BNR defeats SPS 4-2 (Prediction: 4-2 BNR)
Nothing terribly surprising here as BNR wins as expected
PFN defeats UO 5-1 (Prediction: 5-1 PFN)
Nearly a clean sweep as PFN gets another big win
FR defeats SP 6-0 (Prediction: 4-3 FR)
FR ties PFN for the best overall record with this blowout
8BC defeats SS 4-2 (Prediction: 4-2 SS)
8BC reclaims the #2 seed from SS
--------------------
Week 10: Correct (3), Incorrect (1), Exact (2)
Overall: 34/40, 85%
--------------------The All-Stars match comes before the playoffs and will take place this Sunday @ 5pm in Under Pressure. The division which wins this 6v6 carry match will claim the upper playoff brackets. You can see the teams for each side [here].
I don't have much of a prediction for the All-Stars match because both sides have some great players and really its up for grabs. But, if you'd twist my arm and force me into choosing, I'm going to give the East the very slightest of edges and say East 6-5.
Before I get into the playoff predictions, and on the other Admins' behalves, we want to thank all teams and players for another great 10-week season. Hopefully you've all enjoyed yourself thus far because at the end of the day, what good is this game if you're not having a bit of competitive fun? We're looking forward to the playoff matches ahead and hopefully we'll see you all back for Season 5 ;)
I've decided instead of doing a prediction for each match, I'll give my thoughts on each playoff team separately and then include some predicted scores on the bottom. Best of luck everyone.
8 Ball Crushers
(Record: 6-4, Position: West #2)
Sitting at 6-4 and tied with SS in the Win-Loss column, 8BC has had an interesting season to say the least. They won 4 out of 6 of their divisional matches and picked up another two against SPS and UO. Filled with confidence, 8BC has potential to be the playoff surprise.
8BC are certainly the dark horses of the West and are probably the most underrated team out of everybody in these playoffs. Towards the close of the regular season, they had some very big victories, pushing themselves into that #2 seed. Niks and his crew must have all of the confidence in the world going against SS because they went 4-0 against them just last week, so why not just do it again? And with FR waiting in the wings, 8BC probably isn't too scared of them either considering they beat them not too long ago and went 3-4 earlier. If all 8BC players show up in top form, I don't see why they can't give these veteran teams a run for their money.
The two key players to watch for would be JJ and Raj (indian). They both toppled over the rest and ended up with the best records on the team by far, each only picking up two losses along the way. These guys may be good, but who else is going to show up? It worries me that 8BC only had 5 players back in Week 9. Hopefully that was just a fluke because they'll need a full 6 just in case any of their matches actually do go the distance.
Break and Run
(Record: 7-3, Position: East #2)
Entering playoffs at 7-3, BNR had an expected season. I expected them to lose both matches to PFN, and they also lost to FR. At least they were able to pick up the rest of their match wins and no big surprises came about.
Compared to the other division, BNR has an relatively easy Round 1 match-up against SPS so really only PFN stands in their way for back-to-back finals appearances. However, that's exactly what SPS is hoping for, to be overlooked as the underdogs. If BNR doesn't play carefully and secures this Round 1 win before looking ahead, they could be caught shaking their heads at the end and asking themselves exactly what the hell happened. Being the defending champions, BNR certainly has a target on their backs like they've had all season. Repeating won't be an easy task, but it's not impossible by any means.
Ask anybody who has faced BNR this season and they're likely to pick Croz and Jordy as the team's best players. Croz finished with a nice 8-3 record and is a very reliable starter. And Jordy, the back-to-back All-Stars MVP, is respected every time he shows up because everyone knows how deadly he can be. But, lurking in the shadows is Ross, who quietly finished the season with on a +5 hot streak. He alone could be the deciding factor on BNR's fate.
Freedom
(Record: 9-1, Position: West #1)
At one point not too long ago Freedom seemed unstoppable. Winning games left and right, steam-rolling through the competition, getting that 8-0 streak. But then Week 9 came along, and they lose to their Semi Finals opponents in 8BC. Perfect opportunity for redemption here.
