NFL Pick 'Em: Week 4

I'm participating in an NFL Pick 'Em league this year, and it's the demise of me. Of course, I paid so I will continue to play through the season's end because I recently discussed my issues with quitting.

The largest contribution to my inability to win are my irrational reasons for picking all sorts of teams. I'm apparently sensitive though; it nearly kills me to pick against "my" team(s), when in reality my only team is the Kansas City Chiefs. Here I encounter problem numbero uno: As might be expected, I can't pick anyone in the AFC-West, the Chiefs' division. I'm looking at the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, and Oakland Raiders. Except, Peyton [Manning], I kind of like him, minus the fact he reigns in Denver.

Then, I move forward, I have Clemson Tigers playing for the Buffalo Bills (and ZERO affiliation with the Bills beyond this), (un)naturally, I feel inclined to pick them. Thankfully, C.J. Spiller and Sammy Watkins came through for me in Week 1 and 2. This "strategy" was unsuccessful in Week 3.

I semi-lived in Atlanta, Georgia during the Michael Vick days, so I feel inclined to pull for him (and, more recently, his New York Jets). And I question my own integrity in even rooting for Vick because he fought dogs(!!!). I went to an ACC school during the Matt Ryan era at Boston College... and also, again, semi-lived in Atlanta, which apparently qualifies me as a part time Falcons fan. For a far less criminal reason, I should also dislike Ryan because he crushed all my hopes and dreams one unseasonably cold November night during my junior year at Clemson University. But I don't because I guess I find him relate-able.

I could go on and on and on.

Pops' whole family resides in Michigan. It's also where both my parents were born and raised. So Detroit Lions, I'm pulling for you. But Boyfriend is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, and I also babysat for a diehard Packers' fan in college. Are all Packers' fans so nutty? This was a challenge in Week 3 when the two played each other; I ultimately opted for the Lions... for the win.

The Dallas Cowboys are disgusting. I'm unsure of all the reasons why, I just know Pops has said so all my life. On the disgusting front, there is also Ben Roethlisberger (i.e., the Pittsburgh Steelers).

I live in Washington Redskins territory. There hasn't been a second in my tenure here that I've claimed or followed the Redskins. I live on the Capital Beltway side though; I'm Redskins over Baltimore Ravens each and every day.

My former boss was a Cincinnati Bengals fan, so there's that. 

You see? Endless.

The aforementioned is one side of the issue, the other: I'm in a league with 36 people, vastly reducing my odds. In Week 3, four people, including myself, went 13-3. The verdict came down to some bizarre concoction of not one but two tiebreakers, and I somehow ended up in the bottom half of the four (i.e., not the winner). I'm entirely too competitive for this point in my life, which has resulted in Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3 temper tantrums; Week 3 being the utmost painful.

So while I'll endure the final challenges--14 in total, I'm counting the $20 down as a loss.