Some lucky RC section will have Asis Martinez-Jerez as their FRC professor this year – after taking last year’s Section D by storm, he’s off to a great start with 101 points in the Harbus Sports NFL Pick ’em contest. I sat down with Asis to see if he would reveal details of his “Balanced Scorecard” approach.
Q: How many years have you been following American football?
A: Only about 3 or 4 years
Q: Who is your favorite NFL team?
A: New England Patriots
Q: Your big pick in Week 1 was the Houston Texans over the Dallas Cowboys (with confidence of 16 points – the maximum). Can you tell us about your thought process in making that pick?
A: The Texans are an expansion team that looks good. The Cowboys are a franchise still in decline; they have not really rebuilt the team. I figured out that this was a place to bet. With the confidence level, I just did not understand the system. I had put the same confidence to different games. When I had to adjust the numbers, 16 was open and the “Texas superbowl” was the only game without a confidence score.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share about your strategy for the contest?
A: Early on is when surprises happen. Now is the time to bet. By mid-season you will be able to predict a lot. The game will be less fun.
Q: Do you feel confident the faculty can outperform the EC and RC?
A: I hope that the other members of the faculty know more about football than I do! Otherwise I would bet on the other teams.
Thanks Asis, and good luck in the weeks to come!
