Compubookie predicts 2008 buggy results for men’s and women’s teams

Editor’s Note: Compubookie is a highly sophisticated betting robot that has been predicting Buggy results since 1974. He is in no way affiliated with the Tartan sports staff. We just print this stuff.

Greetings campus community and buggy enthusiasts alike. With only a week until the races, I’m sure you are all anxious to hear the top picks and expert analysis for 2008. Although the lack of free rolls in the spring leaves me with less to go on, the competitive organizations have once again come out rolling fast and training hard.

Starting with the women: With strong sorority participation for several of the top dogs, expect to see close competition and perhaps another chair throwing incident at awards as well. Speaking of DG, look for its co-op to boost KDR A into the top five.

Coming in fourth will be the women of SPIRIT A, assuming the red tape doesn’t jam up their pneumatics too badly. Look for PiKA A and Fringe A to finish strong, but the trophy will not be given back this year. Sorry girls, but SDC A will once again be too fast not to come out on top. The team may just be racing the clock.

On to the Men: Look for another three-horse race this year between Fringe, PiKA, and SDC — but let's start with some of the less impressive organizations. Look for Sig Ep to place in the top 10 this year, but not by rolling its new experiment of a buggy. Finishing slightly quicker will be a fast-rolling buggy of SDC B, assuming the A team doesn’t have to push the B team buggy on day two. As usual, SPIRIT A will make the top 10, but will still be out of reach of the top five. KDR, if the competitors can figure out how to use their new wheels, will finish under 2:15 — talk to Fringe about that one guys.

Since I have nothing good to say about Sig Nu, I’ll just get on to the top 5. We will see a good showing from the B teams of both PiKA and Fringe. Their experience and depth will place these teams in fourth and fifth respectively.

Now for the good stuff: Fringe, SDC, and PiKA have all proven that they can cruise through the free roll this year, despite the absence of mini-raceday. SDC returns to the course with some repeat pushers for a change, a clear advantage for them. But what is that awful rattling noise your buggy has been making? Look for the men of SDC A to take third in this one with a respectable sub-2:10 time.

So who takes the cup at the end of day two? The men of PiKA will come out this year looking to break a record set decades ago by winning for a seventh consecutive year. If that isn’t motivation to win a race, I don’t know what is. Fringe can’t be ruled out, however. Coming to the course with a team full of Betas and pushing the fastest buggy on the course, expect a new organization record for Fringe. We all saw how the football player experiment worked out for SDC last year, so, sorry Fringe, but this year I have to bet on the organization with the winning record. Although you may prove me wrong, I predict another win for PiKA A.

Expect times to be very fast this year, not because of the course, but because of the competition. This year’s race will be a good one to watch. That’s all I have for this year. Good luck to all the teams. I’m sure I will see you out there. Don’t expect to see me.

—Compubookie

Buggy Predictions

Women
1. SDC A
2. PiKA A
3. Fringe A
4. SPIRIT A
5. KDR A
6. Sig Nu A

Men
1. PiKA A
2. Fringe A
3. SDC A
4. PiKA B
5. Fringe B
6. KDR A
7. Sig Nu
8. SPIRIT A
9. SDC B
10. Sig Ep A

The Field
• AEPi — Too cheap to build a real buggy.
• CIA — Your Mohawk is more aerodynamic than your buggy.
• Fringe — Maybe you’ll prove me wrong.
• KDR — Who have you been in bed with more, DG or Fringe?
• Phi Kap — You haven’t won since Nixon was in office.
• PiKA — “Visit us at [SLANT]www.pikabuggy.com[SLANT].”
• Pioneers — Sweepstakes is a one-day event for you, isn’t it?
• SDC — Maybe this year your buggy hopes won’t fall flat on their face.
• Sig Ep — Maybe your Messiah will come next year.
• Sig Nu — Too stoned to build, too stoned to push.
• SPIRIT — How disappointed are your alumni?