I should know better by now. Really. I mean, with the track record of this blog, why would I ever assume anything is a given? Take Week 8- I was up against Team Williams and his mere 4 starting players. Sure, those players were LT, Isaac Bruce, Larry Fitzgerald, and the Raven's D, but that's only 4 guys; how can I not beat 4 guys? Well, I almost found out.
Chaz's 4-man team put up 49 points, which, while fairly impressive for only 4 players, should be easily beatable with a full team. Or so you'd think. At days end Sunday, with 2 players going on Monday night, I was down 42-49. I needed Reggie Wayne and Chris Johnson to combine for at least 8 points in order to win the week. Easy, right? No so much. Reggie Wayne didn't get me jack, and until Chris Johnson's TD at the end of the game, he was barely at 6 or 7 fantasy points. But in the end, I managed to eke out a 58-49 win, and, with my boy E taking out Down The Drain, I'm tied for first at 6-2 (first based on total points scored, where I lead Down The Drain 639 to 638).
Riding a 4 game winning streak, I now face off against Team Louie, the only girl in our league. And despite what you may think about chicks playing fantasy football, Rebec's got a decent team. And luckly for me, a number of her better players are on a bye this week.
QB: David Garrard vs. Matt Schaub
RB: Marion Barber vs. Kevin Jones
RB: Earnest Graham vs. Dominic Rhodes
RB/WR: Chris Johnson vs. Hank Baskett
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Chad Johnson
WR: Laveranues Coles vs. Santana Moss
TE: Zach Miller vs. Heath Miller
D/ST: Patriots vs. Cowboys
K: Matt Prater vs. Jeff Reed
QB: Now that Mike Singletary's running the show in San Francisco, it means that J.T. O'Sullivan's going to be seeing a lot of the bench (and the 49er's are on the bye this week). Thankfully, David Garrard is finally starting to play like David Garrard. And going up against my hapless Bengals this week, I expet a big game out of him. On the flip side, Matt Schaub has been on fire recently. Sure, he padded his stats by playing the aforementioned hapless Bengals last week, but big numbers are big numbers. With Andre Johnson showing that he's one of the top 5 recievers in the league (possibly higher than that), I also expect Schaub to score big this week. My hope is that Garrard can sneak in a rushing TD or two and give himself an edge that way (though you never underestimate Matt "The White Michael Vick" Schaub near the goalline; man, I wish I still had that button).
RB: I don't expect too much out of Barber this week going against the Giants, but with Brad Johnson's total fail at QB right now, the Cowboys don't have many options. Barber should at least get a TD somewhere in there. Same goes for Chris Johnson. LenDale White still gets the goalline carries, but Johnson gets the yards and will also get a TD at some point during the game. I am hoping for a big game from Earnest Graham simply because he's playing Kansas City, and opportunities like that don't come along often. Rebec's got Kevin Jones and Dominic Rhodes in because Frank Gore and DeAngelo Williams are both on byes. While I expect Rhodes to be okay (even if Joseph Addai is back in there), I expect nothing from Kevin Jones. So I feel pretty good in the RB department.
WR/TE: Reggie Wayne's been sucking it up recently, so he might get benched on Sunday in favor of Dwayne Bowe. He's listes as "questionable" right now anyway, but I suspect he'll find a way to play against the Patriots. Coles is listed a "probable", but I'm sure he'll play. If Favre can find a way to throw the ball to guys in Jets jerseys as opposed to the other team's, Coles should have an okay day. Santana Moss should have an okay day, too, but I don't expect Chad Johnson/Ocho Cinco to do anything because Ryan Fitzpatrick has been as much of a fail as Brad Johnson's been.
The battle of the Miller TE's should be a push, though I'd give Heath the edge because he's playing with a better QB on a better team.
DEF/K: The Pats are playing at Indy and the Cowboys are playing at the Giants; there shouldn't be a lot of points scored in the defensive side of the ball. And kickers are kickers, so, whatever. As long as I don't get negative points here, I'll be happy.
I feel pretty good about a geting fifth straight win this week. Down The Drain is looking pretty good this week too, so I need to keep pace. Onward to 7-2!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
New Favorite Work Timekiller
MTV Music
MTV"s entire music video archive. All of it. Every video. Ever.
My new favorite spot in the internet.
(Thanks to my brother, BrotherofGiantAsianMan, for the head's up on this one).
MTV"s entire music video archive. All of it. Every video. Ever.
My new favorite spot in the internet.
(Thanks to my brother, BrotherofGiantAsianMan, for the head's up on this one).
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Perfect Season
0-16. The dream nightmare season. In this day and age of professional football, is it even possible?
Before last year, no one thought it was possible for a team to go either 16-0 or 0-16. Undefeated wasn't possible because it was thought to be too difficult to maintain that level of focus and intensity all the way through the year (especially in the last weeks of the season, when you've already won the division and secured the top spot in the playoffs). And winless wasn't possible because even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
Then came 2007, when the Patriots pulled off 16-0 and Miami went 1-15 (and it took an overtime win versus Baltimore in Week 15 to get the "1"). So its now at least possible, however unlikely, to run the table and have an undefeated regular season. But the winless 0-16 season still remains unreached. I mean, if a team as bad as the 2007 Dolphins can't go winless, who can? And that got me thinking- what kind of team does it take to not win a game all season?
Gut reaction would tell you that the team with the best chance to go winless is the team with the least amount of talent. I think that applies in most cases (like Little League baseball or church league basketball, or even college football), but I do not think it applies to the NFL. No, teams with little to no great talent still find a way to win at least one game (see: 2007 Miami Dolphins). Those teams can get a win because a)they continue to play hard throughout the season (to compensate for their lack of great talent) despite being winless and b)their opponents can phone it in against them, especially late in the year. We saw this for year in Cincinnati; it was called the 90's (and then some). Some of those teams were absolutely miserable (first team to lose 100 games in the decade!), and yet, they always found a way to win at least TWO games in a year.
So having the worst team isn't the answer. Year after year, the worst teams in the NFL still manage to find a win somewhere along the line. So what is the answer to the winless-season riddle? Its a team with Pro Bowl talent that's given up for the year and quit on its coach. Its a team like the 2008 Cincinnati Bengals.
