2024 TABLOID COVER DERBY: YEAR TEN

[Benjamin Grimm]

We've now completed one week's worth of first-round polls, and we have seven covers that will advance to subsequent rounds.

When all is done, the top six covers will receive a second-round bye. (This is assuming that we'll have 26 first-round polls. If the next couple of weeks yield enough covers for one or more additional polls, the number of covers that receive a bye will be reduced.)

Here's how our winners rank so far. All we know for sure at this point is that WHAT A MESS won't get a bye and will have to compete in the second round.

1. TALL AT SHORT
2. STEVIE NIXED
3. 16
4. PICCADILLY CIRCUS
5. STARTING STRONG
6. WAITING FOR A PITCH
7. WHAT A MESS

[whippoorwill]

May I ask why this and the other thing is going on at the same time? The postseason awards could have waited. It’s a long off season.
It’s too much

[Benjamin Grimm]

Two week's worth of first-round polls have now completed.

It's still looking like the top six covers will get a second-round bye, although that number may be reduced if the next week produces enough covers.

No covers have clinched a bye yet, but the covers listed in italics have been eliminated from contention for that bye, and will compete in the second round.

The rankings so far:

1. TALL AT SHORT (Newsday)
2. NO SLEEP TILL THE BRONX (Daily News)
3. PURPLE TRAIN (Daily News)
4. STEVIE NIXED (New York Post)
5. POP IN THEIR STEP (Newsday)
6. THROW BOMBERS FROM THE TRAIN (Daily News)

7. 16 (Daily News)
8. PICCADILLY CIRCUS (Daily News)
9. LUIS ARM STRONG (New York Post)
10. REBORN TO BE WILD (Newsday)
11. STARTING STRONG (Newsday)
12. WAITING FOR A PITCH (Newsday)
13. BLASTOFF! (Daily News)
14. WHAT A MESS (Daily News)

[bmfc1]

May I ask why this and the other thing is going on at the same time? The postseason awards could have waited. It’s a long off season.
It’s too much

This is a CPF tradition.

[whippoorwill]

I know that but the other thing isn’t.

It’s good, but we should spread things out over the long cold winter

🥶

Just a thought

[Benjamin Grimm]

Today's poll, number 1.26, is the final poll of the first round. We've now seen all 256 of our covers. (95 from Newsday, 87 from the Daily News, and 74 from the New York Post.)

We'll now pause for a week so all of the currently running polls can come to a close. The top six covers will receive a bye, and the remaining twenty winners will compete in ten head-to-head polls in the second round. When the second round is complete, we will have our Sweet Sixteen.

The third round will begin in January, after the Tabloid Cover Derby takes its holiday break.

[Centerfield]

So the JUAN SIGNS cover will be in the 2025 TCD? Got it.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yes, in 2025. And hopefully it will be more like JUAN SIGNS than SOTO NO GO.

[Frayed Knot]

The third round will begin in January, after the Tabloid Cover Derby takes its holiday break.

You're talking about the St. Olaf's Day holiday, right?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Naturally!

Meanwhile, I have a prediction for the headline if Soto signs with the Mets. Or the Yankees for that matter:

JUAN FOR THE MONEY!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Twenty of our 26 first-round polls have now completed.

No covers have clinched a bye yet, but the covers listed in italics have been eliminated from contention for that bye, and will compete in the second round.

The rankings so far:

1. ONE MORE GAME (Daily News)
2. TALL AT SHORT (Newsday)
3. NO SLEEP TILL THE BRONX (Daily News)
4. NO MERCY! (Daily News)
5. PURPLE TRAIN (Daily News)
6. STEVIE NIXED (New York Post)

7. POP IN THEIR STEP (Newsday)
8. THROW BOMBERS FROM THE TRAIN (Daily News)
9. HAIR FORCE WON! (New York Post)
10. KNOCK YOUR SOX OFF! (Daily News)
11. 16 (Daily News)
12. PICCADILLY CIRCUS (Daily News)
13. LUIS ARM STRONG (New York Post)
14. REBORN TO BE WILD (Newsday)
15. STARTING STRONG (Newsday)
16. WAITING FOR A PITCH (Newsday)
17. BLASTOFF! (Daily News)
18. WHAT A MESS (Daily News)
19. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES! (New York Post)
20. YA GOTTA BELONG! (Daily News)

[Benjamin Grimm]

The first round is now complete, and our field of 256 covers has been reduced to 26. The Daily News leads with 13 covers, followed by 9 for Newsday and 4 for the New York Post.

There are two covers that feature a City Connect uniform, one with a black jersey, nine where the Met player is wearing a road grey uniform, and nine in their home whites. None with Mr. Met, but one with Grimace. Four have headlines starting with the word NO, but three of those four covers report positive news for the Mets.

