Stupid Randy Moss.
Randy Moss is an elite receiver, everyone knows this. I don't care who's throwing to him (unless its an Oakland QB), if he's a part of the offense, there's always a chance for him to have a big day. But 125 yards and 3 touchdowns? You never expect a day THAT big. You never expect it and you can't count on it, you just have to accept it and move on.
Moss's stupid 30 fantasy point week helped Belgiumland Waffles pull the upset and end my winning streak at 7. So I go from sole possession of 1st place to a 3-way tie for 1st at 9-3 (with me in 3rd based on points scored). And it doesn't get any easier this week going up against Smouther's Galveston Storm team, who's 8-4and second in the league in points scored.
QB: Tyler Thigpen vs. Jay Cutler
RB: Marion Barber vs. Joseph Addai
RB: Chris Johnson vs. Michael Turner
RB/WR: Laveraneus Coles vs. Andre Johnson
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Lee Evans
WR: Dwayne Bowe vs. Kevin Walter
TE: Kevin Boss vs. Dustin Keller
D/ST: Jets vs. Raiders
K: Jason Elam vs. Matt Bryant
QB: Despite the Chiefs not getting any wins when he starts, Tyler Thigpen continues to put up good fantasy numbers. And if he'd stop throwing the late game interception (after the game's outcome has been decided), he'd have even better numbers. He's playing Oakland which should hopefully boost his numbers this week. Although, Oakland just shut down Devner and gave Jay Cutler his lowest point total of the year. Devner's offense is completely 1-dimensional, so while that means defenses can just pin their ears back and play the pass, it also means that Cutler's throwing the ball 40+ times a game and has lots of chances to score points.
RB: Chris Johnson's been terrible lately, but both him and Marion Barber have favorable matchups this week (Johnson vs. Detroit and Barber vs. Seattle). If you can't get healthy against the winless Lions on Thanksgiving day, coming off your first lose of the year, you've got issues. Barber's also going on Thanksgiving, so I'm expecting big games from these guys to set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Both Addai and Turner are more than solid backs, with Turner coming off a 4 touchdown game (take that, Randy Moss!). That's not happening again this week, though he and Addai will surely both find the endzone. I'm hoping the more favorable matchups will give my guys the edge here.
WR/TE: I just need Brett Favre to find Laveraneous Coles in the red zone, that's it. Its clear that he's not getting as many of balls his way as the Jets move down the field; those yards are going to Cotchery and Keller (more on him later) and Thomas Jones on the ground. And that's fine, as long as he gets the TD at the end. The Browns are terrible, so I expect Peyton Manning will have a big day, which usually means that Reggie Wayne will also have a big day. And as for Dwayne Bowe, I'm a little worried about him. While Oakland sucks, they've got this cat in their secondary, Nnamdi Asomugha, that's the very definition of "shut down corner." Teams don't even throw to his side of the field, and there's no doubt that he'll be on Bowe all game. This doesn't bode well for me, but I can't bench Bowe; he's too good of a player, and there's still a chance he gets an opening in the red zone and vultures a TD. Smother's relying on the Texans combo of Johnson and Walter, which isn't that bad of a play. Their problem is that they've got Sage Rosenfels throwing them the ball, which isn't doing them any favors. Same goes for Lee Evans; he's only doing as well as Trent Edwards is doing, which usually isn't very good. But Dustin Keller scares me a bit. I've gone back to Kevin Boss in the hopes of vulturing some TD's, but Favre is looking for Keller every time he drops back. While he hasn't been getting the TD's, he is getting the yards, which, for at TE in fantasy, can sometimes be just as good.
DEF/K: Not much to say here other than my D is playing his QB, and his D is playing my QB. Funny how that works out. And Elam should get more chances to score than Bryant this week. And if not, they're still just kickers.
So, this could be another loss. I've got the edge at RB, but he's got me at QB, WR (only slightly), and TE. This is the final week of the regular season and I'm going to make the playoffs (top 6 advance), but I don't want to limp into the post season. Going from 1st to 6th in two weeks wouldn't be good. But Smouther's got a strong team and getting a win will be tough. I think I take the close loss and drop and finish the regular season 9-4. Sucks, but as the Patsys (and my own fantasy team) taught us last year, the regular season means nothing. Its all the post season. Bring it on.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Pardoning Turkeys
In honor of the upcoming holiday:
"Aren't I gonna get a reputation for being soft on turkeys?"
"Aren't I gonna get a reputation for being soft on turkeys?"
Friday, November 21, 2008
Fantasy Football Failure: Week 12
How do I keep winning? I have 2 guys that put up zeros last week, and I still manage to eke out the win 89-83 over Tina's Eli's Coming team. Marion Barber returned to being Marion Barber, and Chris Johnson, while he didn't find the end zone, still put up some decent yardage. And Thigpen-Bowe hookup I needed? Happened twice. Love it, hope it keeps on happening.
So I'm now at 9-2, riding a 7 game win streak, and alone in first place (thank you Smouther, for beating Loizeaux). This week I'm up against the league's foreign correspondent, Rob, a.ka. Belgiumland Waffles.
