One Spot Left

The East's Beast is officially BNR, PFN fell short last week in a match that could have gone either way Dina has all but wrapped up the best record in the East while ICA in the West has done the same. Everything is pretty much set for the playoffs if by some miracle MIB can beat BNR things could suddenly get interesting. Playoffs are finally within reach and the all-star team will be officially announced after Wednesdays FR vs DS match. Keep a lookout in the shout box for your id, see if you're good enough to make the all-star team. Also, keep in mind that the all-star game decides if your division gets home-field for the WSOP finale so please take this match seriously don't forget your team could end up in the finale. IF we were going into the playoffs this week this is how it would breakdown...

PFN vs SPS winner takes on BNR
FR vs LPL winner takes on ICA

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EASTERN DIVISION MATCHES

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SPS vs PFN, Monday @6pm, Room: Sweet Jane

Jason, here is your chance to shine. IF you can prove you're good enough to beat PFN Monday you might just be good enough to beat them again in the playoffs. This match could get pretty intense, there are a lot of past issues built up on both sides so don't get surprised if this match gets ugly. I recommend sticking around for the show :). Jason will surely take this match to heart, he will bring the strongest team possible and he could potentially squeak out a win.

Andy will either do one of two things in this match; A, bring his scrubs to get people eligible, or B, bring his strongest possible team and try to smash SPS back to the stone-age. I wont try to guess which option he will take but it might be quite intriguing for you to contemplate. Andy could potentially end SPS' playoffs before they even begin if he can beat them Monday. This all comes down to who wants this win more, Monday @6pm we will find out!
Outcome: 4-3 PFN


MIB vs BNR, Monday @7pm, Room: Back to School

Rich needs a big showing here, a miracle outcome. If Rich can pull off a win here he can put himself back into the playoff hunt. The only problem Rich has is that winning this match will not assure him a playoff spot. He gave up that luxury last week when he lost a very, very close match to SPS who now holds the coveted last spot. Rich will bring a team this week but will it be good enough to surpass the East leading BNR? I think not.

Dina, you pickup this win and you assure yourself the all-star captain spot and secure the top seed in the East. She has pretty much wrapped up both of those already but you never know... MIB could go 5-1 and PFN could potentially 6-0 SPS. That outcome is theoretically possible but highly unlikely. None-the-less keep this in your mind Dina, don't take anything for granted or things might be shaken up in the East this week.
Outcome: 4-2 BNR

WESTERN DIVISION MATCHES
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ICA vs LPL, Tuesday @7pm, Room: Intermediate Lounge 2

What a mess last week was for ICA. Craig was his usual self, prevents a questionable DQ and takes a yahoo glitch for the win. Cam runs table vs Sean just in time to prevent FR from noticing he wasn't eligible to play. I could go on but I have said enough to prove a point. IF ICA continues playing matches with a short list of players that are questionable their luck will run out soon enough. ICA has lost a few people and it will effect their playoff chances dramatically. IF you need proof refer to UIC playoffs...

Will LPL beat ICA again or will they no show like they did vs DS? So many questions, one thing i do know is that nothing is on the line for this match but positioning. The only thing that LPL can do is steal home-field from FR and get themselves an extra all-star. Will it happen? I think not... My money is on both teams not showing for this match.
Outcome: 3-1 ICA


FR vs DS, Wednesday @6pm, Room: Beetle Spot

FR shouldn't be worried at this point they have locked a playoff spot, all but secured home-field, have 2 all-star players, and are favored to win the West now that ICA are short players. Sure, ICA beat them last week but it was amazingly lucky. I don't suspect that to happen again. Not many can run the table on a team 3 times in a season and it surely wont be ICA. Look out FR don't get soft, you need to win this match to officially lock home-field. You might not need it though if LPL doesn't show for the big playoff match.

