A blistering pace around the near turn as all but one Analyst adds double digits to their Trifecta point total!
Leading the pack with 19 Trifecta points in Leg 3, Woody (32 points total) takes the lead over Atwork (30 points) who falls to second. Jimmy V (29 points) adds another *base* Trifecta to narrow his gap and retain third place.
Craft Brew (25 points) separates from the middle of the field to move into sole possession of fourth place. The Bookie (23 points) sprints from the back of the field to claim fifth position. At 22 points each, KateTDid and Roxy Trot vie for sixth place. On tiebreakers, KateTDid leads by a nose with 17 Seeder Points v. 13 Seeder Points (third tiebreaker) over Roxy Trot. The Strategist (19 points) has the edge for eighth position on Sponge Mom (19 points) with 1 Correct Home Team Pick.
Bringing up the rear, Little Tuna (17 points) swims into tenth place, one length ahead of B-Reezy (16 points and 1 Correct Home Team Pick) in eleventh and Wise Orangutan (16 points and 0 Correct Home Team Pick) in twelfth position. In last, Big Tuna (10 points) still seeks a Giant leap for fishkind!
In the final strides of the homestretch, the top and bottom of the leader board have become two Analyst races!
Wise O. (9 Trifectas and 38 Correct Picks) spits the bit for the third time in four weeks, leaving an opening on the outside rail. Craft Brew (8 Trifectas and 37 Correct Picks) on the strength of 4 Trifectas in five weeks has barreled into second place within striking distance of the Win!
The Strategist (7 Trifectas and 37 Correct Picks) falls into third place, only 2 Correct Picks ahead of Jimmy V (7 Trifectas and 35 Correct Picks) in fourth place. Both remain in contention for Place and Show.
After a lackluster mid-season, Atwork (6 Trifectas and 36 Correct Picks) adds his third straight Trifecta to move into fifth place, 3 Correct Picks before Big Tuna (6 Trifectas and 33 Correct Picks) in sixth place. Atwork maintains a slim opportunity to Show.
B-Reezy (5 Trifectas and 34 Correct Picks) and Woody (5 Trifectas and 34 Correct Picks) share seventh place, 3 Correct Picks ahead of Roxy Trot (5 Trifectas and 31 Correct Picks) in ninth place and 4 Correct Picks ahead of The Bookie (5 Trifectas and 30 Correct Picks) in tenth position. Woody, Roxy Trot, and The Bookie secured Claims in the Super Trifecta Bowl this week.
Little Tuna (4 Trifectas and 31 Correct Picks) adds a Trifecta to move into eleventh position and remains secure in her Claim as the Player Haters Preakness Champion.
So then, the race to the bottom to become the Analyst with No Claim boils down to Sponge Mom (3 Trifectas and 32 Correct Picks) in twelfth place and KateTDid (3 Trifectas and 29 Correct Picks) in thirteenth position — as a fourth Trifecta by either Analysts may determine the outcome!
Trifectas
Standings after Week 16 of Analyst of the Year VII
Correct Picks
Tiebreakers after Week 16 of Analyst of the Year VII
Around the near turn of the Marathon of the Ass, the race to the top narrows while the race to the bottom heats up!
Wise O. (9 Trifectas and 36 Correct Picks) stalls, but maintains a two-length lead over his closest rivals. The Strategist (7 Trifectas and 35 Correct Picks) and Craft Brew (7 Trifectas and 34 Correct Picks) remain in second and third place. These the last three Analysts in competition for the Win!
Jimmy V (6 Trifectas and 32 Correct Picks) and Big Tuna (6 Trifectas and 31 Correct Picks) hold fourth and fifth, respectively, but have been eliminated from the Win. They are still well within reach of Place and Show, but may need two Trifectas to close the Correct Picks gap with The Strategist and Craft Brew.
Atwork (5 Trifectas and 33 Correct Picks) and B-Reezy (5 Trifectas and 32 Correct Picks) muscle their way into the top-middle of the field with Trifectas in Week 15. Both must earn Trifectas in the final two weeks to have a chance at Place or Show.
