This week is extraordinary in the annals of Press Pigskin Prognostication.

First, an uppity dough-flipper openly insulted The League Commissioner — and got away with it.

Secondly, The League is seeing the Art of Smacktalk elevated to delightful new levels of competition.

Leave it to Jim Hightower to smear his fingerprints all over both developments.

Hightower, who owns the local Domino’s Pizza franchises with his wonderful wife, Missy, referred to The Commissioner as “bumbling, stumbling” — an apparent insult slathered on like tomato sauce in the aftermath of Ditka’s Bears setting the NFL back 50 years in London on Sunday. The Commissioner and The League could take no action against Hightower, because truth is an absolute defense — something the Bears eschewed against the Raiders’ running game.

Hightower also figures prominently in pushing smack beyond words and into the realm of action. As PPP fans might recall, Hightower earlier challenged his nemesis, Jared Staples (owner of Papa Murphy’s Pizza and Firehouse Subs), to a $100 side bet. The winner is whomever finishes the season with the better record, with that $100 wager going to the winner’s chosen local nonprofit.

Well, now Hightower has topped his bluster with even more ingredients.

“Jared,” he wrote, “since our bumbling, stumbling commissioner has now roped us both into extra $100 donations to our charities, how about we just bet 10 pies on who picks the most winners at the end of the season? If you pick more winners, I’ll personally deliver the pies (any kind of your choice) to your crew or anywhere you want, but if I pick more, I’ll pick up the food from your store.”

Hightower gave his rival inspiration for a possible advertising campaign when he added, “Can we have subs from Firehouse? We are around pizza so much we don’t eat much of it but we love your sandwiches.”

(Again, don’t blame Hightower for giving his adversary ammo. Firehouse sammiches are good!)

Not to be outdone, credit union queen Suzanna Spencer — who’s tied for first place with Mr. Staples — leaped into the challenge game with her friendly foe, Anne Hagman. Spencer heads up the STCU branch in Post Falls, while Hagman is one of the regional leaders of Idaho Central Credit Union.

Wrote Spencer:

“I wish I could top your pizza swapping but I do have a bet I can place with Anne Hagman of ICCU. Anne, if you can come up with ONE STUPID WEEK with a record better than me, I will hand wash your green machine and post a video about it, a shout out to your nonprofit of choice. If I win, treats for my Post Falls team with a cute sign that says WE LOVE YOU STCU! Deal?”

Deal, responded Hagman.

“Wow! You raise the bar pretty high for me, but you’re on,” Hagman wrote. “I will pull myself up by my bootstraps and get my (green machine washing) buckets out for you, Miss Suzanna.”

You won’t see the side bets listed, but for the current standings and this week’s prognostications, check out today’s Sports section.