Quote of the Day “Games lubricate the body and mind.” —Ben Franklin
As I try to extend the reach of this humble blog, the last thing I want to do is win the Thursday Pickin Grand Exalted Prize and thusly diminish the credibility of the editor. But just past the halfway point in the season, TB finds himself on top of the heap. Would one of you please get hot and pass me?
The title of this week’s pick’em post references a mid-season twist, and I’m sure you are all dying to find out what it is. Will TB reverse the field like they do at the Nascar All-Star race? Is there to be a playoff, dance-off, or smack-off? Is (are?) a new crop of eligible young pickers going to be introduced mid-season to challenge the tired old pickers? Unfortunately……no.
But from now on, the bonus points for tunes will be awarded by you. Starting Saturday and going through Monday, comment below the picks on your choice for song of the week, list of the week and theme of the week. I’ll award the bonus points as you dictate.
Here’s how it went down last week, with POTW winners comprising the top 6, bonus picks in parentheses:
- TB (4-1)
- SC (3-1)
- Face (2-1)
- Pitalo (3-2) and cheesiest song of the week
- Larry (1-3)
- Zeek (1-4)
- JLM 1-1 in POTW’s and 16-9 overall; TB is very forgivin of drunken posting, but I will not look fondly upon another 29 pick post. That having been said, 17-9 overall ain’t too shabby.
- Feidt’s Follies 1-1 in POTW’s (3-2) and a permanent bonus for having at least two of us living vicariously through him.
- Sweet 1-1 in POTW’s (2-4) with a system of picks last week.
- OB lost the POTW along with the remainder of the list, not counting the no-shows. (4-1)
- Ed–Song of the Week winner
- Adam (2-1)
- Smily (2-2); honorable mention nudity theme
- Fig (3-2); tri-winner of list of the week in a three way tie. I had sympathy for the POTW losers.
- RSR; another tri-winner of the list of the week
- RMac; final list of the week tri-winner and theme of the week champ
- Actually 17-20, 10 points each to MD, BR, TKH and Greeg, all missing in action. Was it something I said?
- TB 239
- RMac 227
- Fig 224
- Feidt’s Follies 219
- Rock Star Rambler 206
- Supercynic 201
- Pitalo 197
- OB 196
- Adam 179
- Ed 176
- Larry 172
- Sweet 167
- Smily 160
- Face 153
- JLM 142
- MD 138
- Zeek 132
- Greeg 113
- BR 110
- TKH 92
- Georgia +2
- Oklahoma -19
- West Virginia -3′
- Penn St -2′
- Notre Dame -10′
- USC -15
- Come Monday–Jimmy Buffett
- Streets of Bakersfield–Dwight Yoakum
- Little Old Lady from Pasadena–The Beach Boys
- Folsom Prison Blues–Johnny Cash
- Song of the Week–Beverly Hills–Weezer (dedicated to J. Gurrieri, who checks in every once in awhile)
Travellinbaen 
TB – the 29 pick post was the deliberate part done in a sober state so please accept my apology for taxing your brain! I didn’t realize there was a limit – is it 5 games and a POTW? Questions aside I cannot help but be happy with 17-9 for the week.
POTW Boise State +7
Bonus picks USC +16
Bama + 6.5
Tunes
Fogerty – Centerfield
TB- Happy that you are giving tunes more notice, good idea guv’nah. Let’s do it.
Gridiron:
POTW- Oklahoma -19
Vandy-10′
Okla St. +12′
UGA+2
Penn St.-2′
Tunes: Theme for this week is
A Little Sumthin’ For Everyone
SOTW-The Gourds- Gin and Juice (hilarious!!)
Teddy Pendegrass-I Don’t Love You Anymore
Black Crowes- Thorn In My Pride
Morris Day and the Time- If the Kid Can’t Make You Come (Nobody Can)
Disturbed- Down With the Sickness
Temptations-Papa was a Rolling Stone
POTW: Hawaii +3
I have something going down at work on Nov. 2, so next week I will be marking off the days, trying to get everything done and listening to these tunes:
Kinky Afro – Happy Mondays
Every Day is a Winding Road – Sheryl Crow (“He’s got a daughter he calls Easter. She was born on a Tuesday night.”)
Waiting for Wednesday – Lisa Loeb
Thursday’s Child – David Bowie
Friday, I’m In Love – The Cure
Always Saturday by Guadalcanal Diary OR Sunless Saturday by Fishbone, depending on what happens during the week
Here’s Where the Story Ends – The Sundays
Dude, I only had one POTW. Stats are wrong
Feidt had two POTW’s and you went with him right?
Of the panoply of website I’ve pored over this has the most vetiracy.
