This is a handicapping contest for all you fishes.  Here's how it works

1. All previous Triggerama fish are eligible.  Triggerama fish may also invite friends and family to join the contest, with two provisions: (a) let me know who you are inviting and their e-mail address and (b) help me collect the entry fee
2. Contest is for football only, any NFL or college game.  OVER/UNDER ALLOWED ON NFL ONLY.
   • Triggerama #1 - For games played between Thursday, September 6 and Monday, October 15 (2012) - Six Week Contest
   • Triggerama #2 - For games played between Thursday, October 18 and Monday, November 19 (2012) - Five Week Contest
3. You must pick a minimum of three games per week that are played on Friday thru Monday.  The maximum picks per week is 12 games.  A week ends, AND THE NEW WEEK BEGINS (and picks may be made), at the conclusion of  the Monday night game.  If you pick less than three games, you are charged with automatic losing picks.  Picks in excess of 12 games, in order of submission, are automatic losing picks.  Games played on Tues/Wed/Thurs DO NOT COUNT against the three game minimum, but DO COUNT against the 12-game maximum
4. Picks must be posted to The Crying Towel and can be posted any time before game time.  You may post multiple picks on multiple messages if you like.    ONLY PICKS POSTED TO THE CRYING TOWEL ARE VALID.  Past posting will be closely monitored. "GAME TIME" IS THE TIME LISTED BY SCORES AND ODDS - THE TIME STAMP ON YOUR POSTED PICKS MUST BE NO LATER THAN "GAME TIME"
5. Winning picks earn 10 points
6. Losing picks earn penalties on an escalating basis - first three losing picks each carry an 8-point penalty.  The penalty increases by 3 points for each additional losing pick - penalty for 4th loser = 11 points, 5th loser = 14 points, and so on.  The counter is reset each week.
7. Optional - each fish has the option to designate ONE GAME EACH WEEK as the Double Barrel Triggerama Pick.  Double points and penalties will be applied, with the double penalty being on the highest point penalty which can be assigned for that week.
8. Quickest On the Trigger Bonus - The first participant to submit the winning pick on a particular game will receive a 2-point bonus for each other contestant who correctly picks that same game.  BUT - ON NFL GAMES ONLY - IT CUTS BOTH WAYS.  THE FIRST PARTICIPANT TO SUBMIT THE LOSING PICK ON A GAME WILL RECEIVE A 2-POINT DEDUCTION FOR EACH OTHER CONTESTANT WHO LOSES ON THAT SAME GAME.  (DEDUCTION RULE DOES NOT APPLY TO COLLEGE GAMES OR NFL OVER/UNDER).
9. Upset and Beatdown Bonuses and Penalties - each week, after all games have concluded, we will single out two games (Fri-Mon games only):
   • Upset of the Week - The biggest underdog to outright win the game.  Margin of victory is NOT considered. If you picked this game correctly, you get a 10-point bonus; if you picked it wrong, it's a 10-point penalty. One (and only one) game will be selected from all the Triggerama picks to be Upset of the Week - it may be a game where all the Triggerama picks got it wrong!  Tiebreakers: (1) Road Dog over Home Dog; (2) NFL over College; (3) Southernmost location of underdog's home field.
   • Beatdown of the Week - The biggest margin of victory in excess of the pointspread.  Can only be a favorite or Pick'em.  If you picked this game correctly, you get a 10-point bonus; if you picked it wrong, it's a 10-point penalty.  One (and only one) game will be selected from all the Triggerama picks to be Beatdown of the Week - it may be a game where all the Triggerama picks got it wrong!  Tiebreakers: (1) Road Favorite over Home Favorite; (2) NFL over College; (3) Westernmost location of underdog's home field.
   • Note: No action required by the fish on this.  Your score will only be impacted if one of the games you pick turns out to be the Upset or Beatdown of the Week
10. Point spreads are based on the Scores and Odds website (www.scoresandodds.com) - sometime relatively close to 600 pm Denver time on Friday nights, Trigger will obtain the Official point spreads, which will not be changed.  Any game that is "Off" when Trigger freezes the spreads is "Off" for the entire weekend.  In the event the contestants select games played on Tues, Wed or Thurs, Trigger will take the FINAL point spreads posted AFTER those games have begun.
