The Bookie: Panthers/Jets/Patriots
The Big Tuna: Broncos/Jets/Green Bay
The Little Tuna: Patriots/Jets/Panthers
Wise Orangutan: Jets/Broncos/Chargers
The Strategist: Rams/Broncos/Panthers
Kal Krome: Packers/Broncos/Bears
Minds Blank: Packers/Jets/Bears
B-Reezy: Bears/Broncos/Patriots
The Results:
The Bookie: Panthers/Jets/Patriots (1 point)
The Big Tuna: Broncos/Jets/Green Bay
The Little Tuna: Patriots/Jets/Panthers (1 point)
Wise Orangutan: Jets/Broncos/Chargers
The Strategist: Rams/Broncos/Panthers
Kal Krome: Packers/Broncos/Bears
Minds Blank: Packers/Jets/Bears
B-Reezy: Bears/Broncos/Patriots
The Bookie and Wise Orangutan have decided to release their original Home Teams before the 2015-16 Fibonacci Stakes. With the new additions, Jets and Panthers, the entrants are:
The Analysts and their Home Teams for the 2015-16 Fibonacci Stakes
Slate of Games
The Slate of Games for the 2015-16 Fibonacci Stakes
The slate of games for the Fibonacci Stakes II includes five head-to-head contests this month (again, the first tiebreaker). The feature contest is the clash of Big and Little Tuna’s currently undefeated Home Teams in Leg 4 of the race. In Leg 1, The Bookie’s new steed, Panthers, host Minds Blank’s Packers for the position in the NFC playoff race. Lastly, beginning in Leg 2, B-Reezy’s Bears challenge The Strategist’s Rams, Big Tuna’s Broncos, and Minds Blank’s Packers in successive weeks.
B-Reezy has long odds to win the Stakes but the string of games in the mid-week of the season could break other Analysts’ hopes.
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 several featured games (now subject to broadcast flexing): four Thursday night games including two on Thanksgiving, one Sunday night game, and two Monday night games. The Seahawks are on a bye in Leg 1, the final Bye of the season for the Analysts’ Home Teams.
The Bills in Leg 3 are the only un-owned opponent that appears two weeks in a row. The Bills may be taken for the Fibonacci bonus if picked in both Leg 2 and Leg 3.
Analysts have at least 6 games to select from each week and 8 games in the final week of the Fibonacci Stakes, likely insuring that the race will be wide open through the final stretch!
Picks
Remember: Every Analyst has a bias for his or her Home Team and may not pick the sponsored team to lose. Analysts do not have to pick his or her Home Team to win, but the second tiebreaker remains the number of correct Home Team selections. See the Fibonacci Stakes rules for more.
Email three picks to The Bookie before each leg (week) of the Race. The first picks are due on Saturday, November 7.
Week 1 of the Fibonacci Stakes may look unimportant, but which teams Analysts pick in week 1 determines directly how many points Analysts may earn in Week 2. The number of points possible in the first two weeks (max = 5) is based on the number of the same teams taken in both weeks. Then, those choices in week 2 may influence week 3 and so on — so do not be fooled by the first week’s point value!
Of course, Analysts may pick any three teams each week and there is NO additional benefit for holding a team three weeks in a row. Since the base value of a trifecta goes up each week, *bonus* points are more valuable in the early weeks than in the final weeks.
Since 8 to 14 points are possible in the final two weeks, no Analyst will be eliminated before the fourth week. Analysts who earn any points in weeks 2, 3, or 4 will most likely be in a position to win in the final week.
Analysts will be looking behind to their prior week’s picks to maximize *bonus* points and may want to look ahead to the next’s week’s games to see which teams are likely to win two weeks in a row or the next week.
The schedule for the month will also matter as Bye weeks and head-to-head competition will interrupt consecutive picks and win streaks.
Two years in a row, this race has ended with the very last game of the season. Last year, there were several contenders in the final leg. In the final game, Blank and Orangutan battled it out (Packers vs. Saints). I like how the Preakness works. Let me know if we should start a comment thread on scoring.
Little Tuna adds:
I like this one the best. Its easy to follow. And its extra fun to hate on someone’s team. Maybe do 1 point per hater pick. And a chance at 4 points total if you get a perfect hater trifecta. That way people could earn 2, 3, or 4 points per week.
The Bookie and The Clearinghouse originally required 2 hater picks for 1 point because Analysts had really bad teams (Titans, Bears, Falcons) in the race last year. It seemed too easy to pick one hater for a point week-to-week.
No movement on the leader board during week 8 of the second Analyst of the Year Award, but the current leaders separate themselves further from the pack.
The Strategist and Little Tuna continue to run nose-to-nose for first place (4 trifectas). Behind by a length (3 trifectas), Big Tuna is poised to overtake the leaders with one solid week.
Wise Orangutan and The Bookie are contesting fourth place (2 trifectas). Early reports are that the two Analysts are sending their Home Teams out to graze for the rest of the racing season.
