None.
Two or Three Player Hater Combo: NONE
Steelers were the only successful Player Haters Pick in Leg 2.
The eighth running of the Black Eyed Analysts starts with a punch!
Roxy Trot (12 points) jumps out of the gates with a rock’em sock’em Trifecta that included the only two possible Player Haters Picks!
In the middle of the field at 6 points each, Craft Brew, The Strategist, Jimmy V, Atwork, B-Reezy, Little Tuna, Sponge Mom, and Mo Money seek the inside rail for second place. Jimmy V, Sponge Mom, and Mo Money have the edge with 1 Correct Home Team Pick each. Forced turnovers per game give the edge to Sponge Mom and Mo Money!
At the back of the field, Big Tuna and KateTDid (3 points each) leave the gate, but Wise Orangutan, Woody, and Bookie hit the stalls with 0 points each!
1. I’m bound to hit my first Trifecta soon!!
2. Hoping for some extra points this week!
3. I’m hating the Packers!!
Three Player Hater Combo: NONE
Two Player Hater Combo: Saints and Chargers Only
The Analysts have submitted their papers and claimed their Home Teams. Craft Brew has elected to Release the Steelers and Claims the Cowboys before the start of the next Crown Race.
The Claim Box for Player Haters Preakness VIII is:
The Slate of Games for Player Haters Preakness VIII includes thirteen head-to-head competitions during the month (the first tiebreaker in the race). In addition, six Home Teams will enjoy a bye week during the Preakness. This limits the number of games involving un-Claimed teams each week, particularly in Legs 2, Leg 3, and Leg 5. Leg 1 and Leg 4 entail the most games featuring Player Haters’ choicest opportunities!
Home Teams owned by an Analyst are in bold. The team at the left is the visiting team; the team at the right is the host (playing at home). There are many featured games: four Thursday nights (TNF), four Sunday nights (SNF), and five Monday nights (MNF). SNF flex scheduling begins this month, so the kickoff time may change for some Sunday games.
Remember: Every Analyst has a bias for his or her Home Team and may NOT pick their Claimed team to lose. Analysts do not have to pick his or her Home Team to win, but *bonus* trifecta points are won only if Analysts include the Home Team in a *base* or *lame* Trifecta. Analysts must Pick Three games from the official Slate of Games. See the Preakness Rules for more.
Email picks in private to The Bookie before each Leg (week) of the Race. Thursday games are due by 4pm EST on Thursdays. All Sunday and Monday Picks are due on Saturdays at 5pm EST. Both deadlines may be extended at the discretion of The Bookie. No Picks for games after kickoffs are accepted.
No revisions (Re-Picks) are possible after the Picks have been released to all Analysts by The Bookie.
Atwork: Packers*/Chiefs/Buccaneers
Jimmy V: Chiefs/Titans/Buccaneers
Craft Brew: Chiefs/Packers/Titans
B-Reezy: Chiefs/Titans/Buccaneers
Roxy Trot: Chiefs/Buccaneers/Packers
Sponge Mom: Chiefs/Titans/Buccaneers
The Bookie: Raiders/Bengals/Giants
Big Tuna: Buccaneers/Raiders/Vikings
Woody: Buccaneers/Chiefs/Packers
The Strategist: Chiefs*/Packers/Titans
Wise Orangutan: Browns*/Chiefs/Buccaneers
KateTDid: Titans*/Buccaneers/Chiefs
Little Tuna: Raiders/Vikings/Bengals
* Denotes home team
1. I’m going to be a nervous wreck this week.
2. This week I don’t feel any karma coming from the list.
3. I’m betting on the Bungles to bust the most likely Trifecta!
4. I really need this Trifecta this week🏉
5. I want to do a reverse psychology pick! But it might not work in my favor.
Atwork: Packers*/Chiefs/Buccaneers (3 points)
Jimmy V: Chiefs/Titans/Buccaneers (3 points)
Craft Brew: Chiefs/Packers/Titans (0 points)
B-Reezy: Chiefs/Titans/Buccaneers (3 points)
Roxy Trot: Chiefs/Buccaneers/Packers (3 points)
Sponge Mom: Chiefs/Titans/Buccaneers (3 points)
The Bookie: Raiders**/Bengals**/Giants** (6 points)
Big Tuna: Buccaneers/Raiders**/Vikings** (12 points)
Woody: Buccaneers/Chiefs/Packers (3 points)
The Strategist: Chiefs*/Packers/Titans (0 points)
Wise Orangutan: Browns*/Chiefs/Buccaneers (3 points)
KateTDid: Titans*/Buccaneers/Chiefs (3 points)
Little Tuna: Raiders**/Vikings**/Bengals** (18 points)
* Denotes home team
** Player Hater
An astonishing, rock’em sock’em home stretch for the Run for the Black-Eyed Analysts! With limited options for Player Haters in Leg 4, Woody‘s lead seemed insurmountable. And, then, out of nowhere…
Little Tuna rocked the standings with a Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (18 points). The first two-time winner, she takes the Crown with 24 points total after four legs.
