SportsFilter: DrJohnEvans's blog

SportsFilter: DrJohnEvans's blog http://www.sportsfilter.com/user/DrJohnEvans New links and comments. en-us http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Wordzilla/0.58 10 CFL Pick 'Em, Final Post-Season Standings http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12637/cfl-pick-em-final-post-season-standings Our mini pick 'em is capped off by two feats unprecedented in pick 'em history. Well, that's it! Montreal looks good to start, but Calgary's defence gets the stops they need. Burris keeps their O on the field just long enough, and Sandro's right foot does the rest, hitting five field goals to seal the deal. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">CGY @ MTL</td><td width="125">MVP</td><td width="125">O/U</td><td width="125">Tiebreaker</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>Calgary by 8</td><td>Burris</td><td>Under</td><td>157</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>6 to 10</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></table> JPR misses another sweep by one point to grab a convincing win. I'm pretty sure he's the first person in the history of the CFL Post-Season Pick 'Em to get skunked in the semi-finals and then come back to win it all. Congratulations, JPR! At the other end is Monica Poland with a first of her own: she pulls of a sweep of the 2008 CFL Costanzas, winning both the regular season and post-season trophies. That's never been done before in my time either. Congrats! <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">CGY @ MTL</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">MVP</td><td width="5"> </td><td width="85">O/U</td><td width="5"> </td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>JPR</td><td>Calgary</td><td>6</td><td>Burris</td><td> </td><td>Under</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>11</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>dfleming</td><td>Calgary</td><td>7</td><td>Burris</td><td> </td><td>Under</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Under</td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>apoch</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Under</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Reever</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>owlhouse</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Under</td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>tommytrump</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>4</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>4</td></tr></table> Thanks to everyone for another great season. It's been a blast, and hopefully we'll see you all again next June. 'Til then, au revoir! Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:28:05 -0500 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12637/cfl-pick-em-final-post-season-standings#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12637 sportsfilter fantasy sports 12637 CFL Pick 'Em, 96th Grey Cup Edition http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12623/cfl-pick-em-96th-grey-cup-edition Here we go! Make your picks inside. Montreal shows signs of rust early, but overcomes a 13-3 first-quarter deficit, scoring 33 straight points before cruising to a ten-point victory. Calgary also struggles early on, but their defence keeps B.C. out of the end zone to give the offense a chance to score just enough to cement their trip to Montreal this week. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">EDM @ MTL</td><td width="125">BC @ CGY</td><td width="125">Offensive</td><td width="125">Defensive</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>Montreal by 10</td><td>Calgary by 4</td><td>Ray</td><td>B.C.</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>7 to 13</td><td>3 to 5</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></table> JPR nails both spreads, and comes within one point of an unprecedented weekly sweep. BoKnows picks up both bonuses to hang into contention. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">EDM @ MTL</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">BC @ CGY</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">Offensive</td><td width="5"> </td><td width="95">Defensive</td><td width="5"> </td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>Montreal</td><td>10</td><td>Calgary</td><td>3</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>6</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Ray</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>7</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>JPR</td><td>Montreal</td><td>10</td><td>Calgary</td><td>4</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>7</td><td>7</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>dfleming</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Ray</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>3</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Ray</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Reever</td><td>Montreal</td><td>9</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Ray</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>4</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>tommytrump</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>4</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Monica Poland</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>4</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>apoch</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Ray</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Anaconda</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>3</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>3</td></tr></table> This is it! LE 96e COUPE GREY | THE 96th GREY CUP Calgary Stampeders vs. Montreal Alouettes (Sunday, November 23) You've been keeping an eye on these teams all year. You know who they are and what they can do. There's nothing more I can tell you. (Although for the short of memory, there's <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=11719">TSN's matchup page</a>.) THE MVP BONUS Pick the Grey Cup MVP. THE OVER/UNDER BONUS The over/under on the total number of points scored in this Grey Cup is set at 57.5. Pick whether the actual number of points scored will be over or under that number. Overtime counts. THE TIEBREAKER Pick the total number of rushing yards gained by both teams. This will be used as a tiebreaker only, and is worth no points. Total points available: 3 (the game) + 2 (bonus questions) = 5 Good luck! And to anyone who'll be in Montreal this weekend, we'll see you on Rue Crescent! Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:46:56 -0500 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12623/cfl-pick-em-96th-grey-cup-edition#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12623 sportsfilter fantasy sports 12623 CFL Pick 'Em, Division Finals http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12608/cfl-pick-em-division-finals Edmonton and B.C. both win on the road, and head into the strongholds of Calgary and Montreal. Closer to home, BoKnows bats .714 for a strong opening week. Can he keep up the pace? Make your picks inside. In the "East", Edmonton takes advantage of a windy Canad Inns Stadium. Winnipeg couldn't get anything going with the wind at their backs in the first quarter, and Edmonton made sure to capitalize on their second and third quarters. By the time Winnipeg got the wind advantage back, it was too late, and Edmonton becomes the first Western team to win in a crossover semi. In the West, Michael Bishop shows that he's an old dog who can't learn new tricks. New tricks like not contributing to FOUR turnovers in the first quarter alone. B.C. takes the win and the points, Bishop gets waived the next day. And in the real competition of the week, <a href="http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/statsGame/id/375">McCallum edges out Congi</a> and puts 13 points on the scoreboard. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">EDM @ WPG</td><td width="125">BC @ SSK</td><td width="125">Bonus</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>Edmonton by 8</td><td>B.C. by 21</td><td>McCallum</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>6 to 10</td><td>15 to 27</td><td> </td></tr></table> BoKnows nails the B.C. spread and hits the Edmonton margin for five out of a possible seven points. We are investigating the possibility of insider trading on this one. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">EDM @ WPG</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">BC @ SSK</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">Bonus</td><td width="30"> </td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>BoKnows</td><td>Edmonton</td><td>10</td><td>B.C.</td><td>21</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>McCallum</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>dfleming</td><td>Edmonton</td><td>10</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>tommytrump</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>Edmonton</td><td>7</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Spitztengle</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td>Edmonton</td><td>9</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Folkways</td><td> </td><td>8</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>McCallum</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>apoch</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>THX-1138</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>JPR</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Reever</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Anaconda</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr></table> EAST FINAL Edmonton @ Montreal (Saturday, November 15) Here's an odd one: these two teams have a rich history of clashing in the Grey Cup, but here they are, meeting a week early. Both these teams are fundamentally solid, but the experience edge may have to go to the Alouettes: they're just continuing a long, successful string of playoff appearances while Edmonton is bouncing back from two years in the wilderness. Not to mention the fact that Montreal is playing for a chance to play in a Grey Cup at home. Nonetheless, with two pass-heavy offences and pass-prevention defences, the win may go to the team which can get it done on the ground as well. WEST FINAL B.C. @ Calgary (Saturday, November 15) Calgary has to be the favourite here: they seem to finally be putting the puzzle together after two years of playing with the pieces. Plus they finished off the season with a big burst in the strong West. But B.C. has the league's best pedigree of recent years, and what they've lost in offence they've made up for on defence and special teams. Nobody knows how close this one is going to be. OFFENSIVE BONUS Pick the quarterback who will pass for the most yardage. <a href="http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/stat/Passing/year/2008/">2008 Passing Stats </a> DEFENSIVE BONUS Pick the team who will accrue the most quarterback sacks. If no quarterbacks are sacked, the defence who held their opponents to the fewest yards will be the winner. <a href="http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/stat/Sacks/year/2008/">2008 Sacks Stats </a> Total points available: 3 (East final) + 3 (West final) + 2 (Bonus questions) = 8 Good luck! Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:49:35 -0500 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12608/cfl-pick-em-division-finals#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12608 sportsfilter fantasy sports 12608 CFL Pick 'Em, Playoff Edition http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12595/cfl-pick-em-playoff-edition Were you wistfully checking the CFL Pick 'Em standings all summer, wishing you could play? Or maybe you're looking for revenge/continuity after a disappointing/excellent regular season? Either way, here's your chance as the CFL heads into the playoffs. We begin anew and it's anyone's game. Make your picks inside. EAST SEMI-FINAL Edmonton @ Winnipeg (Saturday, November 8) Edmonton gets an automatic nod for coming out of the strong West division and crossing over to the East playoffs: they're 10-8 on the season compared to Winnipeg's 8-10. But is momentum a concern? Ignoring last week's win against Montreal's backups, Edmonton hasn't won in anger in almost a month, and those games include a couple of disheartening losses that removed them from contention in the West. Add to that the Esks' 3-6 road record, and the fact that Winnipeg has won three out of four, and you may think about tightening the spread a bit. <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=11689">TSN.ca East Semi Preview »</a> WEST SEMI-FINAL B.C. @ Saskatchewan (Saturday, November 8) Weeks and weeks of a Western stalemate finally comes down to this. Saskatchewan had a hot start, but injuries and inconsistency made the second half rough for them. B.C. stumbled out of the gate, but the defence found its groove and the offence scored just enough to get the team back on its feet. B.C.'s mean defence will be a tough challenge for Saskatchewan's QB rotation, but the Riders' home field crowd should make sure that it works the other way 'round. The weather is sunny and clear, but Prairie winds will make this no picnic for kickers. Look for this to be a grind-it-out, low-scoring game. <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=11690">TSN.ca West Semi Preview »</a> BONUS QUESTION Pick the kicker who will score the most points for his team. <a href="http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/stat/Kicking/year/2008/">2008 CFL Kicking Stats »</a> Total points available: 3 (East semi) + 3 (West semi) + 1 (Bonus) = 7 <a href="http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/11249/june-means-football#203103">Here are the picking rules</a>, which are still a little mangled from the Great SpoFi Switcheroo. Basically, just pick a winner and a spread, and ask me any questions if you have them. Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:26:00 -0500 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12595/cfl-pick-em-playoff-edition#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12595 sportsfilter fantasy sports 12595 CFL Pick 'Em, Final Standings http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12592/cfl-pick-em-final-standings tommytrump finishes off his victory run with a big week to leave no questions about the legitimacy of his championship. Congratulations! Toronto's last feeble gasp is snuffed out by Saskatchewan, which comes from behind to put the pressure on B.C. in Calgary. The Lions can't quite get it together, though, and end up losing to the Stamps' second-stringers. Edmonton beats up on Marcus Brady, and Winnipeg gets back on their feet and denies Hamilton a third-place finish. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">SSK @ TOR</td><td width="125">MTL @ EDM</td><td width="125">HAM @ WPG</td><td width="125">BC @ CGY</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>Saskatchewan by 7</td><td>Edmonton by 23</td><td>Winnipeg by14</td><td>Calgary by 11</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>5 to 9</td><td>16 to 30</td><td>10 to 18</td><td>8 to 14</td></tr></table> tommytrump finishes off with a monster 7-point week, extending his margin of victory to a decisive eight points. Congratulations, tommy! At the other end, Monica makes it interesting with six points of her own, but it's not quite enough to catch Anaconda, and Monica takes home a deserving Costanza Award. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">SSK @ TOR</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">MTL @ EDM</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">HAM @ WPG</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="95">BC @ CGY</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>tommytrump</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>11</td><td>Calgary</td><td>11</td><td>7</td><td>68</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>17</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>60</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>JPR</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td>8</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>60</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>MrFrisby</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>59</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>59</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td>9</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>58</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>11</td><td>5</td><td>58</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Reever</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>11</td><td>4</td><td>56</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>BoKnows</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>52</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>10</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>51</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>apoch</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>50</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>NoMich</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>48</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Folkways</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>47</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Anaconda</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td>9</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>11</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>6</td><td>43</td></tr></table> Huge thanks to everyone for playing along all season. This has become one of the annual highlights of my summer, and it's your weekly picks that make it all possible. Thank you! (Don't go away, though: we'll be starting a new pick 'em for the CFL playoffs. I'll try to get the first post up tomorrow. Keep an eye out!) Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:35:17 -0500 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12592/cfl-pick-em-final-standings#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12592 sportsfilter fantasy sports 12592 MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, Final Standings http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12590/mlb-post-season-pick-em-final-standings BoKnows plays through the rain and picks up three out of four points for the big win. I started doing up the final results on Thursday, but it started to rain so the post was postponed until today. BoKnows picks the winner, the MVP, and the <a href="http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12565/mlb-post-season-pick-em-world-series#220756">multiple choice bonus</a> to finish with a commanding two-point lead. Congratulations! At the other end, holden ended up with the fewest points of all players who picked in all rounds, so he takes home a much-deserved Costanza. Extra trivia which didn't end up affecting anything: the highest batting average of any player with more than 10 PA was Jayson Werth's of .444. Ying Yang Mafia and boredom_08 were the closest. Woo! <table cellspacing="0"><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><th width="150">SpoFite</th><th width="140">PHI vs TB</th><th width="140">MVP</th><th>MC Bonus</th><th>Points</th><th>Total Points</th></tr><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="40"><td> </td><td>Philadelphia in 5</td><td>Hamels</td><td>Base Hits</td><td>4</td><td> </td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td>Hamels</td><td>Base Hits</td><td>3</td><td>12</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Base Hits</td><td>1</td><td>10</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Howard_T</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td> </td><td>Base Hits</td><td>2</td><td>10</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Base Hits</td><td>1</td><td>9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>boredom_08</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Base Hits</td><td>1</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Folkways</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Base Hits</td><td>1</td><td>6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>apoch</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td> </td><td>Base Hits</td><td>2</td><td>6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>holden</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>jasonspaceman</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr></table> Thanks for playing! And remember, it's only three and a half months 'til spring training, and four 'til the World Baseball Classic! Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:00:49 -0500 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12590/mlb-post-season-pick-em-final-standings#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12590 sportsfilter fantasy sports 12590 CFL Pick 'Em, Week 19 http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12580/cfl-pick-em-week-19 Last week of the season! Time for that final push! The trophy is in the building. Well, it would be if we had a trophy. Or a building. Noted for next year. Make your picks inside. Calgary gets the job done and clinches first place in the West. B.C. gets the job done and stays in a tie for second. Montreal loses their offensive touch at home; end-of-season relaxation or something more worrisome? And Saskatchewan comes out of its second-half funk in a big way, absolutely embarrassing Edmonton and banishing the Esks to a crossover fate in windy Winnipeg. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">CGY @ HAM</td><td width="125">EDM @ SSK</td><td width="125">TOR @ BC</td><td width="125">WPG @ MTL</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>Calgary by 11</td><td>Saskatchewan by 46</td><td>B.C. by 23</td><td>Winnipeg by 1</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>8 to 14</td><td>32 to 60</td><td>16 to 30</td><td>1 to 1</td></tr></table> Points are scarce this week, but both tommy and Monica eke out four-point leads, all but guaranteeing their respective trophies. Can anyone stage a final-week come-from-behind push? <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">CGY @ HAM</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">EDM @ SSK</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">TOR @ BC</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="95">WPG @ MTL</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>tommytrump</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td>19</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>61</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>57</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>MrFrisby</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>57</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>JPR</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>56</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>56</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td>28</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>56</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>53</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Reever</td><td>Calgary</td><td>13</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>52</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>apoch</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>50</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td>Calgary</td><td>14</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td>28</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>50</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>47</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>NoMich</td><td>Calgary</td><td>10</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>47</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Folkways</td><td>Calgary</td><td>13</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Anaconda</td><td>Calgary</td><td>9</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>41</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>37</td></tr></table> This is it! Final countdowns! Final jostling for seeding! Fan appreciation! T-shirt giveaways! It's been a great year (for those of us who aren't Argos fans, anyway), and it's been great to have everyone here along for the ride. Thanks! WEEK 19 Saskatchewan @ Toronto (Thursday, October 30) This could still be a game to watch. Saskatchewan's fighting for a home playoff game next week, and Toronto's fighting for anything remotely resembling a win. Montreal @ Edmonton (Friday, October 31) Both these teams are home and cool, but still have something to prove in this potential East final match-up. Edmonton needs to rebound after last week, and Montreal can't afford to lose its offense for much longer. Hamilton @ Winnipeg (Saturday, November 1) Winnipeg lost two quarterbacks last week. They will not take any chances with anyone else this week. Meanwhile Hamilton's fighting for a chance to finish third for the first time in who knows how long, so they've gotta be the favourites coming in. B.C. @ Calgary (Saturday, November 1) This game depends on Thursday night's game. B.C.'s won their season series with Saskatchewan, so if the Riders lose in Toronto, B.C. will clinch second place two days before they play. If Saskatchewan wins, B.C. will need to bring it. You might want to delay your pick for this game until Friday. Good luck! Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:12:24 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12580/cfl-pick-em-week-19#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12580 sportsfilter fantasy sports 12580 CFL Pick 'Em, Week 18 http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12572/cfl-pick-em-week-18 Second-last week! Keep up that jostling! Nothing is settled yet! At least, nothing west of Brandon, MB. Make your picks inside. The CFL seems to be saving its most entertaining moments for last. B.C. takes out Edmonton, and wins by enough to ensure a victory in the season seriesa point which could easily come into play. Montreal puts Toronto out of its misery. Calgary rolls at home, hanging onto that first-round bye. And Saskatchewan almost gets knocked out of the race by Hamilton, but gears up and comes from behind to hang onto the second-place tie. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">BC @ EDM</td><td width="125">MTL @ TOR</td><td width="125">WPG @ CGY</td><td width="125">HAM @ SSK</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>B.C. by 15</td><td>Montreal by 9</td><td>Calgary by 21</td><td>Saskatchewan by 1</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>11 to 20</td><td>6 to 12</td><td>15 to 27</td><td>1 to 1</td></tr></table> tommy rebounds with a fine five-point week to put some much-needed distance between himself and owlhouse. Contention for the Costanza is vicious as well: Monica rings up four points, but Anaconda nails the Montreal spread to increase the margin to three points. Also, some nut lucked into an eight-point week. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">BC @ EDM</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">MTL @ TOR</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">WPG @ CGY</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="95">HAM @ SSK</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>tommytrump</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>16</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>58</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>55</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>JPR</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td>10</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>55</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>MrFrisby</td><td>B.C.