PLAYOFFS - WILD CARD WEEKEND WITH RESULTS
PLAYOFFS - WILD CARD WEEKEND
Talk about a group of guys who need to wipe the slate clean - yes, the one and only Savants head into the Playoffs with the tally reset to zero. We’ve been doing this for years to make the playoffs just as exciting as the regular season. It is wide open, and anyone can win. Will we have some positive scores for the playoffs - GUARANTEED. Put that in 3-inch headlines. And, how do I know this? Not based on our current track record, but instead on our years of good playoff picks. And, The Goracle unveiled Savant Shirts for us to wear during the Playoffs - I think our mamas used to say looking good is the first step to picking good. There is a chance that the photo may make its way around - that is unless we broke the camera. As there are fewer games to chose from in the postseason - expect to see lots of strategy in who picks first, and how much to weight the picks. Of course startegy in picking correctly should probably be the focus. We also unveil a new playoff for the GP’s this weekend. It looks like some fun as our top regular season pickers are back.
The Guest Picker Playoff Challenge: We enjoyed having the GP Competition this year, so we put Rand to work devising just the right tournament for our best regular season GPs. The top regular season GPs are as follows (note 1 point for a win and .5 point for a tie): Greg Hobbs - 3; Doug Howe - 2.5; Don Sweeting - 2.5; Scott Holtzman - 1.5; and Marcia Mayes - 1.5. Yes, all you had to do was win 1-week and tie the next to make it into this illustrious group. So, how does the tournament work? Well, each week the GP with the lowest total that week is eliminated from the group. The remaining GPs advance to the next round - with a clean slate. As you can see below, each GP took the strategy to just beat one competitor as they all have at least 2 picks. What about ties? Each round will have a tie-breaker that will send someone packing. This week it is the number of Tom Brady passing yards. Good luck, and let the games begin.
Playoffs
Dick +50
Tom +50
Rand -30
The Goracle -50
This Week’s Guest Pickers
Greg Hobbs, Doug Howe, Don Sweeting, Scott Holtzman, and Marcia Mayes
This week’s picks
Dick: $50 on Green Bay/Arizona Over 47.5. Dick’s fine regular season has him picking after Frank and Tom to start the Playoffs. With both Dallas and Green Bay off the board, Cassidy turns to an over/under. Did the fact that the leading regular season GP has that game factor into the pick - we’ll never know. +++ Dick wants extra credit for the 96 total.
Tom: $50 on Dallas -4. Tom is bullish on the Cowboys. Will they show they can’t be trusted yet again, or is this the new look team that pounded Philly last week and is out to pound them again this week? +++ Tom’s jump on the Super Bowl bound Cowboys pays off.
Rand: $20 on Dallas/Philly Under 45. The “for-real” Dallas Defense can get Rand started off on the right foot. Of course, the homerun hitting Eagles could show up this week and make it a bit more tense. XXX Garbage time TD by Philly sinks this under.
$10 on Cincy/Jets Under 34. Word is out that they’ve agreed to play an extra 15 minutes of football - and the Under still won’t be in danger. XXX Even with Cincy leaving points on the field, this one goes over.
$10 on New York Jets +2.5. Rand knows Cincy stinks. This pick looks good as long as Sanchez isn’t needed to pass. +++ Hail to the Jets - at least for another week.
$10 on New England -3.5. Two flawed teams square off in this one. I suppose it makes sense to take the one that is 11-0 in home playoff games with Tom Brady starting. XXX Which QB looked like they weren’t ready for the playoffs? Tom Brady.
Frank: $50 on Green Bay +1. Frank takes the consensus great pick - should he be worried about that consensus. And, what about the rule: never, ever, pick against Kurt Warner in the playoffs. XXX Frank was winning at the end of regulations - just not at the end of OT.
This Week’s Guest Prognosticators - Greg Hobbs +50, Doug Howe +30, Don Sweeting -50, Marcia Mayes -10, and Scott Holtzman -10
Greg: $20 on New York Jets +2.5. Greg agrees that Cincy is bad and done. Besides, we all want another week of Rex Ryan newsconferences. +++ A surprisingly good game - Rex Ryan and the Jets continue on another week.
$30 on Green Bay/Arizona Over 47.5. This looks like an easy one - unless of course that Packer defense really is as good as it is starting to look. XXX Always helps when both teams almost make it over the number.
Brady Yards: 199
Doug: $30 on Dallas -4. Another hometown drinker of the silver and blue Koolaid. Being on the same pick as Tom has to be worrisome. +++ Doug believes what he sees.
$10 on Green Bay +1. Doug goes with Frank on this one. Doesn’t he know not to go the same as the Savants - oh right, they’re better in the Playoffs. XXX Oh so close.
$10 on New York Jets +2.5. Doug is with Rand and Greg on this one. I’m for taking a nap with during this one. +++ a good win for the Jets.
Brady Yards: 272
Don: $30 on Cincy -2.5. Don steps out where no one has gone before - showing those Bengals some love. This will sets up some big separation in the GP competition. XXX But for the kicker Shane Graham, they should have had a chance.
$20 on New England -3.5. Don also buys into the fact that NE doesn’t lose at home in the playoffs - and that Baltimore is not the Baltmore we remember. XXX Both division champs crash ends Don’s season as well.
Brady Yards: 180
Marcia: $20 on Green Bay +1. A popular pick this week. Should we go ahead and mark it down as correct- nah. XXX Another one goes down with the Pack.
$20 on Baltimore +3.5. Marcia likes the good running team in the cold weather. Maybe, but that is Tom Brady over on the other side. +++ Too much too fast for the underwhelming Pats.
$10 on Cincy -2.5. Marcia joins Don on this one. Can the Bengals really pull out of their tailspin? XXX Nope, not this year.
Brady Yards: 257
Scott: $20 on Green Bay +1. A stonecold lock on this board. Scott stays in step with the competition. XXX And yet another pick fails with the Pack.
$20 on Baltimore +3.5. Scott and Marcia go 2 for 2 with their first two picks - what will separate them? +++ The Ravens look to cause problems next week as well.
$10 on Dallas/Philly Under 45. Scott and Rand share the low scoring view for tonight’s game at the Jerryworld. XXX Another victim of garbage time.
Brady Yards: 264
Note: The Sports Savants do not gamble with real money and do not endorse, recommend or promote doing so. The dollar figures above are in “pretend” money, as a way of measuring our success in the game. Not only is gambling illegal in many jurisdictions, it is also pretty dumb. In the end, the house always wins. That’s why the house has gold plated ceilings, dancing girls, magic shows and enormous fountains out front.
*Unlike last year, the guests will compete against each other. The winner between the guest pickers each week will continue to pick the next week. If they win that week, they keep going. There is one asterisk to that sentence - we are attorneys you know - if a guest picker buys lunch for the Savants at the regular pick’em lunch, they will continue to the next week whether they beat the new guest picker or not.
** Perhaps the Savants have been spending a bit too much time concerning themselves with country club law, private clubs and resorts law, membership law, and related hospitality law matters.