Week 15: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This week:

1. Jarrett R. (11-5 + 1.5 bonus) - 12.5 points

1. Joel (11-5 + 1.5 bonus) - 12.5 points

1. Patrick (11-5 + 1.5 bonus) - 12.5 points

1. Jeremy (11-5 + 1.5 bonus) - 12.5 points

5. Jonathan (10-6) - 10 points

5. Jarrett M. (10-6) - 10 points

5. Roger (10-6) - 10 points

8. Bob (3-13) - 3 points

8. Nathan (3-13) - 3 points

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmastime? No, silly. It's the final two weeks of the Football Pool!

Jarrett M. is still in the lead, but he's now less than one point (0.96) ahead of Joel. And Jonathan, Patrick and Jeremy aren't too far behind. Who will make the big move in week 16?

Week 15 notes and ramblings: (1) Everybody probably laughed at Jeremy's pick of the Cardinals...until they won. However, that loner pick was cancelled out by his unsuccessful loner pick of the Ravens. (2) Jarrett M. did everyone a big favor by picking the Jets. It's McElroy time! (3) Your 2013 starting QB for the Jacksonville Jaguars: Tim Tebow! (4) Who's your MVP? Adrian Peterson? Peyton Manning? Tom Brady? (5) I'm never going to figure out the Giants. Maybe they aren't who I thought they were. I wouldn't be disappointed to see them slip out of the playoffs. (6) Same goes for the Steelers. Wouldn't it be nice to see the Bengals win that division? (7) Joel is now leading in bonus points, but he's tied for second (with Jonathan) in wins. Joel also still leads in points for. (8) If the 49ers had not won on Sunday night, Patrick may have raised the white flag in his backyard. 

So far:

1. Jarrett M. (145-78 + 12.83 bonus) - 157.83 points (no change) 

2. Joel (143-80 + 13.87 bonus) - 156.87 points (no change)

3. Jonathan (143-80 + 10.53 bonus) - 153.53 points (no change)

4. Patrick (140-83 + 12.08 bonus) - 152.08 points (no change)

5. Jeremy (141-82 + 9.95 bonus) - 150.95 points (no change)

6. Roger (137-86 + 8.08 bonus) - 145.08 points (no change)

7. Jarrett R. (131-92 + 12.08 bonus) - 143.08 points (+1)

8. Bob (124-99 + 11.03 points) - 135.03 points (-1)

9. Nathan (108-115 + 5.53 bonus) - 113.53 points (no change)

Week 9: Patrick Star

This week:

1. Patrick (13-1 + 3 bonus) - 14 points
2. Jarrett R. (11-3 + 0.75 bonus) - 11.75 points
2. Jonathan (11-3 + 0.75 bonus) - 11.75 points
2. Jarrett M. (11-3 + 0.75 bonus) - 11.75 points
2. Jeremy (11-3 + 0.75 bonus) - 11.75 points
6. Joel (10-4) - 10 points
7. Nathan (9-5) - 9 points
7. Roger (9-5) - 9 points
9. Bob (6-8) - 6 points

"Have I ever not been right?"--Patrick Star

Patrick was the star of week 9, going 13-1 and jumping back into first place. The key victory for the "Sales Wizard" was the Steelers' win over the Giants. (Jarrett R. and Nathan also picked the game correctly.)

Now can Patrick stay in first? So far this season, no one has been able to separate himself from the pack. With a good week 10, either Jeremy or Jarrett M. could take the top spot from Patrick. And if Jarrett R., Jonathan, or Joel put together two solid weeks of picks, it's conceivable one of them could end up in first. Nathan could get there with a run of three outstanding weeks. Roger and Bob? Baby steps.

Week 9 notes: (1) Eli Manning needs to make up his mind about whether he's elite or not. On Sunday he threw for only 125 yards (10 for 24 with 1 interception). (2) Peyton Manning has 2,404 passing yards for the 5-3 Broncos. Andrew Luck has 2,404 passing yards for the 5-3 Colts.  (3) Luck's 433 passing yards on Sunday were the most ever by a rookie QB. (4) Luck is leading the NFL in average pass distance (10.2 yards). Still ready to crown RG3 the offensive ROY?

