Blanco takes the cake and the case

Seventeen weeks of prognostication were more than enough for John Blanco to separate himself from the pack as the game day guru finished the season a full 10 games ahead of his closest competitors to become the winner of the 2005-2006 Miller Lite Pigskin Picks challenge.

The man who spent much of the season managing the Shell Lightning to its first Commonwealth Football League championship put his knowledge to work in the realm of the National Football League by sniffing out success through all sorts of press.

Blanco finished the regular slate with a record of 182-74, for an average score of almost 11 correct picks per week, or 71 percent, while second place finishers Will Hunter and Jon Cramer tied with matching marks of 172-84.

In addition to taking the season total, Blanco split the crown for the final week with Hunter with matching 9-7 finishes, as everyone posted less than flashy results. For their Kreskin-like efforts, each will receive a case of frosty fermentation from the folks at Pacific Trading Co.

Saipan’s top three could put their talents up against anyone, and even the Lil’ Mahi and Rich Brooks managed to win more than they lost during the year. The Mahi wrapped up the season in fourth place after a wild comeback to finish at 153-103, while Brooks fell from the height of his early success to finish in fifth at 137-119.

While each of them recorded triple-digit losses, the Lil’ Mahi was correct 60 percent of the time and the Psycho Gnome was still better than a coin flip at 54 percent.

Some of the trends were bucked as the league soldiered into the final week, as big teams rested their stars, losing teams stepped up for the finales, and some coaches paced the sidelines for the last time.

Brett Favre triumphantly marched off of Lambeau Field after upsetting the playoff-bound Seattle Seahawks, 23-17, for possibly the last time as a player, 38-year-old cornerback Deion Sanders ran into the tunnel after the Baltimore Ravens fell to the Cleveland Browns on the coast of Lake Erie, and Dick Vermeil got in one last tearful goodbye when the Kansas City Chiefs missed out on the postseason despite throttling the Cincinnati Bengals 37-3 at Arrowhead.

Amidst all of the changes, the football world will continue to turn, but it lost a bit of class and character when this trio left their respective locker rooms last week. Vermeil’s exit left open rumors that N.Y. Jets coach Herman Edwards may join one of the two vacancies in the “Show Me State”—something that has to have Chiefs’ fans ready to return for. Unfortunately for the J-E-T-S-Jets, Jets, Jets faithful, the miserable men of the Meadowlands will be in search for another quality coach when few are readily available. They can always goto Virginia Tech and look up Al Groh. Maybe not.

Mike Sherman, Mike Tice, Jim Haslett, Mike Martz, Norv Turner, and Dom Capers joined mid-season casualty Steve Mariucci as the toppled heads of state, and openings still remain in Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oakland, and St. Louis.

None of teams playing this weekend have to worry about their coaches, as they are focused on advancing to the next rung on the Super Bowl ladder. The Washington Redskins (10-6) are hoping to upset the Buccaneers (11-5) in Tampa Bay, while the Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) are looking to knock off the defending champion Patriots (10-4) in New England.

The second round of wildcard action features a determined Carolina Panthers (11-5) team against the N.Y. Giants (11-5) at the Meadowlands, followed by the first stop on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ (11-5) drive to deliver a ring to the Bus in Cincinnati to take on the Bengals (11-5).

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Hunter
My Guaranteed Pick of the Week has to go out to New England over the Jacksonville. The Pats may have been soft during the regular season, however, this is when a win counts, and I am sure Brady and the gang will be out on full throttle against the Jaguars.

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Blanco
Hail to the Texans, hail to me, bring on the Super Bowl! I am the master of my domain, I deliver the pain, and I prognosticate with my brain. First of all I want to say “Great Job” to all of my colleagues, but I can’t. You all have a year to try and get me. See you then. As for my guaranteed pick of the week, I have to opt for the Patriots at home against the Jags.

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Brooks
My Big Daddy Sure Shot of the Week is that nobody will remember that I was last place for very long because I am a winner, baby! Oh yeah, and I’ll prove it too when the Panthers claw the Giants in Jersey. That’s one of the NFL’s dirty little secrets, and I know all about them.

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Lil’ Mahi
My Guaranteed Pick of the Week is the N.Y. Giants over the Carolina Panthers. Tiki Barber is going to run all over Carolina in this game. Eli Manning will be right there too, throwing for at least 200 yards. Their offense is ready for anything Carolina does.

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Cramer
Sniff, sniff. The Trojans lost. What’s the point of football anymore? My lock of the week is that I will be in mourning for a period of seven days. If I had to field a guess, I would go with the Steelers stomping the Bengals in the Jungle. Vince Young isn’t playing for Cincinnati, is he?