Parts Unknown (DP--Disassociated Press): It is said that "revenge is a dish better served cold", and this past weekend, both dbucc and Theopholis experienced the full brunt of that specific idiom. To be precise, in the previous weekend, after dbucc landed a 3-point outing and Theopholis knocked down a 7-point outing, they both supplanted DawgPound and DIRTYBIRDS, respectively, from their third-and-fourth seed slots within the Challenge point standings. But after this past weekend, after both DawgPound and DIRTYBIRDS produced respective 7-point outings, they both returned the prior weekend's favor and dispatched both of dbucc and Theopholis out of their respective top-seed slots, and did as much in a uniquely record-setting manner (read more about the Dawg and the Birdman's dual dip into the record books in this week's WHO'S-HOT segment). This past weekend also ended with catman's overall lead getting sliced one point lower, from three points to two points, but this time around the catman's slim lead is now over DawgPound (18 pts vs 16 pts) instead of it being over TCU. Both TCU and DIRTYBIRDS concluded the weekend tied in total points, 15 points apiece, for the third top seed in the standings, but TCU officially ended this past weekend with the third top seed after besting DIRTYBIRDS by virtue of the league's first tiebreaker, most best-bet wins, of which Too Tall Tommy easily won the tiebreak because of his league-leading 8-2-0 best-bet tally versus that of DIRTYBIRDS' 2-5-1 best-bet marks for the season. Rounding out the top handicappers in the standings were dbucc and Theopholis, but they both noticeably slid down the point standings, with dbucc dropping to fifth place and three points from the fouth top seed and Theopholis slipping to fifth place and four points from the fourth top seed in the standings.

Impressively, and in clutch fashion, DawgPound rebounded this past weekend from his previous goose-egg outing, which was a scoreless weekend that saw his all-time scoring streak end at 25 consecutive weeks. He connected on a relatively stress-free 6-point parlay winner: Philadelphia (-5 over the LA Rams), Miami (-11 over the NY Giants), and Kansas City (-4 over Minnesota). He also complemented his parlay hit with one best-bet winner to achieve his critical 7-point outing, with the best-bet winner being his easiest cover of the weekend after the game between Baltimore and Pittsburgh stayed well under the game's pointspread total of 38 points (the Steelers won by a final of 17-10). However, the downside to the Dawg-Day-Afternoon Handicapper's weekend was that he got knocked out of a crucial week-won by his stepson DIRTYBIRDS. Heading into Monday night's game it appeared as if DawgPound was going to register his first week-won since week #16 of Challenge year #10, or a stretch of 55 consecutive weeks without a week-won. But DIRTYBIRDS extended his father's week-won drought to 56 games in a row after he connected on his first-ever, one-point exact-score winner to complement his 6-point parlay hit and culminate his weekend with a 7-point outing. The potential importance of DIRTYBIRDS robbing DawgPound of his week-won can not be underestimated. After this past weekend, DawgPound is just two points from catman's overall lead in the point standings, and with only three more outings left before this year's divisional seeding, there exists a possibility that both handicappers can end up in a tie in total points for the overall number-one top seed. What's more, after this weekend, one game separates both handicappers' respective best-bet records, as catman presently holds the edge over DawgPound with a year-long best-bet record of 5-5-0 versus DawgPound's year-to-date best-bet tally of 4-6-0. Theoretically, both handicappers can end up tied in total points and also tied in best-bet wins (1st tiebreaker) at this year's divisional seeding. Interestingly, both handicappers are presently tied for the league's second tiebreaker, most parlay wins within combined parlay combinations, of which both participants each have 10 parlay wins within their respective parlay combos for the season. Looking ahead, if all the aforementioned scenarios play out, meaning if catman and DawgPound end the divisional seeding tied after the first-two tiebreakers, then the next tiebreaker--most weeks-won--could turn out to be the decisive tiebreaker. With all the aforementioned tiebreaker scenarios in mind, one can readily see the possible consequence of DawgPound being denied this past weekend's week-won.

But before anyone begins to fathom a divisional showdon between catman and DawgPound at this year's divisional seeding, let's not forget that three weeks of a Bookie Challenge can be an eternity, and the whole landscape of the point standings can change. With that being pointed out, it wouldn't come as a major surprise if none of the present four top seeds in the standings will even be in the top-four slots by the time the divisional seeding rolls around. In fact, and surprisingly, out of the present top-four seeds, only DIRTYBIRDS has previously captured an overall number-one top seed at a divisional seeding (Challenge yr #11). For that matter, catman, the present front-runner for this year's overall number-one top seed, is going to be hard pressed to hold on to his enviable top slot. This year, the "Tomcat from Handicapping Alley", after being in a dead-heat tie with DawgPound for the overall lead in the point standings after the first week of this season, has been extremely fortunate to have clung on to the outright lead of the point standings for the past four weeks. Two seasons ago, to start off the competition of Challenge year #11, catman shockingly hit a 7-point outing, the only participant to do so in that year's opening weekend, and held a 6-point lead over the rest of the field. But that lead was short-lived after Tony Soprano nailed a PERFECTA outing in week #2 of that year's competition to tie catman atop of the point standings. What's more, other than catman being tied for the overall lead in weeks' #4 and #5 of that season, he never once again flirted for an overall outright lead of a point standings until the second week of this year's competition. So as can readily be seen, so far this season catman has been treading in uncharted territory, and there's no telling if he'll have the spunk to win this year's overall number-one top seed, or if he'll even finish with a any of the four-top seeds after this year's divisional seeding.