They have high-talent players (like Chad and T.J.), but they lost all hope when Carson got injured. With no capable backful, they just don't seem to care anymore. There's nothing Marvin Lewis can to do because they players clearly aren't listening to him anymore. They're frustated because they think they should be better, but instead of trying harder, they just pack it in and head for the locker room to bitch and complain. And that's the receipe for a winless season. Now, do I actully think they'll go 0-16? Not really, but I think they have the better shot at it than any other team before them. The game I'm looking forward to? Week 17, Paul Brown Stadium, when Cincinnati (who should be 0-15 at that point) collides with Kansas City (who should be 1-14). What a great game that'll be. I bet I could find some really cheap tickets to that one.
Who Dey? Everyone.
[Edit @ 12:15- Paul Daugherty wrote about this in his column today. He make the argument that an 0-16 season would be worth it if it pushes the organization into functioning like a modern-day NFL franchise going forward. While I completely agree with Doc, that's a big "if," especially in this town. Because if there's one man that could ignore the NFL's first 0-16 season and keep the status quo, its Mike Brown.]
Before last year, no one thought it was possible for a team to go either 16-0 or 0-16. Undefeated wasn't possible because it was thought to be too difficult to maintain that level of focus and intensity all the way through the year (especially in the last weeks of the season, when you've already won the division and secured the top spot in the playoffs). And winless wasn't possible because even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
Then came 2007, when the Patriots pulled off 16-0 and Miami went 1-15 (and it took an overtime win versus Baltimore in Week 15 to get the "1"). So its now at least possible, however unlikely, to run the table and have an undefeated regular season. But the winless 0-16 season still remains unreached. I mean, if a team as bad as the 2007 Dolphins can't go winless, who can? And that got me thinking- what kind of team does it take to not win a game all season?
Gut reaction would tell you that the team with the best chance to go winless is the team with the least amount of talent. I think that applies in most cases (like Little League baseball or church league basketball, or even college football), but I do not think it applies to the NFL. No, teams with little to no great talent still find a way to win at least one game (see: 2007 Miami Dolphins). Those teams can get a win because a)they continue to play hard throughout the season (to compensate for their lack of great talent) despite being winless and b)their opponents can phone it in against them, especially late in the year. We saw this for year in Cincinnati; it was called the 90's (and then some). Some of those teams were absolutely miserable (first team to lose 100 games in the decade!), and yet, they always found a way to win at least TWO games in a year.
So having the worst team isn't the answer. Year after year, the worst teams in the NFL still manage to find a win somewhere along the line. So what is the answer to the winless-season riddle? Its a team with Pro Bowl talent that's given up for the year and quit on its coach. Its a team like the 2008 Cincinnati Bengals.
They have high-talent players (like Chad and T.J.), but they lost all hope when Carson got injured. With no capable backful, they just don't seem to care anymore. There's nothing Marvin Lewis can to do because they players clearly aren't listening to him anymore. They're frustated because they think they should be better, but instead of trying harder, they just pack it in and head for the locker room to bitch and complain. And that's the receipe for a winless season. Now, do I actully think they'll go 0-16? Not really, but I think they have the better shot at it than any other team before them. The game I'm looking forward to? Week 17, Paul Brown Stadium, when Cincinnati (who should be 0-15 at that point) collides with Kansas City (who should be 1-14). What a great game that'll be. I bet I could find some really cheap tickets to that one.
Who Dey? Everyone.
[Edit @ 12:15- Paul Daugherty wrote about this in his column today. He make the argument that an 0-16 season would be worth it if it pushes the organization into functioning like a modern-day NFL franchise going forward. While I completely agree with Doc, that's a big "if," especially in this town. Because if there's one man that could ignore the NFL's first 0-16 season and keep the status quo, its Mike Brown.]
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Are You Kidding Me?
Virginia 24, Georgia Tech 17
Four straight wins, first place in the ACC Coastal Division. Unbelievable.
Four straight wins, first place in the ACC Coastal Division. Unbelievable.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Fantasy Football Failure: Week 8
I have to admit, I like the direction my fantasy team is going right now. After Week 6's 100-59 blowout of Paulson's team, I took out E's team last week 97-59. It was the same song, different verse. Most of my guys found the end zone and most of E's guys didn't. He got huge games from Calvin Johnson (23 points) and the Giants D (15), but I matched those numbers with Chris Johnson (22) and the Patriots D (17). The thing is, I also had Marion Barber (15), Earnest Graham (12), and Vincent Jackson (13) and E had nothing (including two guys that scored 0 points).
So after back-to-back strong weeks, I'm 5-2 and along in second place (still trailing Down The Drain at 6-1), looking to go to 6-2 after a win this week. Am I a little over confident (so much so that I don't even feel there's a need to post any analysis? Sure, but but if I can't get a win this week, I really should just quit. Here's why- I'm playing Team Williams, who's manager, Chaz, doesn't appear to have done anything with his team since the draft. Need proof? Here's Chaz's starting lineup that's he's played the last 4 weeks:
QB: [empty]
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson
RB: Selvin Young
RB/WR: Isaac Bruce
WR: Larry Fitzgerald
WR: Donald Driver
TE: Tony Scheffler
D/ST: Ravens
K: Mason Crosley
Now, he's recievers aren't that bad, and while LT may be struggling a bit this year, he's still LT and could go off for 20+ fantasy points any given week, so he don't have the worst team in the world. But no QB for 4 (going on 5) straight weeks? That's a problem. Also a problem? Four of his guys (Young, Driver, Scheffler, and Crosley) are on byes this week. So to get the win, I only have to bet LT, Isaac Bruce, Larry Fitzgerald, and the Ravens D. I think I can get that done. I'm not worried (though history tells me I probably should be), and I'll be 6-2. Now I just need E's team to step up and beat Down The Drain this week for me so I can move into a tie for first. You're family, E; you need to come through.
