The People's Pigskin had to sweat out the Monday night game, but the result was a 101-87 win over the Chicago VinSethBears. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team maintained its lead in the People's League with a 9-3 record. Here is the breakdown.
Peyton Manning, QB: 31 of 48 passing, 285 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and 11 fantasy points. Manning had one of the worst outings of his career on Sunday night. At one point, a San Diego Charger knocked Manning down by shoving a guard into him.
Michael Turner, RB: 23 rushes for 110 yards, 1 reception for 4 yards, 1 touchdown and 17 fantasy points. Turner and the Atlanta Falcons just keep rolling along.
Darren McFadden, RB: 8 rushes for 2 yards, 7 receptions for 63 yards and 6 fantasy points. It was a rough day to be any Oakland Raider not named Jacoby Ford.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 4 receptions for 81 yards, 1 rush for 15 yards, 1 touchdown and 15 fantasy points. It's surprising Johnson didn't get even more attention as the Lions tried to come back in the second half of their Thanksgiving beating by the New England Patriots.
Chad Ochocinco, WR: 4 receptions, 41 yards and 4 fantasy points. Is this the type of season Ochocinco for himself? This might be his answer.
Dwayne Bowe, Flex: 13 receptions, 170 yards, 3 touchdowns and 35 fantasy points. Bowe was the top-scoring receiver in fantasy football. Again.
Antonio Gates, TE: 4 receptions, 46 yards and 4 fantasy points. Yes, Gates was active for San Diego's Sunday night game. He just wasn't all that active.
Tennessee Titans, D/ST: 2 sacks, 20 points allowed and 2 fantasy points. The only fight the Titans defenders seemed to put up this week was the one Cortland Finnegan waged with Andre Johnson.
Olindo Mare, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 3 for 3 on extra points and 7 fantasy points. Mare did everything the Seattle Seahawks asked him to do on Sunday. They just didn't ask him to do nearly enough to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
Thanks again for your help this week, but our work isn't done yet. There's one week to go in the regular season, and the Pigskin has to face the t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Your votes will determine who starts against the cuervonaters, so please vote now. Thanks.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Quick Monday Evening Update (and Polls)
The ESPN pregame crew may be looking ahead to next week's clash between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, but we at the People's Pigskin certainly are not. We are still focused on this week's fantasy football matchup against the Chicago VinSethBears.
We currently hold a 101-77 lead, but this game isn't over yet. The VinSethBears have Michael Crabtree in Monday night's game against the Arizona Cardinals. If Crabtree scores 25 or more points, the VinSethBears will win. It's so simple, even this guy could figure it out.
In the meantime, it is time to start considering our lineup for next week. There are no Thursday night players on our roster, so these football polls will stay up until Sunday morning. Feel free to vote now, and enjoy tonight's game. And here are the results from our playoff poll.
[polldaddy poll=4161155]
We currently hold a 101-77 lead, but this game isn't over yet. The VinSethBears have Michael Crabtree in Monday night's game against the Arizona Cardinals. If Crabtree scores 25 or more points, the VinSethBears will win. It's so simple, even this guy could figure it out.
In the meantime, it is time to start considering our lineup for next week. There are no Thursday night players on our roster, so these football polls will stay up until Sunday morning. Feel free to vote now, and enjoy tonight's game. And here are the results from our playoff poll.
[polldaddy poll=4161155]
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The People's Choice - Week 12
Thanks for taking time out of your busy shopping weekend to cast votes for the People's Pigskin lineup. We now know (for the most part) who will start for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team this week against the Chicago VinSethBears.
Quarterback. Trends may come and go, but Peyton Manning just keeps on churning out poll wins. He'll start against the San Diego Chargers in the Sunday night game.
Running back/flex. This week, we asked you to fill three lineup spots with a single poll. Knowshon Moreno got some love, but not enough to unseat the triumvirate of Michael Turner (facing the Green Bay Packers early), Darren McFadden (facing the Miami Dolphins in the late afternoon) and Dwayne Bowe (taking the flex spot and facing the Seattle Seahawks in another late afternoon game).
Tight end. Here's why we said "for the most part" in the introduction. You, the Internet, voted for the tag team of Antonio Gates and Randy McMichael, who face Manning's Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. If Gates is healthy, he'll start. If not, McMichael will start.
There were no changes at kicker (Olindo Mare against the Kansas City Chiefs) or defense/special teams (the Tennessee Titans against the Houston Texans). And while we were stuffing our faces on Thanksgiving Day, the People's Pigskin was getting 19 points from Calvin Johnson and Chad Ochocinco.
Again, thanks for voting. The results appear below, and a new poll on the upcoming fantasy football playoff season is now available for voting. We'll be back with some results. In the meantime, enjoy the games.
[polldaddy poll=4147425] [polldaddy poll=4147440] [polldaddy poll=4147451] [polldaddy poll=4147453] [polldaddy poll=4147459]
Quarterback. Trends may come and go, but Peyton Manning just keeps on churning out poll wins. He'll start against the San Diego Chargers in the Sunday night game.
