it could have happened "accidentally" even based on something you posted.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 11:19 am

P.D.X. wrote:
Johnnie wrote:I'd lean yes on the tracking. Both have cell phones with location enabled. You both cross paths and the data overlaps via an always on app. Not sure how to prove it exactly, but the coincidence is too random.

That situation kinda happened with me. But I think it was due to similar hashtags used and checking into the same place. I use the explore feature and I see a familiar face. I click and it was her. Thing is, she came by my office for training once. A couple weeks later she showed up. So yea, I'm thinking there are greater forces at play here. Might be worth it to email a techy geek who writes for Gizmodo to be sure.
Not to get into tinfoil-hat territory, but as I understand it, FB can access your phone's mic (unless you turn that off in some deep-level privacy setting) and I most definitely said her name when greeting her. So Skynet learned that we in fact know each other.

I deleted the app a long time ago when I read that it drained your battery badly. And I stay logged out of it only to log in via Chrome.

So if that's the case, ditch the app, stat.