Week 4 Lines
Note: Bets must be placed by Saturday night at midnight in order to be considered on time.
The Top Ten: Week 4
Commentary: It was another rough week in the Funny Money, as 11 underdogs covered, which spelled bad news for franchises that loaded up on the favorites. After three weeks, only 7 of 28 franchises are in the positive money. A few of the sinking ships (Babe, Bayonnaise, Slovy Maximus) might be thinking about taking a chance with the wild card bet in the coming weeks. Though their deficits are not insurmountable, they are falling farther out of the playoff chase each week.
(current total; last week’s ranking)
1. Gordon Bombay ($900; 1)
Bombay just kept rolling, winning $500 and increasing his lead in the West. The closet competitors are now $800 back after only three weeks of wagering.
2. Karl Farbman ($700; 6)
Karl won $500 and stayed ahead in the East. However, there is another franchise nipping at his heels…
3. The Phoenix ($500; 9)
….The Phoenix bounced back from losing -$500 in Week 2 to win $500 in Week 3. He’s right back in the mix in the East and challenging for the overall lead.
4. The Beard of Zeus ($300; 5)
The Beard of Zeus scratched out a $100 week, which vaulted him into first place in the North, as the rest of the division failed to strike it rich.
5. Mr. DeBlasis ($100; 3)
DeBlasis is hanging around right behind The Beard. He split his bets and stays relevant for another week.
6. Bud Fox ($100; 2)
Bud lost three games out of four and fell back in the West. He’ll need to right the ship in Week 4 if he wants to keep pace with Gordon Bombay.
7. Ron Mexico ($100; 8 )
Mexico is still hanging in positive money, but much like the rest of the FMFL, he’s falling more and more behind Bombay with each passing week.
8. Kimmy Gibbler (-$100; 10)
After jumping up in the standings after a perfect Week 2, Gibbler lost $100 in Week 3. It won’t kill her, but she could use another solid week to get back in the divisional race.
9. The People’s Champ (-$100; NR)
Full proof of how badly Funny Money franchises are doing: The People’s Champ makes an appearance in The Top Ten.
10. Yaz (-$200; 4)
Yaz dropped $500 this week and lost his lead in the North. The bright side is that he’s only $500 out in the division.
Others receiving votes: The Notorious A.B.T.; T-Ferg; Kiko Garcia
Dropped out: Boss Hardigan
Week 4 Standings
East
| Karl Farbman | $700 |
| The Phoenix | $500 |
| Kimmy Gibbler | -$100 |
| The People’s Champ | -$100 |
| The Notorious A.B.T. | -$200 |
| The 21th Precinct | -$500 |
| Teddy KGB | -$500 |
North
| The Beard of Zeus | $300 |
| Mr. DeBlasis | $100 |
| Yaz | -$200 |
| T-Ferg | -$200 |
| Kiko Garcia | -$300 |
| Larisa Oleynik | -$300 |
| Babe | -$1,100 |
South
| Boss Hardigan | -$300 |
| Will Cover | -$300 |
| Rick Moranis | -$400 |
| Mr. Marbles | -$500 |
| Don Mattingly | -$700 |
| Bayonnaise | -$800 |
| Slovy Maximus | -$900 |
West
| Gordon Bombay | $900 |
| Bud Fox | $100 |
| Ron Mexico | $100 |
| Art Schlichter | -$300 |
| Waldo Geraldo Faldo | -$400 |
| Blossom Russo | -$400 |
| Face | -$600 |
Week 3 Picks
Week 3 Lines
Note: Bets must be placed by Saturday night at midnight in order to be considered on time.
The Top Ten: Week 3
Commentary: A brutal week for the league, as Baltimore and Green Bay, the most popular bets by far, both went down. The third most popular wager, Dallas, finished as a heartbreaking push as a Cowboy was tripped up on the one yard line in OT, so Dallas kicked a field goal instead. There isn’t one franchise that is breaking away just yet, and for the most part if you are $0 or higher, you are in good shape. That being said, no one is out of it just yet. Not all divisions are created equal, as the cream is already rising to the top in the North, and the entire division is sinking in the South.
(current total; last week’s ranking)
1. Gordon Bombay ($400; 6)
One win, one loss, one push. Usually when a franchise goes even for the week, it doesn’t vault him to the top of the rankings, but this week was quite unique. There’s no separation in the division, but Bombay looks on track early in the year.
2. Bud Fox ($400; 5)
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Bud continues his strong start. He needs to keep pace with Gordon as the season wears on.
3. Mr. DeBlasis ($200; 2)
Some call him “the enigma of Funny Money.” Others just call him Mister Dee. Either way, he’s in the mix in the highly competitive North.
4. Yaz ($300; NR)
Yaz would be higher, considering he’s leading his division, but his bets were late last week, which set him back on the overall leaderboard. Rumor has it there was a Sanford and Son marathon that demanded all of his attention on Saturday night, thus the late bets.
5. The Beard of Zeus ($200; 1)
The Beard is treading water after a perfect Week 1. He still has the North leaders within his grasp.