Running back/flex. This week, we asked you to fill three lineup spots with a single poll. Knowshon Moreno got some love, but not enough to unseat the triumvirate of Michael Turner (facing the Green Bay Packers early), Darren McFadden (facing the Miami Dolphins in the late afternoon) and Dwayne Bowe (taking the flex spot and facing the Seattle Seahawks in another late afternoon game).
Tight end. Here's why we said "for the most part" in the introduction. You, the Internet, voted for the tag team of Antonio Gates and Randy McMichael, who face Manning's Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. If Gates is healthy, he'll start. If not, McMichael will start.
There were no changes at kicker (Olindo Mare against the Kansas City Chiefs) or defense/special teams (the Tennessee Titans against the Houston Texans). And while we were stuffing our faces on Thanksgiving Day, the People's Pigskin was getting 19 points from Calvin Johnson and Chad Ochocinco.
Again, thanks for voting. The results appear below, and a new poll on the upcoming fantasy football playoff season is now available for voting. We'll be back with some results. In the meantime, enjoy the games.
[polldaddy poll=4147425] [polldaddy poll=4147440] [polldaddy poll=4147451] [polldaddy poll=4147453] [polldaddy poll=4147459]
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Fearless Predictions - Week 12
It's time once again to tell you which teams will prevail in this week's People's League fantasy football matchups. Over the last two weeks, the predictions have gone 6-4, raising our season record to 33-22.
People's Pigskin vs. Chicago VinSeth Bears. Michael Crabtree would give the VinSethBears the last word in this matchup, but by then, it shouldn't matter. The Pigskin should rack up enough points on Sunday to hold off any comeback.
Team z vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Hawks are fighting for a playoff berth, and they will fight hard this week. If Donald Brown can find the same holes that Knowshon Moreno found last week against the San Diego Chargers, he can lead the Hawks to a victory.
t-bay cuervonatersXXL vs. Fighting Amish. What's worse than getting only 5 points from your starting quarterback? Knowing that your opponent can respond with Michael Vick, who won't need to repeat his epic performance of two weeks ago to lead the Amith to a win here.
cowboys romero vs. nuckin' futs. The Cowboys gambled on getting a big lead with a bunch of players in the Thanksgiving Day games. That gamble has not paid off (witness the donuts from Dez Bryant, Jeremy Shockey and the Cowboys defense/special teams), and the Futs should be able to cruise to the victory as a result.
Feely Her Up... vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. This Monday night, Frank Gore gets the national spotlight all to himself. He should use it to maximum effect, and the Feelys should reap the benefits with an upset over the RedZone.
Remember that the lineup polls are still available for votes. We need you, the Internet, to decide who will fill the seven remaining spots in our starting roster. Thanks for voting. The results of our Thanksgiving poll appear below.
[polldaddy poll=4123038]
People's Pigskin vs. Chicago VinSeth Bears. Michael Crabtree would give the VinSethBears the last word in this matchup, but by then, it shouldn't matter. The Pigskin should rack up enough points on Sunday to hold off any comeback.
Team z vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Hawks are fighting for a playoff berth, and they will fight hard this week. If Donald Brown can find the same holes that Knowshon Moreno found last week against the San Diego Chargers, he can lead the Hawks to a victory.
t-bay cuervonatersXXL vs. Fighting Amish. What's worse than getting only 5 points from your starting quarterback? Knowing that your opponent can respond with Michael Vick, who won't need to repeat his epic performance of two weeks ago to lead the Amith to a win here.
cowboys romero vs. nuckin' futs. The Cowboys gambled on getting a big lead with a bunch of players in the Thanksgiving Day games. That gamble has not paid off (witness the donuts from Dez Bryant, Jeremy Shockey and the Cowboys defense/special teams), and the Futs should be able to cruise to the victory as a result.
Feely Her Up... vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. This Monday night, Frank Gore gets the national spotlight all to himself. He should use it to maximum effect, and the Feelys should reap the benefits with an upset over the RedZone.
Remember that the lineup polls are still available for votes. We need you, the Internet, to decide who will fill the seven remaining spots in our starting roster. Thanks for voting. The results of our Thanksgiving poll appear below.
[polldaddy poll=4123038]
Friday, November 26, 2010
A People's Pro Bowl - Part 2 (Defense/Special Teams)
In an earlier post, we discussed the ways fantasy football could help you make informed (and not knee-jerk) choices for the offensive teams for this year's Pro Bowl. Now, it's time to discuss the rest of the roster.
At this point, it would be useful to have access to a fantasy football league that uses individual defensive players, because it does a good job of showing you which players are actually getting work done in a typical game and which ones are simply taking advantage of their past glory to get camera time now.
Defensive end (3 players per conference). According to the ESPN IDP league I consulted, your AFC choices should be Jason Babin (116 points), Robert Mathis (113) and Dave Ball (98). In the NFC, it's Justin Tuck (156), Osi Umeniyora (135) and Trent Cole (133).