QB: Tyler Thigpen vs. Jason Campbell
RB: Marion Barber vs. Larry Johnson
RB: Chris Johnson vs. Tim Hightower
RB/WR: Laveranues Coles vs. Donnie Avery
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Randy Moss
WR: Dwyane Bowe vs. Brandon Marshall
TE: Zach Miller vs. Antonio Gates
D/ST: Jets vs. Patriots
K: Matt Prater vs. Rob Bironas
QB: Thigpen's scored 19+ fantasy points each of the past 4 weeks; if he continues that streak, I'll be happy. He seems to have something going on with Dwyane Bowe, so while the Chiefs aren't winning many games (though I like them this week against Buffalo), they're still putting up good fantasy numbers. Campbell's been okay this year, but he's playing Seattle, so there's the chance he puts up big numbers. But I have faith in Tyler Thigpen.
RB: San Francisco's terrible, so Marion Barber should be poised for another big game. Chris Johnson's up against the Jets D, which isn't the easist team to run on, but I'm hoping he get at least one touchdown, either running or receiving. Larry Johnson's done nothing this year, but he's also probably good for at least one TD against Buffalo (just as long as it comes a Thigpen pass). And I don't expect anything out of Tim Hightower. He was flash in the a pan and unless he scores a long run, he's not getting the goalline carries (those are going to J.J. Arrington, who's currently residing on my bench and could end up in the flex slot).
WR/TE: San Diego has no pass defense, so, like Marion Barber, I expect a big game from Reggie Wayne. It looks like he and Peyton Manning are back on track, so that means lots of yards and lots of scores. I've already mentioned Dwyane Bowe; I'm loving him and Thigpen, and that should continue at home against the Bills. And I've got Coles in the flex slot because, well... I don't know why. Since he's huge 3 TD game back in Week 4 (when I had him on the bench), he's only scored 1 more TD (back in Week 8). There's always that chance that Favre will find him in the end zone, but that just hasn't been happening; Favre's been throwing too many picks and the Jets offense is going through Thomas Jones and the running game. So I'm pretty certain I'll be benching Coles in favor of J.J. Arrington (as mentioned above), but that'll be a gameday decision. Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall will most certainly put up numbers comperable to Wayne and Bowe, so that's a wash. But I expect nothing from Donnie Avery simply because he plays for the Rams. He had a couple good games earlier in the year, but not much since, so no worries. I've come to accept that whoever I start at TE will garner me 0 points, so anything positive I take as a win. And besides, whoever I throw out there won't be able to match Antonio Gates anyway, so its pretty much just a coin flip.
DEF/K: I need the Jets to intercept Kerry Collins mulitple times and record a dozen sacks, but let Chris Johson get two scores; that would be ideal. And Rob doens't have a DEF in play right now, but he just dropped the Browns D for the Pats, so I imagine he'll make the change before kickoff Sunday. I've got Prater back at K because the Broncos are playing the Raiders, so there should be ample scoring opportunities, both PAT's and field goals. And Bironas should get a lot of work because the reality is, Jets-Titans will most likely be a defensive battle with few touchdowns and a lot more field goal tries.
In summary, I think I get the win over Beglium (yes, the entire country), run the win streak to 8 games, and remain in first place. I have to admit, this season is playing out very similar to last season, and that's not a good thing for me. Last year, I finished with the best record (12-2) and the most points scored, but I got bounced in the playoffs when none of my guys player a whole lot in the final weeks of the season. So I'm hoping for a slightly different result this year.
So I'm now at 9-2, riding a 7 game win streak, and alone in first place (thank you Smouther, for beating Loizeaux). This week I'm up against the league's foreign correspondent, Rob, a.ka. Belgiumland Waffles.
QB: Tyler Thigpen vs. Jason Campbell
RB: Marion Barber vs. Larry Johnson
RB: Chris Johnson vs. Tim Hightower
RB/WR: Laveranues Coles vs. Donnie Avery
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Randy Moss
WR: Dwyane Bowe vs. Brandon Marshall
TE: Zach Miller vs. Antonio Gates
D/ST: Jets vs. Patriots
K: Matt Prater vs. Rob Bironas
QB: Thigpen's scored 19+ fantasy points each of the past 4 weeks; if he continues that streak, I'll be happy. He seems to have something going on with Dwyane Bowe, so while the Chiefs aren't winning many games (though I like them this week against Buffalo), they're still putting up good fantasy numbers. Campbell's been okay this year, but he's playing Seattle, so there's the chance he puts up big numbers. But I have faith in Tyler Thigpen.
RB: San Francisco's terrible, so Marion Barber should be poised for another big game. Chris Johnson's up against the Jets D, which isn't the easist team to run on, but I'm hoping he get at least one touchdown, either running or receiving. Larry Johnson's done nothing this year, but he's also probably good for at least one TD against Buffalo (just as long as it comes a Thigpen pass). And I don't expect anything out of Tim Hightower. He was flash in the a pan and unless he scores a long run, he's not getting the goalline carries (those are going to J.J. Arrington, who's currently residing on my bench and could end up in the flex slot).
WR/TE: San Diego has no pass defense, so, like Marion Barber, I expect a big game from Reggie Wayne. It looks like he and Peyton Manning are back on track, so that means lots of yards and lots of scores. I've already mentioned Dwyane Bowe; I'm loving him and Thigpen, and that should continue at home against the Bills. And I've got Coles in the flex slot because, well... I don't know why. Since he's huge 3 TD game back in Week 4 (when I had him on the bench), he's only scored 1 more TD (back in Week 8). There's always that chance that Favre will find him in the end zone, but that just hasn't been happening; Favre's been throwing too many picks and the Jets offense is going through Thomas Jones and the running game. So I'm pretty certain I'll be benching Coles in favor of J.J. Arrington (as mentioned above), but that'll be a gameday decision. Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall will most certainly put up numbers comperable to Wayne and Bowe, so that's a wash. But I expect nothing from Donnie Avery simply because he plays for the Rams. He had a couple good games earlier in the year, but not much since, so no worries. I've come to accept that whoever I start at TE will garner me 0 points, so anything positive I take as a win. And besides, whoever I throw out there won't be able to match Antonio Gates anyway, so its pretty much just a coin flip.
