[xxx]

theses are the teams am looking at this week. philly, minn, miami, s-d, sea

[million2one]

I would say Philly rolls tomorrow.
Houston traveling on a short week and Philadelphia off a loss.
Philadelphia is by far the better team and Andy Reid was pissed after the Chicago loss and laid into his team for not having the right focus.
I say they rebound nicely tomorrow with a big win to make coach happy.

[teddyd]

i have similar teams left. using philly this week and saving SD for week 14

[JMUplayer]

What do you win if you pull off 17 weeks of wins?

[raggman]

San Diego Chargers -625 vs Oakland Raiders...good luck with your pick

[Hilljacademics]

San Diego as a revenge play

[thefastship]

San Diego all the way. How many people are left in the pool and what moves do they have after this week if they make it? If you are on the cusp of winning i would go for the sure thing this week.

[ATP123]

ive learned through two seasons of this that winning now is more important that worrying about later cause later might not be there for you, with that in mind San Diego should be the lock here. Wouldnt touch minnesota with a poll in this spot

[slacker00]

I feel a tinge of trap with SD. Philly & even Seattle seem pretty safe. But I got busted with the friggin Dal@NYG game.

[CaptainPrice]

dont do the bills game!!

[officepoolguy]

I would say Philly rolls tomorrow.
Houston traveling on a short week and Philadelphia off a loss.
Philadelphia is by far the better team and Andy Reid was pissed after the Chicago loss and laid into his team for not having the right focus.
I say they rebound nicely tomorrow with a big win to make coach happy.

I agree...save San Diego. Also Philly is playing in a non-divisional game.

good luck

[rockland]

I am in double picks from here on out. I don't even have Philly cos I used them vs. the Colts.

Going with San Diego and Seattle. At least if I get knocked out I lasted 3 hours longer than if I go down on a 1:00 game

[rockland]

Just some survivor pool humor from a weekly recap of last week's games .......................


Hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving weekend with their families, friends and loved ones.
The Kmish is seeing the light of day for the first time in 48 hours. Unbelievably, I did not have the opportunity to watch more than 2 minutes of any NFL game this weekend. (More on the 2 minutes I did watch later).

Now, I have never read William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying,” so I have no idea what the story is about…Oh, who am I kidding---it must be a harrowing account of a post-Civil War Mississippi Family’s plight like all of his novels---(hmmm, sort’ve like the Manning family in 5 weeks with no playoff games to quarterback). However, I assure you if a picture was taken of me late Saturday night/ early Sunday morning, it could have been submitted to Faulkner’s trustees for a new dust jacket cover.

High grade fever: Check
Nausea: Check
Quarantined into guest bedroom by Wife: Check

Wife: “Now, you are not leaving the guestroom until this bug runs its course. I don’t need the kids or me getting sick right before Hanukkah!”

Ugggghhhhhhh.

So, here I am dying in the guest room early Sunday in the morning realizing with horror that we do not have a TV in the room. Somehow, I managed to have not one, not two, but three TVs in my basement but not a single TV in the guest room. I never realized that I had placed my mother-in-law in such extreme poverty on every visit over the past 13 years.

Wife: “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Ice water? A cold damp towel for your head? Aspirin?”
Kmish: “ No thanks. What time is it?
Wife: “It’s five in the morning. Why?”
Kmish: “No reason.”

Wife: “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Ice water? A cold damp towel for your head? Aspirin?”
Kmish: “ No thanks. What time is it?
Wife: “It’s ten-thirty in the morning. Why, are you going somewhere?”
Kmish “Ah, no honey. Just checking.”

Kmish: “ Honey. What time is it?
Wife: “It’s 12:45 in the afternoon? How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Ice water? A cold damp towel for your head? Aspirin?”

Kmish: “Yes. Get me my Blackberry.”

And so my Survivor Pool Sunday began.