In competition with newcomer, B-Reezy, for sixth place, Minds Blank will be shining and shipping the Analyst of the Year Trophy to its new owner by mid-December at her current trifecta pace. To add to Blank’s misery, Kal Krome is snake-bitten in 2015-16 and she may have to put him down.
Trifectas
Standings after Week 8 of the Analyst of the Year, 2015-16
Tiebreakers
Picks Tiebreaker after Week 8 of the Analyst of the Year, 2015-16
A classic photo finish in the 2015-16 Player Haters Preakness. The Big Tuna came out of nowhere to earn the only perfect hater picks of 2015-16 and earn 3 trifecta points for the show (3rd). The Little Tuna tried to sneak around the outside with her buggy pony and earned two trifecta points to place (2nd).
In Monday’s game, The Bookie and The Strategist battled for first place pole-to-pole. The Colts overtime defeat to the Panthers caused The Bookie to stumble at the very end and end in fourth place. The Strategist, riding the Rams, took first place by a full length with the Panthers win. The Rams also ended the Preakness with the most turnovers per game, proving to be the players haters MVT (most valuable team).
Four Analysts suffered four Black Eyes during the Preakness, earning zero trifectas in the month.
Trifecta Points
Final Standings in the Player Haters Preakness 2015-16
Tiebreakers
Final Tiebreakers in the Player Haters Preakness, 2015-16
Heading into the final Leg of the Play Haters Preakness, every Analyst remains within striking distance of the leader. There are too many scenarios to consider in full, but here are the most likely:
The Strategist wins if she gets a perfect hater trifecta (3 points).
If The Strategist earns a partial hater trifecta (2 points), she will reach four points and eliminate all Analysts except Little Tuna. If Little Tuna earns a perfect hater trifecta (3 points), the Preakness then will be determined by tiebreakers. If The Strategist picks her Rams, she will likely own the third tiebreaker over Little Tuna due to turnover production (currently 3.5 per game). If not, Little Tuna will win the tiebreaker with 2 Home Team selections.
If the Strategist does not reach 4 trifecta points total, then Little Tuna or the Bookie can win with a perfect hater trifecta. Little Tuna holds the tiebreaker over The Bookie in case of a tie.
If the Preakness is won with 3 trifecta points total, then there are many options. Those Analysts with zero trifectas currently must pick perfect hater trifectas (3 points). In that case, the Analysts in best position to win the Preakness are:
Little Tuna — If she picks a partial hater trifecta with the Patriots (2 points) in Leg 4, she will win the tiebreakers with 3 correct Home Team selections and outright over The Bookie. Without the Patriots in her trifecta, she may lose on tiebreakers to Minds Blank or The Strategist.
Minds Blank — If the Packers beat the Broncos, her Home Team will have vanquished three other steeds and given her an edge in Home Team Selections and turnovers per game.
The Strategist – If she takes the Rams in a one point trifecta, she will have two correct Home Team selections and win on tiebreakers with turnovers per game. Without the Rams, she will win most tiebreakers on turnovers per game.
Big Tuna — If the Broncos beat the Packers, he will have the first tiebreaker over Minds Blank and likely the third tiebreaker (3 turnovers per game) over most Analysts.
The Bookie — If the Bookie takes the Colts, she may be able to force a tiebreaker with turnovers, but will need help.
The rest of the Analysts are breathing dust and need most Analysts to wipe out rather than end in a tie.
If the Preakness is won with two points, the possibilities are too many to consider!
Don’t forget about Box Outs! If two or more Analysts have the same picks, an Analyst with a lead effectively boxes out and defeats the other Analyst(s) before the games are played. The three Analysts with points have that additional advantage over the nil point nags. It is a game of skill, you know, not chance!
Despite a brutal week for trifecta predictions, The Strategist moves into a first place tie with Little Tuna after picking two teams correctly to reach her 15th correct pick of the year. In third place, with one less trifecta, Big Tuna shows and moves into position to overtake the leaders with his 15th correct.
Wise Orangutan and The Bookie are contesting fourth place. Minds Blank and B-Reezy continue to run neck and neck. Kal Krome still trails the pack.
Trifectas
Standings after Week 7 of the Analyst of the Year, 2015-16
Tiebreakers
Picks Tiebreaker after Week 7 of the Analyst of the Year, 2015-16
No Analyst correctly picked a trifecta in Leg 3. The Strategist holds her lead over Little Tuna and The Bookie. The rest of the Analysts have yet to leave the starting gate of the Preakness, although tiebreakers give Minds Blank a slight edge over the rest of the nags. Wise Orangutan has butchered his Home Team to recover value from the glue and tiger meat.
Trifecta Points
Standings after Leg 3 of the Player Haters Preakness 2015-16
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Leg 3 of the Player Haters Preakness, 2015-16