Woody (4 Trifectas and 31 Correct Picks) falls to eighth place, comfortably ahead of Roxy Trot (4 Trifectas 28 Correct Picks) in ninth place and The Bookie (4 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks) in tenth position. All three Analysts, however, have been eliminated from Place (3 Trifectas behind with two weeks to go.
Sponge Mom (3 Trifectas and 30 Correct Picks) clings to eleventh place, two heads lead over Little Tuna (3 Trifectas and 28 Correct Picks) in twelfth, but now only 3 head lead over KateTDid (3 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks). KateTDid may be able to climb out of the basement to hold her Claim to the mighty, mighty Titans with one or two more Trifectas!
Trifectas
Standings after Week 15 of Analyst of the Year VII
Correct Picks
Tiebreakers after Week 15 of Analyst of the Year VII
A rough ride down the back stretch as only five Analysts add Trifecta points to their totals!
Atwork (16 points) moves into sole possession of first place with *base* Trifecta. Woody (13 points) surges into second place with a 7-point *lame* Trifecta, trailed by one length by Jimmy V (12 points) who added a 3-point *lame* Trifecta.
In a tie at 9 points each, Craft Brew, Sponge Mom, Wise Orangutan and KateTDid vie for fourth place. On the strength of a 9-point *base* Trifecta, KateTDid breaks from the group with 1 Correct Home Team Pick. With 0 Correct Home Team Picks, Sponge Mom is in fifth place with 9 Seeder points (third tiebreaker), over Craft Brew (6 Seeder points) in sixth and Wise O. in seventh (3 Seeder points).
At 6 Trifecta Points each, B-Reezy, Roxy Trot, The Bookie, and The Strategist give chase. The Bookie holds eighth place, while B-Reezy, Roxy Trot, and The Strategist are in a dead heat (no clear leader on tiebreakers).
In the fish bowl at the back of the field, Little Tuna swims with 3 Trifecta Points in twelfth place while watching Big Tuna (0 Seeder points) flop on the table gasping for air on the other side of the glass!
Down the homestretch in the Marathon of the Ass, the front runner builds a formidable two-length lead with only three weeks to go!
Wise O. (9 Trifectas and 35 Correct Picks) takes a two-length lead over his closest rivals. A single Trifecta in the final three weeks will likely Crown the Ass!
The Strategist (7 Trifectas and 34 Correct Picks) holds in second place, but Craft Brew (7 Trifectas and 33 Correct Picks) closes the gap in third place. Jimmy V (6 Trifectas and 31 Correct Picks) breaks the tie to hold fourth place, a head in front of Big Tuna (6 Trifectas and 30 Correct Picks) in fifth place. These four Analysts remain in the hunt for the Win, and control the race for Place.
B-Reezy, The Bookie, and Woody have been eliminated from the Win in Week 14. They also give ground to two Analysts coming on strong in the final weeks.
Atwork surges into sixth place with 4 Trifectas and 30 Correct Picks, overtaking B-Reezy (4 Trifectas and 29 Correct Picks) and Woody (4 Trifectas and 29 Correct Picks) in a tie for seventh place. Likewise, following three straight Trifectas, Roxy Trot (4 Trifectas 27 Correct Picks) claws into ninth place, ahead of The Bookie (4 Trifectas and 26 Correct Picks) in tenth position. These Analysts can still Place but need to be flawless (and for second place leaders to be completely flawed).
Sponge Mom (3 Trifectas and 29 Correct Picks) holds eleventh place over Little Tuna (3 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks). KateTDid (2 Trifectas and 24 Correct Picks) will need a string of Trifectas or The Seeders’ Cup to avoid ending in last place!
Trifectas
Standings after Week 14 of Analyst of the Year VII
Correct Picks
Tiebreakers after Week 14 of Analyst of the Year VII
Out of the gates, we have a team of front runners at the head of the field in the seventh running of The Seeders’ Cup!
Atwork, Jimmy V, Craft Brew, Sponge Mom, and Wise Orangutan nab 9 Trifecta Points in the near turn. Atwork leads by a head with 1 Correct Home Team Pick (all others = 0). Jimmy V and Sponge Mom share second place by a nose (6 Seeder points each) over Craft Brew and Wise Orangutan (3 Seeder points each) in a tie for fourth position.
