It's amazing how much fantasy football fortunes can change, not even overnight, but in the course of a couple of hours.
Case in point: yesterday, while driving home from Champaign, I checked my FF score. I was in serious trouble. My opponent had Aaron Rodgers and Correll Buckhalter going, both of whom had scored approximately a billion points apiece, and at the time, my guys Marion Barber and Ryan Grant had scored bupkis. I gave about twenty minutes of thought to who I'd put on the trading block in an effort to save next season and garner some draft picks.
Then, about an hour later, I decided to check my score again. WA-LAH, as my old buddy Eric used to say -- David Akers kicked a bunch of field goals, Marion Barber apparently picked the whole Cowboys offense up and put them on his shoulders, and my WRs had some damn solid games. So I'm four points down at the moment, with Eli Manning going for me tonight. If he can get two hundred yards' passing and/or a TD, I'm in great shape. Fingers crossed, as nobody ever knows what can happen in a game, but I'm hopeful. So in the course of an hour, I went from a goat to possibly getting high points for the week.
I still think I may float a few guys out there for some draft picks for next year -- if I can deal some of those RBs I've got hanging around (especially Brandon Jacobs' backup, or Miles Austen or something), I could get at least something for it.
Ryan Grant still sucks, though.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Pro and College Football, Week Whatever
I've never been one to bitch about one bad call ruining a game. Bad calls happen. A lot. And if you're a real football team, you need to be able to compensate for them. My philosophy on a blown call is that if that one call would have been the difference between your team winning and losing, then you didn't deserve to win in the first place.
And yes, yes, I know there's no such thing as 'deserving' a win. There's very few things in life that people 'deserve'. (Unless you're Al Davis, in which case you do indeed deserve something, which is to have your little goblin nuts torn off in a blender. Seriously, who treats their subordinates like that? I'm surprised Lane Kiffin didn't just dribble that little bastard like a basketball.)
But if you're in a close enough game that a bad call makes the difference, then you can't bitch about that call, because any one little thing could happen at any time that changes the complexion of the game. (See "Bartman, Steve".)
That's the main reason I'm not whining about the Illini loss to Minnesota this weekend. There were some seriously awful calls during the game, including at least one touchdown that should have counted -- you can't tell me that ball didn't cross the plane of the goal. Would that have changed the flow of the game? Probably.
But overall, the Illini just didn't play well enough to win, especially against an inferior Minnesota team against whom they had, what, a twelve-point spread? The play this weekend was typical of the streaky Illini of the last few years. They don't play consistently well or consistently badly. That, at least, would let a fan like myself establish a position -- I'd know what to expect from them and can adjust my fandom accordingly. But when it's this roller-coaster up and down and up and down, the sudden altitude changes just make me urpy.
Similar thoughts are rolling through my head about the Bears game yesterday, too -- although that was less decided on bad calls than it was by poor play. I give the offense a middling grade at best - their first half was poor but that was made up by a fantastic second half, and Orton gets all the credit in the world for that last drive. He and Rashied Davis really came together, and Davis showed for the first time that he's really got potential to match his mouth. But the secondary still needs work. We stuffed the run exceptionally well but when it counted, at the last play when you knew GODDAMNED WELL IT WAS GOING TO BE A LONG PASS, MIKE BROWN, they fell apart. No cornerback coverage, Mike Brown letting the receiver get to the sideline... Much like my comments about officiating earlier, one bad play shouldn't get all the blame for winning or losing a game, but in this situation, when it's critical, you gotta remember the right things and play the right way, otherwise you'll never ever be the best.
And yes, yes, I know there's no such thing as 'deserving' a win. There's very few things in life that people 'deserve'. (Unless you're Al Davis, in which case you do indeed deserve something, which is to have your little goblin nuts torn off in a blender. Seriously, who treats their subordinates like that? I'm surprised Lane Kiffin didn't just dribble that little bastard like a basketball.)
But if you're in a close enough game that a bad call makes the difference, then you can't bitch about that call, because any one little thing could happen at any time that changes the complexion of the game. (See "Bartman, Steve".)