DS, your season was over long ago but you show with a full team week in and out. I admire your heart and I hope that we see you again next season. IF I had a vote in the Sports of the Year I would vote for DS. They are courteous, friendly, etc., etc. Sadly none of that gets you into the playoffs :(. I hope the best for you DS, next season could be your breakout year!
Outcome: 4-2 FR

Beast of the East

Playoffs are right around the corner, that means the all-star game is even closer. I will list the possible players that will be competing in the all-star game. One thing I really like about the all-star game is that the teams are actually playing for something that matters. The winning division gets home-field advantage in the finale and that is something you don't see in any other inters. I wasn't here for much of last weeks matches but going into this week we have some very intriguing situations. The BEAST of the East will be decided on Monday. BNR has lost a step or two recently and has allowed PFN to come right on their coattail, can BNR hold first going into the final week? Will PFN's big names over-power BNR? There are many more questions and all will be answered Monday.

ALL-STAR PROBABLES:
bnr_Po0l_ShArK
bnr_fv_arctic
pfn_HAIRY_ANACONDA
pfn_remixified
mib_IowaGoddess
sps_MrTingley

ica_xlx_nish_xlx
ica__bighead
fr_l3reak_it_out
fr_ya_maybe_bro
lpl_noobish.styles
ds_xlx_bdf_xlx

Note: Top 2 teams are allowed 2 all-star spots. All-stars is 6v6 carry, winning side gets home-field 2 out of 3 games in WSOP Championship matches.

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EASTERN DIVISIONAL MATCHES
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BNR vs PFN, Monday @7pm, Room: Welcome to the Jungle

BNR recovered nicely last week vs SPS after their first losing streak of the season. This week is huge for BNR, they currently hold first but only by a very slim margin. Dina knows how important this match is, if BNR can win out they will lock in a first round bye automatically placing themselves in the Eastern Division Championship match. She has a strong team and surely will come into this match with confidence, heck, BNR did 5-1 PFN week 4. Hopefully she has her big guns for this week, I am sure Andy isn't going to allow another 5-1 loss.

Andy, you have slowly but surely carried PFN back into the hunt for first place. PFN seems to always start out slow and finish strong, look to see it happen in WSOP. I am positive that this match-up will be a repeat in the Eastern Division Championship. These teams are so strong, neither SPS nor MIB have a shot. PFN will prevail this week but it's going to be a tossup in the playoffs, I cant wait for the post-season!
Outcome: 4-2 PFN


MIB vs SPS, Wednesday @6pm, Room: Back to School

Rich, your team has been slipping as-of-late. No need to fear though, SPS has been slipping plenty as well. MIB currently holds the last playoff spot by a slim 2 games. It is almost certain that the winner of this match will steal the last playoff spot. Both SPS and MIB play PFN and BNR. The odds SPS or MIB win next week are slim so this will surely lockup the Eastern Division. Rich, you better bring a strong team because Jason has his heart set on that playoff spot and he is determined to take it from you.

Jason, you have done well to dig SPS out of the gutter and carry them into a very close race. You have made it quite interesting for MIB and I think you will steal their spot right from under them. Jason has a solid team and only has to worry about getting 3 games for each of his players to have them eligible for the playoffs. He shouldn't have trouble this week if he can show with a full team, I think he can one-up MIB again.
Outcome: 4-2 SPS

WESTERN DIVISIONAL MATCHES
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ICA vs FR, Tuesday @7pm, Room: Intermediate Lounge 2

ICA is coming into this match with the best record in WSOP. ICA has been solid week in and week out. Craig might annoy just about everyone but that could possibly be the reason ICA has been so successful. I am sure Craig thinks that, regardless of what people think of ICA they have a solid roster with excellent depth and wont have to worry about showing with a full team in the playoffs. Shan/Trey/Nish or whoever else might captain will do a sufficient job here and blow through FR with no trouble, yet again. Even though nothing is riding on this match for ICA they will prevail.

FR seem to be on the up-and-up. Corey has handed his duties off to Ebs who runs this team pretty smoothly. I wouldn't be surprised if FR came out with some stars and squeaked a win here. They have the potential and ICA could just be playing this smart and getting players eligible for the playoffs. Since home-field for the WSOP Championship is determined by the All-star game it really doesn't matter if ICA no-shows the rest of the season. FR need this match though, they want to finish off strong and go into the playoffs with home-field first round. IF they can win this they almost lock home-field round 1.
Outcome: 4-3 ICA


LPL vs DS, Thursday @7pm, Room: Under Pressure

LPL is coming off a rough week. They were thumped 4-0 before giving the last 2 games. If they continue to show with less than 6 players, especially in the playoffs, they have no hope. LPL looks to be dying off since Ant left, he did more than most and clearly it shows now that he is gone. With the players LPL have, they can win this week. DS isn't a very strong team, they have heart but that isn't always enough.

