In the Analyst of the Year competition, the Analysts have cleared the gates and are now approaching the clubhouse (first) turn. The track conditions have been challenging, as only two Trifectas have been recorded in the first three weeks.
The Strategist (1 Trifecta, 6 Correct Picks) extends her lead by a half-length over Little Tuna (1 Trifecta, 4 Correct Picks) in second place.
While the remaining Analysts have 0 Trifectas in the opening stretch, one Analyst has quietly built a lead over the middle of the field.
Roxy Trot notches her 5th Correct Pick to distinguish herself from the rest of the field and sole possession of third place.
On the heavy track, Jimmy V falls back into fourth place, in a dead heat with Big Tuna, Craft Brew, Atwork, and Sponge Mom who draw even with Jimmy V — with 4 Correct Picks.
B-Reezy (3 Correct Picks) trails in 9th place by a head, followed by The Bookie (2 Correct Picks) in tenth, and Wise O. (1 Correct Pick) grazing in last place!
Around the far turn, Little Tuna rope-a-dopes the competition! No Analyst gains Trifecta points in in Leg 3 as her highly-favored Home Team loses in spectacular fashion. The current leader eliminates her closest competition and holds a four point lead over all other Analysts.
The Strategist (1 point) notched a Correct Home Team Pick, but her stallion goes into a bye week in Leg 4. She cannot overtake Little Tuna and can only earn 1 more point to defend her second position.
Third place remains a highly contested hot mess among Analysts seeking their first Trifecta of the year.
Big Tuna and Sponge Mom have two Correct Home Team Picks (second tiebreaker). Sponge Mom (+2.7 point differential per game — pdpg) edges out Big Tuna (+0.3 pdpg) on third tiebreaker. Atwork however has a head-to-head win over Sponge Mom (first tiebreaker), while also trailing Big Tuna with only 1 Correct Home Team Pick. These three are in a dead heat for third at the moment and need to find a way to separate themselves to earn more than a spot in the Winner’s Circle.
Contesting for sixth place, then, we have the other Analysts with 1 Correct Home Team Pick.
Roxy Trot has a head-to-head tiebreaker over The Bookie and B-Reezy has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Jimmy V.
B-Reezy with a +4.3 pdpg edges the competition by a nose for sixth place, trailed closely by Roxy Trot (+1.3 pdpg) in seventh.
Craft Brew (-0.7 pdpg), The Bookie (-1.7 pdpg) and Jimmy V (-6.7 pdpg) follow closely in eighth, ninth and tenth position due only to the third tiebreaker.
The final position is absolutely clear: Wise Orangutan is dead last with O Trifecta points, 0 Correct Home Team Picks, and -9.7 point differential per game!
Atwork: Packers*/Patriots/Bears
B-Reezy: Jaguars*/Vikings/Eagles
Big Tuna: Saints*/Vikings/Eagles
Little Tuna: Vikings*/Patriots/Buccaneers
Craft Brew: Steelers*/Vikings/Jaguars
Roxy Trot: Eagles*/Vikings/Bears
Jimmy V: Patriots*/Vikings/Jaguars
Sponge Mom: Bears*/Patriots/Packers
Wise Orangutan: Raiders*/Vikings/Jaguars
The Strategist: Panthers*/Vikings/Jaguars
The Bookie: Falcons*/Vikings/Packers
Spit Box:
(1) WtF! The Vikings are favored to win by 16 points this week! (Guess who. He still hasn’t learned anonymous.**)
(2) Slowly getting over his consecutive losses. Need to rebuild and rebound fast. Coming around the 3rd corner. My picks are…And why not…Wait for it……..Steelers! Good Luck!
(3) I’ve got a Norse warrior riding a two cat chariot to victory (can’t you just see him? One foot on each cat as they race toward the Lamentations of the 🏇
(4) Hopefully I can get more points this week! Good Luck!
(5) Vikings (viqueens) Good Luck!