That's the main reason I'm not whining about the Illini loss to Minnesota this weekend. There were some seriously awful calls during the game, including at least one touchdown that should have counted -- you can't tell me that ball didn't cross the plane of the goal. Would that have changed the flow of the game? Probably.
But overall, the Illini just didn't play well enough to win, especially against an inferior Minnesota team against whom they had, what, a twelve-point spread? The play this weekend was typical of the streaky Illini of the last few years. They don't play consistently well or consistently badly. That, at least, would let a fan like myself establish a position -- I'd know what to expect from them and can adjust my fandom accordingly. But when it's this roller-coaster up and down and up and down, the sudden altitude changes just make me urpy.
Similar thoughts are rolling through my head about the Bears game yesterday, too -- although that was less decided on bad calls than it was by poor play. I give the offense a middling grade at best - their first half was poor but that was made up by a fantastic second half, and Orton gets all the credit in the world for that last drive. He and Rashied Davis really came together, and Davis showed for the first time that he's really got potential to match his mouth. But the secondary still needs work. We stuffed the run exceptionally well but when it counted, at the last play when you knew GODDAMNED WELL IT WAS GOING TO BE A LONG PASS, MIKE BROWN, they fell apart. No cornerback coverage, Mike Brown letting the receiver get to the sideline... Much like my comments about officiating earlier, one bad play shouldn't get all the blame for winning or losing a game, but in this situation, when it's critical, you gotta remember the right things and play the right way, otherwise you'll never ever be the best.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
All right, it's t-minus less than a week till the draft, and the draft website just opened up. (A quick note on our hosting site, which is www.myfantasyleague.com. They had a singularly unimpressive -- but cheap -- site a few years ago. They've gotten more expensive but they've improved the site along with it. I've not used a site like CBS Sportsline or ESPN so I can't directly compare, but myfantasyleague does a good job.)
And DAMN. It's obvious already that the RB pool is going to be a shallow one. I've got third overall pick and I'm just hoping there's a viable RB left for the taking. It looks like it'll either be Clinton Portis or Ryan Grant -- both are good but not in the super-stud category I was hoping for. I'm leaning towards Grant, as he's a young guy and he could be a franchise back for GB going forward, while Portis is definitely on the downturn in his career. Then the question becomes... who will my RB2 be? After the third pick, I don't have another one till 22nd... and there'll be slim pickings there. I'm hoping for a Thomas Jones, and would love to grab Rashard Mendenhall if the opportunity presents itself in later rounds.
And DAMN. It's obvious already that the RB pool is going to be a shallow one. I've got third overall pick and I'm just hoping there's a viable RB left for the taking. It looks like it'll either be Clinton Portis or Ryan Grant -- both are good but not in the super-stud category I was hoping for. I'm leaning towards Grant, as he's a young guy and he could be a franchise back for GB going forward, while Portis is definitely on the downturn in his career. Then the question becomes... who will my RB2 be? After the third pick, I don't have another one till 22nd... and there'll be slim pickings there. I'm hoping for a Thomas Jones, and would love to grab Rashard Mendenhall if the opportunity presents itself in later rounds.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
It's that time of year again...
where a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of, if not love, then the next best thing... fantasy football.
And this season being what it is, it's a wacky one already. First, before I even start wanking about the typical "who do I keep this season?" question, a thought on Favre: jesus, buddy, Aaron Rogers is probably fantasizing about beating you with a board right now. Watch your ass.
Okay, returning to said wanking. So whointhehell do I keep from last season? Looking over my lineup, I gotta say I'm not terribly impressed. Marion Barber was a pleasant surprise, so yeah, keeping him. But for that second slot, I've got a bunch of question marks. Matt Hasselbeck? Maybe, but he's getting old and injury-prone... plus, his WR corps got depleted this last season. Lavernaeus Coles? Good, but old, and who knows who's gonna be throwing him the ball? Steve Smith is solid in and of himself, but first, he's out the first two games this season for his suspension, and second, the ever-popular question of which Jake Of-the-Man shows up this year?
GAH. At least I've got the third overall pick, so hopefully a good RB falls my way. Looks like it's gonna be Barber and Smith, and just hope I don't shit the bed too badly the first two games.
