Welcome to the 2026 Bad Man Contest.

This competition tests your NFL handicapping skills across the entire season. Each week, you’ll pick the winners of five games using the listed spread. Every correct pick earns 1 point; every miss earns 0.

Picking games may seem simple however the real challenge is surviving the season and earning the Bad Man crown. Many have tried. Few have finished on top. Along the way, you’ll face past champions, proven Bad Men who won’t give up their throne easily. Beat them all, and you claim the title of Bad Man 2026 Champion.

2026 Bad Man Contest Rules

The Bad Man contest will begin Sunday, September 13th, 2026 and conclude on Sunday, January 10th, 2027. Entries are open for the 2026 Bad Man contest as of this posting 6/27/2026.

1. The entry fee for the entire season is $150.00 ($100 for the Bad Man contest & $50 for the 5-0 Side Jackpot), and it is non-refundable. To pay your entry fee send $150 via Zelle to freak@freaksforum.com (Include only your contest name in the comment field.) Alternatively, you can send a Money Order via regular mail. If you prefer the latter option, please contact me for further details. These are the only available options for entering the contest.

2. Bad Man involves selecting winning teams against the Bad Man contest line. Each contestant must choose five teams per week for each entry. Selecting both sides of the same game on a single entry is not allowed. However, contestants can choose one side of a game on one entry and the opposite side on a separate entry.

3. Each contestant is permitted to submit up to three entries. Each entry will be considered a separate entity for all purposes, including prize distribution. Freak reserves the right to approve aliases (Contest Entry Names).

4. Contest winners will be determined by the total number of points accumulated during the regular Pro Football season. Participants earn 1 point for each win and receive 0 points for each loss.

5. Contestants must submit weekly selections to the official Bad Man contest email by 11:00 PM Eastern each Friday. CC emails are not monitored for submissions; they only help with confirmation delivery. The email address that sends the weekly lines is the only official address. Failure to submit by the deadline results in zero points for the week, and Freak’s ruling on deadlines is final.

6. Each entry is allowed to submit only one card of weekly selections. If a contestant has two entries, they must submit a separate card of weekly selections for each entry. If more than one card of weekly selections is mistakenly accepted for an entry, the first card associated with the entry will be considered the official selections of record. Once you have submitted your picks, no changes are allowed.

7. There may be a rare occasion when selections need to be submitted by 11:00 PM Eastern on a Wednesday/Thursday evening. Contestants will be informed in advance if this becomes necessary. Thursday games, except for Thanksgiving games, will not be included in the contest.

8. The email you send with your selections will be considered the official entry of record.

9. If a game is canceled, postponed, or suspended, it must be played by Wednesday of that week to count towards the contest standings. Otherwise, the contestant will receive zero points for that game. If the start of the season is delayed, the contest will begin at the revised time. Additionally, if a game deviates from its original schedule in terms of time and location, it must be completed by Wednesday of the Contest Week to be eligible for grading as a "win" or "loss".

Selections in any game that does not have a win-loss result from the NFL by the end of the Contest Week will be considered as no action in the Contest, and no points will be awarded. However, if the NFL awards a win and a loss for a game before the Contest Week ends without the game being played (such as in the case of a forfeit), selections for the winning team as determined by the NFL will automatically cover the Contest point spread and score 1 point. Selections for the losing team as determined by the NFL will score zero (0) points.

10. Contestant selections will be available on the Bad Man Web Page no later than Saturday afternoon. Current standings will be posted on the Bad Man Web Page every Tuesday. Both current standings and selections will be publicly posted and can be accessed at https://freaksforum.com/badman.shtml.

11. The distribution of prizes will be as follows: 50% for First Place, 30% for Second Place, and 20% for Third Place. In the event of a tie for a position, the prizes will be split. For example, if two people tie for first place, they will split the first and second place prize money. If there is a tie among three or more contestants for first place, the three paying prizes will be split equally. If first place is won solely and there is a tie for second place, the second and third place prize money will be split among all second place finishers. Similarly, if first and second place are won solely and there is a tie for third place, all entrants tied for third place will split the third place prize.

12. For Bad Man to be considered valid, the Pro Football regular season must have a minimum duration of 10 weeks. If the regular season is shortened to less than 10 weeks, Bad Man will be canceled, and all entry fees will be refunded. Entry fees are non-refundable except in the case of contest cancellation. Entries cannot be transferred to another individual.

13. The deadline for signing up is 9 PM Eastern time on Friday, September 11, 2026.

14. Entry fees will not be refunded except in the event of Bad Man's cancellation.

15. After the announcement of the final winners, a verification period of five (5) business days will be granted. Any contest-related disputes, including those concerning results or prize allocation, must be formally submitted in writing to FREAK within this verification period. At the conclusion of this duration, the Bad Man results will be officially declared. In the case of a dispute, FREAK's decision shall be deemed final.

16. All contest funds are disbursed to winners. Participants are encouraged to show appreciation for the time and effort invested in the contest each week by providing tips. Your support is greatly appreciated in advance. Any unclaimed funds by February 9th, 2027, 30 days after the regular season's final game, will be forfeited. Prize winners will receive an email confirming the amount won and instructions for fund transfer.

17. FREAK reserves all rights, including the ability to modify the contest rules and format or cancel the contest at any time.

18. FREAK has the authority to disqualify any participant from the Bad Man Contest if there is a belief of possible fraud, dishonesty, violation of contest rules, or other misconduct, regardless of whether it is related to this contest. This includes instances of harassment via email.

5-0 Side Jackpot Rules

The contest fee for entry into Bad Man includes the 5-0 Side Jackpot.

The concept behind the Side Pool is straightforward. The total pot will be divided to provide a weekly prize over 18 weeks.

To claim the weekly prize, a participant must achieve a perfect 5-0 record. If multiple participants achieve a 5-0 record in the same week, the prize will be equally shared among them.

If no one manages to achieve a perfect record, the prize will carry over to the following week and continue to accumulate until it is won.

To be eligible for the 5-0 side jackpot, you must have five selections graded as either wins or losses. If a game is canceled, postponed, or moved to another week during the year, and you do not have the required five graded selections, you will not qualify for the weekly jackpot.

In the final week of the season, the remaining funds in the prize pool will be automatically distributed. The participant with the best record in week 18 will claim the prize. If no one achieves a 5-0 record, the participant with the best record (e.g., 4-1) will be awarded the payout.

The Side Pool serves as an extra incentive for participants who may have a slow start or fall behind in the overall contest standings, offering them a chance to win additional money.

All payouts from the Side Pool will be distributed at the end of the contest, together with the prizes from the main prize pool.

Every dollar contributed to the Side Pool will be paid out. As the organizer, I will only benefit if I happen to win or receive a tip from participants.

Please note that Freaksforum reserves all rights, including the right to modify the contest rules and format or cancel the contest at any time.