SZN and BFIG Survivor Pool History

Rule #1: NO DAMN TIES

A lot of survivor pools allow multiple champions. Commish laughs at this minor league tomfoolery. All SZN competitions have ONE champion. In BFIG, we have a title belt. Because no damn ties.

THE "BFIG" NAME: We're never changing it

In 2009, Commish had just wrapped years of USC Daily Trojan work covering football games that technically never happened (f*** you, NCAA!); he wanted a way to keep writing about sports.

Commish is a *giant* Packers fan. Commish is also from Minnesota. 2009 was the year Brett Favre first played for the Vikings. Devastated, Commish knew there was only one way he could constructively harness his confusion and anger - naming his survivor pool in Brett Favre’s (dis)honor.

Thus, THE NFL (Brett Favre Isn’t Gonna) Survivor Pool was born. Ten years later, Commish is still hoping someone can get Brett in the damn pool.

SZN RECAPS: How legends were born

2017: They'll win at some point... right?

Yeah, the 2016 season recap title? Scratch that. Despite moving to two picks per week in Week 10, the Browns still enabled three perfect BFIG seasons. It came down to the gutsiest pickoff pick ever...

See full recap and picks

2016: We've reached peak Brownsy Browns

One year after the most brutal survival season on record, the pendulum absolutely... well, it absolutely Brownsed. Riding a historic wave of Browns futility, the 2016 title came down to the largest tiebreaker in BFIG history...

See full recap and picks

2015: We witnessed the survivorpocalypse

Never again will we see the level of destruction we witnessed in 2015. Commish is a “never say never” guy, yet he’s comfortable breaking his own rule in this instance...

See full recap and picks

2014: HE CAUGHT IT!!! ... RIGHT?!

Remember Dez Bryant's ~~catch~~ incompletion in the Cowboys-Packers playoff game? Yeah. That might have decided BFIG 2014. In a year marked by razor-thin margins and repeated escapes - never before had a season gone to the playoff Divisional Round - two brave souls battled a full 19 weeks to decide sports' most coveted amateur title...

See full recap and picks

More recaps:

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009

RECORDS: ESPN calls Commish and he hangs up

BFIG participants

2020: 13,070 BLL ballers
2019: 9,251 pugnacious players
2018: 6,870 pylon plowers
2017: 6,250 saucy soothsayers
2016: 4,023 brave ballers
2015: 2,272 Moxie marauders
2014: 1,084 piquant pickers
2013: 462 proud prognosticators
2012: 247 frenzied footballers
2011: 129 classy combatants
2010: 86 sophomore survivors
2009: 46 pigskin pioneers

Title Belt wearers

2020: @fukushima, Week 16
2019: @Calacci, Week 13
2018: @blahblah, Week 14
2017: @footballnovice, Wildcard Wknd
2016: @nbossert, Divisional Rd
2015: @dphilly, Week 11
2014: @davidmmikulka, Divisional Rd
2013: @keving7685, Week 12
2012: @Fral03, Wildcard Wknd
2011: @dave, Week 10
2010: @kensofer, Week 17 (pickoff)
2009: @joshhuff, Week 17

Unique picks win %

2020: 55.2%
2019: 54.8%
2018: 56.4%
2017: 61.1%
2016: 60.2%
2015: 60.3%
2014: 67.6%
2013: 66.4%
2012: 67.3%
2011: 72.4%
2010: 68.1%
2009: 77.5%

Gross picks win %

2020: 77%
2019: 77%
2018: 60%
2017: 76%
2016: 81%
2015: 52% (#Survivorpocalypse)
2014: 76%
2013: 78%
2012: 68%
2011: 72%
2010: 82%
2009: 86% (dumpster fires everywhere)

Most BFIG wins

49, @ryandisraeli
48, @aaron
48, @kensofer
48, @rhettbollinger
48, @tylerhannasch
46, @ctfries
46, @jsturner5
44, @jzentgraf
22, @TheCommish (I'm bad at this)

Second Chance Pool champs

2020: @Awgreen89 (Half-Shaved Shawarma Meat Stack)
2019: @davidjosephaguilar (Irrational Confidence Plate)
2018: @rchmcfall5 (YOU LIKE IT Cup)
2017: @jlsing (Case BEERKEGNUM)
2016: @chrisb (Rex Ryan Buffet Plate)
2015: @ryankartje (Inflated Balls Cup)
2014: @zone9001 (Chomp Cup)
2013: @andrewbattaglini (Walrus Cup)
2012: @hardnaks (Tate Trophy)
2011: @matthewiroslin (Colts Luck Trophy)
2010: @kyryder (Moss Cup)
2009: @joepreiner (Blount Cup)