Defensive tackle (3). AFC: Haloti Ngata (115), Kyle Williams (108) and Ahtyba Rubin (108). NFC: Ndamukong Suh (126), Barry Cofield (87) and Darnell Dockett (79).
Outside linebacker (3). AFC: James Harrison (213), Cameron Wake (142) and Shaun Phillips (140). NFC: James Anderson (201), Chad Greenway (190) and Clay Matthews (158).
Inside linebacker (2). AFC: Jerod Mayo (212) and Lawrence Timmons (208). NFC: Patrick Willis (196) and London Fletcher (185).
Cornerback (3). AFC: Bryant McFadden (159), Cortland Finnegan (148) and Kelvin Hayden (136). NFC: DeAngelo Hall (187), Charles Woodson (162) and Terrell Thomas (159).
Strong safety (1). Donte Whitner (159) and LaRon Landry (184).
Free safety (1). T.J. Ward (172) and Kerry Rhodes (155).
Kicker (1): Sebastian Janikowski (89) and Matt Bryant (89).
Punter (1): For this category, we don't even need fantasy football. We can go straight to NFL.com's leader page. The current leaders by yards per punt are Shane Lechler (49) and Mat BcBriar (48.2).
Kick returner (1): Again, we can consult NFL.com. The leaders by total return yards are Brad Smith (992) and Stefan Logan (1,123).
Special teams player (1): OK, here's where the People's Pigskin can't really help you. Feel free to flip a coin or just vote for the player from your favorite team.
By using fantasy football as your guide, you can help keep the Pro Bowl from being a popularity contest or a referendum on which players are getting plenty of air time from the TV folks. You can make the Pro Bowl something that players earn.
We'll be back with the weekly predictions.
At this point, it would be useful to have access to a fantasy football league that uses individual defensive players, because it does a good job of showing you which players are actually getting work done in a typical game and which ones are simply taking advantage of their past glory to get camera time now.
Defensive end (3 players per conference). According to the ESPN IDP league I consulted, your AFC choices should be Jason Babin (116 points), Robert Mathis (113) and Dave Ball (98). In the NFC, it's Justin Tuck (156), Osi Umeniyora (135) and Trent Cole (133).
Defensive tackle (3). AFC: Haloti Ngata (115), Kyle Williams (108) and Ahtyba Rubin (108). NFC: Ndamukong Suh (126), Barry Cofield (87) and Darnell Dockett (79).
Outside linebacker (3). AFC: James Harrison (213), Cameron Wake (142) and Shaun Phillips (140). NFC: James Anderson (201), Chad Greenway (190) and Clay Matthews (158).
Inside linebacker (2). AFC: Jerod Mayo (212) and Lawrence Timmons (208). NFC: Patrick Willis (196) and London Fletcher (185).
Cornerback (3). AFC: Bryant McFadden (159), Cortland Finnegan (148) and Kelvin Hayden (136). NFC: DeAngelo Hall (187), Charles Woodson (162) and Terrell Thomas (159).
Strong safety (1). Donte Whitner (159) and LaRon Landry (184).
Free safety (1). T.J. Ward (172) and Kerry Rhodes (155).
Kicker (1): Sebastian Janikowski (89) and Matt Bryant (89).
Punter (1): For this category, we don't even need fantasy football. We can go straight to NFL.com's leader page. The current leaders by yards per punt are Shane Lechler (49) and Mat BcBriar (48.2).
Kick returner (1): Again, we can consult NFL.com. The leaders by total return yards are Brad Smith (992) and Stefan Logan (1,123).
Special teams player (1): OK, here's where the People's Pigskin can't really help you. Feel free to flip a coin or just vote for the player from your favorite team.
By using fantasy football as your guide, you can help keep the Pro Bowl from being a popularity contest or a referendum on which players are getting plenty of air time from the TV folks. You can make the Pro Bowl something that players earn.
We'll be back with the weekly predictions.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Before the Turkey, Some Results
This year, we at the People's Pigskin are thankful for many things, including health, happiness, family and friends. We are also thankful for you, the Internet, for coming through yet again to help us pick our roster.
Thanks to you, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team will have two players starting today in our matchup against the Chicago VinSethBears. You voted to start both Calvin Johnson (playing early against the New England Patriots) and Chad Ochocinco (playing tonight against the New York Jets). You also voted to pick up Shaun Hill to take Vince Young's spot on our roster. He will arrive too late to start for us, but he'll be available for future weeks. The poll results appear below.
Now, it's time to select the rest of our lineup. The polls are now open and will close Sunday morning. Please vote (but make sure you keep an eye on your bird while you do so), and have a happy Thanksgiving.
[polldaddy poll=4123044] [polldaddy poll=4138257] [polldaddy poll=4140739]
Thanks to you, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team will have two players starting today in our matchup against the Chicago VinSethBears. You voted to start both Calvin Johnson (playing early against the New England Patriots) and Chad Ochocinco (playing tonight against the New York Jets). You also voted to pick up Shaun Hill to take Vince Young's spot on our roster. He will arrive too late to start for us, but he'll be available for future weeks. The poll results appear below.
