Did not see this happening at all. It went down so quickly and with so much force that it still blows my mind. No, I'm not talking about the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl, although the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina probably applies (what, too soon?). Instead, I'm referring to our 4th annual NFL Against The Spread Pick 'Em League getting bigger ... yet again.
We went from eight in 2007, to 20 a year later, to 26 last season, all the way to 27 in 2010.
One week ago I was frantically putting together this CBS league, trying to send out invites to everyone, and making sure people could log-in. Now, with the start of the 2010 NFL regular-season upon us, we have 27 members and $540 up for grabs. Before we talk about the game, let's discuss pay-scale.
Last year we went with a 250-120-75-50-25 format. This season we have one more member and 20 more dollars to play with. Here are the two options I'm considering, and would love to hear your input before Sunday kick-offs.
Option #1: We simply take that extra $20 and spread it out over the top-five. So the payout would be, 255-125-80-55-25.
Option #2: We pay the top-six instead of the top-five. That extra $20 would go to the 6th place finisher. The payout would be, 250-120-75-50-25-20.
Now if by the time I post this our league gets bigger, I will change the options available. I just thought with a league this size we should discuss what the payout would look like. Personally, of those two options, I'm in favor of the first one. Unless we get 30 people, I think the top-five should stay put. But again, I'm open to ideas. I just need to know them by Sunday. I'd even be open to the possibility of giving that extra $20 to the person with the best week record of the year. Just let me know guys.
Business aside, it's time we turn our attention to tonight's game.
Last year we started with an epic quote from The Dark Knight's Joker. This year, we are going use a line from quite possibly my favorite movie of all-time, Inception.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-4.5)
"Musn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling." - Eames
The number of different ways that quote applies to both our league and the NFL are much too bountiful to count. It falls under the category of 'go big or go home.' Inception taught us that our dreams can change our lives, and for 32 teams that dream of reaching the Super Bowl begins this week.
Who would have thunk it that the New Orleans Saints are the defending Super Bowl Champions? This is the same Saints organization who gave the 1999 Cleveland Browns their first win. The same Saints organization who saw their town completely destroyed by one of the worst natural disasters in American history. The same Saints organization who housed Jim Everett, Heath Shuler, Kerry Collins, and a pair of Billy Joes (Tolliver and Hobert) as their QBs for four consecutive years.
As our good league friend Gus Johnson so eloquently put it, "it could happen, believe."
I believe in trends, and the trend for the opening week in the NFL is to back the defending Super Bowl champion at home. The NFL has arranged this game for the past five years, and the champs have covered three of the past four, so I'm rolling with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints tonight.
My Pick: NO (-4.5).
Hunt: "Game One actually ended up being my Ballbuster Pick of the Week. I'm taking the team whose #5 I consider to be better, since Bishop Ready Football has won 5 straight regular season games. It came down to the kicking game, with Minnesota's Chris Kluwe vs. New Orleans' Garrett Hartley. While both are pretty good players, Hartley gets the nod since he is a kicker and can actually score points." Last season Hunt went 8-7 in his Ballbuster Pick, which is his best Ballbuster record in the past three years. The origin for this special pick dates back to our junior year of college when I would put money on a random game based on Hunt's choosing. It usually busted my balls - ergo - Kevin Hunt's Ballbuster Pick of the Week. It must be time for the NFL.
Boesch: "All Brett's Coverage disrespects every fantastic goal, homer. Insufferably, January's known loser moaned nonstop over playing. Quit! Really, stop this unending vexing, walking x-ray. You zombie. - Read the first letter of each of these 26 words. I was bored in class, and this is what I got out of it. If that's not the definition of college, I don't know what is." This is why he won the Gus Johnson Award my friends, it was no fluke.
Barnes: "Love The Way You Lie – Thank God for Brett Favre and his shady ways in the off-season. Took some of my attention from how awful the Indians are this season." Matt Barnes decided to use a current top-40 song for every game this week. You shouldn't have to think too hard about which one he picked for the CLE-TB contest.
In case you haven't picked up on it yet, my theme this year will be movies. I will try to play a clip or two of a movie each week, and then throw in the trailer at the end. Enjoy.
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
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