</td><td>12</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>24</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>6</td><td>54</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>53</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td>10</td><td>Calgary</td><td>16</td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td>1</td><td>8</td><td>53</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>51</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>MrFrisby</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>48</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Reever</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>48</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>46</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>NoMich</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>44</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Folkways</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>42</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Anaconda</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td>3</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>38</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>35</td></tr></table> Almost every game this week features a team with something to play for. Almost. Also, the playoff situation in the West is pretty convoluted, so bear with me here. WEEK 18 Calgary @ Hamilton (Friday, October 24) Hamilton looked pretty good last week, eh? But Calgary won its season series with both B.C. and Saskatchewan, which means that a win this week clinches first place and avoids making next week's B.C. match-up more meaningful than they want it to be. Edmonton @ Saskatchewan (Saturday, October 25) Both of these teams are still in the mix, but they've both been maddeningly inconsistent in the second half. Chances are good that the loser this week does the crossover dance, so make this a big coin toss. Toronto @ B.C. (Saturday, October 25) B.C.'s been looking good, and are still in the race for first. Toronto's been looking miserable. That probably won't change. Winnipeg @ Montreal (Sunday, October 26) Both teams have clinched their respective playoff berths and should theoretically have nothing left to play for. Except that Montreal doesn't seem to be capable of taking their foot off the gas. Good luck! Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:58:41 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12572/cfl-pick-em-week-18#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12572 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12572 MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, World Series Edition http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12565/mlb-post-season-pick-em-world-series This is it. There are a bunch of marbles on the table, and the winner gets all of them. Make your picks inside. The surprise winner of the AL ERA crown was Hideki Okajima, turning in a sparkling zero in 7.1 innings' worth of work. Don't fret too much about a reliever winning, though: it's not like anyone picked the runner-up, Matt Garza. Another surprise was the base-stealing bonus: the AL absolutely dominated, swiping twelve bags to the NL's three. Phillies manager Charley Manuel agreed that this was startling, and informed reporters that in an effort to be more aggressive, Matt Stairs would be given the green light for the entire series. <table cellspacing="0"><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><th width="150">SpoFite</th><th width="140">LAD vs PHI</th><th width="140">BOS vs TB</th><th>NL Bonus</th><th>AL Bonus</th><th>Love Child</th><th>Points</th><th>Total Points</th></tr><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="40"><td> </td><td>Philadelphia in 5</td><td>Tampa Bay in 7</td><td>Hamels</td><td>Okajima</td><td>AL +9</td><td>8</td><td> </td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td>Philadelphia in 5</td><td> </td><td>Hamels</td><td> </td><td>AL</td><td>4</td><td>9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td> </td><td>Tampa Bay in 7</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>AL</td><td>3</td><td>9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td>Hamels</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>9</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Folkways</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Howard_T</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td> </td><td>Hamels</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>owlhouse</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>boredom_88</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>AL</td><td>3</td><td>7</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>yerfatma</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td> </td><td>Hamels</td><td> </td><td>AL</td><td>3</td><td>7</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>holden</td><td> </td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td>Hamels</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td> </td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>AL</td><td>2</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>trox</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>apoch</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td>Hamels</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>4</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>mbd1</td><td> </td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>NoMich</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>chris2sy</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>jasonspaceman</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr></table> Please double-check your picks to make sure I got 'em right. And now to type the words which will never grow old: WORLD SERIES Philadelphia Phillies (92-70) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (97-65) MVP BONUS Pick the MVP of the Series. MULTIPLE CHOICE BONUS Pick which will happen with the most frequency in this series: a strikeout, a base hit, or a run scored. That is, when we tally up the totals from the box scores, pick which stat will have the biggest number next to it, for both teams combined. If it's a pitchers' series, strikeouts will be high at the expense of offence. If it's a sluggers' series, runs scored will probably win out. If it's neither, base hits could be tops. TIEBREAKER BONUS Pick the highest batting average a player attains in the Series. This is not worth any points, and is only used in the event of a tie for first place or the Costanza. Total points available: 2 (Series pick) + 1 (MVP Bonus) + 1 (MC Bonus) = 4 Example pick: Rays in 6, Kazmir, strikeouts, .354 Good luck! Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:02:35 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12565/mlb-post-season-pick-em-world-series#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12565 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12565 CFL Pick 'Em, Week 17 http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12557/cfl-pick-em-week-17 Drama! Suspense! Our race for first is suddenly just as tight as the West division's. Make your picks inside! Edmonton puts on their playoff hats and holds off B.C. in unfriendly territory. Montreal puts on their Montreal hats and does an old-fashion Tiger-Cats blowout dance. Calgary puts on its first-place hats and absolutely TROUNCES Saskatchewan. Whether these results are surprises depends on what you picked. And oh yeah, Toronto blew it in Winnipeg. BUT my math last week was wrong: it turns out that Toronto can still get that second-place spot if (a) they win all their remaining games, and (b) Winnipeg loses all their remaining games. So yeah! It's in the bag! <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">TOR @ WPG</td><td width="125">EDM @ BC</td><td width="125">HAM @ MTL</td><td width="125">SSK @ CGY</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>Winnipeg by 9</td><td>Edmonton by 7</td><td>Montreal by 31</td><td>Calgary by 37</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>6 to 12</td><td>5 to 9</td><td>22 to 40</td><td>26 to 48</td></tr></table> Excitement and intrigue! tommytrump's underdog picks fall just short. He's still in first place, but not as