Quote of the Day “Play it now. Play it now. Play it now, my baby. Cracklin Rosie, make me smile.” –Neil Diamond
You all know by now that Travellinbaen’s scoring system is arbitrary, by design. But if you know TB at all, you also know that it is anything but capricious. Bonus points and demerits are and will remain subjective and inconsistent. But at its heart, this is a “pick of the week” game, and RMac is leading the pack like Secretariat led the nags at Belmont. 5-0, all or nothing each week, and she keeps winning. What is this system? Does anyone believe RMac’s protestations of luck? Can it work with the stock market?
Here’s how it broke down with everybody else:
First, everybody gets some bonus for their tunes, and everybody is making it harder to pick some out of the pack for special notice. There’s not time to give them all a shout, but keep them coming. There were only seven POTW’s on target this week. Second place is sure to gin some controversy. I edged Pitalo over Supercynic by one point because I don’t know him. They both went 4-1. Face came next even though he was 3-0 on the bonus picks. TB does not like looking up the lines and deducted points from Face and Smily (though not RMac or JLM) for having to do just that. I even sent a link to Sheridan for christsakes. RSR was next with the usual all or nothing selection, a good call on the last game of the weekend and a second place songlist. I put Feidt next over Mad Dog, for spite, and Fig rounded out the POTW winners, missing big on his Talladega bonus selection.
Stone and Smily went 3-0 and 3-2, but did not designate a POTW. Stone got honorable mention for song of the week, which went to Screwtape, who appeared a day late with some pro picks, a bit of intramural trash talk, and the song of the week–Spill the Wine.
Then came the long line of losers, led by Larry. He got the nod in spite of a 1-3 bonus slate due to the first letter of his name and the playlist of the week. TB was next at 4-1, then TKH 3-2, OB 2-2 and JLM 2-3. Extra points for saucy innuendo in JLM’s song titles. Next was Ed, who went all in and is unfairly penalized for setting a very high music standard–he can’t win every week on tunage. (Same goes for our other music guru RSR). There was an unprecedented three-way tie for last between BR at 0-3, Zeek 0-5, and Sweet 2-4, 0-1 on teaser of the week, and an ill advised and premature withdrawal of a winner. Zeek got a bonus for having a bad week on and off the blog, BR for another week with the strangest song, and Sweet took deductions for, well, no reason.
TB still hasn’t looked up Face’s song from last week, but when I do, I may or may not add bonus points depending on if the tune lives up to the name of the band–Big Sam’s Funky Nation.
The updated standings:
- RMac 192
- Fig 172
- TB 164
- Feidt’s Follies 163
- Rock Star 137
- Ed 132
- OB 121
- Supercynic 115
- Mad Dog 107
- Stone 106
- Sweet 97
- Pitalo 95
- Larry 90
- JLM 88
- Screwtape 85
- BR 85
- Smily 84
- Face 71
- TKH 69
- Zeek 56
- Michigan State -2
- Purdue +18′
- Arkansas +19
- Minnesota +12
- Tennessee +12
- When You’re Hot, You’re Hot (when you’re not, you’re not)–Jerry Reed, to Zeek
- Orange Crush–REM, to BR
- Devil Inside–INXS, for Greeg/Screwtape
- Don’t Cry–Guns and Roses, to everybody who doesn’t like their score
- Dumas Walker’s–Kentucky Headhunters, to all the ARB’s and the girls who dig em
Travellinbaen 
Still think Face should be the week winner…..
“Lollipop” (The Chordettes) – cause the Gamecocks stole the Rebs big swirling one like Kramer had in the Seinfeld episode where they went backwards in time to India
“Lollipop” (The Chordettes) – 48 of them cause Army beat Tulane by 29 pts while 19 pt underdogs
“Heigh Ho” (7 Dwarfs) – cause the UTEP Miners worked the sorry USM Buzzards
“In the Year 2525” (Zager and Evans) – cause that is the year Ole Miss will be germane to the situation again
Thanks for not deducting for the lack of points – I never look at the points – I just pick teams.
