DiploBall IV, Week 13 Recap: Watch Your Back

1^st Place: SchutzJP

Do you smell that?  Victory!  A victory so sweet there is only one possible way to celebrate.  That’s right… the Gangna Style dance!  Hmmm… note to self… when celebrating my victory by reenacting a viral South Korean youtube video… perhaps I should first make sure the consular waiting room is empty.  That was slightly embarrassing.

Anyway!  Having successfully taken down Jim, I am now in 4^th place… That means VJ, Badger, and BigCat are officially on notice!  I’m only 62 points away from taking what is rightfully mine!

2^nd Place: RollTide1

Eric made a HUGE jump in the season stands this week.  Moving from 15^th to 11^th!  Moving up 4 spots is hard to do, especially this far into the season!

3^rd Place: Jeff

So, Jeff and I have been at an impasse all day.  We just can’t agree.  However, since I won, I think I should, by default, be correct.  But, noooo… Jeff doesn’t think that would be fair and has asked for a more democratic solution.  So, fine.  We’ll put it up for a vote.   Here it goes:  Jeff thinks ‘Waterworld’ is the worst Kevin Costner film ever made.  HOWEVER, I think ‘The Postman’ is the worst.  Please, weigh in and help us settle this once and for all… before we have to enter the Octagon and battle it out like two civilized adults.

Honorable Mention #1: Rada

You know?  Rada doesn’t normally have spectacular weeks… however, I can’t let her 4^th place finish go unnoticed.

Honorable Mention #2: The Great Usurper

The Great tied with Jeff for the most correct picks.  25 out of 37.

Last Place:  Robbins

I have to admit… I am a bit perplexed.  Robbins made picks for all 37 games.  However, he lost to Renegade, who only made picks for 13 games.  Umm… interesting.

Missed Week Minimum (MWM): 50 Points

Robbins didn’t do you guys any favors this week:  SEC#1, Arose, Irishman, and BeachBum

DiploBall IV, Weeks 11 & 12 Recap: A Double Helping of Thanksgiving

Well, the general consensus was to throw out the San Francisco/St. Louis game, so I have.  But I do have to ask a question.  What is more embarrassing… losing to the Rams… or tying the Rams?  I think the latter.

Anyway, omitting the game didn’t affect Week 11’s leader board; however it did help some folks in the season standings.

Here is your double recap!

DiploBall IV, Week 11 & 12 Recap

1^st Place: BigCat (Week 11 & 12)

Yep.  BigCat has won two weeks in a row.  In addition, BigCat has overtaken Badger in the season standings, which is crazy to me.  Badger!  What the heck happened?  You pretty much had this thing in the bag!

2^nd Place: VJSchutz (Week 11), SchutzJp (Week 12)

Well, there is no big surprise seeing my dad on the leader board… but this is only my SECOND time in the top three this season!  So, I think I’m going to celebrate by crack open one of the Yuengling’s I shipped in my consumables allowance!  Cheers everyone!

3^rd Place: SEC#1 (Week 11), VJSchutz (Week 12)

SEC#1 has had a strong couple weeks jumping from 12^th to 10^th in the season standings.  VJSchutz is still sitting in 3^rd… however, only 162 points separates our top 5 players… so as we move into week 13… anything can happen.

Last Place:  Pac12Bear (Week 11), Rada (Week 12)

Well… look on the bright side.  At least this week you get to share this dubious honor!

Missed Week Minimum (MWM)

Over the last two weeks four people have benefited from the Missed Week Minimum:  Arose, Ted, Renegade, and RollTide1

DiploBall IV, Week 11: What the…?

Okay Diploballers.  I don’t feel like I can do a proper recap this week because I don’t think I agree with the standings!  I am so confused!

Something has happened that has never happened, EVER, in the four seasons of Diploball.

There has been a tie!

San Francisco and St. Louis tied!

Now, the reason I don’t feel like I can do a recap this week is because PoolTracker marked all of our picks for that game wrong… WRONG!  Meaning we all lost points no matter what!