So after back-to-back strong weeks, I'm 5-2 and along in second place (still trailing Down The Drain at 6-1), looking to go to 6-2 after a win this week. Am I a little over confident (so much so that I don't even feel there's a need to post any analysis? Sure, but but if I can't get a win this week, I really should just quit. Here's why- I'm playing Team Williams, who's manager, Chaz, doesn't appear to have done anything with his team since the draft. Need proof? Here's Chaz's starting lineup that's he's played the last 4 weeks:
QB: [empty]
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson
RB: Selvin Young
RB/WR: Isaac Bruce
WR: Larry Fitzgerald
WR: Donald Driver
TE: Tony Scheffler
D/ST: Ravens
K: Mason Crosley
Now, he's recievers aren't that bad, and while LT may be struggling a bit this year, he's still LT and could go off for 20+ fantasy points any given week, so he don't have the worst team in the world. But no QB for 4 (going on 5) straight weeks? That's a problem. Also a problem? Four of his guys (Young, Driver, Scheffler, and Crosley) are on byes this week. So to get the win, I only have to bet LT, Isaac Bruce, Larry Fitzgerald, and the Ravens D. I think I can get that done. I'm not worried (though history tells me I probably should be), and I'll be 6-2. Now I just need E's team to step up and beat Down The Drain this week for me so I can move into a tie for first. You're family, E; you need to come through.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Don't Call It A Comeback
We have a new "distance" champion.
It started with Puddin' (you know, back when he actually posted on his blog), setting the bar at 7,892 miles away.
Six days later, I clocked in with a mark of 8,012 miles.
Then four days after that, PreView claimed the title with a distance of 9,106 miles. And that's where the line stood (at least as far as I know) until today.
Today, someone from Purwakarta, Jawa Barat, Indonesia, searched "fantasy football" and landed on my blog (they left a comment on my Fantasy Football Failure: Week 7 post). That's a new mark of 10,052 miles from Cincinnati. Can't imagine American football (or fantasy football, for that matter) is real big over there, but hey, you never know.
It started with Puddin' (you know, back when he actually posted on his blog), setting the bar at 7,892 miles away.
Six days later, I clocked in with a mark of 8,012 miles.
Then four days after that, PreView claimed the title with a distance of 9,106 miles. And that's where the line stood (at least as far as I know) until today.
Today, someone from Purwakarta, Jawa Barat, Indonesia, searched "fantasy football" and landed on my blog (they left a comment on my Fantasy Football Failure: Week 7 post). That's a new mark of 10,052 miles from Cincinnati. Can't imagine American football (or fantasy football, for that matter) is real big over there, but hey, you never know.
Fantasy Football Failure: Week 7
As has been made evident by this blog, I'm terrible at predicting the outcome of my fantasy football league. I thought last week's match up against Sons of Paul would be a close one because my guys hadn't been playing well recently and a lot of his guys were in favorable match ups. As it turned out, I won in a blowout 100-59 (my three top scorers Marion Barber, Reggie Wayne, and Vincent Jackson put up 58 on their own). Simply put, my guys found the end zone and Paulson's guys didn't (well, Marvin Harrison did, but Paulson had him on the bench... not that those 20 points would have helped him anyway).
So I'm now 4-2 and in a 5-way tie for second (4th overall by points scored). But previously undefeated Down The Drain lost, so I'm only 1 game back in the standings. This week, I'm playing my buddy E's team, Kwijybo's Killer Clowns (2-4).
QB: J.T. O'Sullivan vs. Brett Favre
RB: Marion Barber vs. Jamal Lewis
RB: Earnest Graham vs. T.J. Duckett
RB/WR: Chris Johnson vs. Brandon Stokely
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Calvin Johnson
WR: Vincent Jackson vs. DeSean Jackson
TE: Zach Miller vs. Chris Cooley
D/ST: Patriots vs. Giants
K: Matt Prater vs. Nick Folk
QB: With Garrard on a bye and Palmer injured (he's got a roster spot why?), it's back to Mr. Regional-Family-Style-Sit-Down-Restaurant-Chain to QB my team. Not that it matters too much, since E's got Favre and Favre's playing the Raiders. I expect big numbers from Favre (which makes me think I should put Coles back into my lineup...). With O'Sullivan playing the Giants (E's D/ST), I just need him to not throw interceptions so he doesn't simultaneously take points from me and give points to E.
RB: With Romo out and Brad Johnson it, I tend to think that the Cowboys will run the ball a bit more. And with Felix Jones out, that means plenty of carries for Marion Barber. His rushing numbers have been down recently (last week's huge play was a 70-yard TD pass), but I expect that to improve. Chris Johnson is coming off a bye vs. hapless Kansas City, so I expect a good game from him. And while Earnest Graham is still splitting carries (and now potentially playing a little fullback), he got a goalline carry and a TD last week. And if that's all I get out of him, I'll take it. E's got Jamal Lewis (who's decent) and T.J. Duckett (who's had 1 good game) at RB, so I feel confident I can overcome whatever point difference I have at QB with my RB's.
WR/TE: As I stated before, Reggie Wayne and Vincent Jackson had monster games last week. I expect that out of Wayne; not so much with Jackson. His getting a fair amount of looks from Rivers, and piled up way more yards than I had expected him to. I just want Rivers to look his way in the red zone. E's got DeSean Jackson in his lineup right now, but he's on a bye, so I expect E to make the appropriate roster move (he'll probably move Stokely to the WR spot and put RB Fred Jackson in the flex spot; which still doesn't worry me at the RB position). Stokely's a solid WR choice, but the guy can't even recall how may concussions he's had, which can't be a good thing- he might not even play this week. Calvin Johnson's also coming off a concussion (man, E, what's with your WR's?), but its looking like he's going to play. And his problem isn't his head; its his QB. He can't have a lot of confidence in Dan Orlovsky after watching him run out of bounds for a safety in last week's game. I should be up at WR, which is good because E's got one of the few playmaker TE's in Chris Cooley. Cooley's had a bit of a slow start, but he can bust loose at any time, especially with Clinton Portis running the ball better now.
DEF/K: The Pats are playing Denver and the Giants are playing the 49ers. I expect better numbers from the Giants here. Best case scenario? The Rams give up a lot of TD's to the Cowboys (specifically Barber) and Nick Folk is stuck kicking extra points all day and the Pats D stuffs the Denver offense and the Broncos have to rely on Matt Prater field goals for points. But that's probably not going to happen.