Kickoff in 10 minutes. I had to work fast. 1st stop: Pinnacle Sportsbook NFL Lines bookmark. 29 guys on Cleveland. Last chance to get the big knockout we need. Too late to save the survivors from double picks in week 13; but maybe just in time to save the survivors from double picks in the later weeks. Cleveland down to -8. Yup. Upset alert. Nobody wants to lay points with Jake Delhomme. My red light is flashing. I have a zillion texts and voicemail messages all seemingly wanting to confirm whether I still love Atlanta and Chicago. Uggghhh, yes. Reply all---Pound Atlanta and Chicago. Done. (Yes, on a side note I appreciate all the well wishes and congrats as the Kmish did go 6-0 against the spread in our best bets Big Six pool to collect the $2200 weekly pot--May I get ill more often

12:58 PM. Relief. Blackberry, Browns and Panthers. ESPN NFL Scores Bookmark. Thumb firmly pressed on the “R” button. Feverishly (weak pun intended) refreshing the game update every 15 seconds until 4:00.

Carolina gets the ball.

Goodson for 5. Refresh. Goodson for 5. Refresh. Stewart for 6. Refresh. Stewart for 12. Refresh. Goodson for 26 yards. Touchdowwnnnnnn!!!! Carolina 7- Cleveland 0. Here we go! 29 guys going down.

Including CowboyMTL33. Oh no. Not CowboyMTL33! Crap.

Every year when we move the deadline up to Thursday games my one prevailing fear is that someone will miss the deadline and get autopicked to death by a team they would never pick. This year, I started the reminders early and often, fast and furious. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to be saddled with Cleveland backed by Jake Delhomme. By Thursday morning everyone had got their picks in but CowboyMTL33. I began sending more emails to Cowboy. No pick. I sent a text message to the number listed. No pick. Noon on Thanksgiving, I pick up the phone and place a direct call to CowboyMTL33. I am greeted by a beautiful voicemail message by a nice sounding female voice.

Completely in French! Of course. He’s in Montreal. No Thanksgiving holiday.

“Parlez-vous français?"

Me neither.

Now, I could guess it was Mrs. CowboyMTL33 on the message letting me know that no one was home and I could kindly leave a message at the beep. But, out of discretion I wasn’t taking any chances.

No message left. CowboyMTL33 gets Cleveland with 28 other guys.

CowboyMTL33…”Les Pick Deadline est jeudi prochain”

(That’s the best I can do)

Back to the Game. Carolina kicks off.

Delhomme to Watson for 8 yards. Refresh. Delhomme to Watson for 21 yards. Refresh. Delhomme to Stuckley for 24 yards. Refresh. Hillis for 9 yards Touchdown. 7-7.

Cleveland gets the ball back. Hillis for 9 yard. Refresh. Hillis for 6. Refresh. Hillis for 7. Refresh. Hillis for 9. Refresh. Hillis for 5. Touchdown. 14-7. Too easy. Cleveland gets the ball back. Delhomme completion for 15. Refresh. Completion for 18, Refresh. Hillis for 18. Refresh. Hillis for 6. Touchdown 21-7.

Wow. Too easy. Hillis is running all over the Carolina Panthers.

Peyton Hillis is turning into a cult hero in Cleveland. He is unstoppable. Throughout Shaker Heights, members of Our Tribe are doing background name searches to verify that Peyton’s great-grandparents indeed changed their name from Hillelson. It’s the only explanation for this display of greatness. Peyton Hillis is the Messiah.

The game appears in hand.

Wife: “ How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Ice water? A cold damp towel for your head? Aspirin?”
Kmish: ”My Blackberry Charger. Thanks”


Kmish is dead to the world. Trying not to fall asleep. Refresh 21-10. Refresh 21-13…halftime….ugghh. Carolina can’t score touchdowns. Quick math done in head. Perfect world, best half of all time, Carolina puts up 17 points. Cleveland needs 10 points to ice the game. Peyton Hillis plays for Cleveland. Doneski.

But, as CowboyMTL can surely understand.

Au contraire mon frère!

Not only does Peyton Hillis play for Cleveland, but also JAKE DELHOMME!

The Human Interception Machine. The Pick Six Express. The Money Line Dog Lockmaker.

Oh yes. Jake just needed halftime to get warmed up.

And he started the second half ON FIRE, BABY.

He completed his first two passes, the second going for a 37 yard touchdown. Oh yes, Jake. You go baby!

