Oz - For the fifth time in five years, the SJS Picks Contest has a
new, first-time champion. This year's winnier was Oz, who posted a 229-102 (69.2%) mark in picking all of the games
this season. Oz entered bowl week with a 2 game lead over second place, and then solidified his victory with a 15-10
bowl week tear that put him five up over former champions Kelly and Heater14.
Oz also picked up his fair share of hardware this season. In addition to being named Picks Page Champion,
Oz also takes home the regional Midwest Region Championship over his arch-rival Matthias. Add to that
the co-winner of the Browbeater Of The Year Award. This award is given annually to the person who most effectively browbeats or
muckrakes over the course of the season. While much of the pool was not privy to the merciless exchange of taunts and
insults (reaching a fever pitch with the recent exchange of song lyrics between Oz and Matthias), the parties wisely
copied their emails to me and thus earned their place as co-winners of the most coveted of "social" awards on the website.
As the newest enshrinee into the Picks Hall Of Fame, Oz may well be interested in his place in history. Oz's 69.2%
was the second-lowest winning percentage in the contest's history (Kelly, 69.1 in 1999), but was arrived at in a season
that saw us pick the most games ever (331 to last year's 280). It also took place in a year when we had the largest
number of experts ever. Furthermore, the sub-70% trend of the past two seasons seems here to stay, as though we are in
some "dead ball" era of the Picks Contest. Oz's Upset Index of 0.133, while hardly outrageously adventuresome, along
with his win this year, should slowly convert his legacy from underperforming Freddie Favorite, to one more fitting
a Hall Inductee ala Dan, John, Kelly, and Heater.
All hail the Wizard of Osland!
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Heater14 - Our 1998 champion finished the season with a 224-107
(67.7%) performance paced by a bowl-best 16-9 mark on the final picks page of the 2000 season. Heater14
fell 5 games short of his quest to become the Picks Page's first repeat champion. Heater14's legacy, however, will most
likely be of consistent performance, as he became a two-time winner of the Steady Freddie Award. The award was
created last year to recognize the fact that he avoided the "champion's jinx" in performing very strong the year after
his title, and was awarded to him again this year for finishing first, fifth, and second in his three years in the
contest. Less lauditory, heater's 0.100 Upset Index earned him the ignomious Freddie Favorite Certificate for
conservatism in picking. |
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Kelly - Our 1999 champion finished the season with a 224-107
(67.7%) performance, tying for second with Heater14, while managing a strong 14-11 mark in the bowls.
No former champion has ever again won the Picks Page title, let alone a repeat crown, but Kelly's outstanding two-year
performance earned her strong consideration for the Steady Freddie Award that was narrowly granted to Heater14.
Instead, Kelly earned the dubious Misplaced Priorities Award. Usually given to a player that does not pick
each week (and thus the new h man for his early-season foibles and schmookie for his late-season foibles were also
considered), Kelly's nomination was buttressed not by her picking dedication, which was lauditory, but by her failure
to compete for the Browbeater of the Year Award. In a season where the Miami-FSU controversy took center stage, and
where Miami avenged old insults by Florida, Kelly's lack of a presence on the mailing list and the top 25 page,
erstwhile so magnificent, were this season, sorely missed. |
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Master O - "Master O?" became "Master: No" in the bowl week
finishing with a 222-109 (67.1%) season mark because of that 10-15 bowl performance. Heading into the
bowl games just two off the pace from Oz, Master O suffered the fate of many runners-up heading into bowl week in
needing some upsets and falling out of favor. The O was, nonetheless, a slam-dunk choice for the 2000 Most Improved
Expert Award. Consider: this year's 67.1% as compared to what was a career 59.6% coming into this year. His
fourth place showing this year was a huge boost over his 16th place showing just a year ago. Master O also did something
many watchers did not think possible: he upended ROBERT in the coveted Send Me To Vegas Award race (ROBERT wasn't
even invited to the banquet this year). Adding to ROBERT's humiliation and Master O's triumph, his 42 close scores was
one better than ROBERT's season record 41 (though it must be noted ROBERT's 1999 rate of close scores is still
higher). Master O also broke jayhusker's record for exact scores with an eye-popping 4. The O is clearly a force
to be reckoned with.
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Consensus Curtis - Curtis finished with a 221-110 (66.8%)
season mark and a 13-12 bowl performance. Considered a barometer for how tough the season was to pick, it is
notable that his 66.8% is considerably lower than his career mark coming in (70%), and lower than his worst
season (69.1%, 1999). This year was hard, making Oz's win all that much more impressive.
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