(6) What? You want to bag on my teams? Raiders going to win this week and I am getting all 4 points! (He learned**)
Gruden’s Corner. Straight from the Horses Mouth:
“You never stay the same. You either get better or you get worse.”
“Anything goes on any given Sunday, especially Monday Night.”
John Gruden is so stupid! He thinks a quarterback is a refund.
* denotes home team.
**Bookie notes
The Results Are In:
Atwork: Packers*/Patriots/Bears
B-Reezy: Jaguars*/Vikings/Eagles
Big Tuna: Saints*/Vikings/Eagles
Little Tuna: Vikings*/Patriots/Buccaneers
Craft Brew: Steelers*/Vikings/Jaguars
Roxy Trot: Eagles*/Vikings/Bears
Jimmy V: Patriots*/Vikings/Jaguars
Sponge Mom: Bears*/Patriots/Packers
Wise Orangutan: Raiders*/Vikings/Jaguars
The Strategist: Panthers*/Vikings/Jaguars
The Bookie: Falcons*/Vikings/Packers
Little Tuna has a three point lead on the nearest Analyst and a four point lead on nine of ten Analysts.
Box Out
A Box Out occurs when one Analyst selects the same teams to win as an Analyst with fewer points–both Analysts hit a Trifecta together or not at all and, thus, the Analyst in the lead boxes out the challenger. Box Outs may occur in full (three Picks) or in part (one or two Picks). For instance, if two Analysts have two Picks in common, and both Teams from the different Picks win, then the front-running Analyst Boxes Out the trailing Analyst because both win or lose together. In other words, Analysts playing for one of the four Crowns need to consider which teams the Analyst in the lead may Pick to win.
Scenarios
Little Tuna will eliminate all Analysts if she wins 3 or more points in Leg 3. She will have 7 points total and the trailing Analysts* (see below) will at most have 6 points after Leg 4. Four points is the maximum that may be won in a single Leg, so she effectively wins the PC-Fecta Derby if she goes into Leg 4 with a 5+ point lead.
If Little Tuna earns 2 points, only one Analyst* (see below) may be in contention in Leg 4.
If Little Tuna earns 1 point, only The Strategist* (see below) and other Analysts who get a Trifecta in Leg 3 will remain in the competition.
If Little Tuna earns 0 points, then The Strategist* (see below) and Analysts who are within 1 Correct Home Team Pick will remain in contention.
* The Strategist’s Home Team is on a bye week in Leg 4 of the PC-Fecta Derby. She remains in contention for first place only if she draws within 1 Trifecta point and ties Little Tuna for Correct Home Team Picks in Leg 3. The Strategist, currently in second place with 1 Trifecta Point, may also eliminate other Analysts for the Place (2nd) if she gains a five point lead on any of the nine Analysts who currently have 0 Trifecta Points.
Tricky Picks
Thus, if an Analyst hopes to win or place in the PC-Fecta Derby, s/he must have a Trifecta (Correct Pick Three), but also consider how the leading Analysts may Pick.
As the alternative, every week, an Analyst may Pick Three for the Analyst of the Year (in other words, no concern for Picking their Home Team unless it is one of the top three options). When an Analyst is eliminated or gives up on a Crown race, the alternative is to Pick Three teams with no other regard than winning the Analyst of the Year competition. NOTE: The last two AoY Champions pursued this strategy for an entire season and won that title.
The Strategist continues to show an uncanny knack for knowing when not to ride (in other words, pick) her Home Team. The Strategist lets the field know she will not gently relinquish her trophy as she nets the only Trifecta and takes over first place (1 Trifecta and 5 Correct Picks) in week 2 of the Marathon of the Ass!
Little Tuna, with only one Correct Pick in week 2, falls into second place by a head (1 Trifecta and 4 Correct Picks).
Jimmy V holds third place by a head with 4 Correct Picks.
Craft Brew, Atwork, Sponge Mom, and Roxy Trot vie for fourth place, each with 3 Correct Picks.
