Join The Sandlot's Pigskin Pick'em League

Exclusively for readers of The Sandlot, I've created a private league in espn.com's "Pigskin Pick'em" game, which allows you to pick the winners of NFL games each week. National winners earn cool prizes; league winners earn bragging rights, which aren't worth anything in terms of cash value, but it does enable you to gloat on a weekly basis. I'll keep a regular post after each week's results where I'll heap praise upon the entry with the best picks.

To sign up, enter this link in your browser address bar:

http://games.espn.go.com/pigskin/frontpage

Once here, you'll need to sign up for an entry if you've never played ESPN fantasy sports before. If you have, simply log in with your user ID and password. The game will ask you to create a team entry. This is where you will name your team for The Sandlot league. Click on the "Create Entry" button to proceed.

At the next screen, name your team (be creative!), indicate whether you want weekly e-mail reminders to make your picks (useful for forgetful doofuses like me), and select "no point spread" for the scoring type. Our league is just straight-up winner/loser picks. When you're done, click "submit entry settings."

Your first week's picks grid will come up at this time. But you need to join the league first, so click on the link above the picks that says "Create or join a group." There is another link just below the grid that says "Group Directory" that you can also click on; it takes you to the same place.

At the top center of the Group Directory listings is a search window. Enter "The Sandlot" and click on the button that says "Search by Name." When the name comes up on your screen, click it to access the league. The next screen will show current listing of teams in the league. Click on the link that says "Join this group." After you click, the next screen will ask you for a password. Type in sandman26 and then click "Join this group."

You will now see your entry listed with the rest of the teams in the league. To access your picks, simply click on the name of your team. Remember that NFL Week One officially begins Thursday night, so you need to make your picks early this week. If you don't join until later, remember that our league drops your worst week, so you can still catch up with the overall standings.

Here's looking forward to a great NFL season and weeks of fun slamming each other for picks missed, praising those amazing sleeper picks, and ultimately giving praise and honor to the season winner (uhh, that'll be me! Really? Prove me wrong, then!).