I'm seeing a fairly easy win this week. I'm on a little roll right now and E's back on his heels a bit. If I get the same type of performances I got last week, I should be fine.
So I'm now 4-2 and in a 5-way tie for second (4th overall by points scored). But previously undefeated Down The Drain lost, so I'm only 1 game back in the standings. This week, I'm playing my buddy E's team, Kwijybo's Killer Clowns (2-4).
QB: J.T. O'Sullivan vs. Brett Favre
RB: Marion Barber vs. Jamal Lewis
RB: Earnest Graham vs. T.J. Duckett
RB/WR: Chris Johnson vs. Brandon Stokely
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Calvin Johnson
WR: Vincent Jackson vs. DeSean Jackson
TE: Zach Miller vs. Chris Cooley
D/ST: Patriots vs. Giants
K: Matt Prater vs. Nick Folk
QB: With Garrard on a bye and Palmer injured (he's got a roster spot why?), it's back to Mr. Regional-Family-Style-Sit-Down-Restaurant-Chain to QB my team. Not that it matters too much, since E's got Favre and Favre's playing the Raiders. I expect big numbers from Favre (which makes me think I should put Coles back into my lineup...). With O'Sullivan playing the Giants (E's D/ST), I just need him to not throw interceptions so he doesn't simultaneously take points from me and give points to E.
RB: With Romo out and Brad Johnson it, I tend to think that the Cowboys will run the ball a bit more. And with Felix Jones out, that means plenty of carries for Marion Barber. His rushing numbers have been down recently (last week's huge play was a 70-yard TD pass), but I expect that to improve. Chris Johnson is coming off a bye vs. hapless Kansas City, so I expect a good game from him. And while Earnest Graham is still splitting carries (and now potentially playing a little fullback), he got a goalline carry and a TD last week. And if that's all I get out of him, I'll take it. E's got Jamal Lewis (who's decent) and T.J. Duckett (who's had 1 good game) at RB, so I feel confident I can overcome whatever point difference I have at QB with my RB's.
WR/TE: As I stated before, Reggie Wayne and Vincent Jackson had monster games last week. I expect that out of Wayne; not so much with Jackson. His getting a fair amount of looks from Rivers, and piled up way more yards than I had expected him to. I just want Rivers to look his way in the red zone. E's got DeSean Jackson in his lineup right now, but he's on a bye, so I expect E to make the appropriate roster move (he'll probably move Stokely to the WR spot and put RB Fred Jackson in the flex spot; which still doesn't worry me at the RB position). Stokely's a solid WR choice, but the guy can't even recall how may concussions he's had, which can't be a good thing- he might not even play this week. Calvin Johnson's also coming off a concussion (man, E, what's with your WR's?), but its looking like he's going to play. And his problem isn't his head; its his QB. He can't have a lot of confidence in Dan Orlovsky after watching him run out of bounds for a safety in last week's game. I should be up at WR, which is good because E's got one of the few playmaker TE's in Chris Cooley. Cooley's had a bit of a slow start, but he can bust loose at any time, especially with Clinton Portis running the ball better now.
DEF/K: The Pats are playing Denver and the Giants are playing the 49ers. I expect better numbers from the Giants here. Best case scenario? The Rams give up a lot of TD's to the Cowboys (specifically Barber) and Nick Folk is stuck kicking extra points all day and the Pats D stuffs the Denver offense and the Broncos have to rely on Matt Prater field goals for points. But that's probably not going to happen.
I'm seeing a fairly easy win this week. I'm on a little roll right now and E's back on his heels a bit. If I get the same type of performances I got last week, I should be fine.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Essential Videos 7 - White Wilderness
Its been a while since I've added to my list of "Essential Videos." But thanks to my friend, Hollywood Jeff, I was reminded of the following clip:
Greatest film clip, EVER, don't care that it was faked. I first saw this clip in high school, during biology my junior year (the only redeeming moment of that God-forsaken class). The following year, in my physics class, when we were asked what film loop we wanted to watch on our last day of classes, the answer was almost unanimous- the lemming video from biology the year before (and it beat out the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse, which could also make an appearance in my "Essential Videos" list).
Greatest film clip, EVER, don't care that it was faked. I first saw this clip in high school, during biology my junior year (the only redeeming moment of that God-forsaken class). The following year, in my physics class, when we were asked what film loop we wanted to watch on our last day of classes, the answer was almost unanimous- the lemming video from biology the year before (and it beat out the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse, which could also make an appearance in my "Essential Videos" list).
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
How To Save Your Job In Two Weeks
Or, The Story of Al Groh & the 2008 Virginia Cavaliers.
Unbelievable. Two weeks ago, Al Groh was a goner. He was done, no doubt about it. It was unlikely that he'd be fired mid-season (I don't think that's how UVA rolls), but the team was terrible with no signs of getting any better, so it seemed inevitable that he'd be out at the end of the year. But now, after drubbing Mason-Dixon rival Maryland 31-0 and beating early-season darling East Carolina 35-20, I can guarantee you that Al Groh will the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers in 2009 (if he manages to upset a Brandon Tate-less UNC team next week, he might get an extension).
Now, I think he still has to go, but I'm positive that he won't. We saw it for years with Pete Gillen and men's basketball team. It was the same thing every year: ace through a cupcake-laden non-conference schedule, start conference play undefeated, lose first 5 ACC games, put Gillen goes on hot seat, upset a highly-ranked Duke or Carolina team at home in February, play better in 2nd half of ACC schedule, remove Gillen off hot seat, finish around .500 for year and in conference, lose in NIT First Round, start again next year. Same song, different verse with Groh.
The team's playing better under redshirt sophomore quarterback Marc Verica (not that it could've played much worse), and with so many young players around him, you've to (delusional) people are saying, "Well, we'll take our lumps this year, but NEXT year, this team could be great!" Regardless of how UVA finishes out the year (more on that in a bit), these two wins have given Al Groh a reprieve and a chance next year to continue the UVA tradition of finishing slightly above mediocre, going to a third-tier bowl game, and acting like we're a big-time football program. Go Hoos!