DEF/K: I need the Jets to intercept Kerry Collins mulitple times and record a dozen sacks, but let Chris Johson get two scores; that would be ideal. And Rob doens't have a DEF in play right now, but he just dropped the Browns D for the Pats, so I imagine he'll make the change before kickoff Sunday. I've got Prater back at K because the Broncos are playing the Raiders, so there should be ample scoring opportunities, both PAT's and field goals. And Bironas should get a lot of work because the reality is, Jets-Titans will most likely be a defensive battle with few touchdowns and a lot more field goal tries.
In summary, I think I get the win over Beglium (yes, the entire country), run the win streak to 8 games, and remain in first place. I have to admit, this season is playing out very similar to last season, and that's not a good thing for me. Last year, I finished with the best record (12-2) and the most points scored, but I got bounced in the playoffs when none of my guys player a whole lot in the final weeks of the season. So I'm hoping for a slightly different result this year.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
White Death
Flurries dusted the Greater Cincinnati area this morning, so in honor of Jim Borgman:
I get the feeling that its going to be a long winter around here.
I get the feeling that its going to be a long winter around here.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Letter To The Commissioner
Dear Commissioner Roger Goodell-
You need to change the NFL's overtime rules now. In fact, you needed to change them when you first took over the Paul Tagliabue. But that ship's sailed. So you need to deal with it now.
Bengals 13 Eagles 13 is unacceptable. Ties should not be an option in the NFL. Don't tell me that its only the first one since 2002; its not about how often it happens, its about the fact that it should never happen. So much in the league relies a team's record, from playoff standings to draft order- why add unnecessary confusion into the mix with the possibility of ties? What's gained by not having a definite winner?
Basketball doesn't have ties. Baseball doesn't have ties (well, except for the All-Star game, until that worked out so well for you friend Bud he was forced to change it- you want that kind of backlash?). Hockey had ties until they finally realized that not having a winner was a bad thing and changed it. Are you saying that Gary Bettman, a.k.a. the worst commissioner in sports, has more sense than you do? There aren't ties in either high school football or college football. There aren't even ties in Canadian football. CANDADIAN FOOTBALL!! Even the Canucks know that football shouldn't end with both teams having the same score.
So what's the hold up, Roger? Why hasn't the NFL adopted a form of the high school/college overtime system? Will it hurt your revenue numbers (since everything in the league is run by the almighty dollar)? Does the idea of giving each team a fair shot at the endzone to determine a definative winner bother you in some way? Seriously, what's your damage?
Here's your solution: take the college overtime rules and make two changes- one, move the starting line back from the 25 to the 35 yard line, and two, make offenses go for the 2-point conversion starting with the second overtime instead of the third. Problem solved.
Commissioner, get your head out of your ass, convince the owners this is the right move, and make it happen.
Respectfully (for the most part),
GiantAsianMan
You need to change the NFL's overtime rules now. In fact, you needed to change them when you first took over the Paul Tagliabue. But that ship's sailed. So you need to deal with it now.
Bengals 13 Eagles 13 is unacceptable. Ties should not be an option in the NFL. Don't tell me that its only the first one since 2002; its not about how often it happens, its about the fact that it should never happen. So much in the league relies a team's record, from playoff standings to draft order- why add unnecessary confusion into the mix with the possibility of ties? What's gained by not having a definite winner?
Basketball doesn't have ties. Baseball doesn't have ties (well, except for the All-Star game, until that worked out so well for you friend Bud he was forced to change it- you want that kind of backlash?). Hockey had ties until they finally realized that not having a winner was a bad thing and changed it. Are you saying that Gary Bettman, a.k.a. the worst commissioner in sports, has more sense than you do? There aren't ties in either high school football or college football. There aren't even ties in Canadian football. CANDADIAN FOOTBALL!! Even the Canucks know that football shouldn't end with both teams having the same score.
So what's the hold up, Roger? Why hasn't the NFL adopted a form of the high school/college overtime system? Will it hurt your revenue numbers (since everything in the league is run by the almighty dollar)? Does the idea of giving each team a fair shot at the endzone to determine a definative winner bother you in some way? Seriously, what's your damage?
Here's your solution: take the college overtime rules and make two changes- one, move the starting line back from the 25 to the 35 yard line, and two, make offenses go for the 2-point conversion starting with the second overtime instead of the third. Problem solved.
Commissioner, get your head out of your ass, convince the owners this is the right move, and make it happen.
Respectfully (for the most part),
GiantAsianMan
Now I'm THAT Guy
I know who I am; I'm "the big Asian guy." I accepted this a long time ago because there was nothing I could do about it. When people meet me, that's typically what they remember, especially people like friends of a friend, people I may run into only once or twice a year. When I see them again, they remember me because I'm "the big Asian guy," and that's it. But last night, I was remembered for something else.
Last night at a friend's house, I ran into one of these friends of a friend who I've only met a couple of times. It had been a while, but I remembered meeting her. When my friend asked if we'd meet before, this friend of a friend answered:
"Yeah, I think we met at New Year's last year. We had a conversation about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis."