Texas A&M
Vandy
LSU
Air Force
POTW – East Carolina
Playlist:
Sixteen Candles – The Stray Cats
Turning Japanese – The Vapors
Summer Nights – John Travolta – Olivia Newton John
Live and Let Die – Paul McCartney & Wings
Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
This is the most underated pick’em site, with someone named Baen scoring it, of the 21st century. Picks later. You should be able to know my potw with out me telling you. You’ve lost it, man. I’ll give you one more chance to guess my potw. You guess it and I’ll tell you next week if you are correct…OK?
I forgot to mention in the post. TB was deducted points for explaining some of the finer aspects of the scoring system. Won’t happen again.
All my picks last week were POTW. That is why I went 3-0. They were all sure things.
POTW MSU getting 2.5 over Vandy. Vandy is not all that and they will get beat this weekend.
Others –
Purdue to cover versus Ohio State
Arkansas covers getting 18.5 (has Auburn scored 8.5 this year?)
LSU getting 6 versus Florida is a steal (that is almost a co-POTW)
Taking all dogs this week.
Tunes
Three Dog Night – Joy to the World
George Clinton – Atomic Dog
Johnny Cash – Dirty Ol Egg Sucking Dog
Baha Men – Who let the dogs out
Here are my picks for the week. Comments and playlist will come later.
OKLAHOMA -6½
Vanderbilt -2½
MISSOURI EVEN
Notre Dame +7
LSU +6½
POTW- HOUSTON -17½
louisville -6.5
mich st -1.5
okla -7
auburn -19
wisc +5.5
boise st -11
and
STATE +2.5 (hint,hint)
Tunes:
“A Pirate Looks At 40” Buffet
“Ain’t No Fun Waiting Round To Be A Millionaire”AcDc
“One Bourbon, One Shot, And One Beer.” Thourogood
“Seven Spanish Angels” Willie and Ray
JLou (LJB) the point of this thing is points ……smi-LY should be last for not declaring a POTW….and anyone who does not include a pointspread with thier picks should be ineligible (TBaen should not have to look them up) and I still have no answer as to why MD got FLA at 22 last week when everyone else had 24′
Line of Ohio State Purdue is 18.5. It was omitted from my post.
Had the dubious point spread declared by MD come in to play, TB would’ve dealt with it. Since Florida ran a dive for 40 yards to cover the number instead of taking a knee, the question is moop.
Also, Sweet, as a future politician, you would be well advised not to take conflicting policy positions under the same post. But thanks for looking out for TB re: the lines. Only a few posters have the green light to pick names only. This is very close to defending my scoring scheme, so I’ll go ahead and deduct a half point from my score for next week.
BW Buzz, I’m looking for your picks. What about the Big East teams?
Brad,
I am not aware of any official source being declared by TB for lines for this friendly competition, but I am confident that he is currently taking bids from all of the well-known sources for such an honorable declaration.
UGA -13
Notre Dame +7
Vandy -1
POTW: OK -6.5
I am headed off to Disney in the morning for a week, so responses to anticipated attacks on my character and/or stupid questions like Brad’s will have to wait until mid-October.
Sheridan’s lines are the official ones.
TB – I’m fine with how you do it regardless, it is your site after all so you can make up your own rules – you are indeed the master of this domain.
Hillary, oh sorry, Bill, no wait, jhonny….you are “not aware” of an official source…..he only emails the link to everyone everyweek
POTW- FLA INTL- E
Oklahoma-6′
Vandy-2′
LSU+6′
USM+10′
Ark. St.-12′
Tunes:
SOTW-Mother Mother Ocean-Buffet (story of my life kid)
Darkside of the Moon-Pink Floyd(been there)
Casey Jones- Grateful Dead (been there)
Voodoo Child-Hendrix (been him)
Rain Song-Led Zeppelin (beautiful)
I will take
Clemson +2
Louisville -6′
Indiana +5
Minn +12
POTW
MSU +2′
Set list
Is She Really Going Out With Him – Joe Jackson
Little White Lines – Shooter Jennings
Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
Juicy – Better Than Ezra
Back 2 Good – Matchbox 20
wow, OB has Mizzou even…..can I get some of that? He must have been in contact with MD
Hey, there wasn’t a line for the Mizzou game, so I took it to be even. Are you gonna spot me some points?