I will take
Georgia +2
Texas Tech +1′
Minnesota +1
Pitt -9′
POTW
Call me crazy and I’m sure B Rad will, but I will take the Rebs -5 on the road.
Serenade – Steve Miller Band
Misunderstanding – Genesis
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Somebody’s Baby – Jackson Browne
Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson
I missed his double potw, nevermind
POTW
Maryland
Song Theme – I may be down, but I’m not out.
Tough it Out – Webb Wilder
I’m not down – The Clash
I will survive – Gloria Gaynor
No theme for my set list. Just songs that have stuck with me this week from Sirius. If I lose points, so be it.
Picks:
*Auburn +3′ at WVA
*SAN JOSE STATE + 7 vs Boise State
*La Tech +1′ at ARMY
*FLORIDA – 24′ vs Kentucky
*ARKANSAS +5 vs Ole Miss
POTW:
Penn State -2′ at OHIO STATE
Tunes: This week I’m going for entire rock albums
1) Guns & Roses – Appetite For Destruction
2) Kiss – Alive
3) Metallica – Kill Em All
4) Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced?
5) Motley Crue – Shout at the Devil
Bosie State -7
Minnestota -7 1/2
Bama -5
Memphis +4
Navy -12
POTW
Northwestern -7
SOTW
Aint no sunshine- Bill Withers
Walk Away-Ben Harper
Train in Vain- The Clash
Ill be there for you-Bon Jovi
Billie Jean-Michael Jackson
Bosie State -7
Minnestota -7 1/2
Bama -5
Memphis +4
Navy -12
POTW
Northwestern -7
SOTW
Aint no sunshine- Bill Withers
Walk Away-Ben Harper
Train in Vain- The Clash
Ill be there for you-Bon Jovi
Billie Jean-Michael Jackson
Auburn +3 1/2
Mississippi -5
Rice +1 1/2
TEXAS -12½
Oklahoma -19
POTW:
Baylor +11
OB is going all women tonight in the Song Contest. Hopefully I can get some lovin from all the girls out there.
Stevie Nicks: Landslide
Carly Simon: You’re So Vain
Tracy Chapman: Give Me One Good Reason
Ella Fitzgerald: Georgia On My Mind
Dusty Springfield sings: I Only Want To Be With You
Song of the Week:
Heart: Barracuda
Well camping wasn’t so bad, got a little cold but had a nice camp fire, booze, tubular meat, and someone’s soon to be ex to keep me warm. Somehow or another all 10 of us managed to make a 11 mile hike on Saturday down the side of a mountain to a waterfall. It was not easy, especially going up. It was all downhill from there when I woke up early Sunday Morning to pack up and drive to Charlotte for the Saints game. Whats the difference between me and the Saints, I actually showed up. They looked decent for about a qaurter until Shockey fumbled and it was over from that point. Worst part about it is I benched all of my Carolina players on my fantasy teams so I wouldn’t be confused and started Colston and Moore who combined for 10 yards. On a good note somehow or another I only paid $5 to park.
Ole Miss – 5
Duke +10′
Texas Tech +1′
Penn St -2′
Virginia +11′
POTW Florida -24′
As for my music of the week, I am presently packing for a getaway to Charleston for the weekend full of debachery. It starts with a Widespread Panic show followed by a Galatic show on Friday. Then on Saturday another Panic Show followed by the biggest Halloween bash around that about 2000 of my closest friends will be at and you can bring your own cooler to. See if you can guess who I will be dressed up as by my selections.
Widespread Panic – Walkin’
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal
Micheal Jackson – PYT
Michael Jackson – Got to be Startin Something
Dear Baen,
I like that you have a little corner of the internet committed to what strikes your fancy. Little History, some reflection, a dab of politics, but Thursday is for Pickin’. Pickin’ winners and Pickin’ music. Music and Winners make me smile.
Pickin’ and Grinnin’
Some part of me knows that that the world started on a bad path in 1993, which is pert near the time we got thrust out into it. Thing is we left without something that had been there all our lives. It played in the background and most of time you didn’t know it. But it was there every Saturday evening giving everyone a shot of down home goodness, a little inoculation to keep you grounded through the week. It was always on at my grandmother’s house which got exactly 3 channels her whole life. The show was hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark, both underrated musicans in my view. Yep, something was missing when the world was without Hee Haw in 1993.
Now You probably felt the void on your travels to Nashville. Murfeesboro’s finest won’t have it when the come to Starkville. No Reb will visit Archie’s Barbershop in Fayeteville Saturday Night. And Tennessee will be just a little emptier for the Tide. Its dark in Kornfield County. Hee Haw, you left when we needed you the most.
“Gloom, despair and agony on me oooooooo
Deep dark depression, excessive misery ooooooo
If it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all!
