A reminder that we adopted a Rule for Home Team trades in Season VI: here.
Season VIII begins with continuing uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, the Analysts have chosen not to adopt special rules for canceled games or convalescing Home Teams. There are however established procedures for Picks. We will remind the Analysts of the Picks procedures in a later post.
Season VIII | Starting Home Team Claims
A second reminder that the order of the Standing during Season VIII reflects the final rankings for Analyst of the Year VII for the thirteen returning Analysts. Mo Money is racing in her inaugural season!
The General Rules for the World Football Trifecta League have been updated such that Analysts must relinquish Claims to Home Teams to start the season and the Analysts Claim new Home Teams in reverse of the Standings for the prior season’s Analyst of the Year.
No Analysts went to pasture and one new Analyst joined the WFTL for 2021-22. The Claims Order for the 14 Analysts was then:
New Analyst (Mo’ Money)
KateTDid
Sponge Mom
The Bookie
Roxy Trot
Little Tuna
B-Reezy
Big Tuna
Woody
Atwork
Jimmy V
The Strategist
Craft Brew
Wise Orangutan
Key Dates for Season VIII:
August 21 – Twelve of fourteen Analysts met at the First Annual WFTL Claims Party to select Home Teams! (Claim Results forthcoming.) September 9 – First game of Season VIII. September 23 – Purse due to the league bookie.
Improved Season VIII Rules
1) To start the new Season, Analysts must relinquish Claims to Home Teams from the prior season. New Claims will be made in reverse order of the Standings for the prior season’s Analyst of the Year.
2) With the expanded regular season to 17 games, Analysts voted to add a fifth leg to the Player Haters Preakness.
3) For the Super Trifecta Bowl, in the final leg, Analysts will earn +3/+3 bonuses for the best offense/defense score predictions with a Correct Pick in the TGWSNBN.
4) The Analysts determined that NO new rules for the COVID-19 crisis will be adopted. If games are canceled after Picks are in or if a Home Team is sent to pasture due to an outbreak, the Analysts will have no recourse other than what is provided in the Standard Rules.
Riders Up!
The PC-Fecta Derby kicks off the new season. There is no revision to the rules from Season VIII. Review the rules and points system for the PC-Fecta Derby here.
Which Analyst will add his or her Thoroughbred’s name to the most illustrious trophy in sports analysis at the end of the year?
In a new Rule, we required all Analysts to release Claims from the prior season and select new Claims in order of their Analyst of the Year finish from the prior season. The Claims Order (with Wins noted) was:
Little Tuna (Player Haters Preakness)
KateTDid
Wise Orangutan (Analyst of the Year)
The Strategist
Woody (The Seeders’ Cup)
Big Tuna (Super Trifecta Bowl)
The Bookie
Sponge Mom
Roxy Trot
B-Reezy
Craft Brew (Fibonacci Stakes)
Jimmy V
Atwork (PC-Fecta Derby)
The Analysts in italics Placed in at least one Crown Race or Trophy Race this year (three Analysts both Placed and Won). Overall, 8 of 13 Analysts collected Purse this year, including the first 6 in Claims Order. The new Rules for Claims Order seemed to have the desired outcome. Analysts with the fewest Trifectas last year had better showings (Purse-wise) this year.
We propose to incorporate this Rule or a variant of this Rule to start every season, in perpetuity.
Analyst with No Claim
The Analyst(s) with No Claim was introduced in Season V. In Season VI, the Super Trifecta Ex-Claimation! points were added to give the Analyst with No Claim an additional method to earn Super Trifecta Points (equivalent to Playoff Victory points). In Season VII, the Rules were revised to allow Claims for 12 of 14 postseason teams. In the past two seasons, two Analysts with No Claim have taken home Purse since the introduction of new Rules.
We have no plans to change this Rule.
Preliminary 2021-22 Rules Review
The one additional Analyst-initiated change to the Rules occurred in the Super Trifecta Bowl. We could add +3/+3 bonuses for the best offense/defense score predictions for Correct Picks in the TGWSNBN. If we had adopted this Rule in Season VII, it would have given the finalists an additional method to score points whether or not they had a Claim to a Home Team in TGWSNBN.
We will open Season VIII with a discussion of the merits of adding an additional *bonus* point system that will make the outcome of the Super Trifecta Bowl more volatile during the final game of the postseason.
