What happens next?

That was the question we asked you. It’s the best question and our favorite question. Making a prediction, even for the briefest moment, can make life feel like a game–feel a little more fun.

What happens next? 

You’ve answered that question hundreds of thousands of times. Each prediction has been a footstep along Spogo’s trail.  We had our own predictions about where that trail would lead, never quite knowing for certain.

What happens next?  

Today I have the answer to that question, but not the answer for which anyone wished.  Team Spogo will be moving in a new direction and, in the near future, Spogo games will no longer be available to play.

We are so proud that we could be even a small part of the joy and experiences you shared while you watched sports.  Our team and business have grown tremendously from your active and loyal fanhood.

And rightfully so, with our core and most avid users in the Boston area, the final Spogo game will coincide with the final game in the Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens series–date to be determined.  The series begins tonight at 7:30pm ET.

From here on, accepting Spogo rewards will be at the discretion of our fantastic bar and restaurant partners, so we strongly encourage you to unlock and redeem rewards while you are still able.

Over the past two years, our mission has been to make watching sports more fun.  We endeavored to build a platform that would connect and bring joy to fans from all over.  Over the past two years, no matter the scale, we achieved that mission.

What happens next?  

While Spogo as you have come to know it will be changing soon, our team continues to look for exciting ways to leverage the powerful, unique technology we have worked so hard to build.  If you have interest in learning more about our platform, or have general questions for our team, please reach out to us at founders@playspogo.com.

So, what happens next?

Spogo and beyond, it will always be the best question.

 

Cheers, a thousand times,

Team Spogo

 

Super Bowl XLVIII – What did Spogo think?

Well, the Super Bowl didn’t end up being so super after all (unless you’re from Seattle). The Broncos and Peyton Manning were destroyed (43-8) by a hungry Seahawks defense and opportunistic offense.

While the game may have been over in the first half, we kept things interesting here at Spogo. Thousands of predictions were made on more than 50 in-game questions…and many of those predictions were very accurate. Over the course of the game, we awarded over 2 MILLION Spogo points! That’s about 4,000 plates of free nachos. Here’s a look at some of our favorite questions:

Super Bowl? No, it’s the Spogo Bowl.

We recently announced leaderboards as a new feature in every game, which helps make playing Spogo more competitive and fun.  We did this with Super Bowl XLVIII in mind, the biggest sporting event in the country. No–the world. NO–THE GALAXY!

On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos will meet to fight for eternal glory.  And so will you.  Playing Spogo for the Super Bowl enters you into our Spogo Bowl contest, with some great prizes at stake.

Contest Rules:

Every CORRECT WAGER in Spogo for the Super Bowl gets you one RAFFLE TICKET.  On Monday, February 3rd at 12:00pm ET, Team Spogo will be drawing prize winners from our pool of entrants.  The more correct wagers you have, the better chance you have of winning the following prizes. (Quantity and approximate retail value of each prize in parentheses):

(2) NFL Jersey of your choice! (arv: $100)

(2) NFL Onesie of your choice (arv: $40)

(2) NFL T-Shirt of your choice (arv: $20)

(5) Spogo T-Shirt (arv: priceless)

Prize winners will be selected completely at random from the final pool of entrants at the end of the Super Bowl event.  Additionally, the top eight Spogoers on the final Super Bowl leaderboard will also walk away with a cool 5,000 Spogo point bonus.  Not too shabby for enjoying an evening of pigskin, wings and beer.

Thank you for playing Spogo with us this football season.  We can’t wait to see you for the Super–I mean, Spogo Bowl, on Sunday!

Spogo update! Time to get competitive…

The Spogo-verse spoke, and Team Spogo listened.

After hours, weeks, MONTHS of learning about our users, we came to one clear conclusion: Spogoers want to COMPETE! Not only against the “house”, but also against friends and other playing Spogo. That’s what this app update is all about. Competition.

Update your Spogo, and here’s what you’ll find:

Compete with friends (and enemies) on our new leaderboards.
Every game will have its own leaderboard, and you’ll be able to track where you stand amongst others playing that game.

Win bonus points and other prizes for finishing at the top.
The top three in every game will split a point purse (10,000 or more) and also be eligible for special prizes. For the AFC and NFC Championship games we are giving away…

A new “MAX” button that allows you to quickly wager the maximum.
Yes, we know, tapping that button 100 times can get a little tedious….

See what % of players predict each answer for every question!
For each question, you’ll be able to see what other Spogoers think will happen. Are you with ’em or against ’em?

Spogo & Uber

Team Spogo is proud to announce a partnership with Uber Boston!

Spogo and Uber are teaming up to get you to and from the sports bar safely.  Uber will be offering free rides for first time users up to $20 as rewards on Spogo!

If you don’t already use Uber, download it for FREE on the App Store.  Then, head into Spogo to unlock the promo code for your free $20 ride!  If you’re wondering what Uber is, or how it works…

Uber is a mobile app that connects you with a driver for immediate transportation. Request a ride with the tap of a button and have a driver curbside in minutes.  You can choose to be driven in a black car or SUV, and payment is seamless and cashless–billed to your card on file with no need to tip.  Not too shabby.