Big Tuna, B-Reezy, and The Bookie trail the middle of the field in a tie for eighth position (2 Correct Picks).
Wise Orangutan is sniffing glue for the future of his Home Team as he falls into last place with 1 Correct Pick!
Down the backstretch, only one Analyst outpaced the frontrunner, but closed the distance by just one length. The rest of the Analysts continue to jockey for positions on tiebreakers.
Little Tuna (4 points) holds a formidable lead heading into the far turn. If she extends her lead by one length over any Analysts in the back of the field, she will eliminate Analysts from the PC-Fecta Derby in the third Leg. (Note: the maximum in a single week 4 Trifecta points so Analysts have to been within 4 of the leader on Leg 4 to catch her).
Second place prize money, however, remains a highly contested race.
The Strategist holds a one-length lead (1 point) over the rest of the field for second place. The Bookie has a head-to-head tiebreaker over The Strategist if they end in a tie for second place.
The third place picture is quite muddled in the backstretch. Roxy Trot and Atwork each hold crucial Head-to-Head tiebreakers over another Analyst in the field, but the remaining 9 Analysts are tied with 0 points. The accountants will use the second and third tiebreakers first to sort this mess out.
B-Reezy moves into third place with 1 Home Team Pick and +8 point game differential per game.
Sponge Mom bears down on fourth place with 1 Home Team pick and +3 points per game, BUT by virtue of the head-to-head game Atwork noses out Sponge Mom for fourth place and she falls back to fifth place. The Bookie trails closely, technically in a tie with Atwork for fifth place (both 1 Home Team pick and +0.5 point differential per game). In other words, the Analysts in the fourth through sixth positions has become unclear at this time.
Jimmy V falters in Jacksonville and slips down into seventh place (1 Correct Home Team and -2.0 point differential) as he heads into the far turn. Big Tuna follows by a head (1 Correct Home Team and -2.5 point differential) in eighth.
With no Correct Home Team Picks, Roxy Trot (0 point differential) and Craft Brew (-2.5) hold ninth and tenth respectively. Roxy Trot holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over The Bookie so technically she is in strong position for fifth place at the same time!
Bringing up the rear, disrespectfully, Wise Orangutan trails all Analysts with no Correct Home Team Picks and a -10.5 point differential per game.
Atwork: Packers*/Eagles/Falcons
B-Reezy: Vikings/Raiders/Panthers
Big Tuna:Saints*/Vikings/Patriots
Little Tuna: Vikings*/Steelers/Broncos
Craft Brew: Steelers*/Eagles/Saints
Roxy Trot: Eagles*/Patriots/Saints
Jimmy V: Patriots*/Saints/Broncos
Sponge Mom: Bears*/Vikings/Jaguars
Wise Orangutan: Raiders*/Saints/Steelers
The Strategist: Saints/Broncos/Bears
The Bookie: Falcons*/Broncos/Patriots
Spit Box:
(1) Big Ben was the best player on the Browns last Sunday!!
(2) When Little Tuna doesn’t pick the Patriots they lose. She’s got insider information.
(3) Going for it even though there’s a east pick still on the table
(4) Giddy’up! I’ve got a holy man riding a horse being chased by a bear!!!
(5) All away games
(6) Hopefully I can get a trifecta and a bonus!!!
(7) I will tell my picks–I picked the Cheat-riots three times. The Jaguars are sure to win now! (Previously emailed to all. He hasn’t learned the anonymous thing**)
* denotes home team
** Bookie notes
The Results Are In:
Atwork: Packers*/Eagles/Falcons
B-Reezy: Vikings/Raiders/Panthers
Big Tuna:Saints*/Vikings/Patriots
Little Tuna: Vikings*/Steelers/Broncos
Craft Brew: Steelers*/Eagles/Saints
Roxy Trot: Eagles*/Patriots/Saints
Jimmy V: Patriots*/Saints/Broncos
Sponge Mom: Bears*/Vikings/Jaguars
Wise Orangutan: Raiders*/Saints/Steelers
The Strategist: Saints/Broncos/Bears (1 point)
The Bookie: Falcons*/Broncos/Patriots
Breaking promptly at the bell, Little Tuna gets a jump on the rest of the field with the first trifecta of the year!
