DiploBall 3, Week 6: The Title Goes Back to Belgrade

So, I thought I would start this week’s recap with a little DiploBall History. 

Three years ago, while posted in Belgrade, Serbia, I organized the first season of DiploBall merely to have something fun to do with coworkers and have something to talk about at lunch. 

That year, we only had 13 players and, apart from Rada, our Serbian language instructor in DC, all of us were posted in Belgrade.  

And now?  Well… here we are, only a couple years later… 24 strong, scattered all over the world, and the number of players who actually live in Belgrade have dwindled to a much smaller percentage of our overall participation.

So, would you believe, this is the first week, this season, where our winner is actually serving overseas?  When I won the first week I was still in the States on ‘Home Leave’ and Ted, correct me if I’m wrong, is current serving a domestic tour. 

That said, not only is Ryan our first overseas winner this season, he is also serving in Belgrade, DiploBall’s birthplace.  And oddly enough, as if we needed another reason to love DiploBall, Ryan and I have never met in person… a testament to the complete randomness that is DiploBall.

PS: To raise my spirits after the Falcons lost this weekend, I went to a Surinamese green market… and guess what I found?  Ivar.  That’s right.  Ivar.  And they even called it ‘Ivar’… it’s just a Serbian week around here.

1^st Place: Ryan (495 points)

Congrats Ryan.  To celebrate I think you should give Ann Marie and Brian the rest of the day off!

2^nd: Jp (481 Points)

Okay… rather than gloat.  I want to point something out to the other Schutz’s (Ted included).  I made the leader board without picking against the Falcons.  I’m just saying.  Think about it.

3^rd: BigCat (481 Points)

Will!  I thought you’ve been sleeping!  Technically we tied, but I just barely edged you out on the tiebreaker.  I probably would have given us both credit for second place if my dad hadn’t been next in line.  12 of his points came from picking against the Falcons and that’s not something I can reward.  Lol!

Honorable Mention: Jeff (413 Pionts)

Jeff gets the ‘Random Win of the Week’ honorable mention for picking Seattle over the NY Giants this week.  I didn’t see that one coming at all!

Honorable Mention:  Tashkent1 (421 Points)

The ‘Most Correct Picks’ honorable mention goes Tashkent1, who only missed 4 games this week.  Unfortunately, for Tashkent1, all four misses cost him over 20 points each… leaving him in 13^th place at the end of the week.  Erg!  That has to hurt!

Last Place: dnibarger (177 Points)

No one wants to be last… but someone has to wear the weekly crown.  I guess it softens the crushing blow of defeat when the score is close… for dnibarger’s sake… I hope he considers losing by 148 points ‘close’.

Eric… don’t think you’re off the hook.  Your 325 points may have landed up in second to last this week… but you deserve some mocking for missing 13 games.  Let me know if you need to borrow my Carpenter’s album… I lent it to Jeff last week when he missed 15 games.