Traitor or fan? We had this conversation a lot last year when a flame war broke out on 10-for-10. We had impassioned opinions flying about whether it was appropriate for a real Cowboys fan to pick the Cowboys to lose on 10-for-10. This week, I don't think any on here hoped for the Cowboys to lose, but three other perspectives were well-represented: picked Denver to win but hoped to be wrong; picked Dallas to win out of loyalty but expected to be wrong; and, those that picked Dallas to win because they believed that the Cowboys would win.
This week was historic. I can't say that it never happened before, as I do not have access to KD's records (and, I don't know that I want to know the answer). There may have been a week during the Cowboys abysmal 2010 season when more 10-for-10 participants picked the Cowboys to lose than to win. It had never happened on my watch.
This is my third year as KD's volunteer scorekeeper, and thirty-ninth regular season week to record and tabulate our entries. Some weeks, we are unanimous picking the Cowboys. In other weeks, a handful pick against them. Even this year, we have consistently and convincingly picked our team to win - 242-0 over the Giants, 193-10 over the Chiefs, 194-5 over the Rams, and 197-1 over the Chargers.
Again, since I didn't participate in BTB until late-season in 2010, and didn't participate in KD's FanPost inaugural season of 10-for-10, I had never seen a week where the majority picked against the Cowboys.
I have now seen it - 106-81 picked the Broncos - and, I hope I never see it again.
Well, rant over. On to my weekly report...
We added four new players this week, but we had a few more fall by the wayside. So, we dropped a little this week, but still have the seventh highest participation total in our four-year history.
Here is the participation table:
Participation | |||
Week | Played This Week | Missed This Week | Total |
1 | 242 | 0 | 242 |
2 | 207 | 49 | 256 |
3 | 199 | 60 | 259 |
4 | 198 | 67 | 265 |
5 | 189 | 80 | 269 |
Last week, I brought back a table of "worst unanimous 10-for-10 losses", as we came close in two games (all but one missed one game, and all but three missed another). I will not reprint that table this week, but we did it again (all but one missed one game, and all but three missed another).
As a consensus, we got more right this week than wrong. We had a bunch of games that almost everyone played - same games, same winner. We usually have one or two that we split more evenly - either it's an even match and we can't all pile onto our favorite. Or, it's a matchup of two bad teams and we neither know how to predict or care about the result.
This week, we had two bigger games that were tossups, with fairly heavy participation. We picked, by a narrow 60-58 margin, the Colts to give the Seahawks their first loss. We were even tighter in the match between our division friends. One person, not wanting to see either team win, instead of skipping that game, picked a tie. Ironically, that pick, if it had been for the Giants, would have made our consensus a tie, as the other ninety-seven were split 49-48.
After those two close games, the next closest to evenly split was... Denver-Dallas (sigh).
Here are our results this week:
Week #5 Results (Home in CAPS) | |||
Win | Winners (we're great) | Lose | |
171 | ST. LOUIS | Jacksonville | 3 |
130 | GREEN BAY | Detroit | 15 |
125 | Kansas City | TENNESSEE | 22 |
108 | SAN FRANCISCO | Houston | 20 |
106 | Denver | DALLAS | 81 |
102 | New Orleans | CHICAGO | 26 |
66 | CLEVELAND | Buffalo | 9 |
Win | Losers (we're bleep) | Lose | |
3 | OAKLAND | San Diego | 167 |
1 | New York Jets | ATLANTA | 165 |
42 | CINCINNATI | New England | 99 |
25 | Baltimore | MIAMI | 89 |
31 | ARIZONA | Carolina | 65 |
Win | Pretty Even (we're indecisive) | Lose | |
60 | INDIANAPOLIS | Seattle | 58 |
49.5 | Philadelphia | NEW YORK GIANTS | 48.5 |
There are still four teams - Denver (another sigh), Jacksonville, New Orleans, and St. Louis - that we have picked correctly week as a group.