Folks, I don’t know if I agree with how PoolTracker decided to score this.  No one lost… and no one won… so why should we all lose points?  In my heart of hearts I feel like we should just throw the game out.  Omit it entirely.  We’ll make it points neutral, meaning you’ll gain back what you lost on the game… but this may affect some the standings for the week. 

I need to hear the opinion of the masses!  And then I’ll do a double recap next week.

Keep on truckin’ Diploballers!

DiploBall IV, Week 10: You’re Invited!

Okay… so, I don’t want to jinx anything, but the last Super Bowl party I threw was January 31^st, 1999.  And if I’m going to throw one this season… I have to start planning now because you guys are going to need plenty of time to get your Eritrean entry visas.  It’s going to be off the hook Asmara style.  GO FALCONS!

DiploBall IV, Week 10 Recap

1^st Place: Steak n Potatoes

Steak has been on fire ever since his father-in-law overstepped his own mouth with too much smack-talk. 

2^nd Place:  VJ Schutz

Last year’s champ is starting to even out his season, moving from 4^th to 3^rd in the standings, reclaiming his place that the top of the Schutz family contingent, however, I have a feeling his sights are now of BigCat.  Which is fine… because he won’t notice my sights on him!

3^rd Place:  VNIBarger

Like Steak, VNIBarger has been hanging out low in the standings… however, we still have half the season to go.  It’s still anybody's game!

NCAA MVP:  Irishman

Irishman tied with Steak n Potatoes for the most correct NCAA picks, 17 out of 19!

NFL MVP:  SEC#1

SEC tied with VNIBarger for the most correct NFL picks, 12 out of 14.  Impressive!

Last Place:  Robbins

That’s two weeks in a row dude.  Are you make this a habit?

DiploBall IV, Week 9 Recap: Upsets? Who me?

Well, I didn’t make the leader board this week.  However, I’ll take a 4^th place finish any day of the week as long as I’m head of Jim and VJ.  Plus, the Falcons are 7-0 and the sports media is finally starting to treat them like the real deal.  It’s about time!

This is going to be a quick recap this week.  I’ve been a bit under weather this week.

DiploBall IV, Week 9 Recap:

1^st Place: BigCat

BigCat has made a big move!  Leap-frogging both Jim and VJ in the season standings, landing in 2^nd place over all in the league.  Honestly, anyone who picks Arizona over USC deserves to win the week.  BigCat also picked Miami of Ohio for the win… who does that?

2^nd Place:  EricC

Eric must have sensed it was going to be an upset week in football and most of his gambles paid off.  Not all of his gambles (Duke over FSU?), however, most of them did:  Kent State, Miami of Ohio, University of Washington, and Cleveland.

3^rd Place:  Jeff

What a tremendous showing for 18^th place Jeff!  He made three crucial picks for big points:  UGA, Notre Dame, and Cleveland.  Those three games alone earned Jeff 58 points, while most everyone else lost.

MVP:  Everyone except Robbins, Vnibarger, and Badger

I’m not feeling up to breaking down the NCAA/NFL scores like I normally do… so this week I thought we could come together as a community to point and laugh at the three people who actually picked Philly over Atlanta.  Those poor saps.

Last Place:  Robbins

Well… you were gunning for upsets… however, you picked all the wrong games.

Missed Week Minimum: 98 Points

Once again Robbins sets the MWM benchmark AND Nate and Renegade miss the week.  Nate, you only have one more week to miss before you’re out.

Perfect Week Bonus (Cash-In):  Badger (32 Points – Kent State over Rutgers)

Oh how the mighty has fallen!  After his first dismal week, Badger cash’s in his Perfect Week Bonus to recover a 32 point pick. 

VJ, The Great Usurper, Jp, and RollTide are still have perfect weeks to cash-in.  

DiploBall IV, Week 8 Recap: Third of the Way There!

Eight weeks down and only 14 weeks left to make your move!  I’m certainly having a mediocre season… and I would say I’m upset, but how can you been upset when the Falcon’s are the only undefeated team in the NFL, with a four game lead in their division?  No… life is pretty good. 