convincingly as even last week. owlhouse scores four more points than tommy to move up to within a point, and JPR has a solid week to stay just behind. Suddenly the pick 'em championship seems to be up for grabs again! <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">TOR @ WPG</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">EDM @ BC</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">HAM @ MTL</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="95">SSK @ CGY</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>tommytrump</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>53</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>2</td><td>Edmonton</td><td>5</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>6</td><td>52</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>JPR</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>6</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>51</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td>6</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>49</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>6</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>49</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>MrFrisby</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>48</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>apoch</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>8</td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>48</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Reever</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td>6</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>7</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>10</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>43</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>BoKnows</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>7</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>43</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>NoMich</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>10</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>42</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Folkways</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td>7</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>42</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>HATER 187</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>39</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Anaconda</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>33</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Monica Poland</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>31</td></tr></table> With the Toronto loss last week, we're guaranteed a crossover in the playoffs this year: the fouth-place team in the West will take the place of the third-place East team in the East semi-final. No crossover team has ever won the semi-final game, but that streak is going to be hard pressed to continue this year. Why? See below. WEEK 17 B.C. @ Edmonton (Friday, October 17) Both these teams are part of a three-way tie for second place in the West, only two points behind first. That means that the winner of this game has an excellent chance to host the West final, with a first-round bye. It also means the loser of this game has an excellent chance to be the crossover team, which no bye, lots of travel, and no home game. This is practically a playoff game, right here. Montreal @ Toronto (Saturday, October 18) Well, if desperately trying to make the playoffs is your game, then going up against Montreal seems to fit the bill. Not for practicality's sake, but definitely for drama's. Winnipeg @ Calgary (Saturday, October 18) Winnipeg can also eliminate Toronto with a win, but it's going to be tough to come by this week. Calgary's playing on short rest, but they've got the best shot at coming in first, and they're not going to give up now. Hamiton @ Saskatchewan (Sunday, October 19) We all know things are bad in Saskatchewan. But bad enough that you would pick a visiting Tiger-Cats team over them? That's a surprisingly tough call. Good luck! Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:14:03 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12557/cfl-pick-em-week-17#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12557 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12557 CFL Pick 'Em, Week 16 http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12548/cfl-pick-em-week-16 A slate of upsets means some belt-tightening for us. But with no clear favourites in the Thanksgiving matchups, take nothing for granted. Make your picks inside. A week of upsets! Saskatchewan reverses their losing trend, Edmonton rights the ship, Hamilton dominates at home (and then barely hangs on), and Toronto loses by only four points! <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">BC @ TOR</td><td width="125">CGY @ SSK</td><td width="125">MTL @ HAM</td><td width="125">WPG @ EDM</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>B.C. by 4</td><td>Saskatchewan by 3</td><td>Hamilton by 6</td><td>Edmonton by 14</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>3 to 5</td><td>2 to 4</td><td>4 to 8</td><td>10 to 18</td></tr></table> A slow point week, but one that created some separation in the standings. You've got tommytrump with a four-point lead at the top. He's going to be tough to unseat, but the six chasers behind him are going to try to do just that. The middle of the pack tops off at the 41-point mark, while Monica and Anaconda are locked in an epic struggle for the Costanza. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">BC @ TOR</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">CGY @ SSK</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">MTL @ HAM</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="95">WPG @ EDM</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>tommytrump</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td>11</td><td>3</td><td>51</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>JPR</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>47</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>MrFrisby</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>47</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td>2</td><td>4</td><td>46</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td>10</td><td>4</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>apoch</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>14</td><td>2</td><td>44</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td>B.C.</td><td>4</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td>13</td><td>5</td><td>44</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Reever</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>41</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>41</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>40</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>HATER 187</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>39</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>39</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>NoMich</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Edmonton</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>38</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Folkways</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>37</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td>B.C.