Some more thoughts on college football:
-Virginia will finish the year 6-6. I know, that sounds like a lot, especially since two weeks ago I pronounced them dead and predicted a 1-11 season. Listen, I don't like Al Groh, but I do like to see my alma mater win some games. And with the way they've been playing lately (either because or in spite of Groh), I think Georgia Tech, Miami, and Clemson are winnable games. Though in reality, Virginia will probably lose one of those games (like at Georgia Tech, since we can't win games in Atlanta) and beat someone they shouldn't (like Carolina this weekend- again, the Heels have lost their best playmaker for the rest of the season and its UVA's third straight home game; guess Groh can expect that extension coming his way).
-This week's rankings should be the first rankings of the year. I know, I've bitched about this before, but its worth repeating. Halfway through the year, you have a measure of how good a team actually is, as opposed to in the preseason or Week 1. Alabama (#2) and Penn State (#3) stated the year in the 20's and Oklahoma State (#7) wasn't even ranked. Three of the preseason Top 10, West Virginia (#8), Clemson (#9), and Auburn (#10), aren't even ranked anymore. These teams are labeled as "busts" because they didn't "live up" to they're preseason ranking, and I think that's unfair. Its obvious these teams aren't any good, but they're being compared to a version of themselves that never existed (ie- the preseason ranking of them that was based on nothing but conjecture).
The rankings mean nothing and are only used to hype television matchups and upsets, as if college football needs it. Given the recent histories of Oregon State and USC, Oregon State's 27-21 victory over USC is a huge upset, regardless of the fact that USC was ranked #1 at the time. Florida State vs. Miami was always a "big game" because both the teams were usually always ranked. But that wasn't the case this year, and a lot of people dismissed the game because of that. Oops. 41-39 Florida State in a rain-drenched classic.
-College football has surpassed pro football on my list of favorite sports. I've come to realize that I watch the NFL solely for fantasy purposes. Sure, I'll watch the Bengals lose, but I just can't get into the random NFL game anymore; I just want to know how my fantasy team is doing. But college football? I can watch any game, any time. Random C-USA Thursday night game? I'm in. Friday night Big East game? There. Monday Night Football, Giants vs. Browns? Eh, I'm watching Chuck, How I Met Your Mother, and Heroes. Saturdays are spent on the couch watching football all day. Sundays are spent doing chores, running errands, and checking up on how bad the Bengals are losing.
Unbelievable. Two weeks ago, Al Groh was a goner. He was done, no doubt about it. It was unlikely that he'd be fired mid-season (I don't think that's how UVA rolls), but the team was terrible with no signs of getting any better, so it seemed inevitable that he'd be out at the end of the year. But now, after drubbing Mason-Dixon rival Maryland 31-0 and beating early-season darling East Carolina 35-20, I can guarantee you that Al Groh will the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers in 2009 (if he manages to upset a Brandon Tate-less UNC team next week, he might get an extension).
Now, I think he still has to go, but I'm positive that he won't. We saw it for years with Pete Gillen and men's basketball team. It was the same thing every year: ace through a cupcake-laden non-conference schedule, start conference play undefeated, lose first 5 ACC games, put Gillen goes on hot seat, upset a highly-ranked Duke or Carolina team at home in February, play better in 2nd half of ACC schedule, remove Gillen off hot seat, finish around .500 for year and in conference, lose in NIT First Round, start again next year. Same song, different verse with Groh.
The team's playing better under redshirt sophomore quarterback Marc Verica (not that it could've played much worse), and with so many young players around him, you've to (delusional) people are saying, "Well, we'll take our lumps this year, but NEXT year, this team could be great!" Regardless of how UVA finishes out the year (more on that in a bit), these two wins have given Al Groh a reprieve and a chance next year to continue the UVA tradition of finishing slightly above mediocre, going to a third-tier bowl game, and acting like we're a big-time football program. Go Hoos!
Some more thoughts on college football:
-Virginia will finish the year 6-6. I know, that sounds like a lot, especially since two weeks ago I pronounced them dead and predicted a 1-11 season. Listen, I don't like Al Groh, but I do like to see my alma mater win some games. And with the way they've been playing lately (either because or in spite of Groh), I think Georgia Tech, Miami, and Clemson are winnable games. Though in reality, Virginia will probably lose one of those games (like at Georgia Tech, since we can't win games in Atlanta) and beat someone they shouldn't (like Carolina this weekend- again, the Heels have lost their best playmaker for the rest of the season and its UVA's third straight home game; guess Groh can expect that extension coming his way).
-This week's rankings should be the first rankings of the year. I know, I've bitched about this before, but its worth repeating. Halfway through the year, you have a measure of how good a team actually is, as opposed to in the preseason or Week 1. Alabama (#2) and Penn State (#3) stated the year in the 20's and Oklahoma State (#7) wasn't even ranked. Three of the preseason Top 10, West Virginia (#8), Clemson (#9), and Auburn (#10), aren't even ranked anymore. These teams are labeled as "busts" because they didn't "live up" to they're preseason ranking, and I think that's unfair. Its obvious these teams aren't any good, but they're being compared to a version of themselves that never existed (ie- the preseason ranking of them that was based on nothing but conjecture).
The rankings mean nothing and are only used to hype television matchups and upsets, as if college football needs it. Given the recent histories of Oregon State and USC, Oregon State's 27-21 victory over USC is a huge upset, regardless of the fact that USC was ranked #1 at the time. Florida State vs. Miami was always a "big game" because both the teams were usually always ranked. But that wasn't the case this year, and a lot of people dismissed the game because of that. Oops. 41-39 Florida State in a rain-drenched classic.
-College football has surpassed pro football on my list of favorite sports. I've come to realize that I watch the NFL solely for fantasy purposes. Sure, I'll watch the Bengals lose, but I just can't get into the random NFL game anymore; I just want to know how my fantasy team is doing. But college football? I can watch any game, any time. Random C-USA Thursday night game? I'm in. Friday night Big East game? There. Monday Night Football, Giants vs. Browns? Eh, I'm watching Chuck, How I Met Your Mother, and Heroes. Saturdays are spent on the couch watching football all day. Sundays are spent doing chores, running errands, and checking up on how bad the Bengals are losing.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Fantasy Football Failure: Week 6
Where have you gone, Marion Barber? His fantasy totals thus far: 22-23-19-3-8. Just 11 points in the past two weeks and no touchdowns? How does he manage only 8 points against the mighty Bengals of Cincinnati? Inconceivable!
