Pigskin Picks Final Results 2013

Pigskin Picks Bowl Edition 2013 Champion 

John Gunter

Upon finding out that he won our Bowl Edition of Pigskin Picks, John Gunter commented "I can't believe I won...I've never won anything in my life!!"  In the photo above, he is shown with his prize package - a $25 Outback gift card (He's never been - -does this guy ever get out?!), an Invitational shirt, cooler bag, and specially-designed pewter cup trophy.  John still can't believe he won by a margin of 3 games, with a total of 26 wins, and 9 losses. John plans to hold on to his lucky rabbit's foot.  If you ever visit the Sparkleberry Kroger, stop in and shake hands with a worthy champion and talk a little football. Great win for a great guy !!

2nd Place Grouping

Bob Abney, Taylor Hudson and Jim Beckman all win a package of prizes for tying for 2nd place with a record of 23-12.  

5th Place Grouping

Amanda Mitchum, Wes Graves and Donnie Lipscomb finished in a tie for 5th place.  Each of them had a 22-13 record.

The contest started and everybody was asking "Who is Marisa Minico and who picked her games for her?"  She got off to a rip-roaring start of 6-0.  This young lady who is a bartender at Carolina Ale House in the Vista found herself in the lead and feeling the pressure!  After a few more games, her magic wore off because she lost 10 straight games and tumbled down the leaderboard.  She finished 17-18.  Bob and Marisa were tied after 10 games at 8-2.  John Gunter caught Bob Abney after Marisa stumbled.  Both of them were tied at 12-4.  John took the lead at game #17, and never let up - going 8-2 for his last 10 picks to win the championship by a landslide (3 games).  Brutus went 11-1 his last 12 games while enjoying his gin and tonics in sunny Florida to sneak into a tie for 2nd with Taylor Hudson from Augusta and Bob Abney from snowy, cold Indiana.  Those 3 finished 23-12.  Donnie Lipscomb, the mountaineer from Boomer, West Virginia, Wes Graves of Augusta, and Amanda Mitchum, a young lady from Gamecock Country, tied for 5th place with a nice record of 22-13.  Fourteen players finished in the plus column, while ten players decided they need to stay away from Las Vegas due to their overall losing record.  The Blogette had a respectable 19-16 record and has no plans on going to Vegas herself.  We hope you enjoyed the contest and had fun following the leaderboard throughout the bowl season.  My Notre Dame team got drilled by one hell of a team in Alabama.  I guess I can be like Brother Brutus, the Ohio State fan, and wait till next year.  Please plan on playing in the next "major" contest on the blog - The Masters Mix in early April.  Please go to our pages at right, and check out last year's results and the information on how the contest is played.  Tell your friends too...we would love to have them as part of this very popular contest that kicks off the majors for PGA golf.
  

Conference Bowl Records

WAC                  2-0

USA                   4-1

Big East             3-2

ACC                  4-2

SEC                   6-3

PAC12               4-4

Sunbelt              2-2

Independents     1-2

Big12                 4-5

Big10                 2-5

MAC                   2-5

MountainWest    1-4    

                                           LEADERBOARD

Player	Standing	Wins	Losses
John Gunter	1	26	9
Bob Abney	T2	23	12
Taylor Hudson	T2	23	12
Jim “Brutus” Beckman	T2	23	12
Wes Graves	T5	22	13
Donnie Lipscomb	T5	22	13
Amanda Mitchum	T5	22	13
Ronnie Platner	T8	20	15
Chris Johnson	T8	20	15
Paul Milleman	T8	20	15
Sara “The Blogette”	T11	19	16
Steve Price	T11	19	16
Josh Scott	T13	18	17
Justin Mehaffey	T13	18	17
Robert Peeler	T15	17	18
Rob Catlett	T15	17	18
Kiel Ott	T15	17	18
Marcel Sterling	T15	17	18
Marisa Minico	T15	17	18
Team “Who-Dey” Logan and Jason	T20	16	19
Daniel Hardy	T20	16	19
Kenny Wilhelm	T20	16	19
Jamie Mabe	23	15	20
Brian Anderson	24	12	23

note:this contest is strictly for fun and entertainment,no entry fee and no money exchanges hands

Love your team? Hate the other? How about a little respect?

Before hating on Notre Dame, please go to the Notre Dame Athletics site and click on the football link. You will find many links. I think if you take a few minutes and try to learn about the school and the athletic program, you will find how easy it is to cheer on the Irish.  I was born an Irish fan, just like many of my friends were born Gamecock fans, or Georgia fans or whatever the local tradition would indicate.  However, when I hear people use the word HATE describing a school that they know nothing about, it makes me cheer that much harder against that person and his school. This is human nature, but it sets up a culture of hate and anger in sports that I am not in favor of.  We recently ran into a guy who went to that "other" USC in California.  We joked about the argument between who is the "real" USC.  He commented that in California, the fans respect ability and skill and there is not such a culture of hate surrounding rival teams.  We have found the same to be true in the Big Ten.  Why is the use of the word "hate" to describe other football programs so common here? Click on to stories about Manti Te'o…if you read and listen to him, maybe it will make you stop and think before you use that word HATE, or perhaps it would make you a little more open-minded. When I am down or I allow myself to get too caught up in who wins or loses, I try and read about positive things in sports, which I LOVE!!  Here are some links we suggest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyEGgHpHTqM

http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/nd-m-footbl-body.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVSbzWTg--I&list=PL113A40801074BD17&index=42

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcWEZiVOE2o&list=PL113A40801074BD17&index=9

I will be front and center on Monday night, watching my favorite team play. I will be proud not only because of their successful football season, but because they play hard, clean and in the way we all can be proud. Will you see any ND player taunt another player? I don't think so.

Enjoy the game, and I hope and pray Notre Dame wins.  They have great tradition, players who carry themselves with dignity and respect for others, an academic atmosphere that has no rival, and a spirited student body, but I truly believe Alabama will win the football game.

John