Free rides, just in time for your weekend festivities.  And, just in case you don’t play already, Spogo is available for free on the App Store as well.  Enjoy, sports fans! 

Hey Boston, you’re not dreaming. We’re World Champions.

I woke up on the couch in a contorted position, with a stiff neck and a headache. The TV was at the end of a recording, paused with David Ortiz hoisting an absurdly large champagne bottle over his head. There was a much smaller, cheaper, half empty beer bottle in front of me. I felt like I was waking up from a long, beautiful dream. It took me a second, but then I uncontrollably smiled, realizing it wasn’t a dream. It was real. The Red Sox had won the World Series. In Boston.

It’s cliché, but the 2013 Boston Red Sox are one of those stories that I’ll tell my grandchildren about. The last time the Red Sox won the World Series at home, at Fenway, was 1918. Woodrow Wilson was President. Babe Ruth was our ace. The teams arrived at Fenway on horse and carriage and the country was worried about the Spanish Flu.

Much has changed over the past 95 years — wars have been won and lost, we’ve travelled to the moon and back, invented the iPod, and something called Twerking. But one of the most amazing things about sports is that it serves as a type of compass for understanding and finding our past. No matter how different times were then, the fans in 1918 and those in the stands on Wednesday night, were watching the same simple, perfect game. Baseball. And they were rooting for the same team. The Boston Red Sox.

And what a team it was. From 69 wins in 2012 to 108 and a World Series trophy in 2013. From worst, to first. A perfectly crafted story of redemption that couldn’t have been scripted any better. Nobody expected this team to win except for themselves (and this kid). They played smart and patient baseball, taking pitches and churning out runs. They had consistent starting pitching that went deep into games, topped off with a lights out bullpen that pounded the strike zone. But this team wasn’t just consistent — it was clutch. 21 games were won in final at bats. Timely hitting from a bearded cast of characters throughout the entire playoffs. See: Ortiz and Victorino grand slams, Napoli solo shot, Gomes three run bomb, Victorino double, Ross double…it goes on and on. Stuff of legends.

So, when Koji Uehara threw his final splitter down and away to end Game 6 at Fenway Park, the city erupted. Inside the stadium the players, staff, fans and families smiled, cried and partied. Outside the stadium it was much of the same. Pure elation that lasted long into the night. This one was extra special. It brought the city together – stronger than ever – just months after the ugly events on Boylston street during the Boston Marathon.

As the team and its fans partied long into the night, something in the fabric of this city changed. After decades of losing, the Sox have won for the third time in nine years. This time at home. Solidifying a new, winning culture that now defines Boston and it’s people, and will continue to for generations to come. And we’re extremely lucky to be a part of it.

When I woke up yesterday morning, dazed and confused on the couch — I walked outside to get a coffee. I peered down Newbury street towards Fenway.  The lights were still on. As if to remind the city that no, we’re not dreaming. We’re World Champions.

Fear the Beard — Spogo’s Red Sox Beard Power Rankings

When Jonny Gomes showed up to at Fort Myers for Red Sox spring training in March he had a few scraggly whiskers growing from his face.  Seven months and 100 wins later, you might mistake the Red Sox dugout for a lumberjack convention.

Gomes now laughs at what he innocently started – but the beards have come to symbolize a changed team with a new attitude. Let’s face it, six months ago when Buchholz’s beard looked like the facial hair of a 97 year old Italian woman in the North End, not a single fan, writer, blogger or barber in Boston believed in this team. But the guys in the dugout did. And those beards have given us quite a ride.

With the Sox beating the Rays last night to move on to the ALCS, the beards are making their final push for eternal playoff glory. Here are Spogo’s power rankings for Boston’s best beards:

MVB (Most Valuable Beard) –
Jonny Gomes

While it’s far from the sexiest beard on the team, Gomes is the one that started it all. The messy, brownish orange facial hair combined with his Kevin Garnett-esque crazy eyes and tatted up arms make for one intimidating dude. I’d be scared to walk past him on the street, let alone pitch to that animal.

The Golden Beard – Mike Carp

Some say ginger, I say golden. This guy knows how to do two things: hit pinch hit grand slams and grow a beard that rivals the mane of Mufasa.

The Silver Fox – David Ross

If Just for Men had a product that made my facial hair gray, I’d buy it. David’s perfectly grayed “soup-catcher” must attract beautiful, mature, sophisticated women from miles away. Silver Fox swag indeed.

The Dirt Dog – Dustin Pedroia

The heart and soul. The engine. The spark. It all starts with Pedey. His dirt dog attitude defines the character of this team – and so does his beard. A thick, burly and well groomed mug that even Ron Swanson would be jealous of.