And this season being what it is, it's a wacky one already. First, before I even start wanking about the typical "who do I keep this season?" question, a thought on Favre: jesus, buddy, Aaron Rogers is probably fantasizing about beating you with a board right now. Watch your ass.
Okay, returning to said wanking. So whointhehell do I keep from last season? Looking over my lineup, I gotta say I'm not terribly impressed. Marion Barber was a pleasant surprise, so yeah, keeping him. But for that second slot, I've got a bunch of question marks. Matt Hasselbeck? Maybe, but he's getting old and injury-prone... plus, his WR corps got depleted this last season. Lavernaeus Coles? Good, but old, and who knows who's gonna be throwing him the ball? Steve Smith is solid in and of himself, but first, he's out the first two games this season for his suspension, and second, the ever-popular question of which Jake Of-the-Man shows up this year?
GAH. At least I've got the third overall pick, so hopefully a good RB falls my way. Looks like it's gonna be Barber and Smith, and just hope I don't shit the bed too badly the first two games.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Two years ago, I'd have never thought I'd ever use the phrase 'spoiled fucking little bitch' in reference to Brian Urlacher.
But there you have it.
Two years ago, he was dominant. Effective. Terrifying. He looked like he'd rip your leg off and take a bite out of it after he tackled you. Then he'd run up your credit cards while screwing your girlfriend, then he'd key your car and hit you upside the head with a signpost. He was rapidly making a name for himself as one of the premier defensive backs in the league, if not in league history.
And now, he's making a name for himself as a spoiled whiny pain in the ass.
For those living under a sports rock, Urlacher got his contract restructured recently. In essence, he got a huge signing bonus and an escalating per-year amount -- an additional million a year for the next five years (I believe), with a 'practice bonus' of half a million (five hundred grand just for showing up to practice, I'm in the wrong fucking line of work).
Maybe I'm being simplistic here, but didn't he sign a contract a few years ago? A really long-term one? One that was the biggest in Bears history, and was huge even by star linebacker standards? The man signed a CONTRACT. A legally binding document that says, "I promise to abide by what is written here, this thing that I've put my signature on." Which he then broke when the contract no longer suited him.
Those that will argue with me will say that a player should go for all the dollars he can, that a team can terminate a contract at any time and he has to go for the big money while he can. All of which is true. But my counter-arguments are:
- If you want to get a new contract, you have to re-negotiate. Holding out and whining in the press... that's loser territory and it makes the fans hate you.
- If you want to re-negotiate, you have to be... and stay with me here, Brian... you have to be WORTH WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR. If you want big money, you have to play like you're worth big money. And frankly, lately, you're not. You're injured, you have a bum back, and you're not playing like a Pro Bowler anymore. I'm sorry, it's not your fault, it's injuries, but it's still realistic. If the Bears can take the money they gave you and invest it somewhere else... say, a younger MLB and maybe, I dunno, a QUARTERBACK, we'd see a lot more in return. Sorry, but that's the way it is.
I pray to be proven wrong here and that Urlacher re-establishes himself as a stud linebacker and that he personally ends up picking Peyton Manning out of his teeth for the next five years. But I have a nagging suspicion that the Bears will end up rueing this decision for a long time to come.
But there you have it.
Two years ago, he was dominant. Effective. Terrifying. He looked like he'd rip your leg off and take a bite out of it after he tackled you. Then he'd run up your credit cards while screwing your girlfriend, then he'd key your car and hit you upside the head with a signpost. He was rapidly making a name for himself as one of the premier defensive backs in the league, if not in league history.
And now, he's making a name for himself as a spoiled whiny pain in the ass.
For those living under a sports rock, Urlacher got his contract restructured recently. In essence, he got a huge signing bonus and an escalating per-year amount -- an additional million a year for the next five years (I believe), with a 'practice bonus' of half a million (five hundred grand just for showing up to practice, I'm in the wrong fucking line of work).