So far:

1. Patrick (86-46 + 10.33 bonus) - 96.33 points (+1)
2. Jeremy (85-47 + 8.45 bonus) - 93.45 points (-1)
3. Jarrett M. (84-48 + 8.08 bonus) - 92.08 points (-1)
4. Jarrett R. (81-51 + 7.58 bonus) - 88.58 points (no change)
5. Jonathan (82-50 + 6.28 bonus) - 88.28 points (no change)
6. Joel (81-51 + 5.37 bonus) - 86.37 points (no change)
7. Nathan (79-53 + 5.53 bonus) - 84.53 points (no change)
8. Roger (75-57 + 1.83 bonus) - 76.83 points (+1)
9. Bob (72-60 + 3.53 bonus) - 75.53 points (-1)

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 5: Insurance

This week:

1. Patrick (12-2 + 3 bonus) - 15 points

2. Nathan (11-3 + 2 bonus) - 13 points

3. Jonathan (10-4 + 0.33 bonus) - 10.33 points

3. Joel (10-4 + 0.33 bonus) - 10.33 points

3. Jarrett M. (10-4 + 0.33 bonus) - 10.33 points

6. Jeremy (9-5) - 9 points

6. Roger (9-5) - 9 points

8. Bob (8-6) - 8 points

9. Jarrett R. (7-7) - 7 points

"It's Patrick! He took out life insurance! Good for you, son!"--Norwich Union commercial, circa 1990

Congratulations to Patrick on another great weak. His two highlights in week 5 were his picks of the Rams and Dolphins. The Mighty Morand started the season slowly, but now he's in first.

Whenever I hear the name "Patrick," I think of an old Norwich Union life insurance commercial (see video below). Back when I was in high school, this commercial seemed to be shown constantly during broadcasts of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. I was always amazed at how Patrick was able to tell his father in a fraction of a second that he had taken out life insurance.

Just like in life, it never hurts to have insurance in the Football Pool. A few extra wins in week 5 provide insurance for Patrick in case when he has a terrible week later in the season (like Joel's recent 12-loss week).

Gain all the points you can now because you don't know what will happen later on.

Week 5 notes: (1) All of this week's loner picks were unsuccessful: Chiefs (Jarrett R.), Redskins (Jarrett R.), Eagles (Bob), Titans (Nathan), and Jets (Jeremy). (2) In the "real" standings, Patrick and Jeremy are in first with 47 wins. Jonathan and Jarrett M. are next with 46 wins. (3) Jonathan has the best points differential so far, but, once again, luck has not been on his side. (4) Last night's Texans vs. Jets game was the 666th Monday Night Football game in NFL history. At the end of the game, Mark Sanchez's 2012 quarterback rating was 66.6. He's also thrown 6 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and his longest completion of the year is 66 yards. By the way, Sanchez wears number 6.

So far:

1. Patrick (47-30 + 6.33 bonus) - 53.33 points
2. Jeremy (47-30 + 5.2 bonus) - 52.2 points
3. Jarrett M. (46-31 + 4.33 bonus) - 50.33 points
4. Jonathan (46-31 + 3.03 bonus) - 49.03 points
5. Jarrett R. (44-33 + 4.5 bonus) - 48.5 points
6. Joel (44-33 + 2.37 bonus) - 46.37 points
7. Nathan (43-34 + 2.2 bonus) - 45.2 points
8. Bob (40-37 + 3.2 bonus) - 43.2 points
9. Roger (41-36 + 1.83 bonus) - 42.83 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 1 - Beginner's Luck?

This week:

1. Jarrett R. (12-4 + 3 bonus) - 15 points
2. Jonathan (12-4 + 2.5 bonus) - 14.5 points
3. Joel (10-6 + 0.33 bonus) - 10.33 points
3. Patrick (10-6 + 0.33 bonus) - 10.33 points
3. Roger (10-6 + 0.33 bonus) - 10.33 points
6. Jarrett M. (9-7 + 0.5 bonus) - 9.5 points
7. Jeremy (9-7) - 9 points
8. Nathan (8-8) - 8 points
9. Bob (0-1) - 0 points

For the second straight year, Jonathan invited a Jarrett to join the Football Pool. Last year's Jarrett finished last. The new Jarrett is off to a quick start, taking top spot in week 1. Is this a case of beginner's luck, or will Jarrett R. be a Football Pool powerhouse? Time will tell.