The Triple Crown – Mike Napoli

The triple crown is awarded to the player with the longest, most manly, well-groomed beard. Napoli’s beard rivals the likes of Karl Marx, Jesus Christ, and the cast of Duck Dynasty. It also mimics his attitude as a player – a fearless, quiet leader.

Got Beard?

Tweet or Facebook us your playoff beard and we’ll send the best beards a Spogo T!

I’ll get us going…

I have a long way to go…I hope.

Spogo is iOS 7 compatible! Time to update!

After three weeks of giving sports fans free wings, beers and nachos, Spogo has taken to the new iOS7 diet and trimmed down (just a bit, don’t worry you can still put cheese on it).  Download the update right here:

Why the wait? We wanted to hold off until two tools we use to build Spogo, Rubymotion and Pixate, got the thumbs up for the GM over at Apple. That only happened this past week.

Here are the four places where we’ve shed the most pounds:

1. Slab to bold

We’ve gone from a chunky slab serif to a bold font in our headings and navigation titles.  You likey?

2. More color, less gradient

We didn’t have to go with a third jersey or “throwback” to give us a new, fresh look. Our color palette (green, blue, white, orange, gray) is right in Apple’s design wheelhouse. We’ve been able to keep those basic colors; we just tweaked the grays a bit to match.

3. No more 5 o’clock shadow

Buttons, events, achievements, bars, text–it’s got a new flat design.  Welcome to iOS7.  You’ll be here for awhile.

4. Lean and mean

When titles are redundant, let the content do the talking.  We removed titles on certain screens where they didn’t matter.  You know what you’re doing.  We don’t think you’re dumb.

Here’s a little sneak peak, but you’ll have to download it yourself for the full show:

New Feature!

Last but not least, we’ve added an awesome new feature.  Our Activity tab used to enable you to see your own wagers, wins, losses, rewards and more.  Now, we’ve implemented a filter that lets you see Spogo players around you as well.  This makes playing with friends even more fun, and is the framework for making Spogo even more social in future releases.

Thanks for being patient while we worked on the new version of Spogo.  We hope you enjoy it and will continue using your feedback to make it better and better.

The hidden gems of Spogo

With Spogo, you have so many great options for rewards–steak & cheese spring rolls, all you can eat wings, pitchers of beer as cold as the Rockies and much more.  But this isn’t all that’s out there.  Just because we love going to bars doesn’t mean you have to.  Here are a few hidden gems on the Spogo rewards marketplace that we think you should check out:

FREE ALCOHOL DELIVERY

You’re ordering food for the big game with all your friends.  But, which unlucky friend has to be the one to hike out to the liquor store to grab the beer?  Drizly is an AWESOME iPhone app that fixes this problem.  Drizly is offering some FREE ALCOHOL DELIVERY rewards on Spogo, so check them out (if you are over 21, of course).

Alcohol delivery at your fingertips. So crazy it just might work.

Next up is…

$50 OFF PARTY BUS RENTAL

Holy party bus.  Team Spogo has seen the BuzzBus fleet in person, and they are impressive.  BuzzBus is offering Spogo rewards for $50 OFF PARTY BUS RENTAL.  Limo wrap-around seating, iPad with wifi for music control, light-up bubble dance pole, 10,000 watt sound systems, LCD TV’s, fog machines, laser lights, light-up coolers.  Yup.

These girls are on a BuzzBus right now. Why aren’t you?

5 Spogo Rewards We LOVE

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that Spogo is fun to play. If that is news to you, go ahead and download the app. Don’t worry, we’ll wait.

Are you ready now?  Here are just a few of the many awesome rewards you can win playing Spogo.

1. ALL YOU CAN EAT WINGS at Jerry Remy’s Fall River – 827 points

How do you think Anquan Boldin will follow up his 200 yard performance in week 1? Will the 49ers avenge their embarrassing loss to the Seahawks from last season? A couple quick answers and these wings could be yours.

2. FREE APPETIZER at Game On! – 1,000 points

Which Manning brother do you think will throw more touchdowns when they go head-to-head Sunday afternoon? Will Julius or Demaryius Thomas have a better game? We personally recommend these perfectly layered nachos for kickoff.

3. BUY ONE GET ONE FREE ENTREE at Jose McIntyre’s – 1,000 points

Holy guacamole, I’ve already jammed three fingers reaching into my computer screen to try to grab this amazing entree from Jose Mac’s.  Give me a few Spogo points and I’ll meet you there.

4. BUY ONE GET ONE FREE APPETIZER at CBS Scene at Patriot Place – 550 points

Heading to Foxboro for the game? Like watching football at Patriot Place? For only 550 points, you can enjoy two appetizers for the price of one!  For Pats fans, is there any better view than this?

5. FREE BEER at Duke’s (Murray Hill) – 600 points

Watching the game in New York? Feel free to wet the whistle for only 600 points. Any draft beer is on the house, courtesy of Spogo.

Enjoy your football Sunday, everyone. Tweet us your best predictions for this weekend @PlaySpogo, and remember: BEING RIGHT NEVER TASTED SO GOOD.