Scene: Sunday afternoon, 4:30 PM. groug and howtheyscored are lounging around, groug in a tuxedo, howtheyscored in his Pokemon pajamas. They are not in a good mood because, come on, why do you think?

groug: Well that sucked.

howtheyscored: A lot.

groug: The Niners needed that one.

howtheyscored: Especially if the Vikings beat the Cardinals tonight, like you predicted. I said the Cards would win, but you're doing better in the prediction game, which means it's more likely that you'll be right. But are you sure that's what'll happen?

groug: Yes, I'm positive about that result. I'll go this far: if the Cardinals end up winning that one, I'll be forced to concede that I know nothing about football.

howtheyscored: Well, we can't all be GeoMak.

groug: What a world that would be...

(groug and howtheyscored sit in silence for a moment.)

howtheyscored: So, how many people do you think are going to blame this loss on Alex Smith?

groug: Alex Smith? But it's so clear it wasn't his fault. That won't happen.

howtheyscored: Oh, people will say it was his fault.

groug: But...not enough to notice, right? It'll be about the same number of people who are still bitter Bear Pascoe got released, right?

howtheyscored: It'll be a vocal minority, and they won't die quietly.

groug: No. No way. It'll be a couple of people who will be ridiculed and then ignored and then people will stop very quickly. Within the hour, even. I would bet anything on that. Anything.

howtheyscored: Even...this week's prediction game writeup?

groug: That's a steep price. What are you willing to put on the table?

howtheyscored: I...will stop making stupid jokes. FOR ONE WHOLE WEEK.

groug: Good God! Are you even capable of that?

howtheyscored: There's only one way to find out.

(groug nods)

groug: So we have a gentleman's wager.

(they shake hands)

FIVE MINUTES LATER, AFTER CHECKING NINERSNATION DOT COM, THE NUMBER ONE DESTINATION FOR ALL FORTY NINER NEEDS THAT DO NOT INVOLVE MINING FOR GOLD IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY...

groug: [Site decorum]!

howtheyscored: HAHAHAHAHAHA

groug: [Site decorum]!

howtheyscored: YOU SUCK

groug: [Site decorum]!

howtheyscored: LOSER

groug: I hate you.

Fin.

49ers @ Seattle

1. beecharmer (2)
2. mpotter14, Ninerfromacrossthepond (6)
3. lasvegasniner, groug, DuikeBuike (8)

Baltimore @ Green Bay

1. bonbrillo, danknerd49, Ten-Man, illini49er, sfgfan, D-9er, grantmp, urnext, jpgarfunkle, rlott#42, Ninerfromacrossthepond (6)
2. LASVEGASNINER, jtoj (8)
3. DuikeBuike (10)
4. Drew K, PHUT!, bayboy, snowweasel30, groug, cassusriff, nocal81, leaping_larry, wjackalope, etb2 (12)
5. ZeroIndulgence, Fooch (14)

Minnesota @ Arizona

1. DuikeBuike (6)
2. mpotter14 (8)
3. Fooch (12)
4. gbears16 (14)

Philadelphia @ Atlanta

1. rlott#42 (8)
2. ro128487, etb2 (12)
3. Joe O, SpurredOn, DuikeBuike (14)
4. groug (16)
5. PHUT!, bayboy, jtoj, sundaysfinest, Dub4lif3, snowweasel30, Iwantwinners, D-9er, nocal81, urnext, these3words, Ninerfromacrossthepond (20)

Tennessee @ Indianapolis

1. whobob (2)
2. leaping_larry (4)
3. LASVEGASNINER, groug, bignerd (6)
4. illini49er, foosball4949, Fooch, beecharmer (8)
5. Ten-Man, fortyniners, howtheyscored, nocal81, urnext (12)

Dallas @ NY Giants

1. Dub4lif3 (6)
2. YoungWillis, sundaysfinest, SpurredOn, Ninerfromacrossthepond, bignerd (8)
3. Drew K, ZeroIndulgence, howtheyscored, Fooch (14)
4. jtoj, J2daZ, 5-0, D-9er (20)
5. fortyniners, mpotter14, sfgfan, foosball4949 (22)

Which means our Week 13 leaderboard looks like...

I don't mean to slight DuikeBuike, who did just as well this week, but Ninerfromacrossthepond is starting to frighten me.  I'm pretty sure he's going to get four perfects next week and shrug it off because it's so easy for him.  He reminds me of the Giants two years ago, when they got hot at the right time and won the Super Bowl even though they hadn't been a great team all year.  It's like he can just turn it on whenever he wants.  That's annoying.

Who else had a good week?  Well, rlott#42, groug (yes, that groug), and LASVEGASNINER were all very good.  Fooch was surprisingly competent, which I thought wasn't allowed.  D-9er, mpotter14, and nocal81 all had very solid weeks.  And I think I'm going to enjoy this one: lolhowtheyscored.

By the way, when are you going to pay me for this? (This is a paid position, right?)

As always, check your scores and tell howie if something's wrong. In fact, complain to him. A lot. Even if your score is fine. I promise that I won't mind.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that it was the worst of times.  Call me Ishmael.  I am an invisible man.  I am a sick man. . . I am a spiteful man.  In a sense, I am Jacob Horner.  For a long time, I went to bed early.  You better not never tell nobody but God.  If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me.  I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.  You don't know about me, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.  Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anyone else, these pages must show.

All this happened, more or less.