Patriots aren't alone in the winner's circle
LOREN BENOIT/Press All season long, a dozen local celebrities picked winners for every NFL game for the 2016-17 Coeur d’Alene Press All-Star Pigskin Prognosticators competition. Pictured counter-clockwise from Duffy Smock (blue shirt) are Rob Smith, Eve Knudtsen, Steve Griffitts, Vic Holmes, Ryan Davis, Jeff Conroy, Blaine Bennett, Jeff Runge, Mark Koerner and Tim Kiefer. Not pictured: John Beutler of Century 21 Beutler and Associates.
LISA JAMES/PressAll season long, a dozen local celebrities picked winners for every NFL game for the 2016-17 Coeur d’Alene Press All-Star Pigskin Prognosticators competition. From left to right: Duffy Smock, Rob Smith, Tim Kiefer, Steve Griffitts, Eve Knudtsen, Mark Koerner, Vic Holmes, Jeff Runge, Jeff Conroy, Ryan Davis and Blaine Bennett. Not pictured: John Beutler of Century 21 Beutler and Associates.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won Super Bowl LI.
So did Mark Koerner and Coeur d’Alene Food Bank.
Ditto Steve Griffitts and Kootenai Health Foundation — and Safe Passage.
And so did Ryan Davis, Blaine Bennett, Rob Smith and St. Vincent de Paul, the Jeff Hinz Fund, and Holidays and Heroes, respectively.
That guy Brady threw the heck out of the pigskin, but the other gents scored free advertising for the local nonprofits of their choice in the 2016-17 Coeur d’Alene Press All-Star Pigskin Prognosticators competition. So who’s the real MVP here?
All season long, a dozen local celebrities picked every NFL game, trying to win free newspaper advertising for charity. Some fared better than others, but Koerner, of Koerner Furniture, fared best of all.
For his pigskin pickin’ prowess, Koerner won four free half-page ads in The Press for the Coeur d’Alene Food Bank. Steve Griffitts, mayor of Hayden and a VP with Mountain West Bank, finished second and captured a free half-page Press ad for both Kootenai Health Foundation and Safe Passage, formerly the North Idaho Violence Prevention Center. Ryan Davis of Boys & Girls Club, and Post Falls football coach Blaine Bennett tied for third. They won a half-page Press ad for St. Vincent de Paul and the Jeff Hinz Fund, respectively. And Rob Smith, Findlay Automotive GM, earned a quarter-page ad for Holidays and Heroes by finishing last. Yep, it’s a sympathy prize, but it still counts.
The winning ads must be used this year. A new Coeur d’Alene Press All-Star Pigskin Prognosticators team will be announced in August. And every Thursday during the 2017-18 season, some bald goofball representing The League will write columns and tabulate standings in the Coeur d’Alene Press sports section.
Here are the final 2016-17
season records and standings.
1. Mark Koerner, Koerner Furniture: 185-80-2 (Charity: Cd’A food bank)
2. Steve Griffitts, Mountain West Bank, Hayden Mayor: 183-82-2 (Kootenai Health Foundation/Safe Passage)
3. Ryan Davis, Boys & Girls Club: 182-83-2 (St. Vincent de Paul)
3. (tie) Blaine Bennett, Post Falls football coach: 182-83-2 (Jeff Hinz Fund)
5. Vic Holmes, Rathdrum Mayor: 175-90-2 (Idaho Youth Ranch)
6. Eve Knudtsen, Knudtsen Chevrolet: 173-92-2 (Special Needs Recreation)
7. Duffy Smock, Windermere Coeur d’Alene Realty: 171-94-2 (Children’s Village)
8. John Beutler, Century 21 Beutler & Associates: 166-99-2 (CASA)
9. Jeff Runge, Runge Furniture: 165-100-2 (Tesh, Inc.)
10. Tim Kiefer, Lakeland High football coach: 163-102-2 (Rathdrum Lions backpack fund)
11. Jeff Conroy, St. Vincent de Paul: 162-103-2 (Boys & Girls Club)
12. Rob Smith, Findlay Automotive: 159-106-2 (Holidays & Heroes)