pantaloons

Week 9: San Diego New Orleans Indy Probably should have picked Denver but I just can't pick Manning to beat Brady. San Diego is pretty banged up and that's probably a foolish pick. I should just pick them out of a hat.

Did you watch it? I don't have game pass and I was up at 4am this morning (with a newborn) watching the Bengals game and following our game on twitter and gamecast. Despite the final scoreline, those deflating things early in sporting games like mussed field goals can completely change the direction of a contest. Smith's numbers were very efficient. He plays within his limitations, which I like.

Seattle Indy Green Bay I was going to pick the Rams to jinx them, but I just couldn't do that do Gorgoroth.

Sorry guys, same as a few of you. Seattle Cleveland Arizona

I'm the same, Cowboy. I'm so used to KC being decent once every 4 years and rancid in between that I've just always enjoyed watching any game. Also, the fact that we are rarely on TV has contributed to this.

I'd like to see Melbourne trade for Beams if for no other reason than to see the massive tanty Greg Swann would throw when pick 3 is included in the deal.

Baltimore Denver San Diego Let's see if my tipping curse can knock a couple of AFC West rivals off!

Time for my weekly kiss of death: Chicago Pittsburgh Seattle

New England (boo) New Orleans Atlanta

San Fran Indy Green Bay

Disgraceful video call just cost us the game. Thanks.

We've got half our team out. Might as well lose Charles too. We should still end up getting flogged today, but it's been a gutsy effort thus far.

New England Seattle New Orleans

There goes our one winnable game for the year.

New Orleans San Francisco Carolina Almost picked Tennessee but should really wait one week until the KCCSS kicks in.

Like which one to take at 2 and which one to take at 3?

7mate has taken over from OneHD this season. I assume they'll get the same games we otherwise would have. Bring on the season anyway. I'm expecting a fall from grace this season and a return to KC battling Melbourne for the coveted mantle of my most useless football team.

Kings in 4. They have just won three straight road games against teams who are several levels better than the Rangers. It's one of the biggest sporting finals mismatches I've ever seen, but then again, I said that about the 1998 AFL Grand Final and the first Pats-Giants Super Bowl.

A begrudging congratulations to the Kings on winning the Stanley Cup again.

I'm looking forward to 1.21 GigaWatts so we can all go back to 1955.

You know it's a bad loss when you wake up in the middle of the night having nightmares about it. Game 7 was one of the worst sporting losses I've ever experienced, and certainly the worst loss in Sharks history. Gee, San Jose becomes just the fourth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 lead, and the Chiefs suffer the second-worst choke in NFL playoff history all in the same year! But enough woe is me... Blackhawks in 4 kings in 5 Bruins in 5 Pittsburgh in 6

I'd still be pretty confident at this stage. Whatever happens, it's been a monumental rise for the Avs this season. Incredible. And Cooke is just a dirtbag.

For what it's worth: Ducks in 7, with some serious potential for an upset here. Avs in 6 thanks largely to Varlamov. Sharks in 7 but I have a BAD feeling about this one. Can't pick LA on principle. Blackhawks in 6. This is the series I have the most confidence in picking. As for the East, I haven't seen as much of these teams but here goes: Bruins in 5 Penguins in 6 Canadiens in 6 NYR in 6

In my opinion, we are guaranteed to have 2 of the top 4 teams in the NHL knocked out in the first round (losers of the STL-Chi and SJ/LA series. I'm happy the wacky system keeps us away from the only team I really fear in Chicago, but LA is a great team. We've finally got our forwards healthy, with Hertl returning two games ago and Torres set to go in Game 1. It's a must that Pavelski goes back to the third line, giving us three very high quality lines. I like us all over the ice except in net. Niemi, while his numbers aren't disgraceful, has been very poor this season, and his backup Stalock has been the better goaltender. Quick singlehandedly beat us last year. My heart says San Jose, my heart also says get ready to be broken. Will almost certainly go at least 6 games. I'm happy St Louis fell into the matchup with Chicago. At least while we and LA are belting the living snot out of each other they'll be doing the same. I also expect Dallas to thoroughly push Anaheim. Bring it on.

With the wacky new playoff format, it's imperative that the Sharks get the division title so as to avoid LA in the first round. Whatever happens though, we need someone to knock out Chicago. We could probably eliminate or be eliminated by every playoff team in the West with varying degrees of likelihood except Chicago. They're that good and they're one of the few teams that can consistently deny San Jose the puck and limit our scoring chances, two strengths of ours that usually see us dominate games for great stretches.