2010 Picks Preview

Thursday was an eventful day. Tom Brady got in a car accident. Tom Brady signed an extension. I’m sure some other events happened, I was mostly focuse

Thursday was an eventful day for Tom Brady. It also marked the beginning of the 2010 McManus Picks season. I would love to tell you that everyone starts out in first place and that anyone could win this year, but I would love more to laugh at that notion. Here’s a realistic look at everyone’s odds to take home the decade’s first title:

Pat: 6-to-5

Do you really want to bet against the two-time defending champ? And five-time champ? Doubtful. Especially because I control all the results.

Dad: 4-to-1

He was just a Wii bit worse than Pat last year.

Matt: 6-to-1

Many have Matt as a sleeper pick this year. The confines of fatherhood will probably mean he’ll do way too much research for each game.

Joe: 7-to-1

Tim: 7-to-1

Joe’s been knocking on the door in each of his first two seasons. The only other thing I have to say here is that I still laugh every time I think of Joe flinging the Corn Hole sack 20 feet in the air and saying, “Aw, it hit my pant leg!”

Tim’s disappointing 2009 campaign has forced oddsmakers to take him out of the top-three. Also of concern to the oddsmakers: Can he and Willie coexist?

Cait: 10-to-1

With the last two Tiaras in her possession, Cait’s got her eyes set on a bigger goal: breaking the gender barrier and cracking the overall top-five. If it happens, we’ll commend her and snicker at any man she beats.

Erin: 12-to-1

She made strides last year, but has yet to prove that she can threaten Cait for the Tiara. She’ll always have Bananagrams, though.

Mom: 13-to-1

In her first season as Nannie, Vegas is very wary of her increasing tendency to pick cities based on arbitrary associations. These odds could further plummet if she starts inserting extra, fluctuating notes when she sings to Brady (example: “Good Mo-or-ning, Good Mo-or-ning, get out of bed and stop your ya-aw-ning”).

Ciara: 250-to-1

I’m gonna lay down a $5 bet here and then work on creating a McManus Picks app for Ciara’s Droid. My theory: she’s always on that thing!

Marie: OFF

Far be it from anyone to project these odds. Far be it from anyone to root for the Cowboys, either. But far be it to say that Marie couldn’t just win this thing. If she can get away with calling Tim “Honey” on a regular basis, far be it from anyone to know what she’s capable of.

Good luck, everyone. Keep those picks coming.