Woody, Big Tuna (on a 12-point Player Hater Trifecta), and Wise Orangutan finish at 18 points in a photo finish for Place. Wise O. ends in fourth place due to 0 Correct Home Team Picks against 1 Correct Home Team Pick for Woody and Big Tuna. On third tiebreaker, Woody Places with 2.0 forced turnovers per game, putting Big Tuna in the Winner’s Circle (Show) with 1.7 turnovers per game.
In a tie at 15 points, B-Reezy noses out Atwork for fifth place on third tiebreaker (1.3 vs. 0.3 turnovers per game). Tied at 12 points each, The Strategist beats out Jimmy V for seventh place on 3 Correct Home Team Picks. At 9 points each, Sponge Mom holds the edge on Roxy Trot for ninth place based on 1 Correct Home Team Pick.
In a three way tie for eleventh place at 6 points, Craft Brew, The Bookie, and KateTDid finish at the line in a dead heat. Craft Brew leads over KateTDid on first tiebreaker, The Bookie leads Craft Brew on second tiebreaker, and KateTDid leads The Bookie on second tiebreaker. As there is no money on the line, no coin flip will be held to determine the outcome!
Woody leads by One Correct Home Team Pick over Wise O., while both lead by only 3 points over the next closest competitors. See the complete summary of standings here.
The Slate of Games in Leg 4 presents two problems. First, there are only 5 games featuring un-Claimed teams so a Player Haters Trifecta for 12- or 18- points will be less likely. But also, with four head-to-head games and nine games total, a *lame* Trifecta for 3 points may be more difficult for the leaders.
Eighteen points is the maximum possible in a Leg of the Player Haters Preakness, and that is only possible with 3 Player Hater Picks.
For the Win or Place: No Analyst is eliminated.
Woody largely controls her own destiny. If she earns a 6 point Trifecta (any 3 Correct Picks) she reaches 21 points. Only Wise O. could tie her with a regular Trifecta, but he would need a Browns Correct Pick and for Woody to have no Correct Pick for the Seahawks to force a tiebreaker on turnovers per game. If Woody or Wise O. reaches 21 points total, Atwork, B-Reezy, and The Strategist would need a 12-point Player Hater Trifecta to overtake her. Jimmy V would need a 12-point Player Hater Trifecta and a Correct Home Team Pick to Tie her. Craft Brew, Roxy Trot, Sponge Mom, Big Tuna, Little Tuna, and KateTDid would need a 18-point Player Hater Trifecta to overtake her. The Bookie will be eliminated if any Analyst reaches 19 points or more.
If Woody gets a *lame* 3-point Trifecta, then the home stretch opens up. Wise O. can Win with a 6-point Trifecta. If Wise O. also gets a 3-point Trifecta (for 18 total by both), then Atwork, B-Reezy, and The Strategist would need only a 6-point Trifecta to force a tiebreaker (The Strategist has an edge in this case with 2 Correct Home Team Picks currently). Jimmy V would need a 12-point Player Hater Trifecta to overtake the lead. Craft Brew, Roxy Trot, Sponge Mom, Big Tuna, and Little Tuna would need only a 12-point Player Hater Trifecta for 18 total points and force a photo finish on tiebreakers. KateTDid and The Bookie would need a 18-point Player Hater Trifecta to force a decision on Tiebreakers.
If Woody and Wise O. bust Trifectas (0 points), then the Preakness can be won with 15 points on tiebreakers. Woody current has 1 Correct Home Team Pick and Wise O. has none. If an Analysts has less than 9 points after Leg 3, a 12-point Player Hater Trifecta is needed to Win. The Bookie (currently 0 points) still needs a 18-point Player Hater Trifecta to become competitive.