Maybe I'm being simplistic here, but didn't he sign a contract a few years ago? A really long-term one? One that was the biggest in Bears history, and was huge even by star linebacker standards? The man signed a CONTRACT. A legally binding document that says, "I promise to abide by what is written here, this thing that I've put my signature on." Which he then broke when the contract no longer suited him.
Those that will argue with me will say that a player should go for all the dollars he can, that a team can terminate a contract at any time and he has to go for the big money while he can. All of which is true. But my counter-arguments are:
- If you want to get a new contract, you have to re-negotiate. Holding out and whining in the press... that's loser territory and it makes the fans hate you.
- If you want to re-negotiate, you have to be... and stay with me here, Brian... you have to be WORTH WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR. If you want big money, you have to play like you're worth big money. And frankly, lately, you're not. You're injured, you have a bum back, and you're not playing like a Pro Bowler anymore. I'm sorry, it's not your fault, it's injuries, but it's still realistic. If the Bears can take the money they gave you and invest it somewhere else... say, a younger MLB and maybe, I dunno, a QUARTERBACK, we'd see a lot more in return. Sorry, but that's the way it is.
I pray to be proven wrong here and that Urlacher re-establishes himself as a stud linebacker and that he personally ends up picking Peyton Manning out of his teeth for the next five years. But I have a nagging suspicion that the Bears will end up rueing this decision for a long time to come.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Startin' Out
Wow. The challenge of a blank page. (Computer screen. Whatever.) What to post? One would think that the first post on a new blog should be something attention-grabbing, something that establishes tone and mood going forward, something that gives direction and meaning.
One would think that. But one would be wrong. All you get is this blather. Sorry.
So what kind of stuff will I be talking about in this blog? Right now, I think anything is fair game. I'd really like to concentrate on the stuff I enjoy, though -- gaming (video games, role-playing games), football (both NFL and fantasy) and any other form of geekitude that captures my magpie attention.
So let's talk football. The Beloved, specifically -- otherwise known as the Chicago Bears (for anyone outside the Chicagoland area). I don't have any illusions about what their performance will look like this year, aside from making with the badness. (You read it here first, kids; the official Thunderburp Flush prediction for the Bears' 2008-09 season will be 7-9, unless something miraculous happens... either Adrian Peterson's [the real one, not Chicago's pale imitation] leg falling off, Neckbeard finally figuring out how to throw a spiral, or Brian Urlacher finally quitting his whining and actually, you know, playing the damn game.)
And on first blush, Kevin Jones seems like a pretty good pickup. I hope he's healed up well, though -- the ACL is a pretty tricky injury, and Forte's gonna be good as a second back this year, but Jones is going to need to carry the load while the New Guy is coming up to speed. I'm still damn disappointed we didn't go with Mendenhall for our pick, though. He would have made an awesome Bear.
God, I can't wait for fantasy football season to start. C'MON, TRAINING CAMP, LET'S GO!
One would think that. But one would be wrong. All you get is this blather. Sorry.
So what kind of stuff will I be talking about in this blog? Right now, I think anything is fair game. I'd really like to concentrate on the stuff I enjoy, though -- gaming (video games, role-playing games), football (both NFL and fantasy) and any other form of geekitude that captures my magpie attention.
So let's talk football. The Beloved, specifically -- otherwise known as the Chicago Bears (for anyone outside the Chicagoland area). I don't have any illusions about what their performance will look like this year, aside from making with the badness. (You read it here first, kids; the official Thunderburp Flush prediction for the Bears' 2008-09 season will be 7-9, unless something miraculous happens... either Adrian Peterson's [the real one, not Chicago's pale imitation] leg falling off, Neckbeard finally figuring out how to throw a spiral, or Brian Urlacher finally quitting his whining and actually, you know, playing the damn game.)
And on first blush, Kevin Jones seems like a pretty good pickup. I hope he's healed up well, though -- the ACL is a pretty tricky injury, and Forte's gonna be good as a second back this year, but Jones is going to need to carry the load while the New Guy is coming up to speed. I'm still damn disappointed we didn't go with Mendenhall for our pick, though. He would have made an awesome Bear.
God, I can't wait for fantasy football season to start. C'MON, TRAINING CAMP, LET'S GO!
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