Current Standings
System of a Down

  When it comes to picking NFL games, I think it's safe to assume that we all have a "system". For some, that system might be very simple, for other's, it might be quite complex. Predicting the outcomes of these games is by no means an exact science. If it were, at least one of us would have figured it out by now and go undefeated. That obviously ain't happening this year. Part of what makes participating in a Pool like this great is that an individual's knowledge of Pro Football has very little bearing on his/her ability to pick games. Twelve monkeys with twelve pick sheets could make picks one week and each score a different record. Hell, one of them could even go 11-3 like Ralph "Hey, that's me!" Shupp and Alex "Defaults be damned!" Bunting did in Week #6. Did they use the same "system" to post these records? I doubt it.

 For some of us, it's a weekly ritual. Some of us wait until the last minute on Sunday to make rushed picks, while other's like to get it over with as quickly as possible. Jim Dodaro must keep the Picks Page loaded and hits the Refresh button every few minutes waiting for the new week's spreads to be posted as he is usually the first one to make picks each week. And oddly enough, the Commish himself doesn't even use the Picks Page to make his picks. Roy's system includes doing it the old-fashioned way, sitting down with the spreads in the newspaper and, pencil in hand, makes his picks that way. Most weeks, I have to chase after him for his picks so I can do the standings on Monday night.

 What's my system? It's changed often thru the years. There was a time when making my picks took a back seat to making the burger patties for that day's Jets Tailgate Party. I've gone thru phases of picking in a rush in the closing minutes before kick-off on Sunday, to taking the time and thoughtfully making selections on Saturday night. This year, I gather info from a number of sources to make my picks on Sunday morning. I consult the dozen or so sportswriters in the Dallas Morning News who each make picks (none of whom would be anywhere near the top of the FBH standings, in general), I use my vast knowledge of the NFL, I consider the Home teams and Underdogs, I consult with my Astrologer, I read tea leaves, I read what Dr. Z has to say in Sports Illustrated, and I carefully take into account who Mrs. Cap'n Dom picks. I know, it's a bit convoluted, but it seems to be working for me so far.

 Do you have a system for making picks? Let us know what it is. I can promise anonymity if it's too far fetched or embarrassing.

 Oh by the way, the standings haven't changed much this week, with JPK and The Moms still leading the way, with three "Dicks" in a tie for 4th place. [For the record, Ralph's legal name is Richard.] QTR2 is the FBH equivalent to a Par 5 and we've still got 3 strokes to go in the division races. Good luck everyone!

Curses!
Goat Boy and The Bambino

  With all this talk of curses in baseball this week, it's made me realize there are no such curses in the NFL. Without taking the time to break it down team by team, pretty much every team has had the opportunity to win a Title at some point in their short histories. A case can be made for the Buffalo Bills, losers of 4 straight Super Bowls, but at least they GOT to 4 straight. Their first SB was lost by a make-able FG to an equally excellent team. Their other 3 loses were blowouts by also equally (if not better) teams. The Vikings have been to and lost 4 SB's, but they've been consistently good year after year, just not good enough to make it to the Final Sunday. Nothing out of the norm has kept them away from a championship (except a Hail Mary).

 One team that has the longest play-off drought is the Arizona Cardinals. But are they cursed? Not likely. Cursed by really poor ownership maybe, but nothing super-natural. They began as a franchise in Chicago, moved to St. Louis, then to Phoenix. In the last 30 years, while Chicago can't win a Baseball title to save their lives, their NFL team (Bears '85) was one of the best the league has ever seen. St. Louis the city saw the Rams take home an NFL title a few years back, and if there are any ghosts following the Cardinals in Arizona, they seem to attend every home game and fill the seats each week.

 When it comes to Baseball, I admit to being "pro-curse". I like the fact that the Cubs and Sox (both Red and White) haven't seen a championship since before the NFL was born (1920). [Let's not forget, the White Sox have thrown a World Series (1919) more recently than they, the Cubs, or BoSox have won one.] I loved the fact that Hockey's N.Y. Rangers didn't win a Stanley Cup for 54 years. But my heart truly goes out to Cubs fans all around the country. I would have been happy to see them break that streak this season and was rooting for them. My stomach felt empty when that guy touched that foul ball and all hell broke loose in Game 6. It was a tragedy starting to happen, and I knew it at the time. I have no ill feelings toward the Cubs or their fans. (Boston, that's a different situation all together.) At least I've seen my team (Mets) in a few World Series' and seen them win one of them as an adult in 1986 (I was only 3 years old in 1969). I've lived thru many many terrible losing seasons and right now I can't help but wonder if I'll live long enough to see another championship. But this pales in comparison to what the poor Cubs fans have been thru their ENTIRE lives.

 As a side note, while everyone jumps on "Goat Boy", I've not heard anyone mention comic/actor Bernie Mac. In Game 6, 7th Inning Stretch, Cubs up 3-0, Bernie Mac had the honor of leading the crowd in the traditional singing of "Take me out to the ballgame" (something that Cubs announcer Harry Carey did every home game for years before his death). When the line that goes, "...root root root for the Cub-bies...", Bernie instead sang "Champs" instead of Cubbies. I caught it at the time and said to Sonya... "whoa there Bernie! It ain't over yet!" Sure enough, the next inning all hell broke loose and well, you know the rest of the story. So wise up Chicago, there's plenty of Jinx blame to go around these days.

 Here's Roy's take on the whole deal...

  So the Cubs lost their bid for the 2003 World Series, and some distraught Chicagoans are blaming a fan who unwittingly aided and abetted the enemy when deliverance from the almost 50-year old “billy goat curse” appeared so very near. Apparently, the man in question, I’ll call him Goat Boy, is a very ardent Cubs fan, a collegiate baseball player, knowledgeable student of the game, and coach of an elite little league team.

 Is he responsible for the loss of the entire series? Hardly. Is he responsible for contributing to the loss of the entire series? Absolutely.

 When you are one of the few lucky fans who find themselves close enough to the field to potentially impact a play, you carry with the privilege the responsibility to know the correct response. It’s like sitting in the exit row in an airplane during a flight. You have a responsibility to those involved to do what is necessary in the event you are called into duty. Goat Boy did not prepare and did not respond correctly. Furthermore, this was a prime chance for a fan to help his team win that went unredeemed when it mattered most.

 Goat Boy’s baseball pedigree, offered as part of the justification of his actions, actually helps make the case against him. Someone that intimate with baseball should understand what to do. A die-hard Cubs fan should know how much foul ground is down the left-field line and where an outfielder might have a possible play.

 The fan’s other excuse was having his eyes “glued” to the baseball in flight, being unaware of his surroundings and getting caught up in the moment. Is he trying to make my case for me? Fact is, by not reacting properly – by following his instincts or whatever – he put himself ahead of the cause. This, alone, is unconscionable and unforgivable.

 While several fans in the vicinity did pull away from the pop fly, frankly, I also blame the spectators around him for not physically yanking Goat Boy out of the way. Cub fans are astute enough certainly (especially those who would pay dearly to go to such an important game) and are tuned into the game enough (hey, they throw back opposing team home runs) to know better. From a group that has suffered for so long, how did no hero emerge?

 Then again, the entire “billy goat curse” started with a fan. I suppose it makes sense that it perpetuates with one.

 This little tidbit comes from Beth Wong (Chicago-ite): "I work with a guy who roomed (at Notre Dame his freshman year) with the idiot who interfered with Alou in Game 6. That play on it was all downhill for the Cubbies." It's a small world, after all.

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