For those who were here last season, and have made the Swami Blog a 'must read' part of the week, you will recall the opening frame of the 2012 Suicide season, in which much was made of parity in the NFL.
The evidence for this claim of parity---and for those who follow politics, and therefore have no knowledge of such things, evidence is the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid---was in the form of 16 teams selected in Week One last year, fully half the NFL teams.
Well, I submit again this proposition of parity, and for once we all enjoy a proposition that does not entail my dressing up as Little Bo Peep.
Eighteen teams. That's 18, for the illiterate. More than half the teams in the NFL were selected by participants in Week One of 2013, which means some games had participants on both sides of the battle.
Granted, there are at present 159 participants signed on for this year, a Swami Suicide Pool record, and when the post office is visited tomorrow and a few write-ins are added to the fold, the number will undoubtedly cross the 160 mark. More participants means more potential for utterly bone-headed moves. Like picking against my Beloveds, and yes I'm looking at you, newbie.
Nearly 20% of the field lost its first life, most at the hands of Steel City, whose proud team melted in the bright lights of their home stadium like the Robert Patrick T-1000, beaten down by the mighty, god-like Titans. Well, not really so much mighty, but the narrative plays into the photo above, and so.
Lady Luck lifted the Swami to glorious heights with a Week One win, however, along with 75 other souls as the top Root of the Week. Patriots fans survived, as well, though not without chewing a little bit back in waning moments.
Weekly Statistics
159 participants
128 undefeateds
31 with one loss
18 teams chosen
6 losing teams
1 bet on Cleveland
And so the band plays on as our merry little flotilla launches from port for the wide open seas, and only you can captain your own ship through the dangerous, choppy waters ahead. Will you survive the voyage? Only the Swami's crystal ball knows for sure.
That is all.