With two Correct Picks each, The Strategist, Craft Brew, B-Reezy, Atwork, Jimmy V, and Roxy Trot clear the gates in a heated contest for second.
Sponge Mom and Big Tuna dwelt on events in Cleveland and New Orleans, before clearing the starting gates with 1 Correct Pick.
As in prior seasons, The Bookie and Wise Orangutan simply Refuse. Refuse. Refuse. (REFUSE- When a horse will not break from the gate.) No Correct Picks for the geniuses who once thought picking three winners each week would be too easy of a game!
Little Tuna (4 points) sprints out of the gates and takes a commanding lead around the clubhouse turn! With the only Trifecta in Leg 1, she automatically receives all three bonus points for best offensive and defensive performance.
Most Analysts were weakened by the results in Cleveland and New Orleans. Nonetheless, Tiebreakers separate the leaders from the nags (who wrote the Rules of the WFTL!).
With a Correct Home Team Pick and an 8-point Home Team victory, The Strategist clings to second position with Jimmy V close on her heels in 3rd place (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 7-point Home Team victory). Rounding out the middle of the pack with 1 Correct Home Team Pick, B-Reezy (5 point Home Team Victory) and Atwork (1 point Home Team victory) give chase in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Most Analysts at the back of the pack were pinched out of the gates by tough Home Team losses. The exception, Roxy Trot, holds sixth place uncontested by virtue of her Home Team victory (8 points) over The Bookie. Craft Brew, whose Home Team faced off track conditions in a rainstorm, is in eighth place. The Bookie in ninth place (-6 point loss) squeezes by Big Tuna in tenth (-8 point loss).
Wise Orangutan’s misguided Claim of ridglings (a horse Home Team with one or both undescended testes) continues into the fifth year and drops him into last place of the Derby.
Atwork: Packers*/Steelers/Patriots
B-Reezy: Jaguars*/Vikings/Steelers
Big Tuna: Saints*/Vikings/Steelers
Little Tuna: Vikings*/Packers/Patriots
Craft Brew: Steelers*/Packers/Ravens
Roxy Trot: Packers/Saints/Ravens
Jimmy V: Patriots*/Steelers/Rams
Sponge Mom: Steelers/Patriots/Saints
Wise Orangutan: Raiders*/Saints/Steelers
The Strategist: Panthers*/Saints/Vikings
The Bookie: Falcons*/Saints/Bears
* denotes home team
Spit Box:
(1)The Dirty Birds got robbed! Call the Police!
(2)This Damn League doesn’t allow Alabama Crimson Tide as a home team.
The Results Are In:
Atwork: Packers*/Steelers/Patriots
B-Reezy: Jaguars*/Vikings/Steelers
Big Tuna: Saints*/Vikings/Steelers
Little Tuna: Vikings*/Packers/Patriots (4 points)
Craft Brew: Steelers*/Packers/Ravens
Roxy Trot: Packers/Saints/Ravens
Jimmy V: Patriots*/Steelers/Rams
Sponge Mom: Steelers/Patriots/Saints
Wise Orangutan: Raiders*/Saints/Steelers
The Strategist: Panthers*/Saints/Vikings
The Bookie: Falcons*/Saints/Bears
Note: The Clearinghouse made an oversight on the Picks. We reviewed the submissions to The Bookie before they were sent out. The Ravens were not on our list of games and we should have had new Picks submitted. The Analysts will be credited with a Correct Pick for the Ravens due to the bookkeeper’s error. In future weeks, the accountants will be more diligent in the application of the Pick rules before The Bookie emails the Analysts!
