Weekly Conference Winners						TEAM OF THE WEEK
East		Central		West		Irish Talbots
Little Johnny's	157	SS Stoggies	167	Irish Talbots	185
Green Apple	138	Reno	154	Downtowners	161

Pittsburgh Survivor Football

     Survivor 1: I know close only counts in horseshoes but if it counted in survivor contests this one would be over. Again the default pick came within a gnat's eyelash of losing. The first four weeks of the contest the default picks were losing outright and that's why the contest is down to just 38 from 452. But the number of remaining survivors has remained about the same for the last four weeks because the default picks have been winning, barely, but winning since week 7. Last week it was Chicago's late TD and this week it was Kansas City's missed two-point conversion try. Turn those two around and Survivor 1 is in single digits. Well this isn't horseshoes so all 38 survivors will continue on to week 11.

     Survivor 2: So far the second contest hasn't experienced a default-pick loss. They all occurred before the week 7 Survivor 2 startup so the second contest remains with a fairly high 181 of 228 entries going into week 10. Had Kansas City's two-point conversion been successful there would be 84 less picks in week 11 and had Frank Gore not tripped just short of the end zone with seconds left on Monday night, 31 more! Only two contestants lost their privilege to pick in the upcoming week: One because they chose Pittsburgh to beat Indy; I personally wouldn't have picked that particular game to go with the Steelers but at least they were a home favorite. Now what was going through the mind of the other week 10 loser I have no idea. Not only did they choose an underdog, but a big underdog on the road no less! A 9.5 point underdog on the road, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? That was the second-highest spread on the board! The pick I am referring to is Seattle. There were actually 25 picks on their opponent Miami. Yeah it was a close game but the spread doesn't count here only who wins.

Week 11: Upcoming week 11 is the final regular season week of the PFFL season. After week 11 each team in each conference will be given a ranking designation from 1 thru 11 according to their finish in the standings. This ranking will remain with each team for the remainder of the season. A team's rank determines where a team competes in the postseason (teams 1 thru 8 in the Playoffs to start and 9 thru 11 Consolation Tournament only) and who they will be matched up against. The highest rank always plays the lowest rank. The postseason format can be accessed here: Playoff Formats. Below is what's at stake in the final regular season week. Consult the fees & prizes sheet for playoff payouts.

Finish first or second: earns byes in weeks 12 & 13
                                receives a minimum of second-round playoff money
                                receives a bonus for finishing in the top two
Finish third or fourth: earns bye in week 12
                                receives a minimum of first-round playoff money
Finish fifth thru eighth: earns a wildcard game in week 12
                                  must win wildcard game to earn first-round playoff money

 

