Has the picks game passed many veteran pickers by?

That's the question posed by pickspanelxtra.com columnist John Adams this week.

"The game has changed," Adams wrote. "And many formerly successful pickers haven't adjusted. The Tennessee offense changes more than they do.

"They're still picking based on last year's rules, sticking with an old system that no longer works."

Picks panel administrator John Adams, who often has been at odds with sports columnist John Adams, agreed with him this time.

"He's right," Adams said of Adams. "The rules have changed. Pickers have to take advantage of the new pick-one-get-one-free rule (if you pick two teams that are more than a seven-point underdog and both teams lose, you only miss one game)."

Whiz-kid picker Ella Myers, who zoomed into first place this week, has taken full advantage of the new rules. She received six bonus points for correctly picking two seven-point-plus underdogs and got five more bonus points for having the best record (13-2) of the week.

And is she playing it safe? No way.

This week, she picked six teams that are more than seven-point underdogs.

"It's nice to see a picker living in the new millennium," the picks panel administrator said. "If the rest of our pickers don't pick it up, there will be massive changes."

Adams told Adams that he is concerned the panel might lose popularity if they don't adjust to the times. He cited an e-mail by a young fan, who was highly critical of a panel that "has become stagnant."

"I'm a lifelong follower of the Knoxville picks panel," wrote Bill Holbert. "I bleed picks panel black and white. But you can only take so much.

"Every week, I get on the Internet and read about more exciting picks panels, with all sorts of upset picks. But not here. Not now.

"The Knoxville panel supposedly has all these great pickers, but it doesn't show up in their picks. Either their talent was overrated in preseason or they need better coaching. Hello, Mr. Kaplan. Anyone home?"

The e-mailer was referring to picks panel upset coordinator Phil Kaplan, who has been a popular target of critics.

"I've emphasized the new rules to the pickers," Kaplan told pickspanelxtra.com sports columnist John Adams. "But an upset coordinator can only do so much. I can't make the picks for them.

"What do you want me to do? Sprinkle them with magic dust?"

Rules Change: The pick-one-get-one-free rule has been amended to include seven-point underdogs. Also, if a picker correctly picks a team that's a seven-point-or-more underdog, he gets three bonus points.

"We've got people paying $885 a month to read pickspanelxtra.com," the picks panel administrator said of the rules change. "They can go on the Internet and follow more exciting picks competition. They don't have to follow ours.

"Hopefully, the rule change will encourage pickers to be more daring. We're in a competitive business. And if these pickers can't figure that out, we'll find some pickers who can."

R.I.P.: Alternate picker Rick O'Shea was killed last week in a hunting accident when a bullet ricocheted off a rock and struck him in the heart. Picks panel administrator John Adams and the entire panel extend condolences to Rick's surviving family, third-cousin Ellis Hugh.

"Rick was making great strides in his first year as a picker," Adams said. "He had a great chance to be on the regular panel next year if he continued to progress. We mourn his loss."

Dead Week: Out of respect for deceased alternate picker Rick O'Shea, the alternate pickers requested that their records not be published this week.

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