Tuesday Taunt XVI

 

Midnight strikes, and Cinderella loses her slipper: El Doctor is dead.

Twas the Falcons did him in, on the Monday back-up default. The storied streak and the novel approach ends, fruitless . . . but for his own enjoyment, and the enjoyment of the many merry men and women who tracked it over sixteen glorious weeks. Mad Dog joins him on his way out the door, frothing at the mouth over the scalpless 'Skins.

We reach the Final Four. Every man left makes a little money, though one will stand above the rest. There is still much to gain, and lose, on the first day of the new year, our two thousand twelfth. Happiness to you and yours, and wishes for a glorious coming 366.

That is all.

The Root of the Week XVI

The Sweet Six: Mad Dog, Luckstick, Nine Times, El Doctor, Chuck Dis, Friend O' Hard Hat.

Who will survive? Who will fall? Who shot Nice Guy Eddie?

The answers to these questions lurk at the end of the day: Panthers, Panthers, Titans, Redskins, Steelers, Falcons. The end draws nigh.


That is all.

The Root of the Taunt of the Week XIV

**Due to technical difficulties, of which I am still not entirely sure, the Saturday night Root of the Week posting did not publish to the site. As such, I've brought the Taunt out early this week to salve the burning rash that is the curiosity of the participants both surviving and deceased.

Two of the eight, one quarter of the field, fell over the weekend at the hands of the Titans and Giants. Vegas Hall Pass and J-Ro, we bid you adieu.

There is one participant still active: El Doctor, who rides his Monday default pick (49ers) for the thirteenth week straight. The winning picks were: Bengals, Saints, Cards, Cards, and Falcons.

We come down the home stretch of the season. The $64,000 question remains: will we make the playoffs for the fourth straight season? All will known in time.

That is all.

Tuesday Taunt XIV

If you're wondering about the photo, as well you should, it's about the most interesting thing I could come up with for this week---a week in which no one lost.

I googled "intrepid eight", hoping to find something to inspire our own intrepid eight surviving participants, and this is the first thing Al Gore's Internet gave me, so I ran with it.

And no, this is not a veiled indictment of my Beloveds' season.

That is all.

The Root of the Week XIV

As our intrepid eight prepare for battle on the eve of XIV, it is worth noting how utterly uncomfortable the group is. To come so far, perform so well, only to lose here at the tail end of the season with the finish line--and dollar bills--in sight, oh my, how depressing.

Anything could happen, anyone might win. The number of place payouts are by no means assured; you still might get nothing.

With that said, and considering the chaos of the year, please see the graph at left above to understand just how far our Participant Confidence Index has plummeted. Not as bad as Greece, but brutal all the same. 

As of this posting, five picks are in: Ravens, Ravens, Ravens, Jets, Steelers. Also, El Doctor continues his default pick strategy and will, given his history, roll with the Seahawks on Monday night. Will update live as more picks are received manana.

That is all.

Tuesday Taunt XIII

I'll admit it, I love this year. So much chaos, so much devastation, utterly unpredictable. It's much more exciting for participants when they go into weekends with no idea what to expect, rather than knowing with 99% certainty that their team will prevail.

It's glorious, and it continued in the Week of Marino. We lost another 11, more than half the field, leaving us with a hard eight remaining. 4 weeks left in the regular season, 8 participants alive---tenuously.

Will we reach the playoffs? Place your bets.

That is all.

The Root of the Week XIII

In this, the Week of Marino, one conclusion can be reached in sorting through the pithy commentary lobbed by the surviving participants as they submit their picks: no one is confident in their selection.

And yet, equally true is the fact that no one can look away.

We enter the home stretch of games, just a fist left before playoffs--which would be an absolute catastrophe if we got there, since everyone has thrown all playoff caution and strategy to the wind in hopes of survival.

This week, the action spreads around once again: the Cowboys, 49ers, Patriots, Broncos, and Bears. Additionally the magnificent El Doctor continues to ride his streak of default picks, now as actual official strategy instead of absentminded lethargy. It should be noted that this week his default pick is not Jacksonville, having used them already once this season. He therefore rides the Chargers on the road, which has been the downfall of so many over the years.

Will it be another "open the gates" week or our third round of utter devastation? Watch, if you dare.

That is all.

Tuesday Taunt XII

One loss. One.

In a year that has been so unpredictable, we fell into old routines in Week Twelve: the strong remain strong, very few losses by the best of the best, and the Chargers lose a home game they should win.

And take someone out in the process. Take a bow, J-Ro. You're no one in the Suicide Pool until you've been burned by the Chargers; it's like a rite of passage.

As for the rest of you, I wouldn't feel too bad for her--she still has two other entries left, and remains the odds-on favorite heading into the home stretch.

That is all.