PFFL EAST
z T Bones: Two straight one-point losses is enough to make anyone ornery but since Dean was already ornery I really can't see a difference. Somehow they remain in first and a 3VP win this week will guarantee they stay there. They could remain in first with a loss but if they do lose they must earn at least 1VP in the loss to guarantee they remain in the top four. A 0VP week and they could finish anywhere from first to fifth and you get no bye for fifth. z Little Johnny's: A win guarantees at least the #2 rank but they will need the T Bones to lose for a chance at the top spot. At the same time the schedule and standings are such that a loss most likely loses them the top two. If they earn at least 1VP in a loss they have a good chance of staying in the top four but a much less chance if they earn 0VP. A win keeps their destiny in their control and a loss leaves it to fate. z Tommy Guns: A four-game losing streak has left the Guns on the proverbial fence. If they win they could end up in any of the top four positions even first depending on what the other top four teams do. But the key is top four which is what they are guaranteed with a win. If they lose to the Rebels however it will come down to what Green Apple does. If they lose they must maintain their 1VP lead over them or they drop out of the top tier. The only exception to this is if they earn 2VP in a loss and Little Johnny's earns 0VP and Commish East earns less than 4VP and a partridge in a pear tree. z Green Apple: The fact that the Rebels are playing the Tommy Guns this week makes it very simple for them: just win baby! If they do the only thing that could keep them out of the top tier and earn a bye is a rare 2VP win. It's unlikely a win gets them the top ranking but in theory it leaves open the possibility for any of the top tier positions. A loss however and Pandora's box is opened. If they lose and fail to win any VP, as many as four teams could knock them out of the top four.  z Rebels: This time at least there's no blame to lay but it is still another loss; three in a row to be exact. The consequence is they are out of the top tier for the first time since week 2. The good news is their destiny is still in their own hands. Excluding a 2VP win, if they beat the Tommy Guns they get a bye. They could even back in with a loss. At worst it's a wildcard and a wildcard it most likely will be unless they do win. Commish East: A win guarantees a wildcard but it doesn't guarantee a bye. That they will need help for. That help has to come in the form of a Green Apple and Rebels' loss. But first things first: If they don't beat the Boys of Autumn and Cleantown and Justice both win, not only will the byes be out of the question but so could a wildcard. Justice: Yes they are leading the East in points and are fourth overall in the league, but if they don't win this week they could find themselves the team with the most points in the Consolation Tournament. If they get the same help that Commish East needs, which is a Green Apple and Rebel's loss, they can still earn a bye. However if Cleantown and the Boys of Autumn win they also better win or they are CT bound! Cleantown: The byes are not an option here so it's a wildcard or bust. But simply winning doesn't guarantee them that wildcard. Their low win total of three has them at a disadvantage over the teams above and even below them. The only team below them that can supplant them has one less VP but one and a half more wins. Meaning Cleantown must stay ahead of them in VP or be passed by them. A 4VP win would guarantee a wildcard but anything less and the Boys of Autumn are in play. If they get overtaken by the Boys of Autumn they can still get a wildcard if they can overtake a team above them. Boys of Autumn: Although they are below the cut line in ninth, they could actually still get a wildcard with a 1VP loss if Cleantown comes up empty with 0VP. That aside it will take a win then it depends on VP earned by them and the three teams above them. IC Lightning: Go ahead and pour another one Vincent. You can take next week off. Aggravators: Sorry Mitchell but you won't be able to give anyone a headache until the Consolation Tournament.	Franchise VP W-L-T z T Bones 26 6-4-0 z Little Johnny's 24 6-4-0 z Tommy Guns 23 5-5-0 z Green Apple 22 6-4-0 z Rebels 22 6-4-0 Commish East 21 5-5-0 Justice 20 5-5-0 Cleantown 19 3-7-0 Boys of Autumn 18 4-5-1 IC Lightning 14 3-7-0 Aggravators 8 2-7-1 x = clinched top 2 y = clinched top 4 z = clinched wildcard       Rk Franchise PF 1 Justice 1244 2 z Tommy Guns 1241 3 z T Bones 1224 4 Cleantown 1203 5 z Little Johnny's 1196 6 Commish East 1194 7 IC Lightning 1127 8 z Green Apple 1116 9 z Rebels 1109 10 Boys of Autumn 1099 11 Aggravators 970   Average 1157
PFFL CENTRAL
Y Syndicate: Their y designation says they are already guaranteed a top four but a win will give them an x designation and a guaranteed #1 ranking. The worst they can do is third with a loss but they can also remain in first with a loss if the Nasty Aggravators also lose and the Twisted Helmets earn less than 4VP. And if they stay on their medication they can lead a productive normal life. Y Nasty Aggravators: They also have earned a y so no matter what they also will remain in the top four and like the Syndicate can also do no worse than third. If they win and the Syndicate win they get second. If they win and the Syndicate lose they get first. If they lose and the Helmets lose they stay in second. If they lose and the Helmets win they get third. If I don't stop this I'm going to be sick. Y Twisted Helmets: Yet another y designation means they are guaranteed the top four but for the Helmets to break into the top two and get that second bye they first must win and have the Nasty Aggravators lose. To earn the #1 rank they need to win and have both the Aggravators and the Syndicate lose then match or better the Syndicate's VP total. The worst they do is fourth and it would take a 0VP game out of them for that to even be possible. z Harmony Hornets: This is an easy one! If they beat the Weekend Warriors they remain in the top four and get a bye. They lose, they drop out of the top tier and get a wildcard. Thanks Keith I needed a break. z Weekend Warriors: See above. Barring a 2VP win which would open the door for the Stoggies and Kings, if they beat the Hornets they get a bye. If they lose they get a wildcard. If you stare long enough at their icon you could trigger a flash back. z SS Stoggies: Aside from one remote scenario they are in Limbo. They can't get to Heaven (top tier) but won't go to Hell (bottom