Week 11: The Sons of Leod

This week:

1. Jonathan (13-1 + 2.5 bonus) - 15.5 points

1. Jarrett M. (13-1 + 2.5 bonus) - 15.5 points

3. Joel (12-2 + 1 bonus) - 13 points

4. Jeremy (11-3) - 11 points

4. Roger (11-3) - 11 points

6. Jarrett R. (10-4 + 0.5 bonus) - 10.5 points

7. Bob (10-4) - 10 points

7. Patrick (10-4) - 10 points

9. Nathan (5-9) - 5 points

"We are Jonathan and Jarrett McLeod of the clan McLeod. We were born in the city of Fredericton on the shores of the St. John River. And we are leading the Football Pool."--Jonathan and Jarrett McLeod

The Football Pool world witnessed a battle for the ages in week 11 as the sons of Leod (Jonathan and Jarrett M.) battled the sons of Bert (Joel and Jeremy). Victory was decided on the field of Bank of America Stadium as the Buccaneers vanquished the Panthers in dramatic OT fashion. The McLeod brothers' 13-1 record allowed Jarrett M. to increase his first place lead and vaulted Jonathan from fifth to second.

Week 11 notes: (1) There was only one successful loner pick in week 11: Jarrett R.'s pick of the Jets. (2) The Eagles have lost six straight games, their longest losing streak under Andy Reid. (3) Matt Ryan threw a career-high five interceptions in the Falcons' win. His 31-4 career home record is the best home winning percentage for any quarterback who began his career in the Super Bowl record (minimum 25 starts). (4) Chad Henne threw a career-high four touchdowns in the Jaguars' loss. He was the first quarterback to come off the bench and throw four touchdowns without an interception since Steve Young in 1987. (5) Rob Gronkowski now has 36 career touchdown receptions. Only Randy Moss (43) and Jerry Rice (40) had more in their first three NFL seasons. (6) Robert Griffin III's 93.3% completion rate in the Redskin's victory over the Eagles is the best by a rookie in the Super Bowl era (minimum 15 attempts). The previous best: Charlie Batch with 84%. (7) Matt Schaub had 527 passing yards in the Texans' win over the Jaguars--the second-most passing yards in a game in NFL history. Norm Van Brocklin passed for 554 yards in 1951. (8) The Patriots have a pair of games with 50+ points this season. The last team with a pair of 50+-point games in a season was the 2007 Patriots.

So far:

1. Jarrett M. (106-54 + 12.08 bonus) - 117.06 points (no change)

2. Jonathan (104-56 + 9.78 bonus) - 112.78 points (+3)

3. Jeremy (104-56 + 8.45 bonus) - 111.45 points (no change)

4. Patrick (102-57 + 10.33 bonus) - 111.33 points (-2)

5. Jarrett R. (100-59 + 9.58 bonus) - 108.58 points (-1)

6. Joel (100-59 + 6.37 bonus) - 105.37 points (no change)

7. Roger (96-63 + 4.83 bonus) - 99.83 points (no change)

8. Nathan (89-70 + 5.53 bonus) - 93.53 points (no change)

9. Bob (88-71 + 3.53 bonus) - 90.53 points (no change)

Week 6: A Tie at the Top

This week:

1. Jarrett R. (7-7 + 2 bonus) - 9 points
1. Joel (7-7 + 2 bonus) - 9 points
1. Jarrett M. (7-7 + 2 bonus) - 9 points
4. Bob (6-8) - 6 points
4. Patrick (6-8) - 6 points
4. Jeremy (6-8) - 6 points
4. Roger (6-8) - 6 points
8. Jonathan (5-9) - 5 points
8. Nathan (5-9) - 5 points

"If at the end of the season there is a first place tie between two or more participants, the aforementioned participants shall compete in a head-to-head football trivia contest. The questions of this quiz shall concern the most recent NFL season."--Jonathan McLeod, The (Imaginary) Football Pool Rulebook

After six weeks, there is a tie at the top of the Football Pool. Patrick and Jarrett M. both have the same number of wins and bonus points: 53 and 6.33 respectively. And there is also a three-way tie for total wins: Patrick, Jarrett M., and Jeremy all have 53 wins. (In honor of the tie at the top of the pool, see the video below: "Top 10 NFL Overtime Games.")

Commissioner Joel's goal of having greater parity in the pool appears to be succeeding. Take heart, those of you who are at the lower end of the pool standings. All it takes is one good week to get right back into the thick of things.

Week 6 notes: (1) Four out of five of the consensus picks were wrong (Steelers, Eagles, Patriots, and 49ers). This is one more piece of evidence that this season's games have been very difficult to predict. (2) Jarrett R. is leading in total bonus points (6.2). (3) Jeremy has the most points-for (2326).