The Analysts get back on track in the third Leg of The Run of the Black-Eyed Analysts, and two Analysts earn the Player Hater x2 bonus!
Among a handful of Analysts who notched a Trifecta in Leg 3, Woody (15 points) heads into the home stretch in first place. She leads by a head (1 Correct Home Team Pick) over Wise O. (also 15 points) who climbs up the field with a Player Hater Trifecta.
B-Reezy (12 points) and The Strategist (12 points) score the *base* Trifecta to move into a tie with Atwork (12 points). By virtue of 2 Correct Home Team Picks [CHTP], The Strategist is alone in third place, followed by B-Reezy in fourth place (1 CHTP and 1.7 turnovers per game [tpg]) and Atwork in fifth place (1 CHTP and 0.5 tpg). Jimmy V moves into sixth place alone at 9 points following his first Trifecta of the Preakness.
In a crowded midfield for seventh place at 6 points each, Craft Brew, Roxy Trot, Sponge Mom, Big Tuna, and Little Tuna (on a 6-point Player Hater Trifecta) remain within striking distance of the Win if bold enough to go for the Player Hater Trifecta in Leg 4.
KateTDid almost rallied for a Correct Home Team Pick, but Gus-tkowsky-the-Mule shanked his game-tying field goal. She falls into twelfth place at 3 points, comfortably ahead of The Bookie, who has not yet left the starting gate (0 points)!
Atwork: Packers*/Bills/Seahawks
Jimmy V: Bills/Saints/Chiefs
Craft Brew: Bills/Seahawks/Chiefs
B-Reezy: Packers/Chiefs/Browns
Roxy Trot: Bills/Seahawks/Chiefs
Sponge Mom: Saints*/Seahawks/Buccaneers
The Bookie: Bills*/Bengals/Panthers
Big Tuna: Bills/Buccaneers/Chiefs
Woody: Bills/Buccaneers/Chiefs
The Strategist: Chiefs*/Saints/Packers
Wise Orangutan: Chiefs/Cardinals/Rams
KateTDid: Titans*/Buccaneers/Bears
Little Tuna: Rams/Cardinals/Texans
* Denotes home team
1. Think I jinxed the Packers last week. Now the Bears are leading the division! Muahahaha.
2. Packers and Bears on the road two weeks in a row…one will lose!
3. Hopefully the Packers don’t blow it again this week.
4. How about a trifecta, football gods?
Atwork: Packers*/Bills/Seahawks (3 points)
Jimmy V: Bills/Saints/Chiefs (6 points)
Craft Brew: Bills/Seahawks/Chiefs (3 points)
B-Reezy: Packers/Chiefs/Browns (6 points)
Roxy Trot: Bills/Seahawks/Chiefs (3 points)
Sponge Mom: Saints*/Seahawks/Buccaneers (3 points)
The Bookie: Bills*/Bengals/Panthers (0 points)
Big Tuna: Bills/Buccaneers/Chiefs (6 points)
Woody: Bills/Buccaneers/Chiefs (6 points)
The Strategist: Chiefs*/Saints/Packers (6 points)
Wise Orangutan: Chiefs/Cardinals**/Rams** (12 points)
KateTDid: Titans*/Buccaneers/Bears (0 points)
Little Tuna: Rams**/Cardinals**/Texans (6 points)
* Denotes home team
** Denotes Player Hater Pick bonus
The Run of the Black-Eyed Analysts has been marred by an abundance of comity! In Leg 2, no Player Hater bonus was possible, and yet only one Analyst could eke out a Trifecta…Meh!
With the only Trifecta of Leg 2, Woody (9 points) surges into first place. She edges out Atwork (9 points) in second place by a head (1 Correct Home Team Pick).
In third place, B-Reezy (6 points, 1 Correct Home Team Pick) noses out The Strategist (6 points, 1 Correct Home Team Pick) by virtue of da Bears’ 2.0 forced turnovers per game (tpg) vs. the Chiefs’ 1.0 tpg.
In a crowded midfield for fifth place at 3 points each, Jimmy V, Craft Brew, Roxy Trot, Sponge Mom, Wise Orangutan and KateTDid jockey for the open rail. KateTDid has the advantage with 2 Correct Home Team Picks.
Heading into the near turn, a few Analysts can’t seem to gin up the animosity necessary to Win. At 0 points each, The Bookie, Big Tuna and Little Tuna misplace their hate in first two Legs of the Player Haters Preakness.
