Today is all about time as Mark's patience vaults him to the top

At 12:30 p.m., it didn't look good for Mark, and by 1 p.m. it was even worse. A complete disaster was brewing. But he didn't panic because time was Mark's friend today in the Sunday Football Picks. All he needed was the wonderful advantage of time.

By 2 p.m., Mark's outlook had greatly improved, and by 3 p.m. his train was firmly on the tracks and surging full steam ahead. He stumbled a bit late in the afternoon, but recovered to declare victory in Week 8 when the final game ended at 6:35 p.m. And now at 6:55 p.m., you're reading about his successful journey in the fastest-posted Picks story ever.

A typical Picks Sunday is a roller coaster ride for members who follow the games hour by hour. Your hopes can skyrocket one minute and be dashed the next. Games can be decided by the widest of margins or by the wackiest last-minute plays. Just take today's game in Pittsburgh, for example, where the Giants scored a field goal, safety and touchdown in the fourth quarter to surprise the Steelers 21-14. All you can hope for is that the chips have fallen in your favor when the time on the scoreboard clock shows zeros.

Mark's teams were 2-6 early on, but his solid final record of 9-4 shows that the NFL games aren't over until they're over. The three-time Picks champion has jumped into a tie for the top spot in the 2008 standings with a 67-39 record, drawing even with Deej.

Here's the breakdown of how the seven Picks members faired throughout the day as the football games went back and forth:

12:30 — Ali 6-1, Blaine 6-1, DJ 5-2, Nicki 5-2, QT 5-2, Mark 4-3, Trevor 4-3
1:00 — Ali 5-3, Blaine 3-5, DJ 2-6, Mark 2-6, Nicki 2-6, QT 2-6, Trevor 2-6
1:30 — Ali 5-2, Mark 5-2, QT 5-2, Blaine 4-3, Trevor 4-3, Nicki 3-4, DJ 1-6
2:00 — Mark 5-3, QT 5-3, Ali 4-4, Blaine 4-4, Nicki 3-5, Trevor 3-5, DJ 1-7
2:30 — Mark 7-2, DJ 5-4, Nicki 5-4, QT 5-4, Trevor 5-4, Ali 4-5, Blaine 4-5
3:00 — Mark 8-1, DJ 6-3, Nicki 6-3, QT 6-3, Trevor 6-3, Ali 5-4, Blaine 5-4
3:30 — QT 9-4, Mark 8-5, Ali 7-6, DJ 7-6, Nicki 7-6, Trevor 7-6, Blaine 6-7
4:00 — QT 9-4, Mark 8-5, Ali 7-6, DJ 7-6, Nicki 7-6, Trevor 7-6, Blaine 6-7
4:30 — QT 9-4, Mark 8-5, Ali 7-6, DJ 7-6, Nicki 7-6, Trevor 7-6, Blaine 6-7
5:00 — Mark 9-4, QT 8-5, Ali 8-5, DJ 8-5, Nicki 8-5, Trevor 8-5, Blaine 5-8
5:30 — QT 9-3, Mark 8-4, DJ 7-5, Nicki 7-5, Trevor 7-5, Ali 6-6, Blaine 6-6
6:00 — QT 9-4, Mark 8-5, Ali 7-6, DJ 7-6, Nicki 7-6, Trevor 7-6, Blaine 6-7
6:30 — Mark 9-4, Ali 8-5, DJ 8-5, Nicki 8-5, QT 8-5, Trevor 8-5, Blaine 5-8
6:35 — Mark 9-4, Ali 8-5, DJ 8-5, Nicki 8-5, QT 8-5, Trevor 8-5, Blaine 5-8

Veteran Blaine wished the games had ended after 30 minutes. He was 6-1 at 12:30 p.m., but then tanked by 2:30 p.m. and remained in the cellar the rest of the way. His 5-8 performance was his worst of the season.

"It's bad enough that most of my teams collapsed like a house of cards, but then the Giants have to stage that fourth-quarter comeback to throw my Picks story into disarray at the last minute when I already had QT winning the week," Blaine said. "Those bastards are making my head hurt."

Regarding the speed of this week's Picks story, the outcome is debatable. Only 20 minutes from the end of the games to the posting of the website story doesn't allow for the creativity and wittiness that the articles are known for, critics say. The story can get too statistical and boring.

"Speed can be overrated, and can often lead to incomplete results," said former President Bill Clinton. "I recommend that you always take your time no matter what the activity. When people came knocking on my Oval Office door, I sent them away with a quick shout. They knew to come back later."

Said celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse: "You try to move too fast and you'll destroy what could have been a fantastic creation. Have patience. If you make me rush my pasta primavera or my banana cream pie with banana crust and caramel drizzles, I'll drown you in my famous creole sauce."