Most Second Chance wins

42, @zone9001
41, @chrisb
33, @cbernal4
33, @jjsflorida
32, @brbarbour
32, @jsturner5
31, @jessemlee
31, @jonathan
31, @shermoso27

"Moxie" pick records

2017: 6-6
2016: 5-10
2015: 4-2
2014: 6-3
2013: 5-4
2012: 6-5
2011: 1-4
2010: 6-5
2009: 7-4
ALL TIME: 46-43 (.517)

Biggest referral tree branch

1. Grant Tunkel-Jon Shapiro (486 members)
2. JP Barcenas-Anthony Richardson (301)
3. Jesse Lee (277)
4. Nate Regan-Justin Kanter (255)
5. Josh Pasch-Luke Pasch (219)

Margin of Victory, single season (pre-2017)

294, @j8choi (2016)
292, @kyezrsoze (2016)
290, @awalk2008 (2014)
290, @Bridge (2016)
288, @joshhuff (2009)
284, @theycallmebrizz (2016)
281, @Fral03 (2012)
281, @toddbiedenfeld (2016)
278, @tobiaslu (2009)
277, @mikepreuss (2012)

Margin of Victory, single season (2017-)

400, @Rwhoven (2017)
361, @mbuzz93 (2017)
340, @teachoutryan (2017)
327, @jenniferham22 (2017)
326, @Swami_Sez (2017)
319, @footballnovice (2017)

Most Ryan Thurlow

1. Ryan Thurlow (his legendary feat)

Best Survival Team

2017: Cleveland Browns (is there much left to say?)
2016: Cleveland Browns (responsible for an astonishing 4,448 successful picks - 27 percent of the full season total; 1-15 when picked against, which... yup)
2015: New England Patriots (8-0 in games picked - best in BFIG history)
2014: Arizona Cardinals (5-0 when picked; 0-2 when picked against)
2013: Denver Broncos (7-0 record; 163 successful picks; title-clinching pick)
2012: Cleveland Browns (lost all 6 times they were picked against)
2011: Green Bay Packers (5 wins in 5 weeks; championship pick)
2010: Green Bay Packers (4 wins in 4 weeks; 49 total picks)
2009: Seattle Seahawks (2-0 when picked; 0-6 when picked against)

Worst Survival Team

2017: Pittsburgh Steelers (their losses knocked out 10% in Week 3, then 38% in Week 5 during BORTLEMANIA!!! 2017's coming out party)
2016: Arizona Cardinals (knocked out 720 people, including 100+ in three of the first four weeks; lost four times when picked, then won at Seattle in Week 16 to knock out several Title Belt hopefuls)
2015: Tampa Bay Bucs (knocked out 1,000+ BFIGers in Week 2 by beating the Saints; knocked out 27% of the remaining pool in Week 8; beat Philly to cause one of the final week's two knock-outs)
2014: Buffalo Bills (knocked out 286 people, including five in Week 16; huge upset win over CHI in Week 1)
2013: Minnesota Vikings (winless in 3 weeks picked; cost 100 BFIGers their shot at glory)
2012: Arizona Cardinals (responsible for 114 of the 244 title pool losses)
2011: New York Giants (eliminated 78% of field with Week 5 home loss to Seattle)
2010: San Diego Chargers (picked in 8 weeks, lost 4 of them)
2009: Denver Broncos (lost all 3 title pool picks, including decisive Week 17 blowout loss at home; helped create the Curse of Leon Hall in Week 1)

HALL OF FAME: You next?!

Commish keeps a vice grip on Hall of Fame standards. Just how high are they? OBJ tried to dunk on them and promptly paid us $100K to hide the tape.

@joshhuff

Inaugural champ, inducted 2010

@kensofer

2010 champ, inducted 2011

@dave

2011 champ, inducted 2012

@Fral03

2012 champ, inducted 2013

@owskijazz

Boldest winning pick in BFIG history, inducted 2013

@keving7685

2013 champ, inducted 2014

@jessemlee

Two-time Haynesworth Hustle winner, inducted 2014

@davidmmikulka

2014 champ, inducted 2015

@dphilly

2015 champ, inducted 2016

@nbossert

2016 champ, inducted 2017

@jmanfield

2016 runner-up (went 39-1), inducted 2017

@chrisb

2016 Second Chance champ (went 25-0), inducted 2017

@JMB

2016 SC runner-up (went 24-1), inducted 2017

BFIG SECOND CHANCE TROPHIES: Yes, you can laugh

Second Chance starts in Week 5, after the first four weeks of BFIG carnage. You start fresh. Winner gets $10K. Each year, Commish names the trophy after an NFL figure (or three) amid a redemption tour. Behold...

2017: @jlsing

Case BEERKEGNUM