Six covers have received a second-round bye:

• ONE MORE GAME (Daily News)

• NO MORE MAGIC (Daily News)

• TALL AT SHORT (Newsday)

• NO SLEEP TILL THE BRONX (Daily News)

• NO MERCY! (Daily News)

• PURPLE TRAIN (Daily News)

The matchups for the second round will be:

December 4: REBORN TO BE WILD (Newsday) vs SUPERMANAEA (Newsday)
December 5: STARTING STRONG (Newsday) vs LUIS ARM STRONG (New York Post)
December 6: WAITING FOR A PITCH (Newsday) vs PICCADILLY CIRCUS (Daily News)
December 7: BLASTOFF! (Daily News) vs 16 (Daily News)
December 8: CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (Newsday) vs KNOCK YOUR SOX OFF (Daily News)
December 9: WHAT A MESS (Daily News) vs HAIR FORCE WON! (New York Post)
December 10: FLIP THE SCRIPT (Daily News) vs ALONSOMG! (Newsday)
December 11: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES! (New York Post) vs THROW BOMBERS FROM THE TRAIN (Daily News)
December 12: FALL CLASSIC (Newsday) vs POP IN THEIR STEP (Newsday)
December 13: YA GOTTA BELONG! (Daily News) vs STEVIE NIXED (New York Post)

Year	Daily News	New York Post	Newsday	Total Number of Covers
2015	135	124	110	369
2016	150	117	114	381
2017	83	58	67	208
2018	114	84	81	279
2019	114	111	93	318
2020	72	83	49	204
2021	104	70	92	266
2022	103	77	95	275
2023	77	64	81	222
2024	87	74	95	256
Totals	1,039	862	877	2,778

FIRST-ROUND WINS

Year	Daily News	New York Post	Newsday	Total
2015	13	12	7	32
2016	17	7	8	32
2017	6	4	6	16
2018	14	2	6	22
2019	15	2	8	25
2020	6	7	3	16
2021	12	1	11	24
2022	18	2	6	26
2023	10	2	10	22
2024	13	4	9	26
Totals	124	43	74	241

[Benjamin Grimm]

Meanwhile, I have a prediction for the headline if Soto signs with the Mets. Or the Yankees for that matter:

JUAN FOR THE MONEY!

I was wrong.

[bmfc1]

I placed this comment in the Suggestion Box at TCB HQ: “Is it my imagination or are your models dressing more conservatively this year? Were you the subject of a harassment suit or was this a directive from HR? Either way, it doesn’t diminish the quality of your work.”

[Benjamin Grimm]

We do have a new crop of models, and they're free to choose their own wardrobe. We had to bring in some new faces because our original models, Shelby and Marissa, had been holding out for a big raise. Fortunately, that's been settled, and you can see by their diminished roles that it wasn't in their favor. Don't mess with the home office!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Perhaps there's something about Luis Severino that suggests strength. The word STRONG appeared on three covers this year, and all three featured Severino.

In all previous years of the Tabloid Cover Derby, we've only had two other STRONG covers, both from Newsday:

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Newsday has no imagination

[Benjamin Grimm]

Today's poll, number 2.10, is the final poll of the second round. The seven polls that are still open will run their course over the next week, and then the Tabloid Cover Derby will take its holiday break.

The sixteen surviving covers will compete in the third round beginning on January 6.

[Benjamin Grimm]

All second-round polls have now closed, and our field is down to sixteen covers. The Daily News leads with nine, followed by Newsday with five and the New York Post with two.

The Tabloid Cover Derby is now in a holiday hiatus, with third-round voting beginning on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Meanwhile, those of you who had a perfect Schaefer voting record this year, remember that you've earned yourself a dance with Maja at the CPF Christmas party. You'll be limited to sixty seconds, and be aware that this limit is strictly enforced!


The matchups for the third round will be:

January 6: FALL CLASSIC (Newsday) vs THROW BOMBERS FROM THE TRAIN (Daily News)
January 7: YA GOTTA BELONG! (Daily News) vs ALONSOMG (Newsday)
January 8: HAIR FORCE WON! (New York Post) vs PURPLE TRAIN (Daily News)
January 9: CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (Newsday) vs NO MERCY! (Daily News)
January 10: BLASTOFF! (Daily News) vs NO SLEEP TILL THE BRONX (Daily News)
January 11: PICCADILLY CIRCUS (Daily News) vs TALL AT SHORT (Newsday)
January 12: LUIS ARM STRONG (New York Post) vs NO MORE MAGIC (Daily News)
January 13: SUPERMANAEA (Newsday) vs ONE MORE GAME (Daily News)



SWEET SIXTEEN

Year	Daily News	New York Post	Newsday
2015	5	8	3
2016	9	2	5
2017	6	4	6
2018	10	2	4
2019	10	1	5
2020	6	7	3
2021	6	1	9
2022	12	1	3
2023	6	1	9
2024	9	5	2
Totals	79	32	49

[Benjamin Grimm]

This message just came over the wire from Sweden:

Gott nytt år från gänget på CPFs högkvarter i Stockholm! Vi vill ta tillfället i akt att påminna er om att årets Tabloid Cover Derby börjar sin tredje omröstning måndagen den 6 januari.

Vi är övertygade om att var och en av er kommer att göra vad som krävs för att förbereda er.

Looks like it's something about next Monday.

[Edgy MD]

A good group.

I have no idea which way I’m going in many of these coming matchups.

[Centerfield]

This message just came over the wire from Sweden:

Gott nytt år från gänget på CPFs högkvarter i Stockholm! Vi vill ta tillfället i akt att påminna er om att årets Tabloid Cover Derby börjar sin tredje omröstning måndagen den 6 januari.

Vi är övertygade om att var och en av er kommer att göra vad som krävs för att förbereda er.

Looks like it's something about next Monday.

Best news of 2025 so far.

[Benjamin Grimm]

We have now seen all eight polls from the third round. When they have all run their course, a week from today, we will have established our Elite Eight.

The next poll to be posted will be on Tuesday, January 21, when the fourth round begins.

[bmfc1]

I see a few new models this year (are they called "models"?) and some we've seen before. Are the ones who have been with the company longer on a different pay scale? Do they have different job titles?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Shelby and Marissa, our two original models, were holding out for a raise, so we had to deepen our bench. They eventually caved, and now have to share the spotlight with our newcomers.

Stockholm plays hardball!