“The Sad Salmon swims away with the Week 1 MVP Award!”

Week 1 MVP Award Winner –
The Sad Salmon (29 Points)

As the club resumed making picks last week for the first time in 8 months, I almost felt like I was stuck in a time warp.  Because most of the top players picked right back up where they left off last season.  In fact, three of the final Top Five finishers from last season are starting out in the Top Five once again.  The Sad Salmon led the way by debuting in 1st Place after scoring 29 Points to win the Week 1 MVP Award.  As you’ll recall, the Sad Salmon was the best player in the club during the second half of last season.  Week after week, he was making brilliant picks.  And he even captured 3 MVP Awards in a span of 5 weeks at one point.  But although he swam into 1st Place in Week 15, Drummer Boy managed to hold him off to win the club title.  As the Sad Salmon caught a plane to Iceland last week (along with Viking Blood), I couldn’t help but wonder if taking the trip would result in a bad week in the club.  But that didn’t happen.  Instead, just like his Dolphins, he delivered a great week.  The Week 1 MVP Award Runner-Up was Double-Double, who scored 26 Points to debut in 2nd Place, which is the same place he finished in last season.  2 Points behind him in 3rd Place is Stinkerbell, who is Double-Double’s biggest rival.  These two have been battling it out for years now.  But somehow, Double-Double always seems to (just barely) have the upper hand.  On Club Chat, Stinkerbell proclaimed before the season that “This is the year. I am finally going to beat double double.”  Not one to back down from a challenge, Double-Double replied “You're starting early I see Bell. I’m all charged up
after having my Double Double a little while ago which is going to fuel
me to keep you below me in the standings as usual.
”  It will be interesting to see how this friendly, good-natured rivalry plays out over the course of the season.  The Top Five rounds out with Bob Swerski and Viking Blood tied for 4th Place with 20 Points each.  During her rookie season last year, Viking Blood (formerly the Icelandic Cod) only reached a Peak Position of #11.  But now she has topped that just one week into this season with a peak of #4.  With her new intimidating codename and great picks to match, Viking Blood could be a threat to win the club title this season.  Debuting in 9th Place with 17 Points was Drummer Boy, our defending Club Champion.  Last season, Drummer Boy’s lowest placement was in Week 1, when he debuted in 5th Place.  So he has his work cut out for him to become the first player in club history to win back-to-back championships.  Be sure to check out his official trophy photo down below.  Before wrapping up this week’s column, we want to welcome our four new players for this season.  First, we have Young Tuna playing for the first time at 10 years old.  Young Tuna had a stellar debut in 8th Place with 18 Points.  In fact, he debuted higher than his other family members playing, which include myself (Fearless Tuna), Roadrunner (Steve Sr.), and Shaylene (Sally).  Roadrunner and Shaylene are happy to be back in the club after taking a break of several years from club activities.  Finally, we have My Wife Loves Jimmy G, who debuts in 15th Place with 14 Points.

Drummer Boy’s official 2021 Club Champion trophy photo