Now, it's time to select the rest of our lineup. The polls are now open and will close Sunday morning. Please vote (but make sure you keep an eye on your bird while you do so), and have a happy Thanksgiving.
[polldaddy poll=4123044] [polldaddy poll=4138257] [polldaddy poll=4140739]
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Looking Back at Homestead
We almost did it.
The People's Pitstop rose to 102nd in the Fans of From the Marbles league during the last race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up an impressive 294 points during the race at Homestead-Miami Raceway but fell just 2 spots short of the goal of finishing in the top 100 of our league.
We started the weekend with 8 qualifying bonus points. Here's how we finished.
Carl Edwards: Started 2nd, finished 1st, 190 laps led and 115 fantasy points. Now that's the way to finish a season. Edwards will have to get some attention early next season.
Jamie McMurray: Started 3rd, finished 21st and 53 fantasy points. McMurray was another driver who drew rave reviews late in the season, including praise from Darrell Waltrip.
Clint Bowyer: Started 17th, finished 12th and 68 fantasy points. Bowyer probably will spend the off-season wondering what would have happened if his car hadn't failed that inspection early in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Regan Smith: Started 10th, finished 17th and 58 fantasy points. The Sporting News takes a glass-half-full view of Smith: "He showed some strength in the Chase, twice tying a career best with 12th-place finishes."
As for the People's Pitstop, we might not have cracked the top 100, but we demonstrated that fantasy NASCAR is not exclusively for the "gearheads." In fact, you don't have to know a restrictor plate from the blue plate special to have a good time playing this game. So get out there and field a team of your own next season. We certainly will.
In the meantime, we have a fantasy football game to win, this time against the Chicago VinSethBears. There are four polls open, and they will stay open until Thursday morning. Please vote now. We'll be back with the results.
The People's Pitstop rose to 102nd in the Fans of From the Marbles league during the last race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up an impressive 294 points during the race at Homestead-Miami Raceway but fell just 2 spots short of the goal of finishing in the top 100 of our league.
We started the weekend with 8 qualifying bonus points. Here's how we finished.
Carl Edwards: Started 2nd, finished 1st, 190 laps led and 115 fantasy points. Now that's the way to finish a season. Edwards will have to get some attention early next season.
Jamie McMurray: Started 3rd, finished 21st and 53 fantasy points. McMurray was another driver who drew rave reviews late in the season, including praise from Darrell Waltrip.
Clint Bowyer: Started 17th, finished 12th and 68 fantasy points. Bowyer probably will spend the off-season wondering what would have happened if his car hadn't failed that inspection early in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Regan Smith: Started 10th, finished 17th and 58 fantasy points. The Sporting News takes a glass-half-full view of Smith: "He showed some strength in the Chase, twice tying a career best with 12th-place finishes."
As for the People's Pitstop, we might not have cracked the top 100, but we demonstrated that fantasy NASCAR is not exclusively for the "gearheads." In fact, you don't have to know a restrictor plate from the blue plate special to have a good time playing this game. So get out there and field a team of your own next season. We certainly will.
In the meantime, we have a fantasy football game to win, this time against the Chicago VinSethBears. There are four polls open, and they will stay open until Thursday morning. Please vote now. We'll be back with the results.
Overdue Updates (and Polls)
First of all, thanks for all your kind thoughts and words over the past few days. They were greatly appreciated. But now, we at the People's Pigskin have some updating to do.
We'll start with the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, which fell to the Hudson Valley Hawks by a score of 123-112. This lowers our record to 8-3 for the season. Here are the details.
Peyton Manning, QB: 38 of 52 passing, 396 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and 25 fantasy points. Manning's last interception was also the last time he touched the ball in the Indianapolis Colts loss to the New England Patriots.
Michael Turner, RB: 28 rushes for 131 yards, 1 reception for minus-4 yards, 1 touchdown and 19 fantasy points. Like Manning, Turner contributed enough to keep the People's Pigskin in the ballgame.
Darren McFadden, RB: 10 rushes for 14 yards, 2 receptions for 16 yards and 2 fantasy points. McFadden did not.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 6 receptions, 46 yards, 1 touchdown and 10 fantasy points. Even when he's not having a big day, Johnson finds the end zone and saves his fantasy stats.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 6 receptions, 109 yards, 2 touchdowns and 22 fantasy points. Bowe has inherited the "All He Does Is Catch Touchdowns" title from Cris Carter. They should have a ceremony.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 3 receptions, 28 yards, 1 touchdown and 8 fantasy points. Ochocinco scored the first Bengals touchdown in a 49-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. After that, he was something he never is: quiet.
Randy McMichael, TE: 0 receptions, 0 yards and 0 fantasy points. Someone please remind Norv Turner that he still has a tight end available, and even though his name is not Antonio Gates, he's still an eligible receiver.
Olindo Mare, K: 4 for 4 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 15 fantasy points. Who would have thought we'd be singing the praises of a kicker in a fantasy blog?