At 6 Trifecta Points each, Roxy Trot, The Bookie, Woody, and The Strategist trail closely. The Bookie and Woody have the edge for sixth place with 1 Correct Home Team Pick and 3 Seeder points. Roxy Trot lags by a nose (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 0 Seeder points) in eighth, while The Strategist trails by a head (0 Correct Home Team Picks) in ninth.
Little Tuna heads the back of the field with 3 Trifecta Points in tenth place. At 0 points each, KateTDid has the jump (4 Seeder points) on B-Reezy (3 Seeder points) and Big Tuna (0 Seeder points) out of the gates.
Heading into the homestretch in the Marathon of the Ass, Wise Orangutan holds onto the lead but gives ground to Analysts in the middle of the field.
Wise O. (8 Trifectas and 32 Correct Picks) adds only one Correct Pick to his totals after changing to prevent defense to protect his lead. Two-time (she made us say that) AoY Champion The Strategist (7 Trifectas and 32 Correct Picks) remains in second place and gains a Correct Pick on the leader. The Winners’ Circle stalwart Craft Brew (6 Trifectas and 30 Correct Picks) surges into third place with the only Trifecta in Week 13 among the top half of the field (he must have read the personal best/records email!!!).
Season VI runner-up Jimmy V (6 Trifectas and 29 Correct Picks) falls back into a tie for fourth place with former AoY Champion Big Tuna (6 Trifectas and 29 Correct Picks).
On the cusp of elimination — down 4 Trifectas with 4 Weeks to go — B-Reezy (4 Trifectas and 28 Correct Picks) stays in sixth place, only a neck ahead of Woody (4 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks) in seventh place. The Bookie (4 Trifectas and 24 Correct Picks) keeps her hopes alive for one more week with one of 2 Trifectas in the bottom half of the field.
Five lengths behind the leader with only four weeks to go, Sponge Mom (3 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks), Atwork (3 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks), and Little Tuna (3 Trifectas and 25 Correct Picks) have been eliminated from the Win but still have a mathematical shot at Place for at least one more Week!
A shake up at the back of the field…Roxy Trot (3 Trifectas and 24 Correct Picks) climbs out of the basement with her second Trifecta in as many weeks. KateTDid (2 Trifectas and 23 Correct Picks) drops into last place, now facing the loss of her Claim to the Titans during the playoffs!
With four weeks to go, the race to the bottom is not over!
Trifectas
Standings after Week 13 of Analyst of the Year VII
Correct Picks
Tiebreakers after Week 13 of Analyst of the Year VII
Headed into the home stretch, Wise Orangutan(33 points) has only a three-length lead over Craft Brew, Sponge Mom, and Woody (30 points each). The complete Standings are here.
Leg 5 may award up to 21 points (6 *base* plus 5 *bonus* per Fibonacci Pick). All Analysts are within 21 points of the leader after Leg 4, so technically all are within striking distance of the Win. But…Bye Weeks (Buccaneers) and Box Outs may diminish a few Analysts’ chances.
Scenarios
Scenarios are discussed by (Current Place) Analyst – Current Points (Leg 4 Picks) in the order of current standings. Aside from the current leader, we largely consider outcomes based on *base* Trifectas — the possible outcomes for *lame* Trifectas is too complicated for us to fathom! Also, we are not able to take into account if you are one of the Analysts in strong contention to Win (or to finish in last place!) in the Analyst of the Year, so would rather Pick with that Race in mind.
A unique set of Picks. If he goes for the same three teams, he will hold his lead if all three Win. If only two Win or if he changes even one team, he can be overtaken by Analysts with 28+ points. If he changes two teams, he can be overtaken by Analysts with 20+ points even if every team Wins. On the other hand, if he earns at least 3 points, Analysts with 14 or fewer points are eliminated from the Win. If he earns at least 8 points (*lame* Trifecta with one Fibonacci Pick), Analysts with 19 or fewer points are eliminated from the Win.
