Previous Story
Locals return to pick the winners
|
Posted on Sep 09 2005
It’s that time of year again when grown men wear eye makeup, take group showers, and pat each other on the posterior as 32 teams start a journey for Detroit, Michigan and the ultimate prize of the National Football League.
The New England Patriots are on a quest to become the first team in history to three-peat a NFL World Champions, and after last night’s win over the Oakland Raiders, it would seem that they are off to a great start.
Despite losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators, the Pats shut down the Raiders offense and put up plenty of points to give them their first win of the season. They suffered the loss of linebacker Tedy Bruschi to a stroke, but much like our group, others stepped up to the plate to handle the challenge.
Will Hunter returns to defend his title as the premier pigskin prognosticator to join a field of five favorite-callers in what promises to be an exciting season. He topped second place Jennifer Lee by five games to take the regular season crown, but her absence leaves the door open for John Blanco to make a run. After finishing in third place, the Shell Lightning lineman has a lot to prove. First he has to show that he can still pick a winner, and then he has to make a statement that he can still play the game.
This season the ranks of the righteous lost the Big Tuna and gained the Lil’ Mahi, as youngster Chris Barry of the Saipan International School returns from an impressive playoff performance to take a seat on the council of champions. Will the kid stand up to the grown ups? It’ll be difficult if he continues to pick Arizona. One thing for sure is that he should be able to hold his own against the likes of last year’s loser Rich “Big Daddy” Brooks. The clean-cut-consultant-turned-a-Hemmingway-esque regulator from Coastal Resource Management can only improve from his previous outing.
Jon Cramer’s last go-round with the pigskin netted him a respectable finish in the playoffs, and now he joins the Lil’ Mahi for the big show. While the debate over the talents of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson will dominate the print and airwaves in his home team, his knowledge of the ground game should offer his colleagues a run for their money.