Tennessee Titans, D/ST: 1 interception, 3 sacks, 1 punt returned for a touchdown, 19 points allowed and 11 fantasy points. The defense held up much better than the quarterback in a 19-16 loss to the Washington Redskins.
Bench: Leaving Knowshon Moreno out of the starting lineup proved fatal. He scored 17 points. Vince Young scored 6 before his injury/meltdown, and Justin Forsett scored 4.
Now, we have some work to do and very little time to do it. The Pigskin faces the Chicago VinSethBears this week. We have two players with Thanksgiving Day games (Ochocinco and Johnson), and we have to get Vince Young off the roster. Four polls, including a Thanksgiving-themed one, are now available for voting and will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a final update on the People's Pitstop.
We'll start with the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, which fell to the Hudson Valley Hawks by a score of 123-112. This lowers our record to 8-3 for the season. Here are the details.
Peyton Manning, QB: 38 of 52 passing, 396 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and 25 fantasy points. Manning's last interception was also the last time he touched the ball in the Indianapolis Colts loss to the New England Patriots.
Michael Turner, RB: 28 rushes for 131 yards, 1 reception for minus-4 yards, 1 touchdown and 19 fantasy points. Like Manning, Turner contributed enough to keep the People's Pigskin in the ballgame.
Darren McFadden, RB: 10 rushes for 14 yards, 2 receptions for 16 yards and 2 fantasy points. McFadden did not.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 6 receptions, 46 yards, 1 touchdown and 10 fantasy points. Even when he's not having a big day, Johnson finds the end zone and saves his fantasy stats.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 6 receptions, 109 yards, 2 touchdowns and 22 fantasy points. Bowe has inherited the "All He Does Is Catch Touchdowns" title from Cris Carter. They should have a ceremony.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 3 receptions, 28 yards, 1 touchdown and 8 fantasy points. Ochocinco scored the first Bengals touchdown in a 49-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. After that, he was something he never is: quiet.
Randy McMichael, TE: 0 receptions, 0 yards and 0 fantasy points. Someone please remind Norv Turner that he still has a tight end available, and even though his name is not Antonio Gates, he's still an eligible receiver.
Olindo Mare, K: 4 for 4 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 15 fantasy points. Who would have thought we'd be singing the praises of a kicker in a fantasy blog?
Tennessee Titans, D/ST: 1 interception, 3 sacks, 1 punt returned for a touchdown, 19 points allowed and 11 fantasy points. The defense held up much better than the quarterback in a 19-16 loss to the Washington Redskins.
Bench: Leaving Knowshon Moreno out of the starting lineup proved fatal. He scored 17 points. Vince Young scored 6 before his injury/meltdown, and Justin Forsett scored 4.
Now, we have some work to do and very little time to do it. The Pigskin faces the Chicago VinSethBears this week. We have two players with Thanksgiving Day games (Ochocinco and Johnson), and we have to get Vince Young off the roster. Four polls, including a Thanksgiving-themed one, are now available for voting and will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a final update on the People's Pitstop.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
People's Choice (and Predictions)
Before the Sunday afternoon games kick off, it's time to let you know who you, the Internet, selected for the People's Pigskin lineup. Here's who will start for the Web's favorite fantasy football team as it faces the always-tough Hudson Valley Hawks.
Quarterback: Peyton Manning (late afternoon vs. New England)
Running back: Darren McFadden (vs. Pittsburgh), Michael Turner (late afternoon vs. St. Louis)
Wide receiver: Calvin Johnson (vs. Dallas), Dwayne Bowe (vs. Arizona)
Flex: Chad Ochocinco (vs. Buffal0)
Tight end: Antonio Gates (if he starts Monday vs. Denver) or Randy McMichael (otherwise).
Defense: Tennessee Titans (vs. Washington)
Kicker: Olindo Mare (late afternoon vs. New Orleans)
And now, a brief version of this week's predictions.
People's League fantasy football: Pigskin over Hawks, Futs over Cuervonaters, RedZone over Zs, Amish over VinSethBears, Cowboys over Feelys.
NASCAR Sprint Cup top 10: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Bill Elliott.
Thanks for voting on this weekend's lineups. The poll results appear below, and two new polls are now available for voting. We'll return (when we can) with results.
[polldaddy poll=4095050] [polldaddy poll=4095062] [polldaddy poll=4095073] [polldaddy poll=4095080] [polldaddy poll=4095088] [polldaddy poll=4095098]
Quarterback: Peyton Manning (late afternoon vs. New England)
Running back: Darren McFadden (vs. Pittsburgh), Michael Turner (late afternoon vs. St. Louis)
Wide receiver: Calvin Johnson (vs. Dallas), Dwayne Bowe (vs. Arizona)
Flex: Chad Ochocinco (vs. Buffal0)
Tight end: Antonio Gates (if he starts Monday vs. Denver) or Randy McMichael (otherwise).
Defense: Tennessee Titans (vs. Washington)
Kicker: Olindo Mare (late afternoon vs. New Orleans)
And now, a brief version of this week's predictions.