“Ahh, Jake?”
“Yes Kmish?”
“You do realize you play for Cleveland this year? You played for Carolina last year.”
“Uhh, …yes??”
“Then kindly explain why you completed your last 2 passes to the Carolina dudes?”
“Well, Kmish. That’s what I do. The Carolina guys seemed open.”

OH NOOOOOOOO!!! The nightmare is happening. 28 guys and maybe CowboyMTL33 are gnashing their teeth. Ready to join the Kmish in a self-induced quarantine. The year is done. The pool is over. Why, oh why, did I rest my fate in the hands of Jake Delhomme!! Brett Favre would’ve been better. Alex Smith would’ve been better. Anthony Morelli in the UFL would’ve been better.

It’s early in the 3rd quarter and there may be one or 2 more pick sixes coming.

This is too good. The Kmish has to find a way to see this live.

Kmish gets out of bed. Sneaks into the bedroom. Turns the TV on. 8 year old son runs Daddy right under the bus.

“Mommy, Daddy is watching the game in the bedroom!!!!”

Wife: “Get out of our room. Do you want to get us ALL sick for Hanukkah?!”

ERRRRR.

Back to refresh mode.

Late 4th quarter. Cleveland gives up the ghost. 23-21 Carolina. 5 minutes left. Ball in Jake’s hands.
28 guys and a French Cowboy praying to the Survivor Gods.

Delhomme to Robiskie for 7. Refresh. Delhomme to Hillis for 12. Refresh. Delomme to Massaquoi for 33. Wow! The Browns are in FG range behind Delhomme???!!! Kick is good 24-23. Cleveland leads.

One more stop. Just one more stop and 29 guys survive to the double picks round. 29 guys who would gladly make triple picks this week.

Kmish sneaks back into bedroom to turn on TV. Quietly this time. The Kmish will get to watch the only 2 minutes of football this weekend.

Jimmy Clausen seemingly puts the Browns backers into joyous delirium right away with a horrible interception to the Browns cornerback Haden. In what first appears like a smart move, Haden starts to return down the sideline in Cleveland territory but opting not to have his NATE CLEMENTS MOMENT slides down at the 42. Smart move if Carolina had 2 timeouts remaining. Very dumb move when Carolina has 3 timeouts remaining. Haden might have been able to return the ball to place Cleveland in position for a much needed FG.

Instead. 20 seconds, and 3 timeouts later, Carolina has the ball back. Down 1 point. If nothing else, this will make up for Chan Gailey and Kansas City. The Cleveland guys just know they are done. Even an interception with less than 2 minutes left could not save them. Jimmy Clausen has the ball back in his hands. Week 4, Clausen had the chance to lead a 4th quarter FG drive to beat New Orleans and knock out half the survivor pool players. And Clausen just missed just missed on his opportunity, unable to give Kasay his winning kick opportunity.

Clausen would not miss this chance.

12 seconds left. Time for one last pass to get into FG range. Clausen throws a perfect strike to LaFell rolling out of bounds at the 25. 5 seconds left. Kasay, one of the most accurate kickers in history trots his left foot out on the field.

29 guys. Mentally exhausted. In pure acceptance now. Resisting every inner instinct to back Jake Delhomme for such a critical choice, 29 guys ignored their gut and went reckless this Thanksgiving Weekend. Oh well, the Turkey was good. The family time was well-spent. At least we made it to Thanksgiving this year. Next year we will go all the way. 29 guys walk up to their TV to turn off the power button. The ball is snapped. The hold is down. The kick is…….going left.?? The kick went left???
He missed it?? OMG! OMG! OMG!

And across America, and Canada, and a few other countries, 36 other SD Pick Players ---all of whom knew not to take Jake Delhomme and survived with the Jets, Texans, Pats, and Giants--are bashing in their TV’s.

What a nice Thanksgiving Weekend gift. It’s what the holidays are for.

For the 29 guys who survived on Cleveland, a commemorative T-Shirt is in order.

“I Picked Jake Delhomme in My Survivor Pool and Lived to Tell About It.”


Wishing everyone a Happy Hanukkah this week.

Good luck to all players.

Potato Kmish

[xxx]

going with philly tonight