So far:

1. Patrick (53-38 + 6.33 bonus) - 59.33 points
1. Jarrett M. (53-38 + 6.33 bonus) - 59.33 points
3. Jeremy (53-38 + 5.2 bonus) - 58.2 points
4. Jarrett R. (51-40 + 6.5 bonus) - 57.5 points
5. Joel (51-40 + 4.37 bonus) - 55.37 points
6. Jonathan (51-40 + 3.03 bonus) - 54.03 points
7. Nathan (48-43 + 2.2 bonus) - 50.2 points
8. Bob (46-45 + 3.2 bonus) - 49.2 points
9. Roger (47-44 + 1.83 bonus) - 48.83 bonus

Week 4: Miracles Do Happen

This week:

1. Jarrett M. (14-1 + 3 bonus) - 17 points
2. Patrick (12-3 + 2 bonus) - 14 points
3. Bob (11-4 + 0.2 bonus) - 11.2 points
3. Jonathan (11-4 + 0.2 bonus) - 11.2 points
3. Joel (11-4 + 0.2 bonus) - 11.2 points
3. Nathan (11-4 + 0.2 bonus) - 11.2 points
3. Jeremy (11-4 + 0.2 bonus) - 11.2 points
8. Jarrett R. (10-5) - 10 points
8. Roger (10-5) - 10 points

"Do you believe in miracles? YES!"--Al Michaels

Jarrett M., last season's last place finisher, finished week 4 with an improbable 14-1 record, vaulting him from eighth to third in the pool standings. All that stood between Jarrett M. and a perfect week was a last-second field goal by the Redskins.

The Human 10-Second Delay's near-perfect week overshadowed an outstanding performance by Patrick. Unfortunately, his gutsy foolish pick of Buffalo and his loyal foolish pick of Jacksonville prevented him from tying Jarrett M.

Week 4 notes: (1) If Patrick had not surpassed Joel in the standings, all of the "J" names would have occupied the top five spots. (2) There was only one loner pick in week 4: Jarrett R.'s incorrect pick of the Jets to beat the 49ers. (3) If you ever want rain on a particular fall weekend, ask Joel and Jeremy to plan their Fundy trip that weekend.

So far:

1. Jeremy (38-25 + 5.2 bonus) - 43.2 points
2. Jarrett R. (37-26 + 4.5 bonus) - 41.5 points
3. Jarrett M. (36-27 + 4 bonus) - 40 points
4. Jonathan (36-27 + 2.7 bonus) - 38.7 points
5. Patrick (35-28 + 3.33 bonus) - 38.33 points
6. Joel (34-29 + 2.03 bonus) - 36.03 points
7. Bob (32-31 + 3.2 bonus) - 35.2 points
8. Roger (32-31 + 1.83 bonus) - 33.83 points
9. Nathan (32-31 + 0.2 bonus) - 32.2 points

Week 17 - An Exciting Finish!

Week 17 Results

Jarrett - 12-4 (+3)
Bob - 11-5 (+0.6)
Jeremy - 11-5 (+0.6)
Joel - 11-5 (+0.6)
Jonathan - 11-5 (+0.6)
Patrick - 10-5
Roger - 10-5
John - 9-7 (+0.5)

Jarrett won the battle of week 17, but it was John who won the war, taking home his (third?--I still don't have the 2009 results) Pool Championship Trophy. Commander Couch dominated for the first three quarters of the season, building a big enough lead to withstand a strong final push by Patrick. In the end, only 1.83 points separated John and Patrick.

According to our math (which might not be very good), John's loner pick of Kansas City was the key pick of the week--and perhaps the season. Going against Tebow, his favorite athlete, was unchristian gutsy. If Denver had won, Patrick would be the champ instead.

Final standings: (1) John, (2) Patrick, (3) Jonathan, (4) Bob, (5) Joel, (6) Jeremy, (7) Roger, (8) Jarrett.

Last season, Jonathan prevented a Kuehner sweep of the medal podium by vaulting into second place in week 17. This year, the Minister of Prognostication held off Bob in week 17, allowing the Forest Hills Boys to take home all of the medals. It has not yet been confirmed whether or not John, Patrick, and Jonathan will be wearing their medals in this Sunday's worship service.

Joel made a nice chart showing the wins of each pool participant compared to John as the season progressed. The chart shows that John was trending down during the final quarter of the year. What would have happened if the season had been 18 games?

But let's not take anything away for John's victory. Congratulations, John!

Now... anyone up for playoff picks?

Playoffs? PLAYOFFS!?

Coming soon: the 2011 Football Pool Awards!

--Jonathan

Pool Participant Profile: Jarrett McLeod

Jarrett as flag bearer for the Canadian Special Olympics team

Birthplace: Fredericton, NB

Current residence: Fredericton, NB

Profession: Youth Care Worker

Nickname: D. L. Moody

Favorite NFL team: Patriots

Most hated NFL team: Jets (especially because of Rex Ryan)

Favorite NFL studio personality: Steve Young

Most annoying NFL studio personality: Terry Bradshaw

Favorite sport: Tennis

Favorite athlete: Tom Brady, Roger Federer, Jeff Gordon

Christmas wishlist: TV, black jogging pants, grey jogging pants

Favorite movie: Home Alone

What three things would you want if you were stranded on a deserted island? Bear Grylls, giant sea turtle, Bible

Why did you forgot to make all those picks? "I don't know."