Week 1 notes: (1) There were two successful loner picks, both by Jarretts: Jarrett R. picked the Cowboys to beat the Giants, and Jarrett M. picked the 49ers to beat the Packers. (2) There were two unsuccessful loner picks: Patrick picked the Chiefs to beat the Falcons, and Jeremy picked the Browns to beat the Eagles. (3) Bob may have forgotten to send in his picks. If so, Joel might give him credit for all the games we were unanimous on, which would give him a 5-9 record.

Week 14 - Kuehner Fever

Week 14 Results

Jeremy - 15-1 (+3)
Joel - 13-3 (+1.5)
Patrick - 13-3 (+1.5)
Jarrett - 12-4
Jonathan - 12-4
John - 12-4
Roger - 12-4
Bob - 11-5

Did the rumored tongue-lashing from Bert "Double Crown" Kuehner actually take place? If so, it was effective as both Kuehner boys posted good weeks. But it was the Golden Boy, Jeremy, who took top spot. The only pick he got wrong (SF) was also picked wrong by everyone else.

"Tacos in the wild?! I haven't been this excited since that one time I thought I might actually have a chance to win the pool!! Hey, anyone know if there's a bathroom close by?"--Joel Kuehner (Jeremy, less excited, is on the right.)

For the second week in a row, the Mighty Morand narrowed the gap between him and Commander Couch.   But if Patrick would have put a little faith in his Jaguars, he would be 1.5 points closer! The importance of each point is now magnified.

Week 14 notes: (1) Patrick is now 4.67 points behind John. (2) If Patrick had picked the Jaguars, he would only be 3.17 points behind. (3) Jonathan has now passed Bob for third, which means that the Forest Hills Boys are now 1-2-3.

It's said, "Bad company spoils ruins good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33 ESV). Perhaps it should also be said, "Bad company spoils good football sense." (Jarrett is front row center.)

--Jonathan

Well, week 14 is in, and Jeremy is the big winner, with a stellar 15-1 record. Fortunately for him, he did 2 better than everyone else. Otherwise, there would have been some controversy. Why? Well, his Thursday pick was a consensus pick. And my policy is to allow consensus picks, especially for pretty one-sided games. However, I don't (intentionally, at least) allow consensus picks to give you bonus points. So, in other words, the bonus points are based on Jeremy going 14-2. Since 14-2 is still better than everyone else, he gets full bonus. Actually, on a week with only 4 games that matter, getting 2 better than everyone else is pretty good.

Jeremy blew by me, Jonathan has squeaked by Bob, and Patrick is continuing his mission to squeeze by John.

Best pick of the week: Jaguars over Buccaneers.

Worst pick of the week: Dolphins over Eagles. (Come on, all you Dolphin bandwagoners. Philly's badness and Miami's goodness are relative.)

Critical game of the week: Giants at Cowboys (ridiculous).

Three weeks left, with one of them being a free-for-all.

--Joel

Week 13 - Patrick Strikes Back

Week 13 Results

Patrick - 13-3 (+3)

Jonathan - 12-4 (+2)

John - 12-4 (+1.5)

Jarrett - 9-7

Bob - 9-7

Jeremy - 9-7

Joel - 8-8

Roger - 8-8

Just when everyone thought John was going to run away and hide, the Mighty Morand responds by putting 16 big points up on the board, narrowing the gap between him and Commander Couch. With four weeks to go, everything is setting up for an epic struggle between two of the pool's Forest Hills Boys. As HNIC's Bob Cole might say, "EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING!" The third Forest Hills Boy, Jonathan, presently sits in fourth, 0.92 points behind Bob. Jonathan's goal is now to finish in third, which would give the Forest Hills Boys a clean sweep of the medal podium.

