The Football Club

Week 7 MVP Award Winner –
The Rickster (29 Points)

Three-time Club Champion The Rickster enjoyed a pint from the Victory Brewing Company as he scored 29 Points to win the Week 7 MVP Award.  The key to his success was getting both Games of the Week correct with NY Giants and NY Jets, and then being 1 of only 2 players to correctly pick the Triple Crown of Tennessee, Las Vegas & Seattle.  The Rickster ignored the so-called “experts” who had Seattle as a 6-Point underdog in the game, and it was a good thing he did.  The Rickster is fighting for his legacy in the club so he has really stepped it up a notch lately.  As the Hall of Fame stands now, The Rickster is currently the only player in club history with 3 club titles (2001, 2004 & 2006).  However, two of the four players who have won 2 club titles are currently in the Top Five – Hoosier Daddy (2009 & 2012) and Double-Double (2005 & 2018).  If Hoosier Daddy or Double-Double were to claim the 2022 club title, they would catch up with and tie The Rickster for the all-time record.  On the other hand, if The Rickster were to claim the 2022 club title, he would secure his fourth title and have doubled the success of his next closest competitors.  Meanwhile, Drummer Boy has his own plans to become the first player in club history to win back-to-back titles.  So there is a lot at stake with all of these players battling it out at the top of the standings.  After winning the Week 7 MVP Award, The Rickster is now back in 5th Place (12 Points back).  The winner of the Week 7 MVP Award Runner-Up was Double-Double with 28 Points.  Double-Double was the other player to correctly pick the Triple Crown and the 7 Point prize that comes with it.  As a result, Double-Double climbs back up the standings into 4th Place (11 Points back).  But something else stunning has happened.  Two weeks ago, Double-Double had been made into minced meat by his main rival Stinkerbell, as she found herself 20 Points ahead of him.  He must have felt that he was as far away from her in standings as he is to the nearest In-N-Out Burger in Colorado which is over 500 miles from his house.  But the Current Standings reveal that in just two weeks time, he has made up 19 Points and is now only 1 Point behind her, as she sits in 3rd Place.  Rounding out the Top Five, my prediction is coming true about teammates Drummer Boy and Hoosier Daddy battling it out for the top spot.  Last week, Hoosier Daddy gained some ground as he picked up 5 more Points on Drummer Boy and is now a mere 5 Points behind him in 2nd Place.  Hoosier Daddy has now outplayed Drummer Boy for three consecutive weeks and has become a real threat to move into 1st Place.  Next week should prove to be very interesting with all of these players in the Top Five doing so well.  And also with the next five players (My Wife Loves Jimmy G, Rad Dad, Mr. T, Nighthawk & Shaylene) being just 10 Points or less away from entering the Top Five.  Further down the standings, I see a friendly rivalry coming into focus between Viking Blood and her husband The Sad Salmon.  Viking Blood has inched 1 Point ahead of him in the standings and is currently the best player in the family.  But with his team the Dolphins back on the rebound and winning some games, I expect to see the same from The Sad Salmon as he will likely be posting some huge numbers soon.  Finally, a shoutout to rookie player Young Tuna, who at 10 years old is leading the league in Triple Jeopardy at 86% (6-1).  He is just slightly behind my all-time club record of 87% (13-2) on picking Triple Jeopardy.  But I would be more than happy to see him pass me and claim that record for himself.

Here is a copy of the Week 7 Current Standings for those who are having trouble viewing it on their screens (usually due to viewing site on cell phone or tablet). Remember that there is much more detailed information that can be read on the actual Current Standings Page (but using a computer is necessary due to the tables).

Here are the club’s picks for Week 7.  The Rickster claims the MVP Award with 29 Points and Double-Double takes his second consecutive MVP Award Runner-Up with 28 Points.

Week 7 full picks now posted.  (Sun 8:20am).  All players are welcome to view my picks once they have turned their own in for the week.

Week 6 MVP Award Winner –
MJD Hogg (30 Points)

Two-time Club Champion Runner-Up MJD Hogg left Hazzard County in the dust as he scored 30 Points to drive off with the Week 6 MVP Award.  MJD Hogg did this by getting both Games of the Week, the Double Stakes, and Sunday night game correct.  MJD Hogg was also 1 of only 8 players to wisely switch away from the Autopicker last week and go with Washington.  But MJD Hogg’s most brilliant decision was how he wisely used Triple Jeopardy for the first time this season.  He had a strong feeling that the Colts would win, and thus he went ahead and selected TJ and came away with 2 Bonus Points.  The huge week has left MJD Hogg a mere 3 Points from entering the Top Ten and 18 Points from reaching the Top Five.  MJD Hogg would love to continue his upward trajectory in season Points Standings finishes.  In 2020, he finished in 15th Place.  But in 2021, he finished in 7th Place.  Might a Top Five finish be lined up for 2022?  The Week 6 MVP Award Runner-Up went to two players who both tied for it with 29 Points.  The first player was My Life Loves Jimmy G, who has been on an absolute tear since his proclamation a couple of weeks ago that he was going to be scoring lots of Points.  This marks the second consecutive week that he has finished as the MVP Award Runner-Up.  He now stands only 12 Points out of 1st Place and over the past 2 weeks he has outperformed top player Drummer Boy by a combined 9 Points.  My Wife Loves Jimmy G has also created some separation between himself and the 6th Place player with a 7 Point cushion.  Speaking of the 6th Place player, that would be Double-Double, who was the second player to tie for the Week 6 MVP Award Runner-Up.  If Double-Double has taught us one thing over his stellar career in the club, it’s that he is never to be counted out.  He might be down in the standings at times, but he is never out of the running.  Double-Double is eyeing the Top Five and #1 spot in the standings, but he is also eyeing his greatest rival Stinkerbell.  Double-Double is now only 9 Points away from catching up with her.  In looking at the Top Five, Drummer Boy continues to make very solid picks week after week.  He doesn’t leave much of an opportunity for anybody to catch up with him when he never has a really bad week.  If there is one minor criticism of Drummer Boy, it’s that he doesn’t win any MVP Awards.  The last time he won an MVP Award was during Week 15 of the 2019 season.  But who needs MVP Awards when you have the consistency of Drummer Boy?  He has proven that as he has now logged a combined 19 weeks at #1 over the past two seasons despite not winning any MVP Awards.  However, I am issuing a standing challenge to him to step up and win an MVP Award sometime this season.  Tied for 2nd Place we have Hoosier Daddy and Stinkerbell, who are both 10 Points behind Drummer Boy.  And Mr. T is in 4th Place, 1 Point behind them.  Finally, I wanted to give out a shout-out to Captain Jack Sparrow, who posted a solid 23 Point week.  Having walked the plank and taken on water for the past several weeks with some bad picks, he finally steadied the ship.  As he proclaimed on Club Chat: “I will lick me wounds an' get the Black Pearl on the move again. Full sail ahead, all sail, ramming speed into uncharted waters. Beware the kraken.”  And sure enough, he delivered and has the Black Pearl back on track.