Needless to say, I need Marion Barber to be Marion Barber and put some damn points on the board. I did get the win last week against Team Rekant, 71-54, moving to 3-2 on the year and in a 6-way tie for second (though I'm 5th overall based on total points scored). And I won last week because the only players that showed up for Eh!Steve's team were named Clinton Portis. I got a decent day out of J.T. O'Sullivan (3 touchdowns- good, 3 interceptions- bad) and a good day out of Reggie Wayne (ie- the only non-QB to score a touchdown), and that was pretty much it. Oh, I also got a solid game from my kicker, Matt Prater, but as great as it is to get points from the K position, if you're relying on his points week to week, you've got problems.
On to Week 6. I'm up against Sons of Paul, who, despite being 1-4 and in last place in the league, is favored to win this week based on ESPN.com's projections (which have come to mean just slightly more than nothing in my book). That being said, I think Paulson (Sons of Paul... get it?) has a solid team that I should be worried about.
QB: J.T. O'Sullivan* vs. JaMarcus Russell
RB: Marion Barber vs. Ryan Grant
RB: Earnest Graham vs. Steve Slaton
RB/WR: Laveranues Coles vs. Antwaan Randle El
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Terrell Owens
WR: Vincent Jackson vs. Wes Welker
TE: Zack Miller vs. Owen Daniels
D/ST: Falcons vs. Vikings
K: Matt Prater vs. Ryan Longwell
QB: Okay, the one position where I think I have a clear-cut advantage. Russell's been decent so far this year, but he plays for the Raiders, so that automatically downgrades his upside. O'Sullivan still managed a good week last week despite throwing 3 picks. I'm tempted to put Palmer back in the lineup (the last two games he's played he's posted 17 and 14 points), but he's elbow's still not 100%, so I don't trust him (nor the Bengals offense in general).
[*Edit (4:00 pm): I've decided that O'Sullivan against Philly's sack-happy defense isn't a real good idea. David Garrard versus Denver's "we can't stop anyone but that's okay because our offense can out score you" defense is a better matchup. So Garrard's in and O'Sullivan's on the bench.]
RB: Barber and Graham have had a hard time finding the end zone recently. This needs to change. I expect Barber to pick it up and get back on track (hopefully sooner rather than later). Graham, however, is a mystery. It hurts that he's splitting carries with Warrick Dunn, but he's still able to put up okay fantasy numbers. There's not much on the waiver wire in a 14 team league, so I'm kind of stuck with him. On the other side of the aisle, Paulson's got Ryan Grant and Steve Slaton. Slaton's a beast, easily the second best rookie RB this year (behind Matt Forte). And while Grant's struggled so far, he's got a favorable matchup against Seattle this week, which could help him get healthy.
WR/TE: I'm not excited about these matchups. I expect Wayne to get him numbers, even against Baltimore's D, and hopefully the Coles-Favre hookup didn't cool off over the bye week (and speaking of byes, that's the reason Jackson's in there- I'm not expecting much from him, just no negative points). But Paulson's got Owens (who should get plenty of balls his way, even if he does drop a lot of them), Randle El (who's got an easy matchup against the lowly Rams), and Welker (who should get a lot of looks because it appears the Pats are keeping Cassel to the short, underneath routes, which is where Welker lives). As for the TE's, they don't really matter unless you've got a superstar, which neither of our guys are, so anything I can get out of them is a bonus (though I think Daniels will get more looks from Schaub than Miller will from Russell). I think I'm behind in receivers, so I'll need Coles to go off for 105 and 3 TD like he did two weeks ago when I had him on the bench to have a chance.
DEF/K: I'm starting the Falcons over the Pats because I think Atlanta's got a better chance against the Kyle Orton-led Bears than New England's got against LT and the Chargers. Don't think it much anyway because I'm up against the Vikings versus the Lions, who are the saddest team in all of football (worse than the Bengals and Rams). Guess I'm going to need another big day from Prater kicking field goals and extra points.
I really don't know what's going to happen this week. It could be a blowout or a nail-biter for either team and I wouldn't be surprised. But "push" isn't how I roll, so I'll man up and make a prediction- despite good games from Slaton, Randle El, and Owens, I win in a close one behind huge games from Barber and Coles (and Wayne regular numbers). I go to 4-2 and hopefully move a step closer to 1st place with a loss by Down the Drain (who's currently 5-0).
Needless to say, I need Marion Barber to be Marion Barber and put some damn points on the board. I did get the win last week against Team Rekant, 71-54, moving to 3-2 on the year and in a 6-way tie for second (though I'm 5th overall based on total points scored). And I won last week because the only players that showed up for Eh!Steve's team were named Clinton Portis. I got a decent day out of J.T. O'Sullivan (3 touchdowns- good, 3 interceptions- bad) and a good day out of Reggie Wayne (ie- the only non-QB to score a touchdown), and that was pretty much it. Oh, I also got a solid game from my kicker, Matt Prater, but as great as it is to get points from the K position, if you're relying on his points week to week, you've got problems.
On to Week 6. I'm up against Sons of Paul, who, despite being 1-4 and in last place in the league, is favored to win this week based on ESPN.com's projections (which have come to mean just slightly more than nothing in my book). That being said, I think Paulson (Sons of Paul... get it?) has a solid team that I should be worried about.
QB: J.T. O'Sullivan* vs. JaMarcus Russell
RB: Marion Barber vs. Ryan Grant
RB: Earnest Graham vs. Steve Slaton
RB/WR: Laveranues Coles vs. Antwaan Randle El
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Terrell Owens
WR: Vincent Jackson vs. Wes Welker
TE: Zack Miller vs. Owen Daniels
D/ST: Falcons vs. Vikings
K: Matt Prater vs. Ryan Longwell
QB: Okay, the one position where I think I have a clear-cut advantage. Russell's been decent so far this year, but he plays for the Raiders, so that automatically downgrades his upside. O'Sullivan still managed a good week last week despite throwing 3 picks. I'm tempted to put Palmer back in the lineup (the last two games he's played he's posted 17 and 14 points), but he's elbow's still not 100%, so I don't trust him (nor the Bengals offense in general).
