Andy & Allison might be a great team on the radio, but they're apparently one picker too many on the picks panel.

Picks panel administrator John Adams said he was scrapping the two-picker system and "benching Allison this week."

"It's just not working as well as I had hoped when I recruited them for the panel," Adams said. "I expected them to contend for a championship, not be tied for seventh place.

"With that in mind, I think it's best to go with one picker. And I've decided that one picker will be Andy.

"Allison will still be part of the panel. Her name will be under Andy's picture."

Andy said he was relieved by the decision.

"It's so great to know that the picks panel administrator has confidence in me," Andy said. "I always wondered if he really believed in me."

Allison didn't have much to say at the picks panel press conference. She read a prepared statement but didn't stick around for interviews.

"Mr. Adams has made his decision and I have to live with it," Allison said. "But I don't agree with it."

Allison was more forthcoming later in an interview with pickspanelxtra.com sports columnist John Adams.

"It's not fair," she said. "Every upset pick we have made this season was my idea. The smartest thing Andy has done is nod.

"Remember last year when we were kicked off the panel? Andy couldn't get our picks in on time.

"When we were down to our last chance, I said, 'Andy, let me email the picks.' He said, 'I promise I won't be late again. Trust me.'"

Sports columnist John Adams later repeated Allison's comments to picks panel administrator John Adams.

"I can understand why she's disappointed," Adams told Adams. "She's a competitor.

"I love Allison like family, and that made the decision even harder. But I'm convinced this is the right way to go. Once Allison gets past her initial disappointment, I'm sure she'll try to be the best backup picker in the country and will be supportive of both Andy and the panel."

"Isn't it true that Allison has been the better picker of the two?" Adams asked Adams.

"She has, but there's more to it than that," Adams told Adams. "Andy scored much higher on the picks aptitude test when they went through the picks panel testing center."

"But he was late repeatedly last year," the sports columnist said.

"Keep in mind he was a first-year picker," the picks panel administrator said. "Those were rookie mistakes. We view him as a future picks panel champion. He has a huge upside.

"Do you want to see his aptitude test? I had it framed."

Several pickers expressed dismay over the decision to bench Allison and start Andy.

"Allison cares more about the panel than anyone," Elizabeth Davis said. "I remember one week last year when our panel had the best record in the country. Even though she and Andy didn't do well that week, she was so excited about the panel's overall record.

"Andy didn't say a word about the great record. He just kept whining about all the upset picks he missed and how unlucky he was."

Said rookie picker Isabelle Youmans: "I was so nervous at our preseason luncheon when I met all the pickers for the first time. I mean, these were the people I've been reading about for years. They're my heroes.

"Allison came over, petted me and said she had heard how well I did at the picks panel testing center. She made me feel like I belonged.

"Andy treated me like a dog."

Records Of Alternates: Zack Theekat 43-17 (46 points), B.J. Wright 42-18 (45 points), Brandy Fore 41-19 (41 points), Rick O'Shea 38-22 (38 points), Tim Harmon 33-27 (36 points), Chuck Williams 31-29 (34 points), Kathy Best 33-27 (33 points), John Pennington 33-27 (33 points).