Gloom, despair and agony on me-eeeee!”
– Four dudes in overalls with Moonshine jugs.
“Now, we’re not ones to go ’round spreadin’ rumors, Why, really we’re just not the gossipy kind, No, you’ll never hear one of us repeating gossip, So you’d better be sure and listen close the first time!”
– The Gossip Girls (with Misty Rowe…she’s purdy)
And the Classic:
Where, where are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over and thought I found true love,
But you met another and thiffffft you was gone.
– Two sad dudes, I think one was the barber.
So here’s to you Junior Samples, Grampa, Lulu, Hager Twins, and Minnie Pearl. I paid more attention then you or I ever knew.
I’m a Pickin’ and I’m a Grinnin’ and I’m a takin’ Indiana +9. It just seems like a good place for a fence to kick your butt. Sa—-lute.
Picks:
Army -2
NC State +11′
Kentucky +25′
Alabama -4′
POTW Texas -12′
Songs:
Only going with two BUT I’m providing links. How ’bout that Mr. Arbitrary Point Compiler? That should garner something.
Troubled Hubble’s 14,000 Things To Be Happy About
If Ole Miss loses, the I’ll be listening to The Avett Brothers’ Tear Down The House.
They can both be heard at http://tinyurl.com/556vzc.
Penn St. has me convinced, I’ll go with them as POTW. Joe Pa, aka Mole Man is in bed with the mob. Zeeks Gourds song is great so I’ll go with that
potw tenn +5.5
also miami -3
wisconsin +2.5
fla -26
ohio st +2.5
STATE -10
songs- “Down Payment Blues” ACDC
“Wasting Time” Kid Rock
“Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old”
Garth Brooks
“All The Gold” Gatlin Bros
MD says he wants Alabama. He had the line minus 7. Bama’s a popular pick and the line is all over the place up above so I’m declaring it to be 4′ for everybody. That’s what Sheridan has it right now.
Smily, I left “All the Gold” for you to post on purpose.
SC, the people will have their say. TB loves a link though. I especially like including them in a post and seeing how many people actually click. It usually maxes out at about three in any given day. But I click em.
POTW- North Carolina -2′
Vandy -10
LSU -1′
I watched The Graduate on TV this week, so I’ll go with Simon and Garfunkel tunes from the soundtrack:
Mrs. Robinson
Sound of Silence
Scarborough Fair
After a long weekend with the pros in LV, I promise nothing…
UM -2
Northwestern -7′
Duke +10
UGA +1′
Bama -4′
POW USM -4
The Bama line looks too good to be true. Good news or bad for Sweet I don’t know, but I’m liking that a pretty good bit myself.
POTW
Tulane -2′
BP’s
Tennessee +4′
LSU -1
Toledo +3′
Pancho and Lefty – Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
LDN – Lily Allen
I Gotta Get Drunk – Willie Nelson
Soulful Strut – Young-Holt Unlimited
I’m adding Bama -4′ as a Bonus Pick feeling hot
anybody who takes Tulane or USM as their potw should be banned
Besides Rosanne Barr and Carl Lewis, has there been a more horrific rendition of our national anthem than what patti labelle did tonight
Also: Mr TBaen is 18-2 the last two weeks in a pool we are in….go the opposite
Time to post your votes on musical bonus points as mentioned in the post. Voting ends Wednesday night.
I’ll go with “I Will Survive” for first and “Barricuda” for second. Since I didn’t make a post this week I do understand that my vote may not count – but there it is.
I’m a man of the people. All votes will be counted.
Normally I would not do this but I have to vote for myself on song of the week for the Gourds -Gin and juice–because it is so hilarious and unconventional and I’ll go with Greeg’s Pancho and Lefty for second. Thought Fig’s all-rock album theme was pretty cool So he gets third spot.
Just so we’re clear on this:
Zeek-song
Greeg-list
Fig-Theme
Got it?
RMac – love the theme (cool songs too)
Pitalo – Train in Vain for song (my grandmother bought me the 45 in 1980 – the thought of my Nana buying a Clash record cracks me up every time); honorable mention goes to Zeek for The Gourds’ Gin and Juice
I’m gonna have to go with Gin and Juice for SOTW. Funniest thing about that is I didn’t know it was a cover for like a year after I first heard it.
SC for list of the week for linking something I’ve never heard. I liked it.
Theme of the week for RMac’s self deprecating humor and true grit.
Ed’s my post of the week, an honor he and Feidt’s Follies pretty much alternate.
I vote for larry for list of the week
Zeek for the morris day and the time for song of the week.
RMAC for theme of the week
I liked RMAC’S theme
Train in Vain for SOTW
I will go with TB’s list.