Parts Unknown (DP--Disassociated Press): It only took two weeks for the suspense in this year's divisional races to get going in earnest. The two big winners for the 10th weekend of this year's competition were dbucc and Vikings17, both of whom landed respective 6-point parlay hits for the first time this season. But it was dbucc who dramatically edged out Vikings 17 for a week-won after he complemented his parlay hit with a best-bet winner and finished his outing with seven total points, whereas Vikings17 failed to register any best-bet winners and had to settle for a 6-pont outing to his weekend. The dazzling performance by dbucc this past weekend was as logic-defying as it was breathtaking, especially when considering that he was able to snap a year-long handicapping slump with a season-saving outing in which he turned the tables of the Hail Mary divisional race upside down and made a miraculous comeback of sorts after recently suffering a severe concussion. Entering this past weekend, the Donald (aka dbucc) was in third place in the Hail Mary divisional race and trailed the division's leader Kr@tos by 14 points (24 pts vs 10 pts) and also trailed second-place Jets69 by three points (13 pts vs 10 pts). However, after this past weekend's handicapping action went into the books, the Donald's magnificent outing enabled him to leap over second-place Jets69 and claim the division's wild-card slot by a season-long tally of 17 points versus Jets69's 15 points for the season. Additionally, after this past weekend dbucc was able to slice Kr@tos' 11-point divisional lead to eight points (Kr@tos 25 pts vs dbucc's 17 points).

[URGENT UPDATE FOR THIS WEEK'S THURSDAY NIGHT GAME! DBUCC CONNECTED ON A 5-PT EXACT-SCORE PICK--NE 27-14--AND NOW TRAILS KR@TOS FOR THE HAIL MARY DIVISIONAL LEAD BY JUST THREE POINTS (25 PTS VS 22 PTS!)]

The divisional comeback by dbucc after his 7-point outing from this past weekend and his 5-point exact-score hit to start this week's handicapping (wk #11) is reminiscent of the stupendous and inspirational handicapping from Challenge year #11, when dbucc won his first and so far his only Bookie Challenge championship. Back then, dbucc had to fight off some seriously emotional adversity after having lost his beloved wife Diane in the off-season prior to the start of the 11th annual Bookie Challenge competition. Up until several weeks ago, dbucc had been in the midst of a ho-hum season, but then came his accident at his home that jeopardized dbucc's future handicapping for this competition. More specifically, nearly a month ago dbucc was walking into his kitchen then he suddenly lost his footing and fell down but not before he hit his head hard against the edge of the kitchen counter, which resulted in lacerations to his head and a severe concussion. The week of the accident, week #6, dbucc was in no shape to post his weekly selections. What's more, his concussion was so severe that he had to be hospitalized and the effects from the concussion had him disoriented to the point he couldn't talk coherently and he had even suffered some memory loss. Before the start of last week's handicapping action, dbucc called the Biased Nihilist to explain what was going on, but it didn't take long before the Nihilist realized that dbucc was still slightly confused mentally and that he wasn't making a whole lot of sense. In any event, that Sunday morning before the start of this past weekend's games the Nihilist called dbucc so that he could help him make his weekly selections. As it turned out, dbucc incredibly hit a 6-point parlay and a best-bet winner to end his weekend with seven points, and then as everybody now knows--dbucc hit this Thursday night's exact-score and as a result he sliced Kr@tos divisional lead in the Hail Mary division to three points.

In sticking with dbucc's performance over the past weekend, the 6-point parlay winner he nailed down was his 15th all-time for regular-season handicapping, and it is his 16th overall if including his 6-point parlay hit in the postseason of Challenge year #11, or the season in which he produced his fascinating breakout season to win that year's overall Bookie Challenge championship. But if the truth be told, the Donald is not known for having a big-time propensity for knocking down 6-point parlay hits throughout his 12-year Bookie Challenge career, to include this season. Oh no, with the exception of his scintillating championship run of Challenge year #11, the season in which dbucc tallied a career high of four 6-point parlay hits, the fact is that the "Joker" normally averages only about one 6-point parlay winner per season. In fact, he is better known over his Challenge career for being the league's number-one best-bet handicapper, which is clearly evident after he entered this year's competition with the league's top lifetime best-bet numbers, of which were a rock-solid 281-212-11 all-time best-bet tally that factors out to an all-time best .570 winning percentage. With all the aforementioned in mind, however, dbucc's best-bet handicapping for this year's competition has been sluggish, for his best-bet numbers after this past weekend for the season are at a below-average tally of 7-11-0 (win% .389), which is an uncharacteristic best-bet record for the league's top all-time best-bet handicapper. But the poor best-bet start to this season was offset by dbucc's season-changing handicapping of late. For starters, the 6-point parlay winner and the week-won that dbucc registered this past weekend were his first since the last weekend of last year's regular-season. Secondly, and more importantly, the clutch handicapping performance snapped a handicapping slump by dbucc that spanned over the course of the last four weekends, of which dbucc scored only one-point over the aforementioned four-week stretch and also goose egged three out of those four weekends.