tier). The one scenario that can get them to the promised land would be a 2VP win by the Warriors over the Hornets and a 4VP win by them. z Knockout Kings: See above. They are in the exact same position as the Stoggies but with 48 less points. If the above scenario of a Warrior 2VP win would go down and both the Stoggies and they got 4VP, they would need to outscore the Stoggies by 48 to get the bye. So I guess I'm saying this remote 2VP win scenario that most likely will never happen is even more unlikely to happen for the Kings. Steve Irwin Crocodile's: They are the only team in the top two tiers that haven't clinched a postseason position. Obviously if they win they get a wildcard. The only way they lose out is if they lose and R&J wins and ties or betters their VP count. If they lose and earn 1VP that would force R&J to earn 4VP in a win to supplant them. Then subtract  a 1VP penalty for changing their name during the season and figure it out all over again. R&J Inc.: Another see above. They have one shot and one shot only. They first must have the Crocodile's lose, win themselves, then match or beat the Crocodile's VP total. Less one of course.  Reno: Sometimes you just don't get the cards. They will be dealing some more though in the Consolation Tournament. TnT: We've all had them. Just a plain bad season in every aspect. That's why we have a CT.	Franchise VP W-L-T y Syndicate 29 7-3-0 y Nasty Aggravators 27 8-2-0 y Twisted Helmets 26 7-3-0 z Harmony Hornets 22 6-4-0 z Weekend Warriors 21 6-4-0 z SS Stoggies 20 4-6-0 z Knockout Kings 20 4-6-0 Steve Irwin Crocodile's 18 4-6-0 R&J Inc. 15 4-6-0 Reno 13 3-7-0 TnT 10 2-8-0 x = clinched top 2 y = clinched top 4 z = clinched wildcard       Rk Franchise PF 1 y Syndicate 1311 2 y Twisted Helmets 1243 3 z SS Stoggies 1222 4 z Harmony Hornets 1177 5 z Knockout Kings 1174 6 z Weekend Warriors 1174 7 y Nasty Aggravators 1157 8 Steve Irwin Crocodile's 1134 9 Reno 1097 10 R&J Inc. 1036 11 TnT 1007   Average 1158
PFFL WEST
x Downtowners: If it weren't for those pesky JR's Boys they could take three weeks off. A win ensures the #1 in the West and a loss opens the door for the Boys to steal it with a win. Bottom line they do no worse than second and the max two byes. x JR's Boys: Their seventh win in a row is keeping the Downtowners honest and at least making them work for those top honors. It will be one of these two only being assigned the #1 rank and second-place is hardly a consolation prize. z Commish West: They are as close as it gets to earning a bye without it being guaranteed. Just 1VP earned will make it impossible to not get a week off. The one scenario that can supplant them and force a week 12 game is a 0VP week along with a 1VP or more week from the Rounder 17 and a 4VP win from MNE. Nah, that could never happen. z Rounder 17: With 1VP less than Commish West it will take 2VP to guarantee them a bye. If MNE loses then the point is moot, but if the Rounders lose and earn less than 2VP and MNE does win, it will come down to VP earned by them, MNE, and Commish West. And if it comes down to tied VP, the Rounders have the point advantage of 41 over Commish and 29 over MNE. And I raise you 1VP! z MNE: They are on the outside looking in for a bye and will need help to get it. The minimum week they can get away with is a 3VP win and then hope for help from Commish or the Rounders. And as if they don't already have enough obstacles to overcome they are scheduled to play the JR's Boys who have just won seven straight. They will do no worse than a wildcard though. Brookline: No chance for a bye but because it is mathematically possible they don't get a wildcard, no z designation was given. Since one of the many things needed along with a 0VP week by them to supplant them is the Sharks outscoring them by 113. Maybe I should have gone ahead and given them a z designation but there's always the unexpected like the team plane going down. Irish Talbots: No chance for a bye either but like Brookline no z designation because of mathematical possibilities. 1VP earned will make the point moot but if they earn 0VP they open the door for this scenario: If the Sharks beat the Apaches and earn 4VP and the Apaches earn 2VP in the loss the Talbots are out. Or if the Apaches don't earn 2VP in the loss French River must earn 4VP and outscore the Talbots by 98. But any of that happening would be considered bad luck and these are the IRISH Talbots. Apaches: It's simple, if they beat the Sharks or earn 2VP in a loss they earn a wildcard. If they lose, it's anything but simple: If they earn 1VP in the loss it will take all of the following to deny them a wildcard: the Sharks earn 4VP and outscore them by 49, the Talbots earn at least 1VP, Brookline earns at least 1VP or Brookline earns 0VP and they don't outscore them by 65. If they earn 0VP they are out if the Sharks earn 4VP or 3VP and outscore them by 65, or if French River earns 4VP. Got that Jim? If not just win your game and it none of it will matter. Sharks: Since their 0-5 start they have actually lost just one game and although they can still get a wildcard, that one loss has left them on the outside looking in. But it's not over: First they must win. If they earn 4VP in a win over the Apaches and any of the following things happen, they get a wildcard: the Apaches don't earn any VP, or the Talbots don't earn any VP, or the Apaches earn 1VP and they outscore them by 49, or Brookline earns 0VP and they outscore them by 113 - you win by this last one Franklin and you'll never pay for a drink in my company again. However, if they earn just 3VP in a win it comes down to just this: the Apaches must earn 0VP and they must outscore them by 49 and French River must earn less than 4VP. Overcome this last one and you're buying the drinks! French River: Far less options here but at least there are some: First off they must earn 4VP or it's over. Assuming they do and the Sharks earn less than 4VP and the Apaches earn 0VP, they are a wildcard. If they only get one of the two above scenarios to happen, they can still get in if the Irish Talbots earn 0VP and they outscore them by 98. I wouldn't count on this one so they better hope for both of the above scenarios. B&B: It seems they have sucombed to the dreaded sophomore jinx. After making the Championship Game in their first year they will just be spectators this year.	Franchise VP W-L-T x Downtowners 31 8-2-0 x JR's Boys 30 8-2-0 z Commish West 25 6-4-0 z Rounder 17 24 6-4-0 z MNE 21 5-5-0 Brookline 18 5-5-0 Irish Talbots 18 4-6-0 Apaches  17 5-5-0 Sharks 14 4-6-0 French River 14 3-7-0 B&B 10