Tough first week leads to future hope for ‘Pigskin Pundits’

Well, OK, that was unproductive. Not good. Or even acceptable. But, as we know, picking winners and losers in the National Football League’s first week of games is, to be kind, a crap shoot. And for the “Pigskin Pundits” and guest, it was mostly crap.

The good news, as New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick would say, “We are on to Week 2.”

Thank goodness.

Meanwhile, there has been an change to the “Pigskin Pundits” lineup as Zack Miller, who was able pick games in Week 1 for 2022 and who has been involved in the activity for years, will not continue as a member of the pundits. The group is joined by Jim Leonard, reporter for The Republican Journal and longtime sports participant and fan.

Leonard joins a group that includes astute “fans” from MaineStay Media/VillageSoup — also known as the “Pigskin Pundits” — namely, Reade Brower (company owner), Ken Waltz (sports director) and Mark Haskell (associate sports director).

Those four, along with a different weekly guest, will pick the outcome of games.

In Week 1, it was not pretty for the “professionals.” Haskell, Waltz and Miller finished 8-7-1 (.533 winning percentage), Brower 7-8-1 (.467) and guest 6-9-1 (.400). The Week 1 guest was Sam Adolphsen of Hope.

The Week 2 guest is Rachel Coor of Damariscotta.

Leonard has agreed to accept Miller’s Week 1 record of 8-7-1 and see where it takes him the rest of the way.

The games got under way on Sept. 8 and, after 18 weeks (17 games) of the regular season, which includes a bye week for all teams, and a few weeks of playoff battles, it will be time for Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Az.

As the dog days of summer quickly transition into the brisk days of fall, the start of the NFL regular season is upon us as 32 teams gear up for a run at the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy.

And, on a Midcoast level, sportswriters and sports aficionados prepare to prove their mental mettle for bragging rights.

For the 24th year, the MaineStay Media/VillageSoup sports staff ushers in its “Pigskin Pundits” weekly NFL game selections, where readers/fans test their football wits against the “pros.”

For decades, the weekly picks were featured in Courier Publications’ newspapers The Courier-Gazette, Camden Herald and The Republican Journal. Now, those picks are made exclusively on the organization’s websites — knox.villagesoup.com and waldo.villagesoup.com.

The prognosticators and weekly guest go head-to-head when they pick the winners — no scores or point spreads involved — of that week’s slate of games.

After 18 weeks, the guest with the best weekly record will return to pick against Waltz, Haskell, Miller and Brower for the playoffs and Super Bowl. The guest with the best weekly record also will receive a year’s subscription to one of MaineStay Media/VillageSoup newspapers or one of the organization’s websites.

Those interested in being a weekly guest picker should email Haskell at mhaskell@villagesoup.com.

The games for Week 2 include:

Sept. 15

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City

Sept. 18

New York Jets at Cleveland

Washington at Detroit

Tampa Bay at New Orleans

Carolina at New York Giants

New England at Pittsburgh

Indianapolis at Jacksonville

Miami at Baltimore

Atlanta at Los Angeles Rams

Seattle at San Francisco

Cincinnati at Dallas

Houston at Denver

Arizona at Las Vegas

Chicago at Green Bay

Sept. 19

Tennessee at Buffalo

Minnesota at Philadelphia

The Week 2 picks for the “Pigskin Pundits” and weekly guest include:

Brower — Kansas City, Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa Bay, New York Giants, New England, Jacksonville, Baltimore, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Green Bay, Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Waltz — Kansas City, Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa Bay, New York Giants, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Green Bay, Buffalo and Minnesota.

Haskell — Kansas City, Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Miami, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Green Bay, Buffalo and Minnesota.

Leonard — Kansas City, Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa Bay, New York Giants, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Green Bay, Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Coor — Kansas City, Cleveland, Washington, Tampa Bay, New York Giants, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Arizona, Green Bay, Buffalo and Minnesota.

History lesson

Last year’s top guest picker was Ryan Verrill of Warren, who finished 12-2 in Week 14, and earned the right to pick against Waltz, Haskell, Brower and Miller in the postseason.

In the playoffs, Haskell and Miller finished 9-4, Waltz 8-5, Brower 7-6 and Verrill 6-7, as Haskell, Waltz and Miller correctly picked the Los Angeles Rams to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

Overall in 2021-22, Brower finished 188-96-1 (.662); Haskell, 184-100-1 (.648); Waltz, 180-104-1 (.634); Zack Miller, 176-108-1 (620); and guests, 176-108-1 (620).

MaineStay Media/VillageSoup sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com.