Week 11 - A Creature Is Stirring in the Basement

Week 11 Results

This week's winners:

Jarrett - 12-2 (+2.5)
Bob - 12-2 (+2)
Joel - 12-2 (+2)
John - 11-3
Jonathan - 10-4
Roger - 10-4
Patrick - 9-5
Jeremy - 8-6

If Jarrett were writing this post, he might say, "Allow me to crack the bubbly!" (inside joke).

Back when Jarrett was living at home (which wasn't too long ago), he often remained asleep in his basement bedroom until sometime in the afternoon. Perhaps he was still asleep at 2:00 on those two Sunday afternoons that he didn't submit any picks.

Either way, the following question must be asked: Has Jarrett now awoken from his Football Pool slumber? The answer: It appears so. And that answer leads to another question: Is it too late for Jarrett? The answer: Yes. But an additional question comes to mind: Can Jarrett escape the basement? The answer: Perhaps. But who can he catch? The obvious answer: The free-falling Jeremy. And what is the probability of that happening? The answer: According to our calculations: He has a 16.7% chance of catching Jeremy. And one final question: How ashamed would anyone be if Jarrett caught them? The answer: Very.

Seriously, one can only wonder what position Jarrett would be in now if he had simply remembered to submit picks for all of the games. (Keep in mind that his forgetfulness also led to several desperation picks.)

"Let me tell you right now, there are two Canadian brothers--I think their last name is McLeod--that probably could be linebackers on this team. Why haven't we signed them? Well, I'll tell you why. They're Patriots fans, and I can't convince them to play for the Jets."--Jets coach Rex Ryan

--Jonathan

Look out! Here comes Jarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrretttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!! Jarett went with the dream team, and he gets rewarded with a successful loner pick, and a tie for first! If he'd submitted his Thursday pick, maybe he'd have taken the week by himself.

It was a fine start this week for Bob and Roger. The rest of us now all wish we'd had the guts to do what they did. We wanted Denver to win. We knew Denver could win. But we were scared that other people would pick the Jets and get it right. Well, they had the guts, and they got off to a head start.

Bob used that head start to grab part of the 3-way tie for first. Too bad he didn't have enough confidence in his own Eagles; if he had, he'd have had sole possession of first place.

Best pick of the week: Eagles over Giants.

Worst pick of the week: Bills over Dolphins.

Critical game of the week: Seahawks at Rams.

--Joel

Current Standings

Week 9 - Impossible Is Nothing

Week 9 Results

This week's winners:

  

  

Patrick - 8-6 (+1.5)
Jonathan - 8-6 (+1.5)
Jarrett - 8-6 (+1)
Bob - 8-6 (+1)
Joel - 8-6 (+1)
Roger - 8-6 (+1)
Jeremy - 7-7
John - 7-7

Joel says John can't be caught, but Patrick has been gaining ground the last two weeks. He's now only 6.67 points behind. Has John grown complacent (according to Joel, another impossibility--see last week's comments)? Probably not. But, suddenly, the race for first has became a whole lot more interesting.

Speaking of Joel, our mighty commissioner finally tasted the sweet nectar of victory (albeit it was a six-way tie, and technically Patrick and Jonathan led the weak due to their loner picks--but we won't mention that). To Joel's great satisfaction, his correct pick of Arizona was critical to his first place finish. Had St. Louis won, it would have been only Patrick and Jonathan in first (most critical game of the week?).

Both Patrick and Jonathan made last-minute changes to their picks, each deciding to go with a New York team. Patrick picked the Giants, and Jonathan picked the Jets. Both picks turned out to be successful loner picks, enabling them to gain the most points in week 9.

The only change of position this week was Bob surpassing Jeremy for third. In the past two weeks, Bob has gained 6.5 more points than Jeremy. Now only 0.42 points separate Bob, Jeremy, and Jonathan. Would any of them be content with the bronze medal? Does Joel send out punctual recap emails? In other words, NO! (Sorry, Joel.)

Roger, Joel, and Jarrett are all battling to avoid the basement. Jarrett's strategy seems to have shifted. He's now flinging less hail Marys and throwing more solid short-range passes. Perhaps his goal is no longer to capture the glory of first, but to escape the shame of last.

One reason for hope for those who are trying to catch John: take a look at his points for/against differential. It's fourth best in the pool. This means that a lot of the close games have been going John's way. Perhaps the second half of the season won't be so kind to him.

"In our opinion, Joel Kuehner resembles an old Barry Sanders. Our scouts have their eyes on him. And there's a very real possibility that if Jackson can't go this Sunday, you could see Joel in a Bills uniform. However, the league has advised us that a conflict of interest might exist due to Joel's position as an NFL football pool commissioner."--Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey

Joel is so fast, he makes other guys seem like they're standing still!

--Jonathan

Current Standings

Week 2 - More Morand

Week 2 Results

It's not midnight yet, is it?

Here are the week 2 results.

Patrick is making Roger try a little harder to keep up this year.

Best pick of the week:  Bucs over Vikings.

Worst pick of the week:  Chiefs over Lions.

Critical game of the week:  Cowboys at Niners.

--Joel Kuehner