Here's a look at how we have picked each team, each week (first letter - our pick; second letter - actual result):
Picks/Results for Each Team/Each Week | |||||||||||||||||||
Team | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Wk 17 | W | L |
Denver | WW | WW | WW | WW | WW | 5 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Jacksonville | LL | LL | LL | LL | LL | 5 | 0 | ||||||||||||
New Orleans | WW | WW | WW | WW | WW | 5 | 0 | ||||||||||||
St Louis | WW | LL | LL | LL | WW | 5 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Houston | WW | WW | WL | LL | LL | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Kansas City | WW | LW | WW | WW | WW | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
New York Giants | LL | LL | WL | LL | LL | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Oakland | LL | WW | LL | LL | LW | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Seattle | WW | LW | WW | WW | LL | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Tennessee | LW | LL | WW | WW | LL | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Green Bay | LL | WW | WL | Bye | WW | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Tampa Bay | WL | LL | LL | LL | Bye | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Washington | WL | LL | LL | WW | Bye | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||
Arizona | LL | LW | LL | WW | LW | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Buffalo | LL | WW | WL | LW | LL | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Chicago | LW | WW | WW | WL | LL | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Dallas | WW | WL | WW | WL | LL | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Detroit | WW | WL | WW | LW | LL | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Indianapolis | WW | WL | LW | WW | WW | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
New England | WW | WW | WW | LW | WL | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Philadelphia | LW | WL | LL | LL | WW | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
San Francisco | WW | WL | WL | WW | WW | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Carolina | LL | LL | LW | Bye | WL | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Minnesota | LL | LL | WL | LW | Bye | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Pittsburgh | WL | LL | LL | WL | Bye | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Atlanta | LL | WW | WL | WL | WL | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
Baltimore | LL | WW | LW | WL | LW | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
Cleveland | WL | LL | LW | LW | WW | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
New York Jets | LW | LL | LW | LL | LW | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
San Diego | LL | LW | LL | LW | WL | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
Cincinnati | WL | WW | LW | WL | LW | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
Miami | LW | LW | LW | LL | WL | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
Total | 98 | 56 |
For the second week in a row, we outpicked the Front Page Writers. Each week, One.Cool.Customer hosts a pick-em page where all the FPWs offer picks in every game for the week. I track their consensus picks for each game and compare it to our consensus for each game. Last week, we gained two games and caught them. This week, we again got two right that they missed, and now have a lead on them. The two games we beat them? We picked Denver, and they picked Dallas (a final sigh). And, as mentioned above, we narrowly picked the Eagles, and they had the Giants. We last led them last year after week #5. They took the lead in week #6, and held it the rest of the way.
2013 10-for-10 Consensus vs. Front Page Writers | ||||
Week | 10-for-10 Wins | 10-for-10 Losses | Front Page Wins | Front Page Losses |
1 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 5 |
2 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 4 |
3 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 6 |
4 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
5 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
Total | 49 | 28 | 47 | 30 |
Well, another week has come and gone, and the Hall of Fame has no new entries. Some came close, and may have even gone to bed Sunday night thinking that they were locks (8-for-8 with only two "gimme" picks remaining - SD over Oak and Atl over NYJ). They ended up with the best scores of the week - 8-for-10 - as those two locks both lost. Only nine did that well, and twenty-one more posted 7-for-10. Most were mired in mediocrity this week, as the vast majority of us only got 4, 5, or 6 right.
Our overall leader had one of the 7-for-10s. Only those nine who scored 8-for-10 gained any ground, and none of those were near the top. Most of us lost ground. I lost three games to him as I was one of the ones who only got four right this week.
Congratulations to lsttexas for holding onto the lead for a second consecutive week, and for extending it. He is now two ahead of his nearest pursuers.
