A lack of discipline off the panel is at the root of numerous mistakes made on the panel, according to John Adams' column on pickspanelxtra.com.

The column was pegged to another off-the-panel incident last week. Picker Mark Burgess was charged with misdemeanor assault for shoving Brandy Fore, an alternate picker and a photographer for pickspanelxtra. com.

"I warned her to get that camera away from me," Burgess said. "But she kept pointing it at my left leg."

The photographer's target was the bruise on Burgess' left shin. Six weeks ago, picker Dave Hooker kicked Burgess with a hobnailed boot.

"Mr. Burgess is a public figure," pickspanelxtra web master John Adams said. "What he does is news. So is what he wears.

"We were merely following up on a story. We wanted to show the extent of Burgess' injury. Unfortunately, his ugly side has nothing to do with the scar."

Picks panel administrator John Adams said Burgess would not be kicked off the panel.

"Mark was injured a month ago when a fellow picker made a mistake," Adams said. "He was scarred emotionally as well as physically. The photographer should have been more understanding."

Pickspanelxtra.com sports columnist John Adams had a different view of the incident.

"It's indicative of a picks panel that's out of control," Adams wrote. "The pickers are assaulting the general populace and each other, and the picks panel administrator doesn't do a thing about it.

"The administrator keeps talking about the lack of execution on the panel. If pickers aren't held accountable off the panel, why would he expect them to be error-free on the panel?"

Oops: Picks panel administrator John Adams said he felt bad for Andy & Allison, who went 0-15 last week.

"They've had their best year picking, and you hate to see it ruined by one little mistake," he said. "But I expect them to bounce back. Last week's record is not indicative of the kind of pickers they are."

Pickspanelxtra.com sports columnist John Adams wasn't as sympathetic.

"One little mistake?" he wrote in his column. "They didn't send in their picks. That's equivalent to not showing up for a game. But they're still on the panel. What kind of message does that send to the rest of the pickers?"

Oops Again: Picks panel administrator John Adams said Dave Hooker would not be disciplined for failing to pick the Colorado-Missouri game last week, then forgetting to turn in his picks this week.

"Nobody feels worse about it than Dave," Adams said. "I'm not going to make it any harder on him.

"Everybody on this panel agonizes over every pick. Everybody on this panel dies a little bit with every mistake. Even if they're out of the running for the championship, they all pick for pride."

Said Hooker: "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I had no shot at winning the championship, so what's the big deal?"

Record Pace: Dunce diva Tina Wesson could set picks panel history this season. No other picker has been last from start to finish.

Asked if she were embarrassed about the possibility of such a dubious distinction, Wesson laughed.

"It's just a silly picks panel," she said. "Who cares?"

What Standings?: Second-year picker Sherry Draper has been next to dunce diva Tina Wesson in the standings so long that other pickers now refer to them as them as "Dunce and Duncer."

Draper, who showed such promise as a rookie picker, was asked how emotionally difficult her second year on the panel has been.

"Am I really doing that badly?" Draper said. "I never look at the standings."

Records Of Alternates: Kathy Best 95-54 (112 points), Zacktheekat 94-55 (106 points), John Pennington 87-62 (101 points), Chuck Williams 81-68 (99 points), Tim Harmon 88-61 (97 points), B. J. Wright 90-59 (93 points), Brandy Fore 90-59 (90 points).

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