DIRTYBIRDS, however, has proven that he at least has what it takes to win an overall top-seed at a divisional seeding, because he's already been there and done it. In fact, he won the number-one overall top seed in Challenge year #11, the very season catman jumped out to that 6-point opening-week lead. Unfortunately, Birdman would go on to squander his number-one overall seed from Challenge year #11, for he subsequently became the first number-one top seed to not win a divisional title. Regardless, one thing is going to be a certainty for DIRTYBIRDS if he doesn't get his act together, and that is that it's going to be another long season if he doesn't. As commendable as his 6-point parlay hit from this past weekend was, the Birdman has left a lot of possible points on the table so far this season. For example, he is the only particpant in the league this season to not submit exact-score selections for every Thursday night game this season, and more detrimental, he is the only handicapper this season to have missed posting a weekly set of picks. There's no telling where the Birdman would be right now in the point standings if not for his aforementioned handicapping transgressions. Hell, if not for his screw ups, DIRTYBIRDS might be holding the overall lead in the point standings today. In any event, let's give him his dues because he did bounce back with a big-time parlay hit after going incognito last weekend. In fact, it took a lot of cojones, or balls, to select the three-team combination he posted this past weekend, of which the combo was arguably the most daring one this season. He rolled the dice and selected three underdogs and all three of them won their respective games OUTRIGHT!: Jacksonville (+6) beat Buffalo 25-20, Indianapolis (+3) defeated Tennessee 23-16, and the NY Jets (+2) knocked off Denver 31-21. There's one last tidbit to add about the Birdman's weekend. He became only the third handicapper in the history of the competition to hit a 6-point parlay winner in the very next weekend after failing to post a weekly set of picks. Rookie NYY Friar achieved the feat in Challenge year #4 and moemonie pulled it off in Challenge year #8.

• HALL OF FAME CITY KID EARNS SLIM EDGE OVER VIKINGS17 FOR THIS SEASON'S ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR HONORS, THAT IS, SO FAR: By no means, or by any stretch of the imagination, are the two rookie entrants in this year's competition, meaning the Hall of Fame City Kid and Vikings17, coming anywhere close to having the best rookie seasons in the history of the competition. It should go without saying, that is, based on their respective first-five weeks of handicapping the Bookie Challenge, that they are light years away from breaking any all-time rookie records, or at least not any of the good kind. In the case of Vikings17, his greenhorn handicapping has reeked of mediocrity and he presently owns a ho-hum best-bet record of 4-5-1, not the worst record but far from being good. Early on in this season, Vikings17 looked as if he were going to have the nod for this year's Rookie-of-the-Year honors for quite a long time after the HOF City Kid got off to one of the worst starts to a rookie season. Entering week #3, the City Kid was on the verge of becoming the first rookie to register three-straight scoreless outings to start off a competition, but he avoided the ignominious distinction by landing his first-ever 6-point parlay hit. And despite that the City Kid did eventually break a record for the worst-ever best-bet start to a rookie season, his 6-point parlay hit is the main difference between him and Vikings17 that has him as the present front-runner for this year's Rookie-of-the-Year award. But more importantly, the parlay hit from week #3 by the City Kid elevated him into contention for one of this year's top-four seeds, not to mention that the 6-point parlay winner was the main factor that boosted the Kid's parlay wins within his combined parlay combos to 10 overall, of which the 10 parlay wins within his combined parlay combinations has the City Kid presently in a four-way tie with catman23, DawgPound, and the Biased Nihilist for the most on the season. With nine overall points won so far this season, the HOF City kid is right now in eighth place in the standings and just six points away from snatching either the third seed or the fourth seed in the standings, or to put it differently, he's just another parlay hit removed from seriously contending for one of this year's top-four seeds. In comparison, with just five points on the season, Vikings17 culminated this past weekend in 11th place in the point standings and 10 points away from the fourth top seed. Not for nothing, but to the credit of both rookies, they have managed to produce, so far, better handicapping campaigns than some of the historically better handicappers in the league. Vikings17 is presently having a better season than last year's defending Bookie Challenge champion Driveline and three-time Bookie Challenge champion the Biased Nihilist, while the HOF City Kid has leads in the point standings over Blitzkrieg and moemonie, not to forget he too is besting Driveline and the Nihilist. Of course, there's still a long long way to go in this year's competition, but somewhere along the line Vikings17 is going to have to nail down a 6-point parlay winner, not only to get in contention for a Bookie Challenge championship but also to get in contention for this year's Rookie-of-the-Year award.


• WEEKLY TICKER.......An early seesaw battle for this year's Swami award, or for the year-end honor bestowed upon the handicapper with the league's top best-bet record, is starting to shape up between TCU and Blitzkrieg. After the 5th weekend of the season, only four overall participants in the league own best-bet records with winning percentages of .500 or above, with Theopholis (.556) and catman (.500) being the other two besides TCU and Blitzkrieg. However, TCU and Blitzkrieg, far and away, have the best tallies, with Too Tall Tommy concluding week #5 with an astonishing and league-leading 8-2-0 record, which factors out to a stupefying .800 win percentage, and with the Snowman (aka Blitzkrieg) culminating week #5 with a 7-2-1 mark that entails a brilliant .778 win percentage. To note, neither TCU nor Blitzkrieg have ever won a Swami award.......moemonie becomes 1st participant in history of competition to nail down exact-score winners of both exact-score games on the same weekend of a regular season. This past weekend, he correctly picked Washington to score 20 points in the Thursday night game and also correctly predicted Las Vegas to tally 17 points in the Monday night game. Overall, moemonie presently leads the league with three 1-point exact-score hits.......