Here are the top scores this week, and the top scores on the overall leaderboard. KD will have all 269 names when he posts the complete leaderboard on his next contest page.
Top Scores This Week | |||||||
Week #5 | Score | Week #5 | Score | Overall | Score | Overall | Score |
BigHat in NewTexas | 8 | CarloRue | 6 | lsttexas | 39 | Max2 | 34 |
Chad Loveland | 8 | castaway42 | 6 | Aggie Man | 37 | mdlusk | 34 |
jstaubach | 8 | CDMac24 | 6 | rhodri2112 | 37 | meisternance | 34 |
Luc in Chile | 8 | Cowboy Joe | 6 | Baloo. | 36 | Mikhaili | 34 |
mdlusk | 8 | cowboy1966 | 6 | beastygaming | 36 | MUTTS | 34 |
Pasipple | 8 | CowboyinExile | 6 | BigHat in NewTexas | 36 | nicomachus | 34 |
Sean N | 8 | CowboysBarry | 6 | cowboy1966 | 36 | Pasipple | 34 |
Through Thick And Thin | 8 | cowdog | 6 | I am Ironman!!! | 36 | Rex Pfister | 34 |
Wreck'emCowboys | 8 | cwby4lf | 6 | jamesvb | 36 | Sean N | 34 |
Aggie Man | 7 | Dalai Luke | 6 | JDobermans | 36 | Smax17177 | 34 |
beastygaming | 7 | dsmith12 | 6 | jstaubach | 36 | Tallgrass Prairie | 34 |
boys.camncrew | 7 | Enja | 6 | Seatown7 | 36 | ziggy 19 | 34 |
Bvanzanman | 7 | geof | 6 | swanhooch | 36 | 1Bullseye | 33 |
CowboyBaby | 7 | Hookem Up | 6 | Useful_Idiot_ | 36 | Allan Uy | 33 |
HLCJ69 | 7 | Howleyesque | 6 | Wreck'emCowboys | 36 | Antonio S | 33 |
jakezze01 | 7 | ibleedcowboyblue | 6 | bookiebuster | 35 | Bvanzanman | 33 |
jamesvb | 7 | illcowboy | 6 | CarloRue | 35 | Canadian Cowboy_74 | 33 |
lsttexas | 7 | JDobermans | 6 | CowboyBaby | 35 | cowboyswin | 33 |
lucke | 7 | Jebediah Flibberbrush | 6 | HonorTheStar | 35 | dsmith12 | 33 |
Max2 | 7 | ketom1220 | 6 | neon greon | 35 | EchoEcho | 33 |
meisternance | 7 | letsgtld | 6 | NorthStar99 | 35 | Enja | 33 |
neon greon | 7 | mikemc68 | 6 | Realist Larry | 35 | illcowboy | 33 |
NorthStar99 | 7 | MUTTS | 6 | skinny post | 35 | jockmeister | 33 |
Oh Hai Doggy | 7 | nicomachus | 6 | spur_for_life | 35 | jtiddahr | 33 |
Sandmann | 7 | Nord15 | 6 | Through Thick And Thin | 35 | KD Drummond | 33 |
swanhooch | 7 | Psycho Star | 6 | Travlr | 35 | ketom1220 | 33 |
traceabides | 7 | rhodri2112 | 6 | 9_to_88 all day | 34 | letsgtld | 33 |
TwoBitWhackJob | 7 | Ride Together, Die Together | 6 | BigBad Joe | 34 | mikemc68 | 33 |
Useful_Idiot_ | 7 | Seatown7 | 6 | boys.camncrew | 34 | Nord15 | 33 |
VictoryorDeath | 7 | Shakeepuddn | 6 | CDMac24 | 34 | Panzer84 | 33 |
1Bullseye | 6 | sirjason22 | 6 | CowboyinExile | 34 | Specific | 33 |
9_to_88 all day | 6 | skinny post | 6 | CowboysBarry | 34 | Tennessee_Jed | 33 |
Allan Uy | 6 | Smax17177 | 6 | cowdog | 34 | traceabides | 33 |
Archie Barberio | 6 | StarloverinWNC | 6 | cwby4lf | 34 | VictoryorDeath | 33 |
Babygirl71 | 6 | suddendeath88 | 6 | geof | 34 | wittenfan | 33 |
Baloo. | 6 | Switters023 | 6 | HLCJ69 | 34 | 27 tied with | 32 |
Baloo86 | 6 | Tallgrass Prairie | 6 | Hookem Up | 34 | 19 tied with | 31 |
Bertangalo | 6 | Tennessee_Jed | 6 | hookerhome | 34 | 18 tied with | 30 |
BishopWest | 6 | TheDemolitionDan | 6 | Howleyesque | 34 | 9 tied with | 29 |
bookiebuster | 6 | Travlr | 6 | jakezze01 | 34 | 7 tied with | 28 |
camrin55 | 6 | Trivial | 6 | Jebediah Flibberbrush | 34 | 5 tied with | 27 |
Canadian Cowboy_74 | 6 | ziggy 19 | 6 | Lajitas Lava | 34 | 6 tied with | 26 |
This week's schedule is interesting. Only two teams have byes this week (Atlanta and Miami); Cowboy and Redskins are featured on NBC Sunday Night Football; and, this is about the time each season we begin to evaluate teams based on what they are doing this year, instead of their reputation from previous years. Some of this week's matchups will put those evaluations to the test.
If you wish to make early picks on here for week #6, I ask you honor these guidelines:
- Make your winners bold. The easiest way is to use asterisks before and after your selection. For example, *New York Giants* at CHICAGO will look like New York Giants at CHICAGO; or, New York Giants at *CHICAGO* will look like New York Giants at CHICAGO.
- Be sure to pick the Cowboys game. This is mandatory.
- Once you have made your ten selections, please delete the other four games. That makes my life easier when I am tabulating close to two hundred picks each week.
- Please don't pick the Thursday night game after it has kicked off (or, worse, include it in picks that you post on Saturday or Sunday morning).
- When KD puts up his new contest page, please stop posting picks on here and post them on KD's page. It is easier on me if only one page is actively posting picks. I will still monitor both pages and will record your picks, wherever they are posted.
Week #6 (only fifteen games):
Thursday, October 10:
New York Giants at CHICAGO
Sunday, October 13:
Green Bay at BALTIMORE
Cincinnati at BUFFALO
Detroit at CLEVELAND
St. Louis at HOUSTON
Oakland at KANSAS CITY
Carolina at MINNESOTA
Pittsburgh at NEW YORK JETS
Philadelphia at TAMPA BAY
Jacksonville at DENVER
Tennessee at SEATTLE
New Orleans at NEW ENGLAND
Arizona at SAN FRANCISCO
Washington at DALLAS (mandatory; must include)
Monday, October 14:
Indianapolis at SAN DIEGO