2014 NFL PickUm Game

The trick is to write it out in Notepad or Wordpad first using a fixed-pitch
font like Courier.

I was pleased indeed, but my over all standing is just plain sad, sad, sad.

For what I thought was a tough week for picks we had a lot of success. I'm kicking myself that I didn't pick the Patriots at home. My first inclination was to go with them: They've been on a skid, Brady and the team are embarrassed, everyone is picking the Bengals and they're at home. They're going to win.


Then I thought, Oh that pick is based too much on hokey, football conventional wisdom, I'm going cerebral and with the better team.

Aggghhh. Now the next game I pick on the basis of hokey, football conventional wisdom, the better team on paper will win.

WEEK 6 GAMES

Indianapolis at Houston
Jacksonville at Tennessee
Baltimore at Tampa Bay
Denver at NY Jets
Detroit at Minnesota
New England at Buffalo
Carolina at Cincinnati
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
Green Bay at Miami
SanDiego at Oakland
Chicago at Atlanta
Dallas at Seattle
Washington at Arizona
NY Giants at Philadelphia
SanFrancisco at St. Louis (+score)

Thanks for the schedule. Time to study up on my hunches again.

I started the sub-game involving dividing into teams last year. It never really caught on but it's back for a second year. My intention is to kill time leading up to Thursday night's game.
You will recall that I put us on teams based on the alphabetical ordering of our names.
After 5 weeks the rankings are amazingly close:

Team 4 (Mman. Ms Cow, Osso & Panz) is in 1st with a score of 634.
Team 1 (Andy, Coastal, Cowdoc & Edgar) is 2nd at 615.
Team 5 (Rag, RJB, Rhys & Tico) is 3rd with 571.
Team 2 (Ehbeth, Finn, Fbaezer, George & Jauman) follows in 4th at 566.
Team 3 (JPB, Light, Lion & McG) is last at 556.

The difference between 1st and 5th is a mere 68. Last week the spread was 76.

Here is what is really amusing: the spread between the best and worst player on each team:
Team 1: 224 points
Team 2: 145
Team 3: 53
Team 4: 211
Team 5: 98

An early suggestion for next year: Based on the number of participants, create as close to even membered teams as possible.

Select captains of each team from the those with the best results from this year, and allow them to pick the members of their teams. Taking turns in order of 2014 scores but reversing the order when the last captain has picked.

If there aren't enough participants to make for even teams, the teams will the lowest cumulative 2014 scores get the odd men/women out.

Merely a suggestion.

OK, thanks for your thoughts.
You should note, though, that in two seasons I have received only two other comments. Both came from Tico, suggesting that the team he was on should be called "The Cool Kids."
We face a tough audience.

I've commented before, on my likelihood to pull my team down in the standings.

WEEK 6

Indianapolis
Tennessee
Tampa Bay
Denver
Detroit
New England
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Green Bay
San Diego
Atlanta
Seattle

Philadelphia
San Francisco 34-24

I'm starting to like how this season's version of the Team game works. Particularly what I like is the dynamics of having a team captain, too, as it provides a direction instead of just a static dynamic. I like this 'cause it makes for a fun twist and would increase pre-match chatter and, most importantly, the trash talk.

I have liked the alphabetical listing for teams. I'd rather have an equal number of players (I can see johnboy's reasoning though) - but, hey, given our various ebbs and flows of abilities, that could be quite a bummer year after year. So, maybe I'd like teams picked from a basket each year instead of alphabetical. Dunno.. I like my present team, and well I should, eh.

I'm adverse to complicated.

On my picks, I keep rethinking. Will post later today.

I would expect the selected teams would change at an interval of every year, at least.

It's not a big deal, just something to fill time with between weekends.

Right now we have five teams based on the alphabet, with all but one (#2) having four members. #2 has five. This gives #2 an advantage if I understand the scoring .

I'm looking at this in the abstract and not with the current teams or individual results in mind. Although the 5 member team (#2) hasn't made much of the advantage it still could, if pick accuracy changes as the season progresses. And if the roster of players change next year, with the alphabet as the team selection criteria, the five member team or teams could have a significant advantage.

It's certainly not an issue for me, but I thought, as a simple mental exercise, I would figure out a way to reduce the element of chance and in a small way provide a reward (other than obvious bragging rights) for the top finishers.

It also creates a little "event" before the start of next year's season: team selection.

I have no idea if my current moderate success will be sustained and I could easily end up on the bottom so I don't want any of my current team members to think I am dissatisfied with our membership. We do, after all, have what I think is an advantage that could kick in any week now.

Anyone at the "bottom" of the standings shouldn't worry about "dragging down" their team. First because it's all in fun, and secondly (if we adopt my suggestion) the team member selection process should spread the "top" and "bottom" players around evenly (this assumes of course that the captains pick their team based on past performance rather than who they like, or are related to )

For the people who are not captains, it won't be any more complicated than it is now, and I have faith that the captains can handle the level of complexity required to pick a team

My competitive nature would be better served if there was money on the line, but that's not at all what I'm suggesting. This could just be a way to spice up the competitive elements that exist already.

Again, it's just a suggestion, I'm not trying to take over the process. It can certainly wait until later for a decision, or never have one.

It's still fun, regardless.

Unless everyone performs the same in relation to everyone else, they should change, or at least the opportunity for change will exist.

Last week we agreed on about 80% of our picks which is in line with other weeks this season. The difference is that we were collectively correct on a season high of 80% of our picks. That is much better than usual. Exceptional performance even with the Lions loss to the Bills. No one saw that happening.
The best ESPN expert went 13-2 and is 51-25 for the season. He would be in a tie for 3rd. The worst guy finished at 9-6 and at 43-33 would be tied for 11th.
The home team was 12-3 last week.

Andy's Selections For Week 6:
Indy
Tenn
Balt
Denver
Minn
NE
Cincy
Pitt
GB
SD
Atl
Sea
Az
Phil
SF (21-17)

Houston
Jacksonville
Baltimore
Denver
Minnesota
New England
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Miami
SanDiego
Atlanta
Seattle
Arizona
NY Giants
SanFrancisco (20-14)

The problem with me being on a team is that I play by my own rules. The
other members of the team should not be penalized for my pro-NE and
anti-NY biases.