FUN PONG SEASONS

In 2017, I found a version of pingpong online & started playing.

For my 4th season (April-December 2023), I did an “exhibition year”. I tested a new version of what I created: leagues & divisions including 1 team from each of the 50 states. I chose the location (city-town) for each state’s team, named each team (based on something near’n’dear to me or a nod to, or in memory of, a place or person in my life) & organized-named the leagues & divisions.

I enjoyed that experiment & considered it a “success”. So, for my 5th season (starting January 2024), I expanded the “season” by 4 games (playing teams within your division twice vs. playing every team once in the “exhibition season”), for a total of 53 games. Below are the results after each game of Season 5.

KEY 2024 DATES
01/01-03: reconfigure league & divisional standings for SEASON 5, per SEASON 4 final standings
01/04: outlined when each division plays & further configured standings by adding SEASON 5 columns
01/06-07: added playoff records to standings & completed preseason “preview” including “favored” (F) team in each division
01/14: considered-finalized TEAM moves-relocations for SEASON 5
02/02-11: pre-season “rusty time” of 10 games played
03/13: set schedule for SEASON 5:game 1 (after lengthy delay due to catching up, health issues-procedures, etc)
03/15: set up “Home”-“Away” records for each team & played TN’s SEASON 5:game 1 [despite not having decided best way to “publicize”]
03/18-24: extended time between SEASON 5:games 2-3 = colonoscopy & distractions, including March Madness
03/24-30: extended time between SEASON 5:games 3-4 = distractions (March Madness) & other priorities
04/10: added “(trend)” to SEASON 5 standings grid for easy “eye reference” of how many games won-lost in a row
04/12-15: delay = illness & internet out
May-June-July: various delays
09/19: created this PONG page
October: started adding games to PONG page
10/23: played SEASON 5:game 50
10/24-12/14: hiatus-delay = laptop issues & having to “re-group” (edit-reorganize standings & other records) after computer crash & repairs (with upgraded operating system)
12/15: finally finished reformatting the standings & related PONG records in the text file; decided to leave this page as is with SEASON 5:games 1-2 noted, the standings after SEASON 5:game 50 & continuing with new format for SEASON 5:games 51-52-53, before SEASON 5 PLAYOFFS, with a “fresh start” & updates per game in “real time” for SEASON 6.
12/17-20: RE-START SEASON 5:GAME 51

KEY 2025 DATES
01/05: playoff brackets set
01/15: finalized PLAYOFF preview with results of R1 playoff teams regular season games
01/16-21: played PLAYOFFS ROUND 1
01/22: PLAYOFFS ROUND 2 preview (with results of R2 playoff teams regular season games)
01/24: PACEMAKER & LEADS REPLACEMENT SURGERY @ NM-CHICAGO, causing further delay

 

SEASON 5

Prepping the leagues-divisions-teams; (right click &) open the image in a new tab to see full size:

ROUND 1

@ for games 1-3-5
Colonial @ Nor’Easter
Plains @ Midwestern
Paradise @ Wilderness
Eastern @ Coastal
Wild @ Delta

GAME 1

NJ @ MA
PA @ NH
CT @ VT
NY @ RI
DE @ ME

SD @ OH
NE @ IN
IA @ MI
WY @ MN
ND @ WI

UT @ ID
AZ @ AK
CA @ OR
NV @ MT
HI @ WA

IL @ NC
TN @ VA
KY @ GA
MD @ SC
WV @ FL

OK @ LA
CO @ MS
TX @ AL
NM @ AR
KS @ MO

 

 

 

 

 

GAME 2

MA @ PA
NH @ CT
VT @ NY
RI @ DE
ME @ NJ

OH @ NE
IN @ IA
MI @ WY
MN @ ND
WI @ SD

ID @ AZ
AK @ CA
OR @ NV
MT @ HI
WA @ UT

NC @ TN
VA @ KY
GA @ MD
SC @ WV
FL @ IL

LA @ CO
MS @ TX
AL @ NM
AR @ KS
MO @ OK

 

 

 

 

ROUND 11

@ for games 49-51-53
Colonial @ Midwestern
Plains @ Wilderness
Nor’Easter @ Coastal
Eastern @ Delta
Wild @ Paradise

GAME 50
(standings)

GAME 51
(played 12.17-20.2024)
* = won

NJ @ MI* —— PA @ MN* —— CT* @ WI —— NY @ OH* —— DE @ IN*

IL @ AL* —— TN @ AR* —— KY @ MO* —— MD* @ LA —— WV* @ MS

MA* @ GA —— NH @ SC* —— VT @ FL* —— RI @ NC* —— ME @ VA*

SD* @ OR—— NE @ MT* —— IA @ WA* —— WY* @ ID —— ND* @ AK

OK @ CA* —— CO* @ NV —— TX @ HI* —— NM @ UT* —— KS @ AZ*

GAME 52
(played 12.22-24.2024)
* = won

MN @ NJ* —— WI @ PA* —— OH* @ CT —— IN* @ NY —— MI @ DE*

AR @ IL* —— MO @ TN* —— LA @ KY* —— MS @ MD* —— AL @ WV*

SC @ MA* —— FL @ NH* —— NC @ VT* —— VA @ RI* —— GA* @ ME

MT @ SD* —— WA @ NE* —— ID @ IA* —— AK @ WY* —— OR @ ND*

NV @ OK* —— HI* @ CO —— UT @ TX* —— AZ* @ NM —— CA @ KS*

GAME 53
(played 12.27-29.2024)
* = won

NJ @ WI* —– PA @ OH* —– CT @ IN* —– NY* @ MI —– DE* @ MN

IL* @ MO —– TN @ LA* —– KY @ MS* —– MD* @ AL —– WV* @ AR

MA* @ FL —– NH* @ NC —– VT* @ VA —– RI @ GA* —– ME* @ SC

SD* @ WA —– NE @ ID* —– IA @ AK* —– WY* @ OR —– ND* @MT

OK @ HI* —– CO @ UT* —– TX* @ AZ —– NM @ CA* —– KS* @ NV

PLAYOFFS
standings w/playoff bracket
(set 01.05.2025)

ROUND 1
(played 01.16-21.2025)
* = won

IN @ NH* —– ME @ MT* —– ID* @ NY —– SD* @ WY

IL @ NM* —– AZ* @ UT —– CA* @ MS —– VA @ WV*

ROUND 2
(previewed 01.22.2025)
(played TBD)
* = won

MT @ NH —– ID @ SD

AZ @ NM —– CA @ WV