That's right, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. If I'm not going to be remembered as just "the big Asian guy," I want to be remembered as "the guy who talked to you about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis." Done and done.
Last night at a friend's house, I ran into one of these friends of a friend who I've only met a couple of times. It had been a while, but I remembered meeting her. When my friend asked if we'd meet before, this friend of a friend answered:
"Yeah, I think we met at New Year's last year. We had a conversation about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis."
That's right, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. If I'm not going to be remembered as just "the big Asian guy," I want to be remembered as "the guy who talked to you about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis." Done and done.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Fantasy Football Failure: Week 11
Another sad week for my RB's- Chris Johnson and Kevin Faulk combined for a grand total of 1 point. Thankfully, the Jets D played St. Louis and scored 25 points to pick up the slack. Ralph had two guys put up 0 points and I still only won the week 83-70, which was considerably closer than I had imagined. Willis McGahee went from "questionable" to having a monster game, which was unexpected. But David Garrard had a decent game (18 points) and so did Reggie Wayne, again (17 points), which was good to see.
Down The Drain won big last week, so we're still tied for first at 8-2, but the "points scored" gap has increased to 839-783 (note: I'm 7th in "points scored" but I have the fewest "points against" at 600). Week 11 brings a serious challenge in Tina's 6-4 Eli's Coming team.
QB: Tyler Thigpen vs. Kurt Warner
RB: Marion Barber vs. Brandon Jacobs
RB: Chris Johnson vs. Matt Forte
RB/WR: Earnest Graham vs. Anthony Gonzales
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Kevin Curtis
WR: Dwayne Bowe vs. Marvin Harrison
TE: Kevin Boss vs. Jason Witten
D/ST: Jets vs. Eagles
K: Jason Elam vs. John Carney
QB: I've made another change at QB; I'm going with Tyler Thigpen. Yes, Tyler Thigpen. Look, I love David Garrard, but I think Thigpen's the better play this week. Garrard is up against undefeated Tennessee and Thigpen, who's had 20+ fantasy points the past 3 weeks, is up against underachieving New Orleans. I think Thigpen gives me the best chance for point, which I'm going to need against MVP candidate Kurt Warner. Warner's having a John Travoltta in Pulp Fiction type comeback right now, and its mind boggling. He's at Seattle, which shouldn't be too hard for him to put up big numbers. I hope I can keep it close here.
RB: My RB's have been pretty disappointing lately. What I need is for Tony freakin'-Romo to come back and start throwing the ball downfield to establish that yes, the Cowboys having a passing game once more. If this happens, the field should open up for Marion Barber to be Marion Barber again. Also, I don't think the Titan's running game will be shut down again like it was last week, so Chris Johnson should be okay. Earnest Graham is currently "questionable" with a knee injury, so if it turns out he can't go, I'll have Vincent Jackson in at the flex position. Its pretty rare for me to be the underdog at RB, but I am to Tina. Barber and Johnson are currently the #8 and #9 fantasy RB's; Matt Forte and Brandon Jacobs are #3 and #7. Tina's guys have been more consistant than mine, so I don't expect either Forte or Jacobs to have an off week.
WR/TE: First off, welcome back Reggie Wayne. Three straight crappy weeks and I thought about benching Wayne; good think I didn't. I'm going with Dwayne Bowe over Laveranues Coles this week because a)I'm already riding the Tyler Thigpen bandwagon and b)tonight's Jets-Pats game is forcasted to be a rainly slop-fest. Besides, Coles has had only one good week in the past 5, so I'm feeling okay sitting him. And as long as Peyton Manning throws to Wayne and not to Anthony Gonzalez or Marvin Harrison, I should be okay here. Harrison is struggling big time right now, but he's still Marvin Harrison, so he could break out at any point, and Gonzalez is still the 4th option in that offense (behind Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Harrison), so I don't expect much from these guys. The Eagles have the Bengals this week, so I expect Kevin Curtis (along with the rest of the Eagles) to find the end zone at least once each. At TE, I picked up Kevin Boss because he's got a TD in 3 straight games, so hopefully Eli Manning wil continue to look his way in the red zone. Tina's got Jason Witten, who should be back to his usual self after a bye week and the return of Romo.
DEF/K: Like I mentioned above, the weather for tonight's Jets-Pats game is expected to be nasty. Nasty weather usually favors the defense (unless you're playing Gale Sayers), so I'm hoping for some decent points from the Jets D (though I surely don't expect another 25 point performance). Again, the Eagles are at Cincinnati, so they're sure to put up some fantasy points. And all I'll say about kickers is that Jason Elam (who scored a solid 10 points last week) is currently "questionable", so if he can't go, I'll drop Matt Prater (who's fallen off lately as the Broncos offense has faded).
On paper, I think I'm behind in this matchup and unlike the past three weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if my win streak (up to 6 right now) comes to an end. I think it'll come down to the RB's; if my guys (all of them, not just one) show and play to the level they're supposed to, I'll be in a good position to get the win (a few TD's from Thigpen to Bowe wouldn't hurt either). But we'll see, this week should be close.
Down The Drain won big last week, so we're still tied for first at 8-2, but the "points scored" gap has increased to 839-783 (note: I'm 7th in "points scored" but I have the fewest "points against" at 600). Week 11 brings a serious challenge in Tina's 6-4 Eli's Coming team.