TB’s Golden Years and the Rooster Jones blogs really brought back memories of my days back in High School. So, this week’s playlist goes all the way back to 1987-1988 when the Panthers last won state.
Song of the Week: Push It- Salt-n-Pepa
Girls, Girls, Girls – Motley Crue
Satellite – The Hooters
Fight For Your Right (To Party) – Beastie Boys
Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi
Dude (Looks Like a Lady) – Aerosmith
With or Without You – U2
Good list. MO is minus 14. scoresandodds.com Sheridan is slackin as the official source
TB said we’re using Sheridan’s Odds, but I’ll take Missouri no matter what the’yre giving. So, add Mizzou -14 to my list of picks.
I will take
Clemson
Vandy
Arizona
Potw: Colorado
Song of the Week:
Shama Lama Ding Dong: by Otis Day and the
Nights.
Picks:
*Clemson +2 at WAKE
*Boise State – 10′ at SOUTHERN MISS
*Arkansas +19 at AUBURN
*MISSISSIPPI STATE +2′ vs Vandy
*South Carolina E at KENTUCKY
POTW:
*OKLAHOMA -6′ vs Texas
Tunes:
*Hank III – Six Pack of Beer (new album out this month)
*Buck Owens – Act Naturally
*Kevin Deal – What’s Your Problem Man?
*Lynyrd Skynyrd – Give Me Back My Bullets
*Mickey Gilley – Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier At Closing Time?
POTW- Louisville -6′
Vandy -2′
Illinois -12
Foo Fighters- All My Life
Willie Nelson- Me and Paul
Cowboy Mouth – Jenny Says
POTW:GA -12
POTWII: Boise St -10′
Wisc + 5′ (win straight up)
LSU +6′ (win straight up)
Miss St + 2′ (win straight up)
and give me the opposite of what RMac picks
LSU +6′
FL Int’l pk
UTEP -5
Vandy -2′
Notre Dame +7
POTW Virginia +5′
Songs:
Marcel Marceau’s Greatest Hits — doesn’t matter which one, they all sound the same.
POTW: Vandy -3
Louisville -7
Lsu +6
Boise St -11
Kentucky E
E Carolina -5.5
Missouri -14
Oklahoma -7
Damn, looks like the Phillies are gonna take that series.
A suggestion was made by Zeek that I should do a weather themed song list since I am sort of a weather freak. I thought that was good idea.
No Rain – Blind Melon
The Rain, the Park and Other Things – The Cowsills
Here Comes the Sun – George Harrison (Live)
Sunshine On My Shoulders – John Denver
Sunrise – Norah Jones (I like the name Norah)
Good Morning Starshine – Oliver (I like that name too)
Groovin’ – The Rascals
A Beautiful Morning – The Rascals
Snow (Hey Oh) – Red Hot Chili Peppers (One of the most underrated bands ever)
http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=155
check out this link to Goula’s own J. Walter Hawkes rockin with Norah Jones on Austin City Limits. Click on “watch the video”
Iowa -5
Michigan Sate -1
Texas +6
Arkansas +17
Bosie State -10 1/2
POTW Hawaii -7
Live- All Over you
Three dog night- The show must go on
John Mayer- 3×5
Michael Jackson-Man in the mirror.
SOTW
Dave Matthews Band- Rapunzel
POTW: Hawaii -7.5
Playlist:
Guadalcanal Diary – Litany – Life Goes On
Elvis Costello – (Angels Want to Wear to My) Red Shoes
Tragically Hip – Springtime in Vienna
Remy Zero – Fair
Cake – Italian Leather Sofa
BTW, the playlists are great this week – Is She Really Going Out With Him (“they say that looks don’t count for much so there goes your proof”), Good Morning Starshine (one of my childhood faves), Atomic Dog (bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yeah!), and others – excellent!
