The Vikings Contest is a free contest designed for fans to have fun. VikingsContest.com is a fan website where fans pick the NFL teams they think will win each week from each game match-up. The contest contains straight picks, so there are no lines. As soon as the picks are submitted, they can confirm their selections. At the end of each week, usually after Monday Night Football, game results will be entered and contest results will be posted. As the administrator, I do not make any personal gains for running VikingsContest.com, nor do I encourage others participating to use this site as a means for personal financial gain.

If you are interested in playing in this free contest and just want to have fun, all you really need to do is read over all this information and rules, then sign up. As soon as you sign up, you should receive confirmation. When you sign up, please use a valid email address so you can receive the contest schedules, reminders, and contest results throughout the NFL season. If you ever have any problems, please use the Request Form.

After you sign up, expect to receive no more than five emails each week. Two emails will be sent, once on Sunday and another Thursday evening to remind you to submit your picks. One email, and possibly two for corrections if needed, to inform participants that the results were just updated, as well as acknowledging the weekly winners. Another alternative email may be sent out for contest informational purposes only.

CONTEST HISTORY

Beginning its 10th season, the Vikings Contest, originally named Viking Pick Pool Contest, began from the Viking Email List. Over the past few years, it has drawn interest from several other fans of other NFL teams.

Over 10 years ago, fans submitted their picks via email. The picks were gathered manually, and the results were tabulated manually. This method was very time-consuming and had a high probability of error. Later, with the aide of a program, fans chose whether to submit their picks using the Email or Internet Picksheet. In addition, the program automatically tallied the results. There was still a lot of effort involved in maintaining the contest though. For example, when the picks were sent to the contest administrator, the contest administrator would have to manually copy the picks from an email program and paste them into the program. In addition, the player selections were not in real-time and had to be updated Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon. Ever since the 6th season, and up to the present, data is stored in a secure database and as picks are submitted, player selections are automatically displayed in real-time. At the end of the week, after all the games have been played, the game results are entered into the contest and results are posted.

Besides the new look and feel to the contest, other new additions to this site include a sign up page, message board, a comments page for you to post any comments about this contest, and a Request Form. Other features that existed in prior seasons still exist, such as the chatroom, picksheet, player selections, and results. The site is designed to make life easier on the contest administrator, but also provide a fun, free experience to those participating.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q. What if I am going to be gone on vacation?
A. You may submit your picks ahead of time using the Internet picksheet. All of them have been created and are on the web, however only one picksheet may be accessible directly from the main menu during the week. If you know which weeks you will be gone and would like to bring up the picksheet of that particular week, simply put in your browser http://www.vikingscontest.com/picksheet#.asp where # is the week number. For example for week 1, you would go to http://www.vikingscontest.com/picksheet1.asp, for week 2, go to http://www.vikingscontest.com/picksheet2.asp, etc.

Q. What if something happens to my computer and I am unable to submit my picks through the Internet?
A. Sometimes these things happen and it is understandable. The best recommendation I can give in a worse case scenario is to contact someone you know and have them submit the picks for you, or write down your picks onto a piece of paper and when your computer is back up, contact the contest administrator using the Request Form. Further instructions will then be given once contact has been made with the administrator.

Q. What if the Vikings Contest server is down and I am unable to send my picks?
A. Contact the contest administrator and inform him of the problems you are experiencing. You may also submit your picks and the contest administrator will manually enter the picks. If the worst scenario arises and there is a massive problem, that particular week will be tossed out and no results will change from the previous week. The week will be skipped. It may not happen, but in case it does, nothing will take place in the standings. Please keep a copy of your picks at all times throughout the season. This is your receipt that you sent your picks and if everyone keeps a receipt of their picks, no week will have to be thrown out. They can simply be resent.

Q. When will I receive the schedule?
A. You will receive the schedule every week, about one week before the deadline, so it will give you plenty of time to get them turned in on time. There will be one or two reminders during the week. The Player Selections are always in real-time so you can always verify the picks submitted. It will have to be your responsibility to make sure your picks are turned in on time. It is also recommended that you keep a copy of your picks for your own reference and in case something happens or there is an error, so you have proof that they were turned in, as the date on the email and your picks are your only proof.

Q. Once I have submitted my picks and want to change a game match-up, can I?
A. Yes, you can. You can change your picks as many times as you want, as long as they are submitted before the game deadline. Simply resubmit your picks using the Internet Picksheet. You can verify the picks in the Player Selections after you have submitted them.

Q. What if I am going to be moving or changing email addresses?
A. If you know your new email address, use the Request Form and provide your old and new email address.

Q. What if I would like to change names?
A. Use the Request Form and provide your old and new name along with your email address.

Q. What happened to my picks? I checked out the Player Selection web page and didn't see my picks. I thought I already submitted them?
A. In this now unlikely scenario, there may have been problems in the programming. If this occurs, please fill out the Request Form. If you still have a copy of your picks, please send them to the contest administrator. They may be accepted as long as the timestamp on the picks were made before game-time.