QB: Tyler Thigpen vs. Kurt Warner
RB: Marion Barber vs. Brandon Jacobs
RB: Chris Johnson vs. Matt Forte
RB/WR: Earnest Graham vs. Anthony Gonzales
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Kevin Curtis
WR: Dwayne Bowe vs. Marvin Harrison
TE: Kevin Boss vs. Jason Witten
D/ST: Jets vs. Eagles
K: Jason Elam vs. John Carney
QB: I've made another change at QB; I'm going with Tyler Thigpen. Yes, Tyler Thigpen. Look, I love David Garrard, but I think Thigpen's the better play this week. Garrard is up against undefeated Tennessee and Thigpen, who's had 20+ fantasy points the past 3 weeks, is up against underachieving New Orleans. I think Thigpen gives me the best chance for point, which I'm going to need against MVP candidate Kurt Warner. Warner's having a John Travoltta in Pulp Fiction type comeback right now, and its mind boggling. He's at Seattle, which shouldn't be too hard for him to put up big numbers. I hope I can keep it close here.
RB: My RB's have been pretty disappointing lately. What I need is for Tony freakin'-Romo to come back and start throwing the ball downfield to establish that yes, the Cowboys having a passing game once more. If this happens, the field should open up for Marion Barber to be Marion Barber again. Also, I don't think the Titan's running game will be shut down again like it was last week, so Chris Johnson should be okay. Earnest Graham is currently "questionable" with a knee injury, so if it turns out he can't go, I'll have Vincent Jackson in at the flex position. Its pretty rare for me to be the underdog at RB, but I am to Tina. Barber and Johnson are currently the #8 and #9 fantasy RB's; Matt Forte and Brandon Jacobs are #3 and #7. Tina's guys have been more consistant than mine, so I don't expect either Forte or Jacobs to have an off week.
WR/TE: First off, welcome back Reggie Wayne. Three straight crappy weeks and I thought about benching Wayne; good think I didn't. I'm going with Dwayne Bowe over Laveranues Coles this week because a)I'm already riding the Tyler Thigpen bandwagon and b)tonight's Jets-Pats game is forcasted to be a rainly slop-fest. Besides, Coles has had only one good week in the past 5, so I'm feeling okay sitting him. And as long as Peyton Manning throws to Wayne and not to Anthony Gonzalez or Marvin Harrison, I should be okay here. Harrison is struggling big time right now, but he's still Marvin Harrison, so he could break out at any point, and Gonzalez is still the 4th option in that offense (behind Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Harrison), so I don't expect much from these guys. The Eagles have the Bengals this week, so I expect Kevin Curtis (along with the rest of the Eagles) to find the end zone at least once each. At TE, I picked up Kevin Boss because he's got a TD in 3 straight games, so hopefully Eli Manning wil continue to look his way in the red zone. Tina's got Jason Witten, who should be back to his usual self after a bye week and the return of Romo.
DEF/K: Like I mentioned above, the weather for tonight's Jets-Pats game is expected to be nasty. Nasty weather usually favors the defense (unless you're playing Gale Sayers), so I'm hoping for some decent points from the Jets D (though I surely don't expect another 25 point performance). Again, the Eagles are at Cincinnati, so they're sure to put up some fantasy points. And all I'll say about kickers is that Jason Elam (who scored a solid 10 points last week) is currently "questionable", so if he can't go, I'll drop Matt Prater (who's fallen off lately as the Broncos offense has faded).
On paper, I think I'm behind in this matchup and unlike the past three weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if my win streak (up to 6 right now) comes to an end. I think it'll come down to the RB's; if my guys (all of them, not just one) show and play to the level they're supposed to, I'll be in a good position to get the win (a few TD's from Thigpen to Bowe wouldn't hurt either). But we'll see, this week should be close.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Okay, This Has To Stop
Seriously, its just getting ridiculous.
Barack Obama was the inspiration for the character of Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) during the final seasons of The West Wing- we get it. And throughout the campaign, there were several other similarities to the show, from the difficult nomination process to the Republican opponent. Its a neat story and for uber-fans of The West Wing like me, its kind of cool to follow. But now its just going too far.
Turns out, Barack Obama's newly named Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, was the inspiration for The West Wing character of Josh Lyman (played by Bradely Whitford). Given that most, if not all, of the main characters from The West Wing were based on members of President Clinton's staff, this isn't all that surprising. For the non-West Wing fans, Josh Lyman was the Deputy Chief of Staff for President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) who eventually left the White House to convince then-unknown Congressman Matt Santos to run for President. Josh ended up running the Santos campagin, and after they won the election, Santos named Josh, yup, you guessed it, Chief of Staff.
No joke- Joe Biden, call your cardiologist, get checked out.
Again, this just has to stop.
Barack Obama was the inspiration for the character of Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) during the final seasons of The West Wing- we get it. And throughout the campaign, there were several other similarities to the show, from the difficult nomination process to the Republican opponent. Its a neat story and for uber-fans of The West Wing like me, its kind of cool to follow. But now its just going too far.
Turns out, Barack Obama's newly named Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, was the inspiration for The West Wing character of Josh Lyman (played by Bradely Whitford). Given that most, if not all, of the main characters from The West Wing were based on members of President Clinton's staff, this isn't all that surprising. For the non-West Wing fans, Josh Lyman was the Deputy Chief of Staff for President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) who eventually left the White House to convince then-unknown Congressman Matt Santos to run for President. Josh ended up running the Santos campagin, and after they won the election, Santos named Josh, yup, you guessed it, Chief of Staff.