The Forest Hills Boys: Jonathan, Patrick, and John

You may have noticed that two "participants in training," Connor (Jonathan's 11-year-old son) and Gillian (Patrick's 7-year-old daughter), have started making picks. Last Sunday Connor boasted, "You could just make random picks and do better than some people." However, Connor's picks were not completely random in week 13. He has stated that he will always pick the Patriots (not forced by Jonathan). And he was also counselled by his father to consider win-loss records. The result: a 10-6 record--better than Jarrett, Bob, Jeremy, Joel, and Roger. On Monday morning, when Jonathan informed Connor, "You did better than some of the guys in the pool," Jonathan's other son, six-year-old Cohen, asked, "What guys in the pool?" If this football thing involved a swimming pool, Cohen was ready to sign up.

The Football Pool Blog is presently trying to substantiate rumors of a Sunday evening Kuehner family conference call. One source claims that reigning pool champion Bert scolded his two sons, Jeremy and Joel, for their weak 2011 performances. If true, Christmas with the Kuehners could be a bit awkward this year.

Week 13 notes: (1) John is now 7.17 points ahead of Patrick--certainly not an insurmountable lead. (2) John is third in points for/against (behind Patrick and Jonathan) but has 6 more wins than Patrick and 9 more than Jonathan. (3) Jarrett (despite missing 2 weeks of picks) is now closer to Jeremy, Joel, and Roger than those three are to John. (4) Gillian (perhaps foolishly) has more faith in her father's favorite team, picking the Jaguars to win in the Monday night game. (5) Jonathan is now tied with Bob in wins.

Will John enjoy a smooth ride to the championship? Or are there bumps ahead?

--Jonathan

Well, needless to say, week 13 was essential for Patrick. If he wants any hope of catching John, he needed week 13, and he needs at least a couple more of them. Of course, it would be better for him if John had relented a little, allowing his complacency to take over. But the entire Dartmouth trio was strong this week, thanks to Jonathan's after-the-fact "Oh yeah, by the way, I picked Seattle." Dismal week for me; I'm still barely in 4th. Poor week for Bob as well, but he's still holding onto 3rd by a hair over Jonathan.

Best pick of the week: Seahawks over Eagles. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Worst pick of the week: Jaguars over Chargers. Why did I rationalize over my gut?

Critical game of the week: Panthers at Bucs. If you got that right, you got points.

Most suspicious pick of the week: Seahawks over Eagles.

--Joel

Pool Participant Profile: Patrick Morand

Alone on Morand Island: I'm smiling, but I'm really crying inside (see below).

Birthplace: North Bay, ON.

Current residence: Dartmouth, NS.

Profession: Sales and marketing. (Editor's note: a bit vague?)

Wife: Tara.

Children: Gillian (7).

Church: Forest Hills Fellowship Baptist Church.

Nickname: Yes I Said It First. (Editor's note: Has anyone ever called Patrick this, other than himself?)

Favorite NFL team: Jaguars.

Most hated NFL team: Dolphins.

Favorite NFL studio personality: Jimmy Johnson.

Most annoying NFL studio personality: Boomer Esiason.

Favorite NFL analyst: Troy Aikman.

Favorite sport: Hockey.

Favorite athlete: Cal Ripken Jr., Dale Hunter, Esa Tikkanen, Ulf Samuelsson, Alex Ovechkin, Bernie Nicholls, Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Chris Hoiles, Kelly Hrudey, Adam Jones (not "Pac Man"), Mickey Tettleton, Mark Brunell, Tim Tebow (just added). (Editor's note: Thanks for narrowing it down to just a few, Patrick.)

Christmas wishlist: Stanley Cup.

Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption.

Favorite TV show: Seinfeld.
Who do you like least between Mike Milbury and Don Cherry? Cherry.

What three items would you want if you were stranded on a deserted island? Laptop with Wi-Fi, satellite TV, and a McDonald's restaurant. (Editor's note: Sadly, Patrick will lack a power supply for his computer, TV, and restaurant.)
What would you do if you won this year's pool championship? Start planning to repeat. Extra answers: "Win the pool? Win the pool? I'm just trying to win one week!" "If I win the pool then everyone will know I am who I thought I was." "I play to win the game." (Editor's note: Those added answers are actually things Patrick would say, not do. But maybe that's being a bit too picky.)
How many TVs do you have in your rec room? Two.