In the case of Vikings17, his 6-point outing from this past weekend enabled him to extend his Run-&-Shoot divisional lead over second-place Driveline from eight points to 13 points (28 pts vs Driveline's 15 pts), which is not an easy task for Vikings17 seeing as Driveline is one of the league's top handicappers, not to mention he is a two-time Bookie Challenge champion. Keeping the aforementioned in mind, just as important as it pertains to Vikings17, his first 6-point parlay hit of this season also enabled him to take a slim one-point lead over the Biased Nihilist (Corozal divisional leader) in this year's battle for this year's regular-season championship (Vikings17 28 pts vs the Nihilist's 27 pts). But before getting into this year's all-important race for the regular-season championship, it needs to be pointed out that, like dbucc, Vikings17 is not overly known for connecting on 6-point parlay winners, as his 6-point parlay hit from this past weekend is only his 5th overall over the span of the first two-and-half years in which he has handicapped the Bookie Challenge competition. Also, unlike dbucc's saving grace, meaning his best-bet handicapping, the handicapping pattern that has become the Purple People Eater's saving grace is his logic-defying and extraordinary penchant for connecting on 5-point exact-score winners. As incredible as it sounds, Vikings17 has registered FIVE all-time 5-point exact-score hits, of which is the same amount of 6-point parlay hits he has accrued. Coincidentally, after dbucc produced a 5-point exact-score winner on this Thursday night's exact-score game (NE 27-14) to open up this weekend's handicapping action, he has now matched Vikings17's all-time record for manufacturing the most 5-point exact-score hits in the history of the competition, of which each handicapper has tallied five all-time 5-point exact-score winners apiece. To say the least, the knack by the Purple People Eater (Vikings17) for racking up 5-point exact-scores in just two-and-a-half seasons of handicapping the Bookie Challenge competition is truly remarkable and almost otherworldly.

Furthermore, what's truly amazing ever since Vikings17 has joined the Bookie Challenge competition two-and-a-half years ago, or Challenge year #13, is that he has already won an unprecedented two regular-season championships in his first-two Bookie Challenge competitions, and even more impressive is that he is presently the frontrunner to perhaps win an intoxicating THIRD-STRAIGHT regular-season championship! For the love of God, winning one regular-season championship is an extremely difficult feat to pull off in the competition, but to be on the verge of winning three-straight regular-season championships in the first three seasons of handicapping the Bookie Challenge competition is downright awe inspiring and mind-blowing. And yet, before we invoke Dennis Green and prematurely "crown Vikings17's ass", let it be known that the Biased Nihilist is off to one of his best career starts to a Bookie Challenge competition and is not going to lay down and just let Vikings17 waltz his way to this year's regular-season championship. Now granted, winning a regular-season championship comes with its perks and pageantries, of which the main ones are being awarded a $100 handicapping bonus from the competition's Latinum jackpot and also securing huge scoring advantages in the first round of the Bookie Challenges' postseason, but first things first--winning a divisional title and entering the Bookie challenge playoffs with the top scoring advantages throughout the first-two rounds of a postseason is extremely vital. In that regard, the Biased Nihilist is almost assured of winning this year's Corozal divisional championship as he presently enjoys the largest divisional lead by any divisional leader over his next nearest divisional competitor, of which is a whopping 19-point divisional lead over jcvike18, who incidentally is the son of the Biased Nihilist. The second largest divisional lead is being held by Vikings17 over in the Run-&-Shoot divisional race, of which his divisional leads are a substantial 13-point divisional lead over second-place Driveline, a noteworthy 17-point lead over third-pace Theopholis, and a nearly insurmountable 19-point lead over last-place TCU.

Over in the Hail Mary divisional race, Kr@tos had held significant leads before entering this past weekend's handicapping action, of which he had mainly enjoyed a comfortable divisional lead over second-place Jets69, a daunting 14-point lead over third-place dbucc, and a hefty 16-point edge over last-place Kennypie86. In what might have been overlooked in this year's competition, is that Kr@tos, who like his father Vikings17 had done in his first season, won last year's Rookie-of-the-Year award and is so far showing a flair this season for being just as tough a handicapper as his father has been. But can Kr@tos pull off a Bookie Challenge championship in only his second season of handicapping the Bookie Challenge competition as did his father? Of course, that remains to be seen, but what is obviously clear as day is that Kr@tos is right there, meaning he's one of the top contenders right now to possibly win this year's regular-season championship. With 25 overall points already accrued this season, Kr@tos barely and only trails his father Vikings17 by just three points and the Biased Nihilist by just two points in the race to win this year's regular-season championship. But unlike Vikings17 and the Biased Nihilist, Kr@tos divisional lead in the Hail Mary divisional race has dropped down to a precarious three-point lead (25 pts vs 22 pts), thanks in large part to dbucc's recent scoring outburst. Moreover, at the present time, only the divisional race over in the Red Zone division is closer than the race in the Hail Mary division. Strangely, this year's Red Zone divisional race, of which is the lowest seeded divisional race of this year's competition, is an unorthodox divisional race that no one within its rankes seems to want to win the division, despite the division being closely knit as it is now, especially after 4th-place DawgPound has bailed from this year's Bookie Challenge competition and has left Blitzrieg (17 pts), 7mick7 (15 pts), and rookie Matty_Ice (13 pts) to battle it out for the divisional title. By all means, however, the Red Zone division is going to be the league's most intriguing divisional race, and for that matter, it has already turned into a sickly handicapping spectacle.