No joke- Joe Biden, call your cardiologist, get checked out.
Again, this just has to stop.
Being Aware Of History As It Happens
A comic by Jim Borgman from back in the summer:
Politics really isn't my forte, so I tend to say out of the conversation. I know what I believe in and I don't really care about your opinion, not because I believe that you are wrong but because I believe differing opinions is the basis upon which this country was founded. The two-party system (or, at least the non-single party) ensures that the minority opinion is always heard, regardless of which party happens to be in the minority (and if that sounds like something out of The West Wing, it is). Now, I get the concept of "unity" and all that, but there's a difference between "falling in line" and "working together." "Working together" is what politicians need to do- accept that they differ in ideology but still work toward a common goal. Now, we all know that rarely happens in Washington, but ideally, that's how it would work. However, I never understood the concept of "falling in line" behind a candidate you don't support. I don't believe you need to support your president just because he (or she, someday) is the President. As a democrat, I never supported President Bush, so why should John McCain's supporters back Barack Obama? Why shouldn't they hold onto their beliefs and stand firm on their issues? They're entitled to their opinions (this is America afterall), and they should stand by them (although, it was a little classless for them to boo Obama during McCain's concession speech, not because they shouldn't boo if they believe it, but because it just makes your candidate look bad). However we may disagree, the minority opinion is important in America (though I'd be lying if I didn't say it feel good to finally be in the majority).
Anyway, I don't want this post to be about politics; I want it to be about the event. For him or against him, its obvious to everyone that the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America is historic. Regardless of what happens while he's in office, the event of his election is what will be remembered. And what I mean by that is, Jackie Robinson was an incredible baseball player, but his numbers on the field get shadowed (as they should) by his status as the first African-American player in professional baseball. Him being the Majors is far more important and more widely remembered than any of his stats.
Its rare to live through history and be aware of it as its happening. Many people feel that Tuesday's election will become a "where were you" moment in history, and I tend to agree. Usually, events of such magnitude are tragic, like Pearl Harbor, the assassination of Predident Kennedy, or September 11th, but thankfully that't not always the case. I remember talking to my dad about the Apollo 11 moon landing when I was younger; he was working at a motel in State College, PA that night and he remembers letting himself into an empty room and watching the telecast. I think at the time he told me this story he even remembered what room he was in. Moments like that are too few and far between. But I guess if they happened everyday, they wouldn't be worth remembering.
I'm glad Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. I'm glad I went down to Nippert Stadium on November 2 to see him speak in person. I'm glad that when I'm older, I'll be able to say that I was alive when America elected a racial minority to the highest office in the land. It makes me proud, both as a minority and as an American. Great day to be alive.
One final note- as a rabid fan of The West Wing, I find the parallels between this campagin season and that of the shows final years simply mind boggling. I'm sure there are websites out there that have driven the comparisons to death, but I am still amused at how life can imitate art, which was imitating life to begin with. Here's hoping that life doesn't imiate art too much and that Joe Biden doesn't suffer a massive heart attack between now and Inaguration Day. Though if John McCain is named Secretary of State, I might start to get concerned.
Politics really isn't my forte, so I tend to say out of the conversation. I know what I believe in and I don't really care about your opinion, not because I believe that you are wrong but because I believe differing opinions is the basis upon which this country was founded. The two-party system (or, at least the non-single party) ensures that the minority opinion is always heard, regardless of which party happens to be in the minority (and if that sounds like something out of The West Wing, it is). Now, I get the concept of "unity" and all that, but there's a difference between "falling in line" and "working together." "Working together" is what politicians need to do- accept that they differ in ideology but still work toward a common goal. Now, we all know that rarely happens in Washington, but ideally, that's how it would work. However, I never understood the concept of "falling in line" behind a candidate you don't support. I don't believe you need to support your president just because he (or she, someday) is the President. As a democrat, I never supported President Bush, so why should John McCain's supporters back Barack Obama? Why shouldn't they hold onto their beliefs and stand firm on their issues? They're entitled to their opinions (this is America afterall), and they should stand by them (although, it was a little classless for them to boo Obama during McCain's concession speech, not because they shouldn't boo if they believe it, but because it just makes your candidate look bad). However we may disagree, the minority opinion is important in America (though I'd be lying if I didn't say it feel good to finally be in the majority).Anyway, I don't want this post to be about politics; I want it to be about the event. For him or against him, its obvious to everyone that the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America is historic. Regardless of what happens while he's in office, the event of his election is what will be remembered. And what I mean by that is, Jackie Robinson was an incredible baseball player, but his numbers on the field get shadowed (as they should) by his status as the first African-American player in professional baseball. Him being the Majors is far more important and more widely remembered than any of his stats.
Its rare to live through history and be aware of it as its happening. Many people feel that Tuesday's election will become a "where were you" moment in history, and I tend to agree. Usually, events of such magnitude are tragic, like Pearl Harbor, the assassination of Predident Kennedy, or September 11th, but thankfully that't not always the case. I remember talking to my dad about the Apollo 11 moon landing when I was younger; he was working at a motel in State College, PA that night and he remembers letting himself into an empty room and watching the telecast. I think at the time he told me this story he even remembered what room he was in. Moments like that are too few and far between. But I guess if they happened everyday, they wouldn't be worth remembering.
I'm glad Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. I'm glad I went down to Nippert Stadium on November 2 to see him speak in person. I'm glad that when I'm older, I'll be able to say that I was alive when America elected a racial minority to the highest office in the land. It makes me proud, both as a minority and as an American. Great day to be alive.
