Let's start with a scintillating football brainteaser. Commish does an NFL playoffs against-the-spread competition with some friends. Pick one NFC team, one AFC team, one over/under. If you win that line, you pick it again the next week. Person with the most lines surviving after the Super Bowl wins.
Commish lost his AFC and over/under lines last week. So I have just my NFC team line left. Here's the brainteaser: Guess who I'm picking this week?
DID YOU GUESS?
... ?!?!?!
Chris, the organizer, emails me back: "What would it take for you to not pick the Packers?"
Me: "Packers -3, and I'd start to think about it. But it'd be great because then everyone would take the Cowboys and they'd all lose. Wait, can we actually make that the line?"
If the Packers make the Super Bowl, Commish is throwing a SZN party in San Francisco. I've always wondered when the time would come to actually contact Bud Light Lime. I THINK I FOUND IT.
THIS IS THE WEEK THE HASSELBRACKET GETS INTERESTING (GO MAKE YOUR PICKS!)
HasselBracket picks (our NFL playoffs pick'em) lock tomorrow at 1:30pm PST. Go make 'em. Remember, it's non-elimination - best record wins - so keep picking even if you've dropped a game (or four).
Wildcard Weekend was the chalkiest chalk that ever chalked, sprinkled with a little Eli Face. Nothing to recap, unless Matt McGloin has released a video about the chip on the chip on his shoulder.
This weekend should be way more entertaining, and is already way harder to pick (except for the Patriots). Speaking of, Houston ranks dead last in "playing the Patriots entertainment value," right? Browns: "Can New England win by 40?" Titans: "Matt Cassel Revival Tour!!" Rams: "The Pats sign Charlie Whitehurst on Friday, start him, and win 17-0." All FAR more interesting than Pats-Texans. Someone tell Commish he's wrong.
AWARDING THE REX RYAN BUFFET PLATE TO OUR SECOND CHANCE CHAMP
He went 21-0, including two correct picks each week starting in Week 10. He then went 4-0 in the pickoff. @chrisb pockets $6,000, but FAR more importantly, gets hit hands on THIS:
2016 was Rex Ryan's second chance... at being as large as his brother, Rob. Rex literally had his Lap Band removed to "stand in solidarity" with Rob. Given that 2016 was Rex Ryan's, like, fifth chance at proving he might be able to coach an NFL football team, and he failed, it looks like Rex will have ample time to make good on his second chance at the buffet line.
Cheers to you on a historical run, @chrisb. And cheers to @JMB for a valiant second place effort. View all past Second Chance trophies here.
THE NEW NBA SURVIVOR IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO COMPETE UNTIL MARCH MADNESS
NBA Survivor II starts next week. GET IN!
Same rules as NFL survivor - can't pick the same team twice - only you pick the winner of two games each week. $1,000 to the winner. And a chance, every damn week, to make your mark on The Process.
HOUSEKEEPING: FOOTBALL PAYOUTS PROCESS THE WEEK AFTER THE SUPER BOWL
- Payouts for every NFL competition will go out the week after the Super Bowl, via PayPal or check. Commish will email you with details in a few weeks.
- The BFIG pickoff for the Title Belt is going another week. Picks will be published on the website on Saturday.
- If your friends join now, they can play in the competitions coming up, and they'll already be covered for BFIG 2017. Send them your referral link - it's on your Friends page.
- Prizewinners for every competition are listed in the gray "SZN recap" sidebar on each individual competition page.
- Have you customized your profile yet? Do it!
- If you haven't enabled text message pick reminders yet, you're being REALLY silly. They've saved hundreds of people from missing picks. Do it now.
- Kyle (The GM) and I play along with everyone, but of course we can't win any money. And neither can anyone who lives with us. It's written into our official Terms of Service. We lol at basically every DraftKings article that comes out.
- The Green Bay Packers will win the Super Bowl. Because Commish loves them.
- And Commish loves you.