Chele, your team never gives up. I love that about DS even though you are out of the playoffs you fight to the death! DS can never be looked passed, they picked up 2 wins last week vs ICA and could easily do the same this week. I think it comes down to game 7, LPL not showing with a full team will have this game go to the wire. Chele, I think you could finish off the season with a BANG!
Outcome: 4-3 DS

Race for Playoffs

Hello everybody, it's Ben again. Mr KIA has the week off as he's still recovering from a troublesome past couple days with his family. I've been dealing with some family issues myself this past week, so apologies for the very late post. Anyways, enough of the sob stories, let's get to it...

Week 10 features some potentially playoff-altering match-ups. With only 3 weeks left in the season, now is the time to hold nothing back. Might as well go for it all, what do you got to lose? .. Well, you could lose out on a playoff spot if you let any opportunity slip from your grasp. The top 3 teams from each Division make it into playoffs, so realize where your team stands to ensure a spot. All matches this week are Divisional, so we could be seeing this week playing a big role in finalizing playoff positions.

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Divisional Match-ups
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SPS vs BNR, Monday @6pm, Room: Sweet Jane

The first match of the week offers big upset potential. These two teams will be fighting so hard, but for different reasons. BNR still holds the #1 seed in the division. Dina and her players have suffered quite a bit these past couple weeks, getting a game DQ two weeks in a row, which one of these DQs (last week) cost them the match. I know they must be sick of it by now. The whole team is fired up for a revenge-type week, and will be looking to take out the frustration on SPS. But be careful, one loss and this could turn in a disastrous snowball effect.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is SPS. Currently sitting 4th place in the division, Jason and his team are very eager and hungry to get out of the bottom and into the playoffs. I said before two weeks ago was SPS's best opportunity to do that, but it's not nearly over for them just yet. Last week's Bye and a MIB loss definitely jumped them back into contention. With only two games keeping them from the #3 seed, a win here would surely help. Unfortunately, I don't see them getting that playoff-ensuring win this week. But, even if you lose this week SPS, keep your heads up and remained focused because the match vs MIB you've been waiting for is right around the corner.

Previous (Week 5): 5-1 BNR

Outcome: 4-2 BNR


PFN vs MIB, Tuesday @6pm, Room: Bad Times

This is the other match in the Eastern Division. Just like Monday's match, the two teams here will be fighting for different reasons. For the past several weeks now, PFN has been taking second place to BNR. Although I don't see it happening, this could be the week where PFN snatches the #1 seed. After losing the BNR in Week 5, PFN has rallied back, winning every match for the past 4 weeks. They are rolling through the competition, and MIB is just the next team on PFN's hit list. Andy and his team will be looking to pick up every win here to close the two-game gap.

MIB has been riding a roller coaster this entire season. From losing some close matches to winning probably the biggest upset of the season, this team is still a question mark in my mind. I'm not sure they have the consistency to make it deep into the playoffs. However, that won't keep them from fighting until the end. They are right on that bubble, sitting 3rd place with SPS breathing down their necks. A big factor in this match is how Monday's BNR vs SPS match plays out. Depending on what happens Monday, MIB will be looking to either match or surpass SPS's result. The important thing here for MIB is to keep it close. Don't let PFN's momentum completely overpower the match.

Previous (Week 5): 5-1 PFN

Outcome: 5-1 PFN


FR vs LPL, Wednesday @7pm, Room: Beetle Spot

The result of this match here won't really change too much for now. FR has had a less than amazing season. They've kept it close in pretty much all matches and stayed in the middle of the pack the whole way through. They have a solid team, but now is the time to build up some momentum. If FR can pull out a win here and versus ICA next week, they will have proven themselves and go into playoffs with high spirits. Currently 3rd place in the Division, FR aren't in much danger of losing their spot. However, it will be dangerous to their team confidence if they don't put up a big effort over these final weeks. It's time to shine.