DiploBall IV, Week 8 Recap

1^st Place: Jim Schutz

Jim, DiploBall II champion and currently in 2^nd place, squeezed out a victory this week.  However, he was only able to carve out two points from Badger’s impressive lead.

2^nd Place: Badger

Seriously.  You have a 194 point lead!  Take a week off.  Go to Vegas and make some real money!

3^rd Place: Steak N Potatoes

Impressive.  After all the smack-talk and last weeks last place finish, Steak almost pulled out a victory this week, thanks mainly to his perfect NFL week, picking all 13 games correct! 

NCAA MVP of the Week: Ryan

Badger’s smack-talk must have woken the beast.  Not only did Steak step-up his game, Ryan went 20 for 21 in the NCAA games.  Badger still has the top pick and point’s percentage in the NCAA, however there is still time to dethrone him!

NFL MVP of the Week: SchutzJp

Yeah… I’m giving the nod to myself this week.  So what!  I took 2^nd place in the NFL games this week! 

Last Place:  Robbins

Oh my.  I was really planning on ripping into Robbins a little bit; however, I noticed he didn’t weight his games this week.  They ranked are in order from 34 down to 1.  I am terribly confused.  Was this an accident or strategy?  Are you running a fever?  33 points on Arizona State University over Oregon State?  I will give Robbins a little credit though, most of his loses were very close games.  If there had been more upsets, things might have gone in his direction.

Missed Week Minimum (MWM):  190 Points

This is Nate’s 3^rd Miss and Renegades 2^nd.  Time get back in there boys!

DiploBall IV, Week 7 Recap: No Room for Peyton in DiploBall

Remember all those nice things I said about Peyton Manning at the start of the season?  Yeah… well… I take it all back. 

There I was… basking in the glory of San Diego’s 24 point lead… which, incidentally, put me in 3^rd place for week… only to watch my first top three finish since Week 1 crumble before my eyes.

Because of Peyton Manning I fell to 9^th place for the week.  I see how it is Peyton.  Once a Colt, always a Colt. 

DiploBall IV, Week 7 Recap

1^st Place: Pac12Bear

We haven’t heard much from Pac12 this season and he’s currently sitting in 12^th place overall… which begs the question:  Has Pac12 already risen to his level of incompetence?   I don’t know folks… I’ve read Freakenomics… your name can set you up for a life a mediocrity. 

Perhaps I should start calling you Pac1.  That might help light a firing.

2^nd Place: Badger

Seriously?  Come on!  This is getting ridiculous.  Badger has finished in 2^nd place or above four out of seven weeks so far this season and he has extended his lead to 196 points.  He’s to the point that he can take a week off and STILL maintain 1^st place overall.

Badger is officially ravaging the league worse than VJSchutz (my dad) did last season.   

3^rd Place: BeachBum505

Currently in 14^th place overall, BeachBum isn’t having the greatest season… but apparently he had Peyton Manning looking after him this week.

NCAA MVP of the Week: Jim Schutz

9 people picked 16 out of 18 NCAA games correct, however… when it came to wagering points on the games, Jim out played everyone, earning 97% of his wagered points on NCAA games.

NFL MVP of the Week: EricC

EricC is the undisputed winner of this week’s NFL match-ups.  Sure, he tied with Pac1 picking 10 out of 14 games correct… but he also earned more points on the NFL games than anyone else.  A whopping 83 points!  Leading the pack in a week where only four players earned positive NFL numbers.

Last Place:  Steak N Potatoes

I have to be honest.  Back when I started DiploBall, these recaps contained a lot more smack-talk.  However, as DiploBall has grown and matured… er… well, grown, and more and more folks join that I haven’t met personally… I thought I should probably tone things down a bit and not publically question the type of underwear people wear when making their picks. 

However, much to my delight, last week Badger felt compelled to open up a can of whoop-smack on his family!  So… yeah… I think I’m just going to take a step back and let Badger take care of this one for me.

Missed Week Minimum (MWM):  95 Points

Nate was our only missing player this week.  This is Nate’s second miss.