11. How To Get the Point Spreads - You can always get point spreads at www.scoresandodds.com. However, the point spreads are constantly changing, so they may not be precisely the same as we are using for this contest (which freezes the point spreads at 600 pm Friday).  The exact point spreads for the contest will be provided to all by e-mail which will come from Trigger (so check your spam filters).  File will be a PDF file - if you aren't used to dealing with PDF files, get hold of me or someone who can get you fixed up.
12. Prize money split is based on number of entrants we have – will pay at least 1st & 2nd, plus Fish of the Week (see below)
13. The Double Dare
    • Effective each Tuesday after the past week results are posted, a participant may DOUBLE DARE any other participant with a higher cumulative score by posting a DOUBLE DARE message to The Crying Towel no later than 1159 pm Denver time on Thursday night.  The message must specify the intended DOUBLE DARE target.  Each participant may issue only one DOUBLE DARE each week - but a single participant may find themselves the target of multiple DOUBLE DARES.  The target has no choice - he MUST ACCEPT the DOUBLE DARE.
    • The DOUBLE DARE is a side contest for the current week only, and involves only the first three picks submitted for Fri-Mon games by each of the DOUBLE DARE contestants.  This is one-on-one - the score for each contestant's first three picks submitted for the week determines the winner of the DOUBLE DARE.  Tue/Wed/Thurs picks are not considered.  Picks after the first three Fri-Mon picks are not considered.  Double Triggerama, Upset and Beatdown ARE considered if one of the three picks.  Quick Trigger points are NOT considered.  In the event of a DOUBLE DARE tie, the DOUBLE DARE is a PUSH, and you automatically have a rematch the following week (see MANDATORY DD/DDD #1 below).
    • The winner of the DOUBLE DARE gets a bonus of +20 points added to his cumulative score, while the loser is penalized 20 against his cumulative score.
    • The target of the DOUBLE DARE is entitled, but not required, to invoke the DOUBLE DOG DARE, which institutes an automatic $5 side bet on the results of the DOUBLE DARE.  The original troublemaker has no choice - he MUST ACCEPT the DOUBLE DOG DARE.  The original target of the DOUBLE DARE has until 600 pm Denver time on Friday nights to invoke the DOUBLE DOG DARE, by posting appropriate notice to The Crying Towel.
    • MANDATORY DD/DDD #1 - If a DD/DDD ends in a PUSH, it is AUTOMATICALLY repeated the following week (in addition to each fish being able to issue a new DD/DDD - but NO "double-up")
    • MANDATORY DOUBLE DOG DARE #2 - In addition to any other DD/DDD, any two fish with the same cumulative points at the end of a week are AUTOMATICALLY in a DOUBLE DOG DARE the following week (in addition to each fish being able to issue a new DD/DDD) Note: No carryover from Trig 1 To Trig 2.
14. Fish of the Week - There will be a $50 prize for the Fish of the Week, determined as follows:
    • Best point score for the week is the Fish of the Week - NO points for Quick Trigger or for Double Dare; Double Triggerama/Upset/Beatdown ALL COUNT
    • Tiebreaker #1 - Best Catch - difference between actual result and point spread, your one best pick
    • Tiebreaker #2 - Worst Snag - difference between actual result and point spread, your one worst pick (the less bad pick wins)
    • Tiebreaker #3 - Double Dare score (top 3 picks)
    • Tiebreaker #4 - Number of winning picks where you were the Quick Trigger
    • If tie still not broken, Trigger gets the $50

Questions/clarifications - send to Trigger at TriggerSpinutto@comcast.net, or post to The Crying Towel.  As dictator, Trigger reserves the right to fix the rules to correct any unintentional screw ups and/or change the rules to make sure this is fun.