LPL is typically a power house in all interleagues, but they've been relatively quiet this season. You definately should not take them easily though; their players can strike at any time. Trotting along through the season handling business along the way, LPL is going to be that low-seeded playoff team that could (and probably will) make a huge comeback. If LPL wants a chance at catching the #1 seeded ICA team, now is not the time to sit back and let it all play out. Keep going strong until the end, and realize there's still time to grab that top spot in the division. What worries me with this team though is that LPL isn't as deep as the others, so hopefully Tino has the confidence in his players to show up when it matters the most.

Previous (Week 2): LPL 4-2

Outcome: LPL 4-3

DS vs ICA, Thursday @7pm, Room: A Face In The Crowd

The last match of the week is the most one-sided: top seed versus bottom seed. Unfortunately for DS, there is very little hope in making playoffs this season. Currently last place in the division and 3 wins back from qualifying, DS will need FR to spiral out of control to take their playoff spot. I know DS is not going to quit though. They will make a strong effort over these last few weeks to end up with something positive from the season. It's not that DS has a poor team, just the balls have not been rolling in their favor the entire way through.

Now holding the best record, ICA has made a statement that they are clearly the team to beat when it comes to playoff time. They have one of the best lineups in all of interleague. However, anything can happen. The team needs to keep their cool and focus on the task at hand. Hold onto that #1 seed and don't let some simple wins slip away. With so many strong players on the team, hopefully they don't shoot themselves in the foot and go into playoffs with too much confidence. Until then, ICA will continue here what they've been doing the whole season: win.

Previous (Week 5): ICA 4-2

Outcome: ICA 5-1

Clash of the Titans

Well, I am back thank you Ben for doing a great week of predictions even if you got them all wrong, ha ha ha, jk. What a time to come back to the prediction table. This week has THEE epic match of the season. We have two heavy weights clashing for top dog bragging rights. ICA and BNR both were on a roll going undefeated until last week. When both teams losing last week it setup a very interesting scenario. If BNR does not beat ICA they could be in position to lose top seed going into the playoffs. This is a critical match for Dina, I hope she shows with her best because I am sure ICA will. One other match was close last week. PFN took many risks playing their subs against FR and luckily still walked away with the win in a match that could have easily gone either way.

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Cross-Divisional Match-ups
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BNR vs ICA, Monday @7pm, Room: Welcome to the Jungle

Dina has a great team and a fluke loss like last week versus a strong LPL team should have her questioning her strategy going into this key match. This match could end up repeating itself in the playoffs. I am sure Dina will have a few jokers up her sleeve for this match. I would even go as far as expecting Stu to show up. She has a superb team and I think it is time for their luck to turn. After recent losses in WSOP and most importantly MLP playoffs I feel BNR has veered off the winning path, Dina will try her best to use home-field to guide BNR back into their winning ways.

ICA has been riding a string of wins that was unprecedented. They have gone blow for blow with everyone they faced and prevailed till last week. Their loss to MIB was either a fluke or it showed a glaring weakness in ICA. They have faced much harder competition and handily won so what went wrong last week? I am positive ICA will go into this key match with some tweaks in their plans to turn their first losing streak around. I truly hope Nish, Trey, Shan, or whoever is captaining this week plays to their advantage. ICA needs to come at BNR, start off strong and with any hope they might just pull off an upset here. This match will be very close and like I have said above, this quite possibly could end up replaying itself in WSOP's finale. This match has much more significance for BNR than ICA because BNR is barely holding onto their first place position while ICA has a commanding 2 game lead in the West.
Outcome: 4-3 BNR


MIB vs FR, Wednesday @6pm, Room: Back to School

Rich is coming off a KEY win vs ICA. They were spiraling out of control going into week 7 but MIB straightened up reeling off 2 wins that have pushed them into fine position going into the home stretch. I thought SPS would catch Rich especially after the win Jason had against MIB but Rich wouldn't have it. He is setting the bar high for his team, I foresee the playoffs for this team. After a outstanding win vs ICA don't expect Rich to under-estimate FR, Corey has a strong and deep team. He will bring 2 to 3 strong players to this match and definitely can not be looked past.