</td><td>4</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>31</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Anaconda</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Saskatchewan</td><td>2</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>30</td></tr></table> The magic number for Edmonton to clinch a crossover spot in the playoffs is one. ONE. Arrrgh. How's that for some Thanksgiving magic. Also, there are NO clear favourites this week. WEEK 16 Toronto @ Winnipeg (Friday, October 10) Here's the deal: Toronto has lost five in a row, and has looked pretty incoherent in doing so, but here's the rub: they're still only two points behind Winnipeg for a guaranteed playoff spot. If they win, they tie the Bombers. If they lose, they're eliminated from the playoffs by the crossover. This one is entirely your call. Edmonton @ B.C. (Friday, October 10) B.C., meanwhile, is in a three-way tie for first place, and Edmonton is only two points behind. From this point on, everyone in the West is fighting tooth and nail for that first-week playoff bye. I call pick 'em on this one too. Hamilton @ Montreal (Monday, October 13) Montreal clinches the division thanks to Winnipeg's loss last week. Will they rest their starters? Does Hamilton have a chance to sweep this home and home? Probably not, but I wanted to plant to seeds of doubt in your head. Saskatchewan @ Calgary (Monday, October 13) Tooth and nail! Tooth and nail! Good luck! Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:13:14 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12548/cfl-pick-em-week-16#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12548 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12548 MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, LCS Edition http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12541/mlb-post-season-pick-em-lcs-edition The cute little five-game exhibition is done, and now we're into real seven-game baseball series. Not a lot of bonus action in the charts from the LDS, but you all have a big chance to turn that around with this round's bonus questions. Make your picks inside. The surprise winner of the batting title is Derrek Lee, who went 6 for 11 with a walk to hit .583 in a losing cause. The AL scored 65 runs to the NL's 50, taking the Grudge pick by a spread of 15. Nobody hit the spread for the fat two points, but enough people picked the right league to give us at least some bonus action this round. I've also started doing the table CFL-styles. Instead of entering all data and boldfacing the point-scoring picks, I just left out the picks that didn't score you any points. It's cleaner and easier to read. Shoot me any questions if you have them. <table cellspacing="0"><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><th width="160">SpoFite</th><th width="140">MIL vs PHI</th><th width="120">LAD vs CHC</th><th>BOS vs LAA</th><th width="120">CHS vs TAM</th><th>Grudge</th><th>Points</th><th>Total Points</th></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td>Philadelphia in 4</td><td>Los Angeles</td><td>Boston in 4</td><td>Tampa in 5</td><td>AL</td><td>7</td><td>8</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Boston</td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td>AL</td><td>4</td><td>6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Howard_T</td><td>Philadelphia in 4</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Tampa </td><td>AL</td><td>4</td><td>6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Folkways</td><td>Philadelphia </td><td> </td><td>Boston in 4</td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td>Philadelphia in 4</td><td>Los Angeles</td><td> </td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td>AL</td><td>6</td><td>6</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>BoKnows</td><td>Philadelphia </td><td> </td><td>Boston </td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td>AL</td><td>5</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>trox</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Boston in 4</td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td>AL</td><td>5</td><td>5</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>boredom_88</td><td> </td><td>Los Angeles</td><td> </td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td>AL</td><td>4</td><td>4</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>yerfatma</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td> </td><td>Boston</td><td>Tampa</td><td>AL</td><td>4</td><td>4</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>NoMich</td><td>Philadelphia in 4</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>holden</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td> </td><td>2</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Tampa in 4</td><td>AL</td><td>3</td><td>3</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>mbd1</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>AL</td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>apoch</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Tampa</td><td> </td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr></table> Please double-check your picks to make sure I got 'em right. NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies Begins Thursday, October 9 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays Begins Friday, October 10, right after we hunt down all those pundits who thought the AL Central was the best division in baseball THE BONUS Pick the two pitchers, one for each league, who will have the lowest ERA in their respective LCS. Minimum 6.0 IP. THE CRAWFORD-ELLSBURY LOVE CHILD BONUS PICK Pick the league that will have more bases stolen in its LCS. Pick the differential as well. Total points available: 4 (LCS picks) + 2 (Bonus) + 2 (Love Child Bonus) = 8 Example pick: Dodgers in 6 Red Sox in 5 Lowe, Kazmir NL +3 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:31:26 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12541/mlb-post-season-pick-em-lcs-edition#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12541 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12541 CFL Pick 'Em, Week 15 http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12529/cfl-pick-em-week-15 Big favourites plus big blowouts means big points for everybody. How did you fare? I'm not telling you. At least, not until you click "read more". I'm tricky like that. Make your picks inside. Well, that went pretty much as expected. But hey, at least we had a close game in Winnipeg! And at least Saskatchewan's slow collapse is giving us something to talk about at the water cooler. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="110"></td><td width="125">EDM @ WPG</td><td width="125">CGY @ TOR</td><td width="125">HAM @ BC</td><td width="125">SSK @ MTL</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Result</td><td>Winnipeg by 7</td><td>Calgary by 28</td><td>B.C. by 30</td><td>Montreal by 25</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><td>Margin of Error</td><td>5 to 9</td><td>20 to 36</td><td>21 to 39</td><td>18 to 33</td></tr></table> The favourites pretty much ruled the day, giving everyone a nice automatic three points for the week. The differences were made in the spreads. There were some six-pointers spotted further down in the standings, as some also-rans are making a determined effort to crawl back into contention. But the serious story was tommytrump's two margins for a big five points, increasing his lead over JPR to three points. With only five weeks to go, it's going to be tough to catch himbut not impossible. <table cellspacing=0><tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><td width="115">SpoFite</td><td width="85">EDM @ WPG</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">CGY @ TOR</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="85">HAM @ BC</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="95">SSK @ MTL</td><td width="30">S</td><td width="50">Points</td><td>Total Points</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>tommytrump</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>23</td><td>B.C.</td><td>25</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>48</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>JPR</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>MrFrisby</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td>21</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>45</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>owlhouse</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>42</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>apoch</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>42</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Ying Yang Mafia</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td>22</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>41</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Reever</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>7</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>6</td><td>40</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>HATER 187</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>39</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Spitztengle</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>39</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>The_Black_Hand</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>7</td><td>Calgary</td><td>20</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>6</td><td>39</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>DrJohnEvans</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td>2</td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td>21</td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>6</td><td>39</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>BoKnows</td><td> </td><td>7</td><td>Calgary</td><td>21</td><td>B.C.</td><td>28</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>5</td><td>38</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>NoMich</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>3</td><td>36</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Folkways</td><td> </td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td>22</td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>36</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td>Monica Poland</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>0</td><td>27</td></tr><tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><td>Anaconda</td><td>Winnipeg</td><td> </td><td>Calgary</td><td> </td><td>B.C.</td><td> </td><td>Montreal</td><td> </td><td>4</td><td>27</td></tr></table> I don't actually know what a water cooler is, I've just heard my parents talk about them in wistful terms. WEEK 15 B.C. @ Toronto (Friday, October 3) A study in opposites: B.C. is gearing up for a solid playoff push, while nobody knows what the heck is going on in Toronto. Take the win, and the points, and the magic pony. Calgary @ Saskatchewan (Friday, October 3) Calgary was the team which put a stop to the Riders' 6-0 start, and now they're in first place. Of course, their recent success is largely thanks to back-to-back wins against a very ineffective Argos defence, but Saskatchewan's D hasn't been looking much better lately. Montreal @ Hamilton (Saturday, October 4) Montreal's magic number to clinch the division is one. I can't believe I'm writing that on October 2. Winnipeg @ Edmonton (Saturday, October 4) Winnipeg's been playing a good game lately, but they're headed into the second-toughest place to do so: Edmonton is 5-1 at home. Give Edmonton the slightest of slight edges here. Good luck! Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:12:01 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12529/cfl-pick-em-week-15#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12529 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12529 MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, LDS Edition http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12525/mlb-post-season-pick-em-lds-edition We're operating on a pretty tight turnaround here. I'll be posting the results of the Elimination One-Game Playoff Pick 'Em in the morning, but in the meantime please c'mon inside and made your picks for the League Division Series. THE SERIES Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays THE MANDATORY A.L. EAST GUT CHECK The Rays? Really? Dammit. THE PICKS Pick the winner of each best-of-five series. Pick the number of games in which they will win. THE BONUS PICK Pick the player who will come out of the LDS with the highest batting average. Either league. Minimum 10 PA required. THE GRUDGE MATCH BONUS PICK Pick the league that will score more runs in their respective LDS, PLUS the run differential. Example: AL +26 means the American League will score 26 more runs than the National League. This is a total rip-off of last year, but our turnaround time is too short for creative thinking. Good luck! Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:06:53 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12525/mlb-post-season-pick-em-lds-edition#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12525 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12525 MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, Elimination Playoff Edition http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12519/mlb-post-season-pick-em-elimination It's technically the 163rd game of the regular season, but for SportsFilter's purposes the MLB post-season begins RIGHT NOW. Pick the winner of Tuesday's one-game playoff between Minnesota and Chicago, and get a leg up on the pick 'em competition. THE GAME Minnesota Twins (Blackburn, 11-10) at Chicago White Sox (Danks 11-9). First pitch is scheduled for 7:30. THE PICK Pick the AL Central Division winner, and the margin by which they will win the one-game playoff. THE BONUS Pick the player who will score the game-winning run. (NOT the game-winning RBI, but the player who actually crosses the plate.) Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:23:27 -0400 DrJohnEvans http://www.sportsfilter.com/news/12519/mlb-post-season-pick-em-elimination#discuss tag:sportsfilter.com,2002:weblog.12519 sportsfilter fantasy sports, 12519