Parson’s take: Fortunes rise and fall with addition of NFL picks in Week Two
It would appear our fearless panel of Pigskin Prognosticators are much more up on the pro teams than they are the college football teams. After a slow start in week one with a combined record of 27 and 23, the panel surged in last week’s picks to a combined record of 29 and 16. Each member also has one tie, after the underdog Cleveland Browns shocked everyone except Judy Hall by playing the powerful Pittsburgh Steelers to a tie in the pro’s first week.
As I mentioned, Judy picked the Browns, but she also was in a tie for the week’s best record at 7-2-1. If you remember, I said last week that Judy took it easy on the guys in week one, but they better watch out in week two. Judy made me look much smarter than I am by surging into a tie for first place after two weeks with a combined 13-6-1 record. Judy stopped by the office today and assured me that she was just getting warmed up. She had a look in her eyes that could mean trouble for the guys on the panel.
Last week’s leader Gary Gostanian slipped just a little bit from week one, but still had a good week at 6-3-1, and remains tied for the overall lead at 13-6-1. Gary and Judy were the only ones to correctly pick the upset by Arizona State over Michigan State, but Gary missed the boat with picking Oakland over the Rams. I feel certain Gary will continue his winning ways during week three.
Tied with Judy for best record last week was Mayor Milt Stowe. You may recall the mayor got off to a slow start during week one with a 3 and 7 record. Milt rebounded nicely as he went 7-2-1 in week two and is now fourth place overall with a 10-9 -1 mark. Now that he’s back in the plus column, you can expect to see him climb up the leaderboard.
Also rebounding after a surprising first week of 5 and 5 is local jeweler and avid sports collector, David Horowitz. While visiting with David this week, he said he could not understand how it was possible that he went 5 and 5, but assured he me he had done better in week two. Better he did with a 6-31 mark, and now holds down third place with an overall mark of 11-81. Knowing that David is always up for a challenge, I am willing to bet that you will see David at or near the top of the Prognosticators panel all season.
By the way, if you have not been in David’s shop recently, you should go by and see the nice displays that his wife has created. I see who has the real talent in that family. They are all ready for the fall season, so stop in and say hello. David and his son John are always up for a friendly conversation.
Last week, I mentioned that our editor Matt Sarr may have been getting tips from his fellow Recorder team members. I also said that maybe Matt should look for better sports minds than his Recorder family. I stand corrected. Matt, you should go back to the Recorder staff and beg for help. Matt started out week one with with an impressive 6-4 record. Week two was a little more difficult for Matt, as he slipped to a mark of 3-6-1. The pro games may have thrown Matt off and little and he now has an overall record of 9-10-1.
Not to be outdone, Matt now has an office filled with every sport book and magazine known to man, and he studies them everyday determined to rise up from a disappointing second week. Knowing how driven Matt is, I am sure you will see him move up from fifth place.
The panel members are showing improvement and the games are getting more difficult. That should make for an exciting week three and the remaining weeks of this season. We appreciate each of the Prognosticators taking time out of their busy schedules to make the picks each week and put up with my recaps. They are all really good sports, and we are truly thankful to have them as part of this panel.
You will notice each week that the Pigskin Prognosticators segment is sponsored by LB Catering Company. If you have not stopped in and seen them, you should. They are located at 298 N. Main Street here in Porterville. Give them a try, you will be glad you did.
As we enter week three, we want to encourage you to take in some of the exciting high school football being played by our local schools. They will appreciate your support and you will be in for an entertaining evening. Until next week, take care.