The PICKS - 2004
Peter Tadros Campaigns for Commissioner

The Tadros Commissioner Platform

 To my picking brothers and sisters:

Thank you for investing your vote in me in what was actually the primary election.  I am honored and grateful to have received the most votes of all other candidates in the primaries.  That is the true vote of confidence in my leadership.

 I am proud to say that I was there on the warm August day in 1995 when five original pickers gathered together and drafted the first week of picking for the PYX league.  I cast my vote on that day to form this glorious league.  I have watched it grow throughout the years, and I have personally contributed input on policy changes that helped make this league what it is today.

 It’s hard to believe that the PYX is in its 10^th season already.  I look back and have many fond memories.  In 1997 I was able to capture the second Play-Off title.  Even through the dark ages of the first impeachment trial of Gary Bonn in 1998.  I stuck by this league and tried to uphold the spirits of the pickers.  In 1999, when the league doubled in size as it moved to 32 teams, I won the regular season championship.  I supported the creation of the PYX Bowl that year; that was a policy change that still stands today.

 In 2001 I returned to the top once again with the best overall picking record that year.  This was the year that Kevin Haranczak and Jeff Nichols both served as Co-Commissioners.  I did not vote for the co-commissioner policy and I still oppose this format.  In 2002, Kevin Haranczak became Commissioner all by himself after a controversial decision regarding Jeff Nichol’s commissionership. 

 And I ask all pickers, are you better off today than you were 2 years ago?  The league grew from pen and paper in 1995—to a brand new web presence in 1998—to an expansion of 32 teams in 1999—to a ‘closer to the NFL’ format in 2002.  Now I ask, what has the Haranczak administration accomplished since 2002?

 Furthermore, Haranczak has not addressed the issues of this campaign as I have done in my “Plan for Safer Picking”.

 Here is where my opponent stands on each issue of the PYX:

1. Security – Haranczak has no security policy for submitted picks.  This has long been an issue for this league.  What prevents someone from looking at another person’s picks?  And what has Haranczak ever done to address terrorist’s threats from El Deep throat or the PYX Terrorist?  Are we safer to pick today than we were 2 years ago??
2. Economy – What about the PYX Economy?  Has Haranczak ever even mentioned this issue in any of his speeches?  Sure Haranczak has given attention to the upper class pickers.  But what about the lower class…what about the pickers who constantly dwell at the bottom of the standings? Each year someone drops off.  According to the latest research, an average of 2.1 pickers drop out each year.  Shame on this administration.
3. Civil Rights – I believe that the Haranczak administration has discriminated against certain pickers.  Example:  Why did he accept Jay Zink’s picks and not Kevin Sandoval’s in week 1 of this season?
4. Education – What has Commissioner Haranczak ever done to encourage better picking?  How can we as a picking nation raise the picking percentages across the board?  Haranczak has no plan to educate the picking masses.  According to research, there are many pickers who do not know where to go to find the latest Vegas odds for NFL games.  We have found that there are pickers who do not even know what the “line” is!  Football education is at an all time low.  Shame on you Mr. Commissioner.
5. Science & Technology – What has Haranczak done to invest in the future of picking?  I was not even Commissioner and I stepped forward to establish our website hosted on the server over here in Germany.  Where would the league be if Haranczak was left to make the technology decisions by himself?
6. Children & Families – This past year we saw a few family additions to pickers in this league.  There was Genika Landry, Kian Sandoval and Matthew Nowak just to name a few.  Did Commissioner Haranczak ever mention their names on the website?  What about the children?!  Don’t we want a Commissioner with family values?
7. Taxes - Where does Mr. Haranczak stand on taxing the members of the PYX League?  This question of implementing a membership fee has hovered over us for years.  We are still waiting for an answer.  You cannot hide any longer Mr. Commissioner.  It is clear that you have no plan.
8. Women – I am not going to resort to mud-slinging, however, this issue has followed Haranczak throughout his career.  Many times he has been questioned about his attitude toward the opposite gender.  The PYX still can only claim 9% of the pickers are women, while over 50% of this country is female.  How dare you discriminate against women Mr. Commissioner!
9. Flip-flopping on the Issues – Haranczak has a long history of “flip-flopping” on the issues.  Example:  I drafted an amendment in July of 2002 at the Annual PYX Summit that contained play-off policy that resembled the NFL.  I proposed that we move to divisions and that 12 teams should qualify for the play-offs just like the NFL.  Haranczak voted against that amendment and kept the old policy of the top 16 teams going to the play-offs.  Suddenly two years later he changes his mind and tries to deceive the pickers into thinking that this was his idea.  His voting record speaks for itself!

Here is my “Plan for Safer Picking” Platform:

1. Security – Are we safer to pick today than we were 2 years ago? The terrorist’s are real.  Time and time again the validity of items submitted through the website are in question.  Have we ever had an election that contained no controversy?  The ballot was the most recent primary speaks volumes about items being tampered with through the lack of internet security.  How many times have pickers wondered if someone else was looking at their picks?  My proposal is to place a password protected login for each picker.  No one will be able to submit improper picks.  I will also block anyone from viewing other people’s picks.
2. Economy –The lower class of pickers is an issue.  The pickers who constantly dwell at the bottom of the standings.  Each year someone drops out of our great league.  Sometimes we never even hear from them again.  I propose to set forth a policy to be more inclusive to ALL pickers.  Making people feel more welcome.  And to give encouragement to the pickers who are in last place.  These pickers are just trying to survive in the cruel picking world.  They deserve the attention of the Commissioner’s Office.
3. Civil Rights – I believe that the Commissioner’s Office should never discriminate against pickers.  Rules and decisions should be consistent for everyone.  No one will receive preferential treatment under my leadership.
4. Education – How can we as a picking nation raise the picking percentages across the board?  Football education is at an all time low.  I propose to designate an area on our website dedicated to training pickers how to pick better.  This will improve the picking economy as well as educate the pickers more about football.
5. Science & Technology – Already I stepped forward to establish our website hosted on the server over here in Germany.  I plan to further our technology by moving towards passwords for each picker to ensure the integrity of the PYX.  I will also move towards implementing an encrypted server to block people from viewing other picks.  I believe that my opponent is against website research.  This conservative approach will only hurt pickers of the future.  Even if it takes extra funding for website research, I am willing to do what is necessary.
6. Children & Families – This past year we saw a few family additions to pickers in this league.  There was Genika Landry, Kian Sandoval and Matthew Nowak just to name a few.  Even Heather and I had a baby this year (little Sierra) yet Mr. Haranczak never mentioned it at all.  I was offended.  If I am elected sole Commissioner of this league, I promise to acknowledge any new additions (births) to the PYX family.
7. Taxes – The question of implementing a membership fee has hovered over us for years.  Unlike my opponent, I have a plan to put forth this question of fees to the pickers.  It will be voted on once and for all the democratic way.
8. Women – Let the record stand that I love women.  I not only love women but I love to love women.  I love my wife as often as I can; sometimes 3 or 4 times a week.  My opponent hasn’t loved a woman since 1994 in the Ravine Apartments.
9. Flip-flopping on the Issues – My record speaks for itself.  I advocated moving the league to its current format two years ago as I authored the “Tadros Proposal”.  This was voted into the PYX Constitution as the Fourth Amendment.  It was my idea to make the league resemble the NFL.  Under extreme pressure I never wavered.  I stayed with my beliefs.  Throughout my career, I have stayed the course with great resolve.

My name is Peter Tadros and I approve this message.