(2) Woody – 30 points (Seahawks/Packers/Steelers)
A unique set of Picks – Wise O. cannot Box Out due to the +5 Fibonacci bonuses she can earn. She needs Wise O. to change at least one Pick OR to earn no better than a *lame* Trifecta. If she strategically changes even one Pick, she will be counting on Sponge Mom, Craft Brew, and The Strategist to earn less than the 21-point Trifecta. If she ties with Wise O. at 46 points or fewer, she can Win on tiebreakers provided that she keeps the Seahawks for a third Correct Home Team Pick. She currently has tiebreakers over her closest competitors: Sponge Mom, Craft Brew, and The Strategist.
Boxed Out by Woody (same three Picks). Also, she must score more than 3 points to avoid a tie with Wise O. (to which she loses on tiebreakers). In order for Sponge Mom to Win, her best hope is to change one Pick, earn the 16-point *base* Trifecta, and then root for Wise O., Woody, Craft Brew, and The Strategist to finish with less than 46 points. If she earns partial points (*lame* Trifecta) and ties with Wise O., Woody, or The Strategist she will lose on second tiebreaker. If she ties Craft Brew, she needs to hold her tiebreaker advantage. If she ties Little Tuna, she currently prevails on first tiebreaker. Other tiebreakers with Analysts at 20 or fewer points are not considered. Lastly, she can also trail Woody with the same three Picks with the expectation to Place ($).
A unique set of Picks from those ahead of him (only Packers in common). He must score more than 3 points to avoid a tie with Wise O. If he sticks with the same three Picks and all Win, he will be counting on (Wise O.’s) Browns or Bills and (Woody’s) Seahawks or Steelers (forbid the thought!) to lose – or that those ahead of him change at least one Pick. If he changes one Pick, he may lose his advantage over The Strategist. If he changes two Picks (11-point Trifecta), he could expose himself to Big Tuna in a tie at 41 points.
(5) The Strategist – 28 points (Browns/Steelers/Packers)
A unique set of Picks. But she shares in common the Browns & Packers with Wise O. and the Packers & Steelers with with Woody and Sponge Mom. If she keeps the same three Picks, she is threading a needle to Win: the Bills must lose (Wise O.), the Seahawks must lose (Woody and Sponge Mom), and the Saints or Chiefs must lose (Craft Brew). She can change one Pick (for a 16-point Trifecta) and overtake the Analysts ahead of her if Wise O. busts and none of the other Analysts earn better than a *lame* Trifecta worth 13 points or fewer.
(6) Little Tuna – 24 points (Buccaneers/Titans/Steelers)
A unique set of Picks, but due to the Buccaneers Pick she can only earn 16 points (for 40 total). Also she likely cannot take the Seahawks or Packers since it gives Woody and/or Sponge Mom the Box Out (either will earn at least 13 point *lame* Trifectas if they keep the same teams). Titans gives her an advantage over Wise O. and The Strategist if either keeps the Browns (Browns @ Titans in Leg 5). So, she needs a wildcard to replace the Bucs and hope that no other Analysts scores more than 39 points because her tiebreaker portfolio is not strong: she loses on first tiebreaker to Sponge Mom and The Strategist, and has only 1 Correct Home Team Pick.
(7) Big Tuna – 20 points (Ravens/Packers/Saints)
A unique set of Picks, but partially Boxed Out by Craft Brew. If both Packers and Saints Win, Craft Brew reaches 43 points – more than the 41 Big Tuna can earn with the same three Picks. If he changes one Pick, his maximum total will be 36 points. In that case, he could change the Packers or Saints to a team that avoids a Box Out by the Analysts ahead of him (assuming all do not change Picks!). Also, none of the Analysts above can earn more than 35 points to avoid a decision on tiebreakers (his tiebreaker portfolio is a mixed bag…).
(8) B-Reezy – 19 points (Bears/Seahawks/Saints)
A unique set of Picks. He can reach 40 points with the same three Picks but needs nearly all Analysts above to finish at 39 points or fewer (busted Trifectas) due to a weak tiebreaker portfolio. Changing even one Pick limits his possible total to 35 points.
A unique set of Picks, but due to the Buccaneers Pick she can only earn 16 points for 32 total — one less than Wise O. currently has. She can still Place provided that she change the Bucs to a team not currently Picked by Woody, Sponge Mom and B-Reezy (due to Seahawks in common) or by Little Tuna (due to Titans in common).