People's League fantasy football: Pigskin over Hawks, Futs over Cuervonaters, RedZone over Zs, Amish over VinSethBears, Cowboys over Feelys.
NASCAR Sprint Cup top 10: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Bill Elliott.
Thanks for voting on this weekend's lineups. The poll results appear below, and two new polls are now available for voting. We'll return (when we can) with results.
[polldaddy poll=4095050] [polldaddy poll=4095062] [polldaddy poll=4095073] [polldaddy poll=4095080] [polldaddy poll=4095088] [polldaddy poll=4095098]
Friday, November 19, 2010
An Unexpected Timeout
Because of a family emergency, updates of this blog will be sporadic at best over the next few days. For now, let's just give you the starting lineup for the People's Pitstop for NASCAR's Sunday season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
A List: Another poll, another tie settle by a qualifying session. This one gives us Carl Edwards (who qualified 2nd) starting over Denny Hamlin (who qualified 37th).
B List: Three drivers tied for the right to vie for two starting spots. Jamie McMurray (3rd) and Clint Bowyer (17th) will start, while Joey Logano (19th) will join David Reutimann on the bench.
C List: Even here, we had a tie. The qualifying session gives Regan Smith (10th) the nod over Scott Speed (41st).
The poll results appear below. And you still have time to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this weekend's People's League clash with the Hudson Valley Hawks. Please vote now, and thanks in advance for your patience.
[polldaddy poll=4089348] [polldaddy poll=4089360] [polldaddy poll=4089371]
A List: Another poll, another tie settle by a qualifying session. This one gives us Carl Edwards (who qualified 2nd) starting over Denny Hamlin (who qualified 37th).
B List: Three drivers tied for the right to vie for two starting spots. Jamie McMurray (3rd) and Clint Bowyer (17th) will start, while Joey Logano (19th) will join David Reutimann on the bench.
C List: Even here, we had a tie. The qualifying session gives Regan Smith (10th) the nod over Scott Speed (41st).
The poll results appear below. And you still have time to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this weekend's People's League clash with the Hudson Valley Hawks. Please vote now, and thanks in advance for your patience.
[polldaddy poll=4089348] [polldaddy poll=4089360] [polldaddy poll=4089371]
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A People's Pro Bowl - Part 1 (Offense)
It's that time of year again -- no, not that one and not that one, either.
The National Football League is asking its fans to pick the players who will take the field a week before the Super Bowl for the Pro Bowl. It's no secret that some fans vote for the players on their favorite team, and others vote for the most popular players in the leagues, or those who have an annual pass to the Pro Bowl simply because they've been there before.
But we at the People's Pigskin would like you to think about things a little bit differently. After all, the Pro Bowl is the ultimate measure of individual performance, and what better barometer could you want than fantasy football?
If you based your offensive picks on fantasy football, here's who you might select.
Quarterback (pick 3 from each conference). According to the standard ESPN fantasy scoring rules, your AFC picks would be Philip Rivers (170 points), Kyle Orton (165) and Peyton Manning (157). In the NFC, the picks would be Aaron Rodgers (162), Michael Vick (151) and Drew Brees (147).
Running back (3). AFC: Arian Foster (180), Chris Johnson (136) and Peyton Hillis (135). NFC: Adrian Peterson (163), Frank Gore (137) and LeSean McCoy (123).
Wide receiver (4). AFC: Brandon Lloyd (128), Terrell Owens (122), Dwayne Bowe (111) and Mike Wallace (104). NFC: Roddy White (131), Hakeem Nicks (123), Calvin Johnson (120) and DeSean Jackson (98).
Fullback (1). Here, you could vote for the fullback who helped his fellow running back top the fantasy charts. You also could vote for the fullback who scored the most fantasy points. That would be Mike Tolbert (84) for the AFC and Earnest Graham (26) for the NFC.
Tight end (2). AFC: Antonio Gates (117) and Marcedes Lewis (75). NFC: Vernon Davis (73) and Jason Witten (65).
Offensive line (3 tackles, 3 guards and 2 centers). These are always the toughest players to assess from a fantasy standpoint. Fortunately, our friends at Trench Fantasy specialize in analyzing line play. They put together documents like this one that can tell us which lines deserve to play in football's all-star game.
Top lines for passing game: Indianapolis Colts (71.4 fantasy points per week), Dallas Cowboys (69.8), New Orleans Saints (68.6), San Diego Chargers (66.7).
Top lines for running game: Kansas City Chiefs (39), Atlanta Falcons (31.6), Houston Texans (30.9), New York Giants (29.1).
We'll be back tomorrow to discuss defense/special teams picks. In the meantime, be sure to vote in our NASCAR polls, which will close in a couple of hours. And if you had any question about whether Chad Henne would start for the People's Pigskin, here are the results of that poll.
[polldaddy poll=4095047]
The National Football League is asking its fans to pick the players who will take the field a week before the Super Bowl for the Pro Bowl. It's no secret that some fans vote for the players on their favorite team, and others vote for the most popular players in the leagues, or those who have an annual pass to the Pro Bowl simply because they've been there before.