6. Karl Farbman ($200; 8 )
Farbman seized the lead in the East, but almost by default. He eked out $100, but edged ahead of the Phoenix for the moment.
7. Boss Hardigan ($200; NR)
The Boss won $100 and has the biggest division lead in the FMFL, as the rest of the sad sacks in the South are clawing to stay within shouting distance of even money.
8. Ron Mexico ($200; 4)
Ron joins Gordon and Bud in the three-man race in the West. Like most of the league, he bet Baltimore, but did salvage a victory by taking the Cardinals.
9. The Phoenix ($0; 3)
$500 in Week 1. -$500 in Week 2. The Phoenix plays by one rule: there are no rules.
10. Kimmy Gibbler ($0; NR)
Gibbler wins the comeback of the week award (unofficial). He lost $500 in Week 1 and got it all back in Week 2. He was the only franchise to win $500 in the entire league. It has him right back in contention.
Others receiving votes: Kiko Garcia; Face; Rick Moranis
Dropped out: Will Cover; Larisa Oleynik; Kiko Garcia
Week 3 Standings
East
| Karl Farbman | $200 |
| The Phoenix | $0 |
| Kimmy Gibbler | $0 |
| The Notorious A.B.T. | -$300 |
| The People’s Champ | -$400 |
| The 21th Precinct | -$600 |
| Teddy KGB | -$600 |
North
| Yaz | $300 |
| The Beard of Zeus | $200 |
| Mr. DeBlasis | $200 |
| Kiko Garcia | $0 |
| T-Ferg | -$300 |
| Larisa Oleynik | -$400 |
| Babe | -$600 |
South
| Boss Hardigan | $200 |
| Rick Moranis | -$300 |
| Slovy Maximus | -$400 |
| Will Cover | -$400 |
| Don Mattingly | -$600 |
| Mr. Marbles | -$600 |
| Bayonnaise | -$700 |
West
| Gordon Bombay | $400 |
| Bud Fox | $400 |
| Ron Mexico | $200 |
| Face | -$100 |
| Waldo Geraldo Faldo | -$300 |
| Blossom Russo | -$300 |
| Art Schlichter | -$400 |
Week 2 Picks
Week 2 Lines
Reminder: Bets must be placed by Saturday night at midnight in order to be considered on time.
The Top Ten: Week 2
Commentary: Back in the flow of the 2011 season, there are many familiar names in the fall’s first edition of The Top Ten, including 2010 Regular Season Champion The Beard of Zeus, and West Division Champion Ron Mexico. Both were perfect in Week 1, with Mr. DeBlasis and The Phoenix also putting up flawless numbers. Less than half the leagues is in the positive, with many franchises sinking by betting the Browns, Steelers, or Falcons. For the most part, franchises won or lost $100, and this is a marathon, not a sprint.
A special shoutout to Bayonnaise, who kicked off the 2011 campaign by submitting late bets and then losing $500, for a grand total of -$600. He’s now on pace to finish the season at -$10,200.
(current total; last week’s ranking)
1. The Beard of Zeus ($500; –)
Beardy picked up where he left off at the end of the 2010 regular season at the top of the ranks. Though it was surely questionable to skip the divisional draft, now some are thinking he did it to stack the deck against himself, engaging in some sort of odd head game with the rest of the North.
2. Mr. DeBlasis ($500; –)
DeBlasis always seems to be around the top, especially at the beginning of the season. There’s a reason he wasn’t chosen early in the divisional draft.
3. The Phoenix ($500; –)
An investigation has already begun to see who placed the Phoenix’s bets this week and how he/she uncharacteristically actually won $500. More on this story as it develops.
4. Ron Mexico ($500; –)
Ron’s back up on the top of the division in the West, but his roommate is nipping at his heels.
5. Bud Fox ($300; –)
Fresh fish! Fresh fish! Bud ignored the heckles from the other inmates and was only an Arizona Cardinals push from being perfect for the week. My money was that he’d squeal on his first night in the joint.
6. Gordan Bombay ($400; –)
It’s been a few years since Bombay has performed like the Gordon of old. Another year in the division with his bunk buddy Ron Mexico has rekindled his winning ways.
7. Larisa Oleynik ($100; –)
Not making a statement in Week 1, but not falling too far behind. In the weeds waiting to pounce…..At least Larisa is 1-for-1 in emailing picks to the correct address in 2011.
8. Karl Farbman ($100; –)
Farbman trails The Phoenix (not a misprint. The Phoenix is leading his division) and looks to get back on track in Week 2.
9. Will Cover ($100; –)
One of the stories that flew under the radar by the national media covering the FMFL last season was Will’s respectable, albeit disappointing season. He was a few bounces of the ball away from the playoffs and shouldn’t be counted out after getting one season of Funny Money under his belt.
10. Kiko Garcia ($100; –)
Kiko made a strong push at the end of the season and in the playoffs. If he stays within striking distance for the first few weeks of the season and then surges, it could be Kiko’s year.
Others receiving votes: Blossom Russo; Rick Moranis; Yaz; Boss Hardigan
Dropped out: None