Corey, your team needs to get its self together. You have lost 3 weeks in a row, if you let this continue DS will sneak right up and pass you by. It is important to get multiple players eligible for the playoffs but if you keep playing your weaker players it wont even make a difference. I am surprised you have under-achieved. FR contains half the MLP champions roster and hasn't tore up the competition in WSOP. Maybe Corey isn't calling the right people, maybe it could be luck just hasn't shined on FR, or maybe FR is just lacking the will to win. With any luck, FR pulls this match out and can finally hold their heads up high after a long string of losing weeks.
Outcome: 4-2 FR


PFN vs DS, Thursday @6pm, Room: Bad Times

PFN has done well this season, coming into week 9 2nd in the East. Andy wants the win this week badly. If BNR loses this week and PFN wins they could finally hold at least a part of 1st place. I highly doubt DS will be a significant challenge to PFN but looks can be deceiving. I suspect Andy brings a few subs this week to increase their eligibility list but still plays some pro's. Players like Trav, Andy, and Jamie all are a force to reckon with. Those guys can easily topple DS.

Chele picked up her first win in awhile last week. This turns around a disastrous season for DS. If Chele can win again this week O-M-G people, the western division could suddenly heat up. G_Reaper has been on fire this season, he is one of the key members Chele will have to play this week if she wants a win. Ashton graced WSOP with his first appearance last week and he is also another very important player for DS. Chele has a good team but the question is can she show with her all-stars. Up until last week she hasn't, things could be looking up for DS though if they can win again this week FR is in a heap of trouble.
Outcome: 4-2 PFN

SPS and LPL both have byes this week, don't forget to message Ben or Shan with your credits. Good luck all of you.

Stuck In The Cross Fire

Hello to all you Mr. KIA followers. Mr. KIA wont be posting predictions this week. He has been going through some rough times over the last couple of days, so hope for nothing but the best for him. Anyways, this is Ben and I know I have some big shoes to fill. Lets see how this goes...

We've made it through over half-way of the season. Needless to say, there have been bumps along the way. With teams dropping out and other teams not being able to show up, it seems like 10 teams is an unlucky number for us. This past week we saw T8B and DPP both leaving WSOP, but for different reasons. Jordy, T8B ex-captain, decided he didn't want to take up that position any more, leaving his team with an empty captain slot. Along with that, T8B has been having issues in their lobby with scrollers, making it difficult for players to get eligible without much frustration. As for DPP, it was a joint-admin decision to remove them from this season. As you've probably noticed, they've struggled throughout the weeks to bring a full team to the table. It was hard for us to see them have these issues while their opponents put up an effort to get 6 eligible and have only 3 or 4 end up playing. The majority of their team is from different timezones, so it seems like the match times just didn't quite work out for them. Sorry to see both teams go, and thank you for your time. In reality, it hardly effects anything at all, just one less team in each division.

Week 8 is nothing but cross-divisional match ups. Things could get interesting here as some evenly-matched teams come head-to-head. Maybe a few surprises are in store for the more confident teams, or maybe those who should win will win. With that being said, on to the predictions...

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Cross-Divisional Match-ups
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FR vs PFN, Monday @6pm, Room: Beetle Spot

Things just aren't getting any easier for this FR team. After a brutal loss to ICA 2 weeks ago, it was even more brutal last week vs BNR. It was a well-played match for both sides, coming down to 3-3 draw. Once both captains had called their tie-breaker players, the FR player had gone idle. BNR opted to call for a timer, and unfortunately for FR it expired, giving the game 7 win to BNR. Naturally, the players on the FR side were upset and disappointed that such a thing would happen. They need to pick their heads up and bounce back.