But we at the People's Pigskin would like you to think about things a little bit differently. After all, the Pro Bowl is the ultimate measure of individual performance, and what better barometer could you want than fantasy football?
If you based your offensive picks on fantasy football, here's who you might select.
Quarterback (pick 3 from each conference). According to the standard ESPN fantasy scoring rules, your AFC picks would be Philip Rivers (170 points), Kyle Orton (165) and Peyton Manning (157). In the NFC, the picks would be Aaron Rodgers (162), Michael Vick (151) and Drew Brees (147).
Running back (3). AFC: Arian Foster (180), Chris Johnson (136) and Peyton Hillis (135). NFC: Adrian Peterson (163), Frank Gore (137) and LeSean McCoy (123).
Wide receiver (4). AFC: Brandon Lloyd (128), Terrell Owens (122), Dwayne Bowe (111) and Mike Wallace (104). NFC: Roddy White (131), Hakeem Nicks (123), Calvin Johnson (120) and DeSean Jackson (98).
Fullback (1). Here, you could vote for the fullback who helped his fellow running back top the fantasy charts. You also could vote for the fullback who scored the most fantasy points. That would be Mike Tolbert (84) for the AFC and Earnest Graham (26) for the NFC.
Tight end (2). AFC: Antonio Gates (117) and Marcedes Lewis (75). NFC: Vernon Davis (73) and Jason Witten (65).
Offensive line (3 tackles, 3 guards and 2 centers). These are always the toughest players to assess from a fantasy standpoint. Fortunately, our friends at Trench Fantasy specialize in analyzing line play. They put together documents like this one that can tell us which lines deserve to play in football's all-star game.
Top lines for passing game: Indianapolis Colts (71.4 fantasy points per week), Dallas Cowboys (69.8), New Orleans Saints (68.6), San Diego Chargers (66.7).
Top lines for running game: Kansas City Chiefs (39), Atlanta Falcons (31.6), Houston Texans (30.9), New York Giants (29.1).
We'll be back tomorrow to discuss defense/special teams picks. In the meantime, be sure to vote in our NASCAR polls, which will close in a couple of hours. And if you had any question about whether Chad Henne would start for the People's Pigskin, here are the results of that poll.
[polldaddy poll=4095047]
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The People's Facts - Ford 400
A mere 10 months after it began, the NASCAR season is coming to a close, and the People's Pitstop is still pursuing its goal of finishing in the top 100 in the Fans of From the Marbles league. To do that, we need you, the Internet, to pick us a lineup. The polls are on your right and are available to take your votes now. And it's time to take one last look at our last racing site of 2010.
Track basics: Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida is a 1.5-mile oval that's had more than its share of facelifts since its construction as part of the response to Hurricane Andrew.
Recent winners: Denny Hamlin (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Matt Kenseth (2007).
Who wins here a lot: The only active NASCAR driver who can be put into this category this week is Greg Biffle. He has three wins on this track. No other active driver has more than one.
What matters this week: Everything. Homestead is usually an afterthought on the NASCAR calendar, but this year the top three drivers enter this race separated by only 46 points. Hamlin does have a win here, while Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick has each finished second. Clearly, none of these drivers can afford to hang back to avoid trouble. And as this Sport Science video demonstrates, they can't afford to have a bad pit stop.
If you'd like to read more about this race, click here to download a fantasy racing guide from Yahoo Sports. And don't forget to vote in the driver polls, which will close Thursday night.
We'll be back with some thoughts about a certain football game.
Track basics: Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida is a 1.5-mile oval that's had more than its share of facelifts since its construction as part of the response to Hurricane Andrew.
Recent winners: Denny Hamlin (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Matt Kenseth (2007).
Who wins here a lot: The only active NASCAR driver who can be put into this category this week is Greg Biffle. He has three wins on this track. No other active driver has more than one.
What matters this week: Everything. Homestead is usually an afterthought on the NASCAR calendar, but this year the top three drivers enter this race separated by only 46 points. Hamlin does have a win here, while Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick has each finished second. Clearly, none of these drivers can afford to hang back to avoid trouble. And as this Sport Science video demonstrates, they can't afford to have a bad pit stop.
If you'd like to read more about this race, click here to download a fantasy racing guide from Yahoo Sports. And don't forget to vote in the driver polls, which will close Thursday night.
We'll be back with some thoughts about a certain football game.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Another Victory (and Another Set of Polls)
The People's Pigskin bounced back from last week's defeat and beat the NFL2K10 RedZone by a score of 113-92, and we didn't even need Michael Vick's epic performance to do it. We just needed the help of you, the Internet, in selecting our lineup, and thanks to your help, we now lead the People's League with an 8-2 record. Here's the breakdown.
Peyton Manning, QB: 20 of 36 passing, 185 yards and 7 fantasy points. Here's another example of the difference between real football and fantasy football. Manning had his worst fantasy day of the season, but his team still beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
Michael Turner, RB: 17 rushes, 39 yards and 3 fantasy points. Turner played a surprisingly small role in the Atlanta Falcons come-from-behind victory Thursday night.