One final note- as a rabid fan of The West Wing, I find the parallels between this campagin season and that of the shows final years simply mind boggling. I'm sure there are websites out there that have driven the comparisons to death, but I am still amused at how life can imitate art, which was imitating life to begin with. Here's hoping that life doesn't imiate art too much and that Joe Biden doesn't suffer a massive heart attack between now and Inaguration Day. Though if John McCain is named Secretary of State, I might start to get concerned.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Fantasy Football Failure: Week 10
In my Week 9 match up, you're name had to be "C. Johnson" if you wanted to score any points. On my team, I had Chris Johnson, who went for 89 yards rushing with a touchdown and 72 yards receiving (21 points). Rebec had Chad Johnson, who only had 39 yards receiving, but had 2 touchdowns (15 points). No one else on either of our teams made it into double digits. Thankfully, my team still did consderable better than her's did; aside from Chad, her other 6 skill position players totaled 5 points, meaning Chris Johnson alone beat 7 of her players. After that, its not too hard to pull out the win. Final score for the week, 61-34.
I got the win and stayed in a tie for first place (with Down The Drain, at 7-2), but my relatively low-scoring week put me behind in total points scored, 723-700. Week 10 sees me up against Ralph's team (man, when was the last time we call him "Ralph"? 2000?), Beall Blockers. It appears that Ralph is another guy in our league that hasn't been paying much (if any) attention to his team.
QB: David Garrard vs. Derek Anderson
RB: Chris Johnson vs. Steven Jackson
RB: Kevin Faulk vs. Willis McGahee
RB/WR: Dwayne Bowe vs. LenDale White
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Plaxico Burress
WR: Laveranues Coles vs. Hines Ward
TE: Zack Miller vs. Jeremey Shockey
D/ST: Jets vs. Titans
K: Jason Elam vs. Phil Dawson
QB: Sign #1 that Ralph may not be paying attention to his fantasy team- Derek Anderson is no longer a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Brady Quinn Era begins tonight in the Armpit of Ohio (otherwise known as Cleveland), so unless Quinn pull a Greg Oden and gets hurt in his first start, Anderson should register all of zero points. Eventhough there's no competition at this posision this wee, I still hope David Garrard can do better this week against the winles Lions than he did last week against the then-winless Bengals (we got a win, go us) because I need the point to overtake Loizeaux's Down The Drain team.
RB: Both Steven Jackson and Willis McGahee are listed as "questionable" this week, so who knows what to expect from them. Neither guy played last week, and while it looks like McGahee is good to go, there's no way he a)get the start over or b)gets more touches than Ray Rice. Jackson said he was ready last week and ended up being out at the last minute, so he's probably a game time again this week. So I don't know what to expect fantasy wise from these guys, but I'd bet it isn't much. On the other hand, I know exactly what to expect from LenDale White- he'll be stealing Chris Johnson's touchdowns. White has filled the void left by Mike Allstott's retirement as the league's top "touchdown vulture." Chris Johnson gets the yards, White gets the goalline carries. At least Johnson also gets a fair share of receiveing yards, so there's more opportunity for him to find the end zone.
WR/TE: Burress and Ward, I bet both go for 50 to 60 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Not spectacular, not terrible. In fact, I think those will be the number for my receivers as well, Bowe, Wayne, and Coles. I'm actually up in the are about my receivers, especially Reggie Wayne, which is kind of shocking. He should be the best, most consistent of my receivers, but the Colts (and Peyton Manning) are struggling, and Wayne's numbers have suffered. I've got Vincent Jackson on the bench (who pretty much goes for 50 yards every week, and has a 50/50 chance of scoring a touchdown as well), so I may end up subing out Wayne for Jackson. I'll make the final decision Sunday morning. As for TE's, Shcckey's still working his way back from injury and Miller, in the Raiders pathetic office, will probably once again score 0 points.
DEF/K: I've made changes here, not that it matter much. I picked up the Jets D, hoping they can score some points against the still-kind-of-hapless Rams, but I'm up against the Titans D, which is the second highest scoring fantasy D in the league (and probably the best "actual" D). I've also decided to go back to Elam as my kicker because it looks like the Falcons offense is giving him more opportunities than the Denver offense was giving Matt Prater.
With Derek Anderson's zero points tonight to start off the football weekend, my hope is that Ralph also gets nothing (or next to nothing) from Steven Jackson, McGahee, and Shockey, thus leaving only 5 player that I have to worry about beating. Because of that, I am cautiously optimisitic about a sixth straight win and staying in first place.
I got the win and stayed in a tie for first place (with Down The Drain, at 7-2), but my relatively low-scoring week put me behind in total points scored, 723-700. Week 10 sees me up against Ralph's team (man, when was the last time we call him "Ralph"? 2000?), Beall Blockers. It appears that Ralph is another guy in our league that hasn't been paying much (if any) attention to his team.
QB: David Garrard vs. Derek Anderson
RB: Chris Johnson vs. Steven Jackson
RB: Kevin Faulk vs. Willis McGahee
RB/WR: Dwayne Bowe vs. LenDale White
WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Plaxico Burress
WR: Laveranues Coles vs. Hines Ward
TE: Zack Miller vs. Jeremey Shockey
D/ST: Jets vs. Titans
K: Jason Elam vs. Phil Dawson
QB: Sign #1 that Ralph may not be paying attention to his fantasy team- Derek Anderson is no longer a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Brady Quinn Era begins tonight in the Armpit of Ohio (otherwise known as Cleveland), so unless Quinn pull a Greg Oden and gets hurt in his first start, Anderson should register all of zero points. Eventhough there's no competition at this posision this wee, I still hope David Garrard can do better this week against the winles Lions than he did last week against the then-winless Bengals (we got a win, go us) because I need the point to overtake Loizeaux's Down The Drain team.