This week FR plays the team notably known for taking cheap wins, PFN. A team can only take so much abuse. Maybe I'm just hanging around the wrong people, but it seems like PFN has the worst reputation out there when it comes to DQ's, timers, or anything else of that nature. Corey, Petey, and the rest will need to double and triple check everyone is eligible and stays off idle. In my eyes, this is a very good match up. As long as Corey brings his strongest line up, he and his team will have a fighting chance to overtake a well-rested PFN team after their easy win last week. Now, I'm not saying PFN should look at this match with a grain of salt (or however that saying goes). FR will be looking for a big win, possibly moving them up into 2nd place within the Western Division. However, on paper PFN looks to have the better team. So if things go the way they should, the better team wins here.

Outcome: 4-2 PFN


LPL vs BNR, Monday @7pm, Room: Under Pressure

The second match for Monday puts up two of the biggest names in interleagues: LPL and BNR. These two recently met up in MLP playoffs, a match in which BNR got crushed, losing a quick 0-4. Surely BNR will be looking for sweet revenge here. Currently sitting 1st place in the Eastern Division and holding the best record for both divisions, BNR has made it clear they are the team to beat this season. Looking at the BNR roster, only a few big names jump out right away. But the thing that makes this team so deadly is how deep they are with consistent players. As long as bad luck and misfortunes are avoided, I believe any BNR player can pull off a win when called on.

Tino and the rest of the LPL crew are probably sicc of hearing this, but the loss of Ant could bring this team down to a sub-standard level. Now I'm not saying this is a terrible team without Ant, because they're still good (case point MLP playoff match). But, this isn't MLP. LPL doesn't have the same players here as they do over there. Tino will need to make sure he gets the right players eligible for WSOP playoffs in order for his team to be strong contenders. LPL also have a finals match today in MLP at the same time. Their focus will most likely be all on that match instead of this one. BNR will strike when LPL least expects it and gets their revenge.
Outcome: 5-1 BNR


ICA vs MIB, Tuesday @6pm, Room: Intermediate Lounge 2

Heavy hitters meet up with not-so-heavy hitters in this Tuesday match. ICA has been on cruise control so far this season, handling business like it should be. Currently one game back from having the overall best record, ICA will be coming out with guns blazing looking to pick up some what should be easy wins to boost up their record even more. Surely they will be rooting for LPL in Monday's match of the week versus BNR. With enough players to field a football team, it's time for ICA to settle in and figure out what they're playoff lineup will look like. Half of the ICA starting lineup is on the Top 10 Leaderboard, proving these guys are as dangerous as anyone else. They have a comfortable lead over the 2nd place LPL, so there should be no worries in locking the top spot in the Western Division.

Unfortunately, MIB will be heading into a one-sided battle here. I just don't see them having the players to compete with the big boys. And ICA, well they're the big boys. MIB are currently hanging onto a thread, sitting 3rd place in the Eastern Division. On the plus side, MIB did win a tight 4-3 match over DS last week. This might be the boost they needed to give them the determination to finish off the last half of the season strong and keep the team in the playoff hunt. In order to have a realistic chance here though, Rich or Kris or whoever shows to captain will need to pray to the gods that either their best players show up or lots of glitches go in MIB's favor. Good luck.

Outcome: 5-1 ICA

DS vs SPS, Wednesday @7pm, Room: A Face In The Crowd

The last match of the week proves to be the best match up. Chele and her DS team are dieing for some better luck. DS has now lost 3 tie breakers. If only these games had gone in their favor, DS would be 4-3, right in the mix with the rest of the Western Division. DS has a decent line up, but coming down the stretch relying on decent will only get the team so far. The whole team will need to step up to the plate in these final weeks. If players can start making shot when they count the most, maybe DS will surprisingly jump back into playoff contention.

SPS is quietly making a big comeback within their division. They joined mid-season and since then are 3-1. I know Jason is going to be pushing hard to get his team into that 3rd place spot. And with MIB going against ICA, this week will be his best opportunity to do just that. It's hard to get a read on SPS at the moment though. Nobody on the roster really jumps out at me, but that's probably because SPS have only played 4 weeks so far, one of them being a free win. Both teams will be looking to get out of the bottom of their divisions, but SPS should be more determined to win this one.

Outcome: 4-3 SPS

Postponed

PREDICTIONS WILL BE POSTPONED THIS WEEK....

I am sorry I just have no desire to do them, my father just passed away and I am doing enough trying to cope with that let alone worry about who is going to beat who.