Showdown: Pickers fighting for panel lives

"One will be honored and one will be booted," picks panel administrator John Adams said.

"Would you translate that for English-speaking journalists?" picks panel beat reporter John Adams asked picks panel administrator John Adams at the press conference.

"I thought you might ask something like that," Adams told Adams. "The bowl picks will determine the best picker of the season. They also will determine at least one picker who won't be asked back.

"Whichever picker on the bottom row does the worst in the bowl picks will be off the panel next year. That will generate more reader interest in our last week."

Adams admitted that the pay Web site, pickspanelxtra, was a factor in his decision.

"People are paying $900 a month for that service," Adams told Adams. "So we've got to be innovative.

"There's still competition for the coveted Arf Adams Memorial Trophy (which goes to the top picker for the season). This new wrinkle also will create interest in pickers who are out of the running for the championship."

Picking Off The Pickers: The picks panel playoff format also will be implemented for the bowl picks.

The top eight pickers will be exempt from the playoff. The other 16 will be seeded and paired in two-picker picklets. The eight picklet losers will fall into a "picklet pool."

Picks panel administrator John Adams will then draw two names from the picklet pool. Those unlucky pickers won't return next year.

Picklet pairings: Jimmy Hyams vs. Udit Chaudhuri, Rick Russo vs. Charles Davis, Steve Phillips vs. Dave Hooker, Sherry Draper vs. Phil & Gina, Kara Lawson vs. Tony Basilio, Christian Lundy vs. Mike Strange, Doug Anderson vs. Benny Adams, and Tim Harmon vs. John Wilkerson.

Last Dance: A threatened lawsuit by a national children's rights organization might not get off the dance floor.

Kelli Washington, The Future's national director, accused the picks panel of youth discrimination after picks panel administrator John Adams assessed picker Tyler Summitt a one-point penalty for a misspelled word.

Washington was injured while doing "the squirrel" dance at the Electric Ballroom in Knoxville. A publicist for The Future said Washington suffered a serious head injury when she accidentally danced into someone's fist. She could be out of work for as long as two months, the publicist said.

Readers Write: "Placing a dunce cap on the last-place picker is a barbaric practice which is totally out of place in a civilized society. Picking games is only luck and has nothing to do with a person's intellect or competence. Scrap the cap."

Picks Panel Response: Udit, if you would pick better, you wouldn't have to wear the dunce cap.

Perfect: First-year picker Isaac McElroy went 15-0 during the final week of the regular season. Rick Russo was the only other picker to go 15-0 this season.

Wait Till Next year: More than one championship race will be impacted by the bowl picks. Any picker who misses more than six games will be assessed a one-point penalty for next season.

On a positive note: Pickers who correctly pick a team that is more than a 6 1/2-point underdog will receive three bonus points; pickers who correctly pick a team that is more than a 9 1/2-point underdog will receive four bonus points.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.