Week 10 - Another Insanely Good Week for Patrick

Week 10 Results

This week's winners:

  

Patrick - 10-6 (+3)
Jonathan - 9-5 (+1.5)
Roger - 9-5 (+1.5)
Bob - 8-8
Joel - 8-8
John - 7-9
Jeremy - 6-10
Jarrett - 1-15 (didn't submit picks)

If you've ever watched sports with Patrick, you know he likes to yell at the TV. We assume he knows that the players can't hear him, but that never seems to stop him. If the Jaguars are driving to take the lead at the end of the game, Patrick will often yell, "DON'T SCORE TOO SOON!" And now as Patrick is so close to regaining the lead from John, all of his fans (Tara & Gillian?) are yelling, "DON'T SCORE TOO SOON?" Will Patrick ignore his own advice? Or will he peak too soon?

While we're thinking of questions concerning Patrick, other questions come to mind. Questions like, if Patrick takes the lead, will he start to become complacent (like John?) and not push the keyboard as hard when submitting his picks? Will the seemingly illogical reasoning behind Joel's weekly awards cause Patrick to suffer a nervous breakdown? (Right now, Joel's assessment of the Colts over the Jaguars as the worst pick of the week is probably driving Patrick crazy. I do think, though, that if you don't trust your favorite team to beat the Colts, you have absolutely no faith in them. Where is the loyalty?) Does Patrick have enough money to pay Bert's former advisers (whom Patrick claimed to have hired at the end of last season)? Yelling at the TV, hiring imaginary advisers--maybe he's already gone crazy!

The most satisfying pick of the week was Jonathan's pick of New England. (Roger also picked the Patriots, but he's not a New England fan.) By now it should be clear that you should be very careful about picking against the Patriots when everyone doubts them. The Patriots win allowed Jonathan and Roger to share second place this week.

With the excitement of Patrick's pursuit of John, perhaps no one has noticed that Jeremy has been tumbling down the standings. In week 7, he was less that one point out of second place. He now sits in fifth. The reclusive Jeremy was unavailable for comment.

"Lastly, I would like to say that my decisions as a coach affect not only our football team and our fans, but also the Football Pool. My decision to go for it on fourth down in overtime allowed Patrick to steal first place this week from Jonathan and for that I am deeply sorry."--Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith

--Jonathan

I'm really getting sick of NFL football. It's so tiring making the best picks week in and week out, and not getting the points for it!

There are lots of candidates for all of these, but here's what I'm dishing out this week. I'm sure these could be debated ad nauseum.

Best pick of the week: Giants over Niners. Just kidding. Titans over Panthers.

Worst pick of the week: Colts over Jaguars. And Patrick still won the week.

Critical game of the week: Patriots at Jets.

It's good to see the Bills back. And the Lions. Nice to see the Eagles living up to expectations. Nice for Atlanta to show no faith in their defence, even though they'd just 3-and-outed the Saints the previous possession. How about those Rams? Convincing win #2. Tim Tebow. 2 for 8, 60-some yards, and a 17-10 win.

--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 8 - Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

Week 8 Results

This weeks winners:

 

Bob - 10-3 (+2.5)
Patrick - 10-3 (+2.5)
Jonathan - 10-3 (+2)
Jeremy - 8-5
Joel - 8-5
John 8-5
Jarrett 7-6
Roger 7-6

I think week 8 was the first time this season when the MNF game was meaningful for our pool. AND WHAT A GAME IT WAS! (However, I'm sure I would have a different perspective if I had been on the losing end of that game.)

In case you missed it, the game was tied 20-20 with less than a minute left and the Chargers on the Chief's 15-yard line. Everyone knew that San Diego would soon kick a game-winning field goal. BUT EVERYONE WAS WRONG!

What happened? Philip Rivers fumbled the snap and the Chiefs recovered. The game went into overtime and the rest is history. (Are the Chargers the least-clutch team in NFL history?)

For Philip Rivers, it was "the worst day ever." For me, checking the score this morning gave me a nice start to my day. (I now wish I had stayed up to see the end of the Chargers/Chiefs game--or at least PVRed it. Unfortunately, I turned the TV off right before this play.)

