Trevor Thompson did have a pulse before the final two contests. His NBA and NHL cards both finished 69th, but those were surrounded by a tied 204th in NFL Survivor, 177th in MLB, and a long stretch without a premium result.
England's 42 changed the temperature. Thompson's full World Cup card totaled 131, good for 20th and 232 placement points.
The majors kept the charge moving. A 488.9 Golf total, including 129.4 at The Open, produced 26th and another 226.
Two late hits, 76 places gained. Thompson's 1395.5 points now sit 80th, a finish that bears almost no resemblance to the season he carried into the close.