2009 NFL ATS Pick 'Em: Week Eight Standings

By: Luke Florence

Eight weeks in. Halfway home ... almost. Just nine weeks remain in the 2009 season.

Both the NFL and this ATS league have already begun the filtering process. Distilling the awful teams almost immediately, as the great teams try to put themselves into a worthwhile position for January.

The best part about our league is that there really isn't a great team. Just a bunch of good teams, with the occasional awful team sprinkled in.

Through eight weeks it would be safe to say that only three members have almost no chance of winning any money. Andrew Reinhart, Devin Frank and Bart Borer. Everyone else is probably still in the running on some level.

Consider this. In 2007 we paid the top three. After eight weeks, the person in first place (yours truly) ended up winning. The person in second place (Sara) finished in third, and the person in third after eight weeks (Devin) earned no money at all.

In 2008 we paid the top four. After eight weeks Alex Lucius appeared to have a stranglehold on 1st, but ended up in 3rd. Justin Whelan was in 2nd place but managed to finish outside fourth. Josh Florence was in third and well we all know the story from there. Brian Boesch defied the odds by being in fourth place at the mid-way point and finishing in fourth place at the end of the year.

The point (albeit a long-winded one) is that only twice has a league member finished in the same money-spot as he (or she) was after eight weeks.

The 2009 version of week eight saw just one person crack the double-digit victory mark. It just so happened to be me. Finally a week where everything came together. Credit goes out to the QOA for getting eight wins a week ago and allowing for some much needed perspective. We jumped ten spots from 13th to a 3rd place tie.

On the flip side, week eight saw just one person crack the double-digit losing threshold as well. That person was none other than Chris Woodard. After watching his once beloved Brett Favre come into Green Bay and throw four touchdown passes, Woody had to endure a 2-11 record which made him the biggest loser of the week, dropping nine positions.

But remember, there is plenty of time left.

2009 NFL ATS PICK 'EM: WEEK EIGHT STANDINGS (week eight record in parentheses)

1) Nick Lay 68-48 (6-7)

1) Jeff Normand 68-48 (7-6)
3) Billy Wakefield 66-50 (4-9)
3) Luke Polito 66-50 (7-6)
3) Jamie Reamer 66-50 (7-6)
3) Luke Florence 66-50 (10-3)
7) Anthony Tynan 65-51 (7-6)
8) Eric Hug 64-52 (4-9)
8) Erik Smith 64-52 (5-8)
8) Shane Kline 64-52 (8-5)
8) Ryan Polito 64-52 (5-8)
8) Justin Whelan 64-52 (7-6)
13) Corey Taylor 63-53 (9-4)
14) Jeff Schaffer 62-54 (5-8)
14) Matt Barnes 62-54 (6-7)
16) Andrew Braverman 61-55 (6-7)
16) Brian Boesch 61-55 (7-6)
18) Chris Woodard 60-56 (2-11)
18) Josh Florence 60-56 (6-7)
18) Jake Young 60-56 (5-8)
21) Chris Rapking 59-57 (5-8)
22) Jason Fazzone 58-58 (4-9)
22) Kevin Hunt 58-58 (7-6)
24) Andrew Reinhart 56-60 (5-8)
25) Devin Frank 51-65 (7-6)
26) Bart Borer 49-67 (5-8)

As always, please double check your record, and make me aware of any discrepancy. The blog will be updated tomorrow with award standings and the week eight quote of the week.

Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."