Contest Rules and Prize

The name of the game is Code of the Cardboard Gods, and it is a ten part treasure hunt starring you, the reader, as the main character.  Each part will contain at least one puzzle, and the reader with the most puzzle points will win the game.

Each part will include a setting and a list of characters, or players, participating in the story with you.  Your character is a world renowned cryptologist that mysteriously becomes involved with The Order of Cardboard Gods.  To aid in solving the puzzle and to move the story along, I will provide background information and dialogue. 

All of the puzzles are baseball or baseball card related (in some form or fashion), and will be presented to you in a visual format.  Answers to the puzzles may be posted in the comment section, but be wary, make sure your answer is correct, or others may use your answer to find the correct answer.  If a puzzle goes unanswered or incorrectly answered for three days, I will edit the story to provide clues.  The first person to provide the correct answer based on the comment section time stamp will receive the stated points.

Most importantly, your answer MUST include the logic used to solve the puzzle.  In essence, just like school, you must show your work.  In the age of the internet, it is all too easy to find the right answer, so to get the points, you must prove your logic.

Finally, the overall winner will get a prize.  Every horse needs a carrot, right?

At the end of the game, the overall puzzle point leader will get a free pass through their want list.  That’s right, I’ll search your want list and mail you any and all cards I can reasonably part with to help fill your want lists.  If for some reason your want list does not jive with my collection, I will take your want list to our local big card show at the end of July and beginning of August and try to get as many cards off that list as I affordably can.

So, in recap:

•    First to correctly answer the puzzle wins the points.

•    No partial credit.

•    You MUST provide your logic behind solving the puzzle.

•    Clues will be edited into each part if no correct answer is provided after three days of posting.

•    Grand prize is me taking a walk through your want list.

Finally, I do not want anything in return for undertaking this project, however, if you really enjoy the contest, I will take donations to give to the grand prize winner.

Good luck!

Doc T

Tuesday Tournament Update

Not every team has played the required 32 games, but the Sweet 16 has been set.  The National League had a surprising amount of upsets, and I can hear the analysts now, "Look at all the parity!"  Most surprising of all was the Nationals beating the #1 LA Dodger seed.  I did not see that coming, but that proves the mantra of "pitching and defense" win games.

Other upsets were the Padres over the Marlins, Reds over the Braves and Mets over the Rockies.  The AL pretty much went to form, and the "southern bracket" has a monster foursome of Texas, Minnesota, Tampa and New York.  I think the AL representative will be coming from this bracket.

Contestants still in the running include:

Plungerhoo's Nationals

Dan the Sticker Man's Phillies

GCRL's Twins

Play at the Plate's Rangers

Troll's Rays

Contestants out are:

Night Owl's Dodgers

Canuck's Braves

WSC's White Sox

Rod of Padrograph fame has been assigned the home town favorite Padres, after a surprise package of Gwynn-awesomeness this past weekend.

Good luck to all!

Epic Fail

We have all witnessed a good idea, person, movie or team that was well intentioned and carefully planned, but somehow thudded to the ground like a brick of lead.  Let’s stroll through memory lane to remember a few gems from our collective past.

#10 – Buffalo Bills

Not exactly a failure, but definitely not a success.  Recipients of the 2nd place red ribbon for a record 4 straight Super Bowls (err, Big Games).  Wide right!
 

#9 – Coors Sparkling Water

Coors sold bottled water?  They should have just changed the label on their beer cans.  Like the saying goes, “What does having sex in a canoe and American Macro Brews have in common?  They’re both $#@%-ing close to water.”
 

# 8 – 2007 New York Mets

Up seven with 17 to play, and Glavine’s seven runs given up in the first of the last game sealed the Metropolitans fate.

 #7 – Windows Vista

A platform hyped to no end that has essentially turned my home computer into one very large digital photo disk.

#6 – Michael Dukakis

 

Remember this guy?  Didn’t think so.  Oh think of how the 2000 election would have been so much different if he just hadn’t sat in that damn tank.

#5 – Any movie with Eddie Murphy after Coming to America in which he physically appears

Pluto Nash, BHC3, Vampire in Brooklyn, The Nutty Professor I & II, Doctor Doolittle, I Spy, Daddy Day Care, The Haunted Mansion, Norbit, Meet Dave, Pluto Nash (I had to include that one twice).  Party All the Time, Eddie!

#4 – Chris Gaines 

Garth Brooks alter-EGO.  Stick to the twang my friend.
 

#3 – New Coke

I remember this abomination when I had my first taste as a kid at a McDonalds.  I did not like, but I liked Like!

#2 – E.T. The Video Game

A horrific mash-up of bad programming and a plot that nowhere near resembled the original movie plot.  The game essentially killed Atari, but did make for an excellent episode of Code Monkeys.  A massive inventory of unsold games was crushed and buried in an Alamogordo landfill.  At least they didn’t bury them at sea, ahem, Sy Berger!

#1 – Yesterday’s Post
The new Ishtar of the baseball card blogosphere…  Yeah, me!  I will soldier on though.

Code of the Cardboard Gods Trailer!!!!

Here is a little something to whet your appetite. The Code of the Cardboard Gods puzzle game is slated to begin sometime next week. Hopefully I will have a "preface" post up at the end of this week to help explain the concept, etc.

As it stands now, this will be a 10 part story with each story's puzzle leading to the next puzzle. For the inspiration of where this game is coming from, and for a little enlightenment as to what this is all about, read one of my previous posts.

Without further ado, grab your popcorn, sit back and relax!

Click play!

If you'd like a higher resolution version of the trailer, please send your requests to: uncle_docs_closet(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Also, please pass this along if you like the idea. I am hoping for any form of participation.

Enjoy and HAVE FUN!

Doc T

Tuesday Tournament Update

The Rays and Twins have made it official by mathematically eliminating the White Sox and Indians, respectively. Therefore, the Collective Troll and GCRL move on to the second round, and the Rays have a much too soon showdown with the dreaded Yankees. On the flip side, White Sox Cards has bowed from the tournament...

Also, expect a treat today if you're interested in solving puzzles...