RB: Both Steven Jackson and Willis McGahee are listed as "questionable" this week, so who knows what to expect from them. Neither guy played last week, and while it looks like McGahee is good to go, there's no way he a)get the start over or b)gets more touches than Ray Rice. Jackson said he was ready last week and ended up being out at the last minute, so he's probably a game time again this week. So I don't know what to expect fantasy wise from these guys, but I'd bet it isn't much. On the other hand, I know exactly what to expect from LenDale White- he'll be stealing Chris Johnson's touchdowns. White has filled the void left by Mike Allstott's retirement as the league's top "touchdown vulture." Chris Johnson gets the yards, White gets the goalline carries. At least Johnson also gets a fair share of receiveing yards, so there's more opportunity for him to find the end zone.
WR/TE: Burress and Ward, I bet both go for 50 to 60 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Not spectacular, not terrible. In fact, I think those will be the number for my receivers as well, Bowe, Wayne, and Coles. I'm actually up in the are about my receivers, especially Reggie Wayne, which is kind of shocking. He should be the best, most consistent of my receivers, but the Colts (and Peyton Manning) are struggling, and Wayne's numbers have suffered. I've got Vincent Jackson on the bench (who pretty much goes for 50 yards every week, and has a 50/50 chance of scoring a touchdown as well), so I may end up subing out Wayne for Jackson. I'll make the final decision Sunday morning. As for TE's, Shcckey's still working his way back from injury and Miller, in the Raiders pathetic office, will probably once again score 0 points.
DEF/K: I've made changes here, not that it matter much. I picked up the Jets D, hoping they can score some points against the still-kind-of-hapless Rams, but I'm up against the Titans D, which is the second highest scoring fantasy D in the league (and probably the best "actual" D). I've also decided to go back to Elam as my kicker because it looks like the Falcons offense is giving him more opportunities than the Denver offense was giving Matt Prater.
With Derek Anderson's zero points tonight to start off the football weekend, my hope is that Ralph also gets nothing (or next to nothing) from Steven Jackson, McGahee, and Shockey, thus leaving only 5 player that I have to worry about beating. Because of that, I am cautiously optimisitic about a sixth straight win and staying in first place.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day
A classic scene from The West Wing for Election Day:
I voted first thing this morning, before I went into work. I was hoping to avoid the long lines and mass chaos that's sure to ensue as we get later in day, and I think I did. I showed up at my polling place at 6:40 (polls opened at 6:30), and there were a fair number of people there, but not an outrageous number. I was inside by 6:50, voting just after 7:10, and out the door by 7:15. Thirty-five minutes, not that bad in my book. The only issue I had was with the parking. I voted at an elementary school, as I'm sure many people do, and there just isn't enough parking associated with an elementary school to handle election day traffic. People get pretty dumb when they are forced to start making up their own parking spaces; I'm surprised there weren't any accidents while I was there.
Anyway, go vote.
I voted first thing this morning, before I went into work. I was hoping to avoid the long lines and mass chaos that's sure to ensue as we get later in day, and I think I did. I showed up at my polling place at 6:40 (polls opened at 6:30), and there were a fair number of people there, but not an outrageous number. I was inside by 6:50, voting just after 7:10, and out the door by 7:15. Thirty-five minutes, not that bad in my book. The only issue I had was with the parking. I voted at an elementary school, as I'm sure many people do, and there just isn't enough parking associated with an elementary school to handle election day traffic. People get pretty dumb when they are forced to start making up their own parking spaces; I'm surprised there weren't any accidents while I was there.
Anyway, go vote.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The Dream Is Over
Bengals 21, Jaguars 19
Hope now rests with Detroit to accomplish the first 0-16 season in NFL history.
As for Cincinnati, the march to 8-8 starts here!
(Right.)
Hope now rests with Detroit to accomplish the first 0-16 season in NFL history.
As for Cincinnati, the march to 8-8 starts here!
(Right.)
Why The Bengals Will Always Fail.
Paul Daugherty lays it our perfectly.
Fans measure success by wins and losses. Mike Brown, according to Doc, measures success by profits, absolute control, and keeping the team in the family. On that criteria, he's been a success, and there's nothing in Mike Brown's history to dispute that claim. Who cares about winning when you're making money in spite of it?
For a little while there, when Marvin Lewis first got the job, that looked like things might have been changing. Shame on us. The Bengals will never be a successful franchise (and I mean actually successful, not "Mike Brown" successful) as long as the Brown family is in charge. And since he'll never sell the team, we'll never have a winner.
Fans measure success by wins and losses. Mike Brown, according to Doc, measures success by profits, absolute control, and keeping the team in the family. On that criteria, he's been a success, and there's nothing in Mike Brown's history to dispute that claim. Who cares about winning when you're making money in spite of it?
For a little while there, when Marvin Lewis first got the job, that looked like things might have been changing. Shame on us. The Bengals will never be a successful franchise (and I mean actually successful, not "Mike Brown" successful) as long as the Brown family is in charge. And since he'll never sell the team, we'll never have a winner.
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