Boxed Out by Craft Brew (same three Picks). She can Place with the same three Picks if everyone ahead of her falters and Craft Brew Wins. If she changes even one Pick, the best she can do is Place at 31 points behind Wise O.
(11) Jimmy V – 14 points (Browns/Saints/Seahawks)
A unique set of Picks. The same three Picks can Win if every Analyst above him (except B-Reezy) fails to earn a *lame* Trifecta with their same three Picks. B-Reezy shares Saints and Seahawks in common, so Bears must lose (forbid the thought!) if Jimmy V is to overtake B-Reezy.
(12) Atwork – 12 points (Packers/Seahawks/Ravens)
Boxed Out for Win or Place by Woody and Sponge Mom (Seahawks and Packers in common). Changing even one Pick will limit his total to 28 points (currently fifth place).
(13) The Bookie – 12 points (Bills/Packers/Ravens)
Boxed Out for Win by Wise O. (Bills and Packers) and for Place by Big Tuna (Packers and Ravens). Changing even one Pick will limit her total to 28 points (currently fifth place).
A majority of Analysts (7) earn Trifectas for the first time since Week 4 of the seventh running of the Marathon of the Ass! And, for the first time since Week 8, an Analyst holds the lead two weeks in a row.
With his record-tying fourth Trifecta in a row, Wise Orangutan (8 Trifectas and 31 Correct Picks) clings onto first place, chased closely by two-time (she made us say that) AoY Champion The Strategist (7 Trifectas and 30 Correct Picks) in second place. Season VI runner-up Jimmy V (6 Trifectas and 28 Correct Picks) climbs back into third place, ahead of former AoY Champion Big Tuna (6 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks) who slips into fourth place trailing by a head. These four Analysts will likely be in contention to the wire.
In mid-field, needing a string of Trifectas to overtake the leaders, Craft Brew (5 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks) moves up one spot to fifth place. B-Reezy (4 Trifectas and 27 Correct Picks) falls into sixth place, only a neck ahead of Woody (4 Trifectas and 26 Correct Picks) in seventh place.
Five lengths behind the leader with only five weeks to go, Sponge Mom (3 Trifectas and 26 Correct Picks), Atwork (3 Trifectas and 25 Correct Picks), Little Tuna (3 Trifectas and 24 Correct Picks) and The Bookie (3 Trifectas and 21 Correct Picks) face elimination from the Win if the leader reaches 9 Trifectas OR if they fail to earn five-straight Trifectas in the home stretch!
KateTDid (2 Trifectas and 22 Correct Picks) falls into twelfth place, now only a neck ahead of Roxy Trot (2 Trifectas and 21Correct Picks). Although these two Analysts have been eliminated from the Win, they have plenty to play for: they can still earn a Claim to a Home Team in the playoffs with a Fibonacci Stakes or Seeders Cup Win — or by finishing ahead of last place in the AoY!
Trifectas
Standings after Week 12 of Analyst of the Year VII
Correct Picks
Tiebreakers after Week 12 of Analyst of the Year VII
Coming out of the near turn, we have some outstanding nerds driving their steeds hard in the The Test of the Computations!
Despite earning the *base* Trifecta, a couple of cautious Picks nets Wise Orangutan only 9 points, bringing his total to 33 points.
His lead narrows to 3 points, over three Analysts charging from behind with 15-point *base* Trifectas each: Craft Brew, Sponge Mom, and Woody. At 30 points each, Woody holds second place by two head lengths (2 Correct Picks vs. 0 Correct Picks), while Sponge Mom (7 Fibonacci Picks) in third place noses out Craft Brew (6 Fibonacci Picks) in fourth place.
The Strategist (28 points) falls into fifth place after netting 9-point *base* Trifecta. With 9-point *lame* Trifectas, Little Tuna (24 points) drops into sixth place, while Big Tuna (20 points) moves up to seventh place. Rounding out the middle of the field, B-Reezy (19 points) bears down into eighth place and KateTDid (16 points) flutters up one spot into ninth place.
At the back of the pack, Roxy Trot (15 points) surges into tenth place just ahead of Jimmy V (14 points) in eleventh position. Atwork (12 points) in twelfth place edges ahead of The Bookie (12 points) by virtue of Correct Home Team Picks (3 vs. 2).