[*Edit (4:00 pm): I've decided that O'Sullivan against Philly's sack-happy defense isn't a real good idea. David Garrard versus Denver's "we can't stop anyone but that's okay because our offense can out score you" defense is a better matchup. So Garrard's in and O'Sullivan's on the bench.]
RB: Barber and Graham have had a hard time finding the end zone recently. This needs to change. I expect Barber to pick it up and get back on track (hopefully sooner rather than later). Graham, however, is a mystery. It hurts that he's splitting carries with Warrick Dunn, but he's still able to put up okay fantasy numbers. There's not much on the waiver wire in a 14 team league, so I'm kind of stuck with him. On the other side of the aisle, Paulson's got Ryan Grant and Steve Slaton. Slaton's a beast, easily the second best rookie RB this year (behind Matt Forte). And while Grant's struggled so far, he's got a favorable matchup against Seattle this week, which could help him get healthy.
WR/TE: I'm not excited about these matchups. I expect Wayne to get him numbers, even against Baltimore's D, and hopefully the Coles-Favre hookup didn't cool off over the bye week (and speaking of byes, that's the reason Jackson's in there- I'm not expecting much from him, just no negative points). But Paulson's got Owens (who should get plenty of balls his way, even if he does drop a lot of them), Randle El (who's got an easy matchup against the lowly Rams), and Welker (who should get a lot of looks because it appears the Pats are keeping Cassel to the short, underneath routes, which is where Welker lives). As for the TE's, they don't really matter unless you've got a superstar, which neither of our guys are, so anything I can get out of them is a bonus (though I think Daniels will get more looks from Schaub than Miller will from Russell). I think I'm behind in receivers, so I'll need Coles to go off for 105 and 3 TD like he did two weeks ago when I had him on the bench to have a chance.
DEF/K: I'm starting the Falcons over the Pats because I think Atlanta's got a better chance against the Kyle Orton-led Bears than New England's got against LT and the Chargers. Don't think it much anyway because I'm up against the Vikings versus the Lions, who are the saddest team in all of football (worse than the Bengals and Rams). Guess I'm going to need another big day from Prater kicking field goals and extra points.
I really don't know what's going to happen this week. It could be a blowout or a nail-biter for either team and I wouldn't be surprised. But "push" isn't how I roll, so I'll man up and make a prediction- despite good games from Slaton, Randle El, and Owens, I win in a close one behind huge games from Barber and Coles (and Wayne regular numbers). I go to 4-2 and hopefully move a step closer to 1st place with a loss by Down the Drain (who's currently 5-0).
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Karma, Part Ducks.
Okay, time for some actual sports karma:
Fresno State kicker goes wide left on the first possession in overtime. Takes a dive to get a bullshit "running into the kicker" penalty and another shot at the field goal. Then goes wide right. Hawaii kicks a field goal on the ensuing possession, wins the game. What an ass.
Fresno State kicker goes wide left on the first possession in overtime. Takes a dive to get a bullshit "running into the kicker" penalty and another shot at the field goal. Then goes wide right. Hawaii kicks a field goal on the ensuing possession, wins the game. What an ass.
Karma.
Virginia Athletic Department bans signs from Scott Stadium, team fails to beat any Division 1-A teams, culminating in a blowout loss to Duke.
Students revolt, threaten to wear blue in protest of the ridiculous "Sea of Orange" campaign.
The AD, scared it'll appear that they aren't in control of the situation, repeal the sign ban for next home game, and Virginia destroys Maryland (great post on Al Groh's Coachbook page from Ralph Friedgen- "Earn this.").
Coincidence?
Absolutely not. These things matter. The football gods frowned upon the sign ban and punished our team for it. The sign ban is lifted, and the team is allowed a win. And why was the sign ban lifted? It was just another victim of the curse of this blog. I mention the ban last week; two days later, the ban is reversed. Curse well executed.
[Note: Another casualty of the curse- my St. X Bombers. I sang their praises back in August, and they are now currently 3-4 and in danger of missing the playoffs. Sorry Coach Specht.]
Students revolt, threaten to wear blue in protest of the ridiculous "Sea of Orange" campaign.
The AD, scared it'll appear that they aren't in control of the situation, repeal the sign ban for next home game, and Virginia destroys Maryland (great post on Al Groh's Coachbook page from Ralph Friedgen- "Earn this.").
Coincidence?
Absolutely not. These things matter. The football gods frowned upon the sign ban and punished our team for it. The sign ban is lifted, and the team is allowed a win. And why was the sign ban lifted? It was just another victim of the curse of this blog. I mention the ban last week; two days later, the ban is reversed. Curse well executed.
[Note: Another casualty of the curse- my St. X Bombers. I sang their praises back in August, and they are now currently 3-4 and in danger of missing the playoffs. Sorry Coach Specht.]
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Fantasy Football Failure: Week 5
GiantAsianMan vs. Week 4 Opponent (Down The Drain) - 74-82; another loss (though not as bad as I'd predicted)
GiantAsianMan vs. GiantAsianMan's Week 4 bench - 74-63
I left 63 points on the bench (all from 3 guys- David Garrard's 23, Michael Bush's 12, and Laveranues Coles's 26); that would've beaten four teams in my league and tied a fifth this week. And while that's incredibly frustrating, you can't play using hindsight. Garrard had been averaging about 6 points a week as compared to J.T. O'Sullivan's 13; you knew Garrard was going to break out at some point, but until then I'm going to start the guy that's been performing. No one could have predicted that Brett Favre would throw for 6 touchdowns and that 3 of them (along with 105 yards) would go to Laveranues "I miss Chad Pennington, oh wait, not anymore" Coles. Who would've thought that Marion Barber would only get 8 carries and manage a mere 3 points? No one.
So after a fast start to the season, I'm now 2-2 and sitting in 7th place (by total points) in the league. Week 5 has me up against another 2-2 team, Team Rekant (creative name there, Eh!Steve), league commissioner and last year's champion.