I made it back from Charlotte and the Allman Brothers Band show with a few dollars and no innocence left. $9 cups and $11 tallboy cans of beer. Ouch. Good thing nature provides cheaper things. If you have ever looked at a Allmans Brother Band Album cover you’ll know what I am talking about. Those old guys know a thing or 2.
Well one thing I know for sure this week is the Rebels are not gonna lose. Damn Cover Jinx. On a brighter note I have a date with an Amish girl named Nickel. I can’t make this stuff up.
BYU – 23
Oklahoma -6′
Vandy -2′ might be Vegas’ sucker bet of the week
Wisconsin +5′
Arkansas +19
POTW East Carolina -5′
Tunes for the week:
I touched base with The Teej earlier in the week on this.
The ENTIRE Sound Track for the Movie “Colors”
One of the best movies ever made, with Sean Penn, MARIA CONCHITA ALONZO, Robert Duvall.
Such great songs as:
Colors – Afrika Islam
Raw – Big Daddy Cane
Paid in Full – Eric B and Rakim
Let the Rythm Run – Salt and Pepa
Takes you back to the carefree 80’s when all we had to worry about was random gang volence and police brutality and riding around in my mustang with random people making out in the back. Good times.
POTW
Oklahoma
Songs
Get Up – Dennis Brown
Feed Back- Janet Jackson
Show me Love- Robin S.
In honor of TBs previous blog post that allowed me to reminisce on my MS days I’ll try this music thing again…
Down In Mississippi (Up To No Good) – Sugarland
Mississippi Queen – Moutain
Down in Mississippi – Kudzu Kings
Mississippi – Bruce Springteen
The games…
East Carolina -5
Texas +6 (but I like the +7 I have elsewhere much better)
South Carolina
MS State +2 (Have to with my theme music)
UGA -12
POW
UNC -7
POW Prop
Auburn offense over 200 yard rushing (wouldn’t be surprised to see 250+)
PSS
Spent the past weekend in Williamsburg, VA not sure if TB has been their but as a history person and one who seems to be able to appreciate the fun/enjoyment in a limited environment I would highly recommend it.
It has a nice mix of college town (although how college town can you be when you are everyone’s HC game) and historical area.
Dear Baen,
Really covered up this week, but the highlight was Cruisin the Coast on Thur and Fri. Love seeing the 65 Lincoln Convertibles with suicide doors, the 57 Bel Airs, the 37 Packards, and the Camaro 396’s. Nova, Mach 1’s, Darts, and Chevelles too.
Dedicating to all who couldn’t witness the Cruisin’…
“Riding along in my automobile
My baby beside me at the wheel
I stole a kiss at the turn of a mile
my curiosity running wild
crusin’ and playin’ the radio
with no particular place to go”
No particular place to go- Chuck Berry
Bonus Tune: You’re Sixteen,You’re Beautiful (And You’re Mine) – Johnny Burnette
Northwestern Wildcats catchin’ home points for the big suicide(doors) play.
OU! OU! OU!….7-0 1st Quarter!
Have not been to Williamsburg, but will some time. TB always likes to hear about your travels. Ya’ll be sure and put up your top choices and other great choices over at TB and Friends–I take travel advice, if not much else.
Once again, Fido, you really ought to be doing your own blog, or at least let me come tag along for a week or so to give me some fresh material. An Amish chick named Nickel….you cannot make this stuff up.
The bonus chasing your POTW parley:
Arkansas +19
Purdue +19
Notre Dame +9
chasing all day, who knew Texas was so fast
sweet parley Feidt. (no pun intended)
TB took it on the chin with the POTW–&%$# Spurrier
One final bonus parley to erase earlier picks
for entertainment purposes only. I know I am risking my earlier comeback but you can’t win if you dont risk it.
I call this one the rainy Saturday night not leaving the couch special.
LSU +6
Wisconsin +5′
Oregon -19′ (had to include this one because it will take me well past midnight watching football and baseball) Its my reach but I love those foxSports late games.
and the over in the ALDS game. Go Sox
Hey Feidto, it’s the ALCS. Good call on the over though. Fuck the Red Sox.
DEVIL RAYS!!!!