Case in point, after the first-two weeks of this year's Red Zone divisional race, its two frontrunners--Blitzkrieg (17 pts) and 7mick7 (15 pts)--have not scored a SINGLE point! In fact, and in what has to be deemed as this year's most perplexing handicapping coincidence, neither Blitzkrieg nor 7mick7 have scored any points since they last had their best outings of their respective seasons, with Blitzkrieg laying three goose eggs over the last three weeks after banging out a PERFECTA in week #7 of this year's competition and with 7mick7 laying two consecutive goose eggs over the last two weeks after he registered a 7-pont outing just two weeks ago, in week #8. Not for nothing but the debilitating handicapping by Blitzkrieg and 7mick7 has enabled rookie Matty_Ice to chip away at his deficit to the two front runners, and presently Matty_Ice is just a 6-point parlay hit from snatching the divisional lead of the Red Zone divisional race. As it concerns Matty_Ice, he has been flying under the radar when it comes to battling Kernnypie86 for this year's Rookie-of-the-Year honor, as nobody in the league has been "Oohing and ahhing" over Matty_Ice's dismantling of his rookie counterpart Kennypie86 for this year's Rookie-of-the-Year award. Speaking of the two rookies, especially Matty_Ice, after this past weekend's handicapping action has heated up this year's divisional races, both rookie handicappers should be starting to feel the competitive uniqueness of a Bookie Challenge season.

• BOOKIE CHALLENGE ADMINISTRATORS--THE BIASED NIHILIST, 7MICK7, AND VIKINGS17--VOTE TO ADJUST REMAINING PRIZES FROM LATINUM JACKPOT AFTER DISGRACEFUL EXITS BY DAWGPOUND AND HALL-OF-FAME CITY KID: After both DawgPound and his step-brother the Hall-of-Fame City Kid ignominiously quit this year's competition before the first week of this year's divisional races without submitting their respective membership fees, the Challenge's administrators--the Biased Nihilist, 7mick7, and Vikings17--were forced to vote on the payout amounts for the remaining three prizes from this year's Latinum jackpot. Originally, this year's total jackpot was projected to be a total amount of $750, with four shares to be awarded as follows: $500 to the overall Bookie Challenge champion, $100 to the runner-up to this year's Bookie Challenge champion, $100 to this year's regular-season champion, and $50 to this year's overall number-one top seed from this year's divisional seeding. Accordingly, after the Biased Nihilist won the overall number-one seed after this year's divisional seeding took place, he was awarded the 4th-place prize of $50, which then left $700 to be awarded for the remaining three prizes from this year's Latinum jackpot. However, for the first time in the history of the competition, two participants quit the competition after having poor handicapping seasons before the start of this year's divisional races. A livid Biased Nihilist was so incensed by the unexpected departures that he proposed to 7mick7 and Vikings17 to change the grace periods of future deadlines to submit membership fees, of which it has been decided upon that next year's membership fees will be due before the start of the third week of the regular season. As to DawgPound and the City Kid's participation status for any future competitions, they will not only have to pay membership fees before the start of a new competition but will also have to submit the past due membership fees for this season. In any event, after losing $100 because of the unpaid fees from DawgPound and the City Kid, the remaining payouts for the remaining three prizes from this year's Latinum jackpot are as follows: $400 to this year's overall Bookie Challenge champion, $100 to this year's runner-up to the Bookie Challenge champion, and $100 to this year's regular-season champion.



• WEEKLY TICKER.................Don't look now, but rookie Kennypie86 is finally showing signs of getting the hang of the Bookie Challenge competition, meaning he has correctly posted his weekly selections without screwing up for two out of the last three weekends. However, it's a crying shame that he has had three parlay combinations and a few best-bet picks disqualified this season, otherwise there's no telling how many points he would have scored instead of just the nine points he has logged in this year's competition. Also remember that he missed posting selections in the first weekend of this year's competition............After failing to score any exact-score points for his entire rookie season of last year's competition and the first-five weeks of this year's competition, second-year veteran Kr@tos has all of the sudden started nailing one-point exact-score hits, and has done as much three times over the span of the last-four weeks. ...........After Theopholis laid a golden goose egg this past weekend and registered his first scoreless outing of this season, it now leaves the Biased Nihilist and Vikings17 as the only two handicappers left that have not recorded scoreless outings this season....................