Was week 8 the start of John's fall back down to earth? Or was it simply a bump in the road? Time will tell.

--Jonathan

It seems some folks are a bit put off that some of the weekly recaps are too much Joel-focused, and not enough them-focused. So I'll attempt to stroke a few egos this week. But first, the objective stuff.

Best pick of the week: Steelers over Patriots. (I would've given this to Pat for his Vikings pick, but his Cowboys pick nullified it.)

Worst pick of the week: Cowboys over Eagles.

Critical game of the week: Chargers at Chiefs. (If this had gone the other way, Bob would have won outright and there would have been a 5-way tie for second).

Kudos to Bob for a stellar week. He didn't even pick the Chargers/Chiefs game, and he still tied for first place. Kudos to Pat for a stellar week. He picked the Cowboys over the Eagles, and he still tied for first place. Kudos to Jonathan for a stellar week. He kind of tied for first, but didn't have a loner pick. He actually gained ground on John. Kudos to Jeremy for doing as well as John. Kudos to John for doing as well as Jeremy. Kudos to Roger for correctly going against his Browns. I know it's hard, but you're getting better at it this year. Kudos to Jarrett for ... um ... picking KC.

We're about half-way done the pool now, and John has broken 100 points. I'm not sure he's catchable, even for you guys who think you're close. He's just statistically too consistent. It's like election night, when the liberals/democrats are winning, and you're thinking, "But wait, only 20% of the polls are reporting! There's still a chance we'll come back! What if every remaining voter votes conservative/republican?", but you know it's just not going to happen. Sorry to burst everyone's bubbles (except for John's). Note: this does not mean we're officially projecting John as the 2011 pool winner.

--Joel

Week 3 - The Forest Hills Boys

Week 3 Results

This week's winners:

  

Well, week 3 went pretty much as the previous weeks for Patrick and John. It also unfortunately went about the same as previous weeks for me. Bob had his first poor week. Jonathan got his first bonus points.
There were 3 players each with two loners, each of whom got one loner right and one loner wrong. A lot of games this week were actually very tight, such that really there were no particularly bad picks. If you look at the PF-PA for the week, it was really tight. Actually, Roger did the best in that category thanks to his Giants pick.

Best pick of the week: Raiders over Jets (maybe Giants over Eagles).

Worst pick of the week: Jaguars over Panthers.

Critical game of the week: Redskins versus Cowboys.

Looks like the Lions/Bills Super Bowl is shaping up.

--Joel Kuehner

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

Week 1 - The Mighty Morand

Week 1 Results

Patrick is off to a flying start.

Best pick of the week: Bills over Chiefs.

Worst pick of the week: Steelers over Ravens.

Critical game of the week: Giants at Redskins.

Things look promising for my Lions, Jeremy's Bills, Bob's Eagles and Patrick's Jaguars.

Things don't look so promising for John's and Roger's Browns.

Of course, things are always looking fine for Jonathan's Patriots.

I don't know what team Jarrett roots for.

--Joel Kuehner

Questions from Last Season's Football Quiz

In case you were curious, here are the questions from last season's McLeod NFL Playoff Party Football Quiz. All of the questions involved either the Seahawks or the Bears because the quiz was administered during the halftime of the Seahawks/Bears playoff game. Since the previous post, Patrick has been complaining on Twitter about how I handicapped the quiz to benefit John. (See slide 2 of the presentation.) To read more of Patrick's complaints, go to his Twitter page. Here is my reply and John's comeback.

The Undefeated, Undisputed Football Quiz Champion

This year, there were only two participants in the third annual McLeod NFL Playoff Party Football Quiz (otherwise known as the MNFLPPFQ): Patrick Morand and John Couch. The quiz has become a highlight of the McLeod NFL Playoff Party, and for the third year in a row, Patrick Morand took home the coveted winner's certificate (pictured above). Is there anyone who can dethrone the king of the quiz? Perhaps Joel Kuehner, Football Pool commissioner, will fly in from New York next year to challenge Patrick.

Patrick's Prediction

Here's a reminder of football pool veteran Patrick Morand's Super Bowl prediction.