Fantasy Finish

So another NFL regular season has come and gone. That’s 256 games. Playing the ESPN Pigskin Pick’em fantasy game, I tried my hand at guessing the winner in every one. The end result?

I broke the 90th percentile. 91.0% to be exact. Not too bad. Not too bad at all.

Five weeks in, I was En Fuego. Then I did something stupid. I started listening to what ESPN – or, more specifically, Mike and Mike, and PTI – was saying. Among the pronouncements at some point during the season -

1. Dallas is the greatest team evah! (Weeks 1-3)
2. Without Brady the Pats will be lucky to win eight games (Weeks 1-6)
3. Philadelphia is done. McNabb is gone. (Week 11)
4. Indy should be 0-4. They’re old and they stink. (Week 6)
5. Miami is a fluke. (Week 7)
6. HERE COME THE JETS! (Week 12)

So after a good start, I peetered out. Weeks 9, 13 and 16 were brutal. I only got seven picks right. Then came last week. The final week of the season. One last chance too redeem myself. One last chance to pretend I know what I’m knowing. And, hug a Kasey, I went out on top.

Of 16 games, I nailed 15. (Stupid Bucs. How in the name of Gruden could you lose to the Raiders?) I won the “week” amongst all 587 people in the Deadspin group.

For the season, I ended tied for 75th best in the group.

Among all entries at espn.com, I finished 32,646, which sounds nowhere near as impressive as 75th among 587.

Next year, I’m playing again … with spreads!

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