A spectacular race! The highest scoring, most competitive chase for the most illustrious trophy in sports analysis! No less than three Analysts picked 8 of 9 games correctly, while two Analysts accurately rode the eventual Champion (Bucs) in every Leg of Super Trifecta Bowl VII. At the wire, it came down to a photo-finish between two Analysts. The Winner is…
Big Tuna (29 points)! Despite having lost his Home Team in the Wildcard Round, Big Tuna notched 15 of a possible 18 *base* Trifecta points (8 of 9 Picks Correct) to overtake the early leader in the home stretch. He also added 14 Super Trifecta points, including the only upset Pick for the Rams in the Wildcard Round. He wins by first tiebreaker (the closest STB ever!) over…
KateTDid (29 points) in Place! KateTDid jumped out to a big lead early on upset Picks in the Wildcard Round, then rode the Bucs in every other Leg for 20 Super Trifecta points. She came up only 1 Correct Pick (any Correct Pick) short of the Win. Nonetheless, KateTDid takes home Purse, the second ever Analyst with No Claim to do so!
Another Analyst who lost his Home Team in the Wildcard Round, Jimmy V (27 points) rounds out The Winner’s Circle in Show. He also finished with 8 of 9 Correct Picks and only 1 Correct Pick (or an upset Pick) short of the Win!
Just outside The Winner’s Circle, in fourth place, The Bookie (26 points) noses out Little Tuna (26 points) in fifth position based on first tiebreaker. Little Tuna swiped the Championship Round Reverse PC-Fecta points to outrun Roxy Trot (24 points, 6th place) down the home stretch. All three of these Analysts could have won if they had Picked the Rams in the Wildcard Round to keep pace with Big Tuna!
Wise O. (19 points) faded after the near turn after his Home Team brown’ed out in KC to finish in seventh position. Tied at 15 points each, Sponge Mom in eighth place edges Atwork in ninth position on first tiebreaker (the equivalent of 1 Correct Pick). Craft Brew (14 points) in tenth place overtakes The Strategist (13 points) in eleventh after she gives up 2 Reverse PC-Fecta points to Little Tuna in TGWSNBN.
B-Reezy (5 points) bears down…and down…and down some more…into twelfth place, leaving Woody (3 points) in thirteen place to ponder an eternal mystery…just what is a Seahawk?
Trifecta Points
Standings after Final Results of Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Final Results of Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Artwork: Chiefs 24-17
Jimmy V: Buccaneers 30-24
Craft Brew: Buccaneers 34-30
B-Reezy: Chiefs
Roxy Trot: Buccaneers
Sponge Mom: Chiefs 31-24
The Bookie: Buccaneers 49-31
Big Tuna: Buccaneers 35-28
Woody: Chiefs 35-28
The Strategist: Chiefs* 31-28
Wise Orangutan: Chiefs 41-24
KateTDid: Buccaneers 28-24
Little Tuna: Buccaneers* 38-24
* Denotes home team
Spit Box:
1. Thank You so much for a fun and great year. I'm looking forward to next year.
2. I worry picking them because it could be a curse. I guess I am going with age and experience over youth and speed. Haha
3. Enjoy the game! It's been a fun year.
4. Torn on this one this week!!!
5. I'm going to miss this every week.
6. Eff you see Kay, I respect Tom Brady now...
Pick Results Are In:
Pick Results after Championship Round of Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Slate of Games, Home Teams, and Picks:
Complete Slate of Games and Final Results of Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Coming out of the far turn, the Home Teams of two front runners spit the bit, creating an open lane for three Analysts who no longer have steeds!
Despite having lost his Home Team in the Wildcard Round, Big Tuna (22 points) has quietly crept up on the early leader, KateTDid (22 points). Big Tuna has the edge on first tiebreaker (12 *base* Trifecta points) to take the lead from KateTDid (6 *base Trifecta points). Only two lengths back in third position, and also having lost his Home Team in the Wildcard Round, Jimmy V (20 points) trails within striking distance of the Win.
In fourth place, The Bookie (19 points) noses out Wise Orangutan (19 points) in fifth position based on second tiebreaker (3 Playoff Victory points vs. 1 Playoff Victory point). With her first busted Trifecta of the post-season, Roxy Trot (17 points) falls into sixth place, edging out Little Tuna++ (17 points) in seventh based on first tiebreaker (12 *base* Trifecta points vs. 3 *base* Trifecta points.
Tied at 15 points each, Sponge Mom is in eighth place based on first tiebreaker (9 *base* Trifecta points), ahead of The Strategist++ (6 *base* Trifecta points and 5 Playoff Victory points) in ninth and Atwork (6 base Trifecta points and 2 Playoff Victory points) in tenth place.
Rounding out the field, we have Craft Brew (10 points) in eleventh and B-Reezy (5 points) in twelfth place, while Woody (3 points) convalesces after winning her first career Crown race last month!
++ Note: Little Tuna and The Strategist are contending for the final +3 Reverse PC-Fecta points. The Strategist currently controls all 3 points and her total includes those points based on results in the Conference Championships. Little Tuna, however, can steal 1 or more if her Home Team wins The Game Which Shall Not Be Named by score better than 38-24.