Back in 1995, the classic movie of Braveheart was released; remember that one? Of course you do. One of the greatest scenes of all time when Mel Gibson's character William Wallace gave his epic speech to pump up his troops for battle. While pacing back and forth, he cries out "They can take our lives, but they can never take our FREEDOM!" Well, Petey is the William Wallace of this team. He'll need to put on the blue face paint and pace around on his pony to fire up his players. But, even if some of the key players lose and things don't turn out so good, they'll be alright because you may be able to take their lives, but you can never take their Freedom. (HA, Get It?!?) :)
So who exactly are going to be those key players for FR? Based on the roster, FR's optimal lineup would be something like Trav, Ben, Mike, Sid, Adam, and DJ. Well, from what I've been hearing, Petey would be ecstatic to have three of those 6 guys show up. Beyond those 6 it gets pretty bleak quickly and surely Dan isn't anywhere near playoff caliber (he wanted me to mention his name in this post, yw). Freedom does have what it takes to win it all, they just need to stay hot.
Pool Fiction
(Record: 9-1, Position: East #1)
Along with their Western counterpart, PFN has had the best season out of all other teams in their division by a long shot. Heading in at 9-1 while sweeping everyone in the East, you have to like PFN's chances of making it all the way to the big show yet again.
These guys are one of those teams where if you just mention the their league initials, you instantly think one thing: greatness. And P-F-N hasn't come short of showing us that at all this season. Coming into it, I knew PFN were one of the top candidates of winning the Season title, especially with Andy in my ear yapping up how good they were going to be. Well, I pretty much had no choice but to believe it with himself, Stu, and Chris forming their Big 3. After having the trophy snatched out of their hands in last season's finals versus BNR, PFN must be starving for gold. They won it all back in Season 1 and here is yet another shot for them to reclaim the glory.
Speaking of Andy, surely he never got tired of seeing his name on top of the leader board practically all throughout the season. The perfect season, quite impressive. He's on the top of his game and surely is the real backbone this PFN team. But, the key to success for any team is the star player's supporting cast, and Andy has a good one in Chris, Stu, Nish, Brent, Brian, Carlos. If Kerry can get 6 of those 7 players to show up, forget about it.
Simply Pool Souls
(Record: 1-9, Position: East #3)
The road SPS has traveled up to this point hasn't been pretty, but they're here and that's what counts. Since it's the NFL football season, I find it only fitting to liken SPS's playoff picture to that of the 2010 Seattle Seahawks.
Much like SPS, the Seahawks made it into playoffs with an abysmal record (7-9). And for their Round 1 match-up, the Seahawks faced the defending champions New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks were projected with zero chance going against the Saints, and to everyone's surprise, the Seahawks overcame all of the odds and beat them in a big way. SPS is without question the underdogs heading into playoffs. Will SPS have enough oomph to explode against WSOP's defending champions in Break and Run? The uproar from an SPS victory would surely register on the seismograph as it would be the biggest upset to date.
SPS will rely heavily on their team's all-star players in Joe and John. If either of them lose, who is left to step up to the plate? In fact, I think SPS's playoffs hopes lay in the hands of Jason and Monte. It's the middle men who will secure a victory and the pressure is on those two guys to do just that. And also, I wouldn't be surprised if the ladies on the team got some lucky rolls and managed to turn some heads; don't count them out until it's over.
Straightshots
(Record: 5-5, Position: West #3)
SS has had a middle-of-the-road type season, and didn't really make much noise along the way. They took over for EPC after Week 1, got some wins, got some losses and finished in an even 5-5 split in the number three spot.
After a mediocre season, SS has a lot to prove heading into playoffs. They didn't manage to win versus the big three (FR, PFN, BNR) and they even lost to 8BC in the final week. This Week 10 match must really be playing on their minds especially after losing a quick 4 games. But, today is a new day and SS will come in ready to win. Even if they haven't necessarily been on top of their game, these guys will make sure not to make it any easier than it was last time. After winning Season 2, SS came back and won their division in Season 3 but then lost in the Semis to BNR. So the question remains, will SS be able to reclaim their Season 2 title this time around?
Name anyone who plays for SS and Jon or Pita will likely be the first that come to mind. Well, neither of them had a grand season, Jon at 5-2 and Pita even worse with 3-5. Look down at the bottom of the roster and you'll see dwaechte... who? This guy has been something special for SS, going 4-0 after being added in Week 6. Hopefully his streak carries over when the pressures of playoffs are on because the usual SS stars have hardly been shining.
Quarter Finals Break and Run vs Simply Pool Souls
Prediction: BNR 4-2, Result: BNR 4-0
Quarter Finals 8 Ball Crushers vs Straightshots
Prediction: 8BC 4-3, Result: 8BC 4-3
Semi Finals Pool Fiction vs Break and Run
Prediction: PFN 4-3, Result: PFN 4-1
Semi Finals Freedom vs 8 Ball Crushers
Prediction: FR 4-3, Result: ?
Finals ? vs ?
Prediction: ?, Result: ?