QB: J.T. O'Sullivan vs. Drew Brees
RB: Marion Barber vs. Clinton Portis
RB: Earnest Graham vs. Jonathan Stewart
RB/WR: Chris Johnson vs. Jerious Norwood
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Santonio Holmes
WR: Robert Meachem vs. Josh Reed
TE: John Carlson vs. L.J. Smith
D/ST: Patriots vs. Packers
K: Matt Prater vs. Josh Scobee
QB: No contest here, Brees should crush O'Sullivan this week. Brees should pick apart Minnesota (one reason that I picked up Robert Meachem at WR this week) and O'Sullivan is up against the Patriots (which puts my fantasy team into slight conflict of interest). Brees is a better QB with more weapons around him, playing against a lesser opponent. If O'Sullivan can get a TD and not throw any picks, I'll be happy.
RB: I really feel that in any given week, I have an edge in the RB department (of course, that's assuming Marion Barber gets more than 8 carries). Eh!Steve's got some decent backs in Portis, Stewart, and Norwood, but I still feel like I should out score them. Norwood's got a favorable matchup against the Pack, but Stewart is still splitting carries for Carolina and Portis has a tough game against the Eagles D. On my side, its Barber vs. the Bengals and Graham vs. the Broncos- both guys should have huge games because those teams can't stop anyone (and it should offset what I expect to be a tough week for Johnson vs. the Ravens).
WR/TE: As I mentioned above, I picked up Robert Meachem of the Saints to replace Dwayne Bowe in my lineup this week. Bowe's a solid receiver, but he plays for a crappy team that limits his fantasy chances. So I decided to take some advice directly from the Talanted Mr. Roto (ESPN's fantasy expert Matthew Berry) and pick up Meachem because the Vikings are susceptible to the deep ball, which is exactly how the Saints are using Meachem in their offense. So we'll see how Mr. Berry's advice turn out this week. I'm not real scared of Eh!Steve's receivers, though I expect Holmes to get a lot of looks this week because the Steelers are on their 19th RB for the year and they'll probably be throwing a lot. As usual, the TE position doesn't matter.
DEF/K: As long as the 49ers don't put Frank Gore into the read-option formation, I expect the Patriots D to score in the positive points this week (just as long as the points don't come from J.T. O'Sullivan interceptions). Eh!Steve's got the Pack, which is one of the higher scoring D's. I also picked up a new K in Matt Prater simply because he's currently the highest scoring fantasy K thus far (and I'm up against Josh Scobee, the second highest scoring fantasy kicker).
In the end, I think I'm cautiously optimistic for a win this week. Solid games from my RB's, no mistakes from my QB, and non-negative points from my D/ST and I should move to 3-2.
GiantAsianMan vs. GiantAsianMan's Week 4 bench - 74-63
I left 63 points on the bench (all from 3 guys- David Garrard's 23, Michael Bush's 12, and Laveranues Coles's 26); that would've beaten four teams in my league and tied a fifth this week. And while that's incredibly frustrating, you can't play using hindsight. Garrard had been averaging about 6 points a week as compared to J.T. O'Sullivan's 13; you knew Garrard was going to break out at some point, but until then I'm going to start the guy that's been performing. No one could have predicted that Brett Favre would throw for 6 touchdowns and that 3 of them (along with 105 yards) would go to Laveranues "I miss Chad Pennington, oh wait, not anymore" Coles. Who would've thought that Marion Barber would only get 8 carries and manage a mere 3 points? No one.
So after a fast start to the season, I'm now 2-2 and sitting in 7th place (by total points) in the league. Week 5 has me up against another 2-2 team, Team Rekant (creative name there, Eh!Steve), league commissioner and last year's champion.
QB: J.T. O'Sullivan vs. Drew Brees
RB: Marion Barber vs. Clinton Portis
RB: Earnest Graham vs. Jonathan Stewart
RB/WR: Chris Johnson vs. Jerious Norwood
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Santonio Holmes
WR: Robert Meachem vs. Josh Reed
TE: John Carlson vs. L.J. Smith
D/ST: Patriots vs. Packers
K: Matt Prater vs. Josh Scobee
QB: No contest here, Brees should crush O'Sullivan this week. Brees should pick apart Minnesota (one reason that I picked up Robert Meachem at WR this week) and O'Sullivan is up against the Patriots (which puts my fantasy team into slight conflict of interest). Brees is a better QB with more weapons around him, playing against a lesser opponent. If O'Sullivan can get a TD and not throw any picks, I'll be happy.
RB: I really feel that in any given week, I have an edge in the RB department (of course, that's assuming Marion Barber gets more than 8 carries). Eh!Steve's got some decent backs in Portis, Stewart, and Norwood, but I still feel like I should out score them. Norwood's got a favorable matchup against the Pack, but Stewart is still splitting carries for Carolina and Portis has a tough game against the Eagles D. On my side, its Barber vs. the Bengals and Graham vs. the Broncos- both guys should have huge games because those teams can't stop anyone (and it should offset what I expect to be a tough week for Johnson vs. the Ravens).
WR/TE: As I mentioned above, I picked up Robert Meachem of the Saints to replace Dwayne Bowe in my lineup this week. Bowe's a solid receiver, but he plays for a crappy team that limits his fantasy chances. So I decided to take some advice directly from the Talanted Mr. Roto (ESPN's fantasy expert Matthew Berry) and pick up Meachem because the Vikings are susceptible to the deep ball, which is exactly how the Saints are using Meachem in their offense. So we'll see how Mr. Berry's advice turn out this week. I'm not real scared of Eh!Steve's receivers, though I expect Holmes to get a lot of looks this week because the Steelers are on their 19th RB for the year and they'll probably be throwing a lot. As usual, the TE position doesn't matter.
DEF/K: As long as the 49ers don't put Frank Gore into the read-option formation, I expect the Patriots D to score in the positive points this week (just as long as the points don't come from J.T. O'Sullivan interceptions). Eh!Steve's got the Pack, which is one of the higher scoring D's. I also picked up a new K in Matt Prater simply because he's currently the highest scoring fantasy K thus far (and I'm up against Josh Scobee, the second highest scoring fantasy kicker).
In the end, I think I'm cautiously optimistic for a win this week. Solid games from my RB's, no mistakes from my QB, and non-negative points from my D/ST and I should move to 3-2.
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