Trifecta Points
Standings after Conference Championship Round in Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Conference Championship Round in Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Atwork: Packers*/Chiefs
Jimmy V: Chiefs/Buccaneers
Craft Brew: Bills/Packers
B-Reezy:Bills/Packers
Roxy Trot: Chiefs/Packers
Sponge Mom: Bills/Packers
The Bookie: Bills*/Buccaneers
Big Tuna: Chiefs/Buccaneers
Woody: Chiefs/Packers
The Strategist: Chiefs*/Packers
Wise Orangutan: Bills/Buccaneers
KateTDid: Bills/Buccaneers
Little Tuna: Buccaneers*/Chiefs
* Denotes home team
Spit Box:
1. It was a really hard decision I was torn.
2. 2 Bs
3. Very true statement about only picking 1 game was difficult.
4. Going for the two teams I want to see lose so that it is a Win/Win for me!
The Pick Results Are In:
Conference Championship Round Pick Results for Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Slate of Games, Home Teams, and Picks:
Conference Round Slate of Games and Results for Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Into the far turn, we have the most competitive race for the WFTL Championship in its seven-year history! No less than nine Analysts have double-digit points after two Legs, more than twice as many as last year!
KateTDid (18 Trifecta Points) clings to her lead, but her un-Claimed steed stumbled. Only one length behind, Roxy Trot (17 Trifecta Points) had a second straight week of Trifectas to climb into sole possession of second place.
In a tight contest for third position, FIVE Analysts have scored 15 Trifecta Points during the first two legs. Separated by tiebreakers, Sponge Mom (9 Base Trifecta Points and 1 Playoff Victory Point) controls third place, a nose ahead of Big Tuna (9 Base Trifecta Points and 0 Playoff Victory Points) in fourth place. The Bookie (6 Base Trifecta Points and 3 Playoff Victory Points) in fifth place leads Atwork (6 Base Trifecta Points and 2 Playoff Victory Points) in sixth and Wise Orangutan (6 Base Trifecta Points and 1 Playoff Victory Point) in seventh place.
Within striking distance of the leaders, Jimmy V (13 Trifecta Points) currently holds eighth position, three lengths ahead of Craft Brew (10 Trifecta Points) in ninth place.
The Strategist (9 Trifecta Points) is in the tenth position and riding a woozy steed into the Conference Championship Round. Little Tuna (7 Trifecta Points) is in eleventh position, with all of her points so far coming from her Conference Championship Home Team. B-Reezy (5 Trifecta Points) falls into twelfth place, two lengths ahead of Woody (3 points).
Trifecta Points
Standings after Division Round in Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Division Round in Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Atwork: Packers*/Buccaneers/Ravens Jimmy V: Buccaneers/Packers/Chiefs Craft Brew: Ravens/Packers/Chiefs B-Reezy: Rams/Ravens/Chiefs Roxy Trot: Bills/Buccaneers/Chiefs Sponge Mom: Saints*/Packers/Chiefs The Bookie: Bills*/Browns/Buccaneers Big Tuna: Bills/Packers/Chiefs Woody: Chiefs/Packers/Saints The Strategist: Chiefs*/Ravens/Packers Wise Orangutan: Browns*/Ravens/Buccaneers KateTDid: Ravens/Buccaneers/Browns Little Tuna: Buccaneers*/Ravens/Browns
* Denotes home team
Spit Box:
1. If the Browns beat the Chiefs, you can send me the trophy on Monday! 2. Hoping for some good luck 🍀 3. Lol it pains me to pick the Packers. 4. Pony express picks 5. Good luck 6. Have a great weekend😊 7. Sending these in before I change my mind again
The Pick Results Are In:
Division Round Pick Results for Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Slate of Games, Home Teams, and Picks:
Division Round Slate of Games and Results for Super Trifecta Bowl VII
And they are off in the seventh running for the most illustrious trophy in world professional sports analysis!
Out of the gates, KateTDid (15 points) drives an un-Claimed steed to lead the field. She has a three length lead on her competition. Sponge Mom (12 points) in second place leads Wise Orangutan (12 points) in third place based on the third tiebreaker (Reverse PC-Fecta).
Despite losing his steed, Big Tuna (9 points) rides into fourth place, one length ahead of Roxy Trot (8 points) in fifth and two lengths ahead of Craft Brew (7 points) in sixth place. Rounding out the middle of the field, Atwork (6 points) in seventh place gives chase.
At 5 points each, The Bookie is in eighth place ahead of B-Reezy in ninth, leading by a Playoff Victory point (second tiebreaker). Jimmy V and The Strategist share tenth place with 4 points each (dead heat).
At the back, Little Tuna (2 points) raids the wrong ship after downing too many shots of Rum for twelfth position, while Seeders’ Cup Champion Woody (0 points) perches on the opening gate pondering what a Seahawk actually is!
Trifecta Points
Standings after Wildcard Round in Super Trifecta Bowl VII
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Wildcard Round in Super Trifecta Bowl VII
 | Home Team Claims){kind=link}
