Get yer Underdog Game on

As August winds down, it's time to get serious about our charity pro football underdog game, which starts on Labor Day weekend. Let's get the players on board!

The basics are as follows: Each player donates $25 to a charity pool at the start of the season. Each week, each player chooses one underdog team to win its game outright. If the player's underdog wins, the player earns the number of points that the underdog was predicted to lose by. At the end of the long season, the players with the most points get to say which eligible charities get the money in the pool. The higher in the standings, the more dough the top players get to direct.

Our last game's winners, a couple of seasons ago, were:

First prize:  Shoeshine Boy - $400 - LAFD Foundation Emergency Wildfire Fund

Second prize:  Air - $125 - Sandy High School Boys' Golf Team

Third prize (tie):  Annie B. - $50 - Toni's Kitchen, Montclair, N.J.; Roger Goodell - $50 - Special Olympics Oregon

The complete official rules for this year are here. They're not materially different from those of our last game. If you're intrigued, please read the rules and make sure you understand them. If you do and you want to play, send me a note to that effect at dogpdx26@gmail.com. I'll get right back to you with instructions on where your entry fee should be sent. If you've already sent an email expressing interest for this year, check your email inbox for the instructions; if they're not there, please give a holler.

If it goes the way it has in the past, this should be fun, and some noble causes will benefit. 'Dogs rule!