Knowshon Moreno, RB: 22 rushes for 106 yards, 3 receptions for 50 yards, 1 touchdown and 21 fantasy points. One benefit of being a running back on a team that's blowing out its opponent is that your team is likely to spend the second half running the ball.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 13 receptions, 186 yards, 2 touchdowns and 30 fantasy points. Of course, if you're a receiver on the other side of a blowout, you can expect to stay busy throughout the game as your team tries to come back. (Just don't expect the coaches to shake hands afterwards.)
Calvin Johnson, WR: 10 receptions, 128 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. Johnson nearly helped the Detroit Lions keep the Buffalo Bills winless with his late score, but the 2-point conversion came up short, and the Lions earned the title "Unluckiest Team in History."
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 7 receptions, 86 yards, 1 touchdown and 14 fantasy points. Mister Eight-Five hurt his shoulder but stayed in the game and even recovered a late onside kick.
Tony Moeaki, TE: 1 reception, 34 yards and 3 fantasy points. Thank goodness bye weeks are over.
Tennessee Titans, D/ST: 1 interception, 1 sack, 29 points allowed and minus-1 fantasy point. It's too bad ESPN doesn't award fantasy points for knocking quarterbacks out of the game. That's the one thing this team did well on Sunday.
Olindo Mare, K: 5 for 6 on field goals, 3 for 3 on PATs and 18 fantasy points. Seattle's uneven offense can create a lot of opportunities for a kicker.
Bench: Justin Forsett, who lost a tiebreaker for the flex spot, scored 15 fantasy points. Chad Henne put up 11 before leaving his game with an injury, and Vince Young scored 4 after relieving Kerry Collins.
Now it's time to turn our attention to this week's matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. The football lineup polls are now open. The one on Chad Henne (who -- fair warning -- may not even start for the Miami Dolphins) will close Thursday. The others will close on Sunday. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at NASCAR's final race of 2010.
Peyton Manning, QB: 20 of 36 passing, 185 yards and 7 fantasy points. Here's another example of the difference between real football and fantasy football. Manning had his worst fantasy day of the season, but his team still beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
Michael Turner, RB: 17 rushes, 39 yards and 3 fantasy points. Turner played a surprisingly small role in the Atlanta Falcons come-from-behind victory Thursday night.
Knowshon Moreno, RB: 22 rushes for 106 yards, 3 receptions for 50 yards, 1 touchdown and 21 fantasy points. One benefit of being a running back on a team that's blowing out its opponent is that your team is likely to spend the second half running the ball.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 13 receptions, 186 yards, 2 touchdowns and 30 fantasy points. Of course, if you're a receiver on the other side of a blowout, you can expect to stay busy throughout the game as your team tries to come back. (Just don't expect the coaches to shake hands afterwards.)
Calvin Johnson, WR: 10 receptions, 128 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. Johnson nearly helped the Detroit Lions keep the Buffalo Bills winless with his late score, but the 2-point conversion came up short, and the Lions earned the title "Unluckiest Team in History."
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 7 receptions, 86 yards, 1 touchdown and 14 fantasy points. Mister Eight-Five hurt his shoulder but stayed in the game and even recovered a late onside kick.
Tony Moeaki, TE: 1 reception, 34 yards and 3 fantasy points. Thank goodness bye weeks are over.
Tennessee Titans, D/ST: 1 interception, 1 sack, 29 points allowed and minus-1 fantasy point. It's too bad ESPN doesn't award fantasy points for knocking quarterbacks out of the game. That's the one thing this team did well on Sunday.
Olindo Mare, K: 5 for 6 on field goals, 3 for 3 on PATs and 18 fantasy points. Seattle's uneven offense can create a lot of opportunities for a kicker.
Bench: Justin Forsett, who lost a tiebreaker for the flex spot, scored 15 fantasy points. Chad Henne put up 11 before leaving his game with an injury, and Vince Young scored 4 after relieving Kerry Collins.
Now it's time to turn our attention to this week's matchup against the Hudson Valley Hawks. The football lineup polls are now open. The one on Chad Henne (who -- fair warning -- may not even start for the Miami Dolphins) will close Thursday. The others will close on Sunday. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at NASCAR's final race of 2010.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday Morning Crew Chief (and Football Update)
First, the fantasy football update: The People's Pigskin will go into the Monday night game with a 113-80 lead over the NFL2K10 RedZone. The RedZone does have David Akers starting tonight, and strange things are still possible in this game.
Speaking of which, it's time to review the People's Pitstop's performance on Sunday. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored only 222 points during the Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. That leaves us with a season total of 9,111, putting us in 84,668th place overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us another nine spots, to 116th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
How did our starting drivers fare?
Denny Hamlin: Started 17th, finished 12th, 190 laps led and 88 fantasy points. How can you lead more than half the laps in a race (and garner the 20-point bonus for doing so) without finishing in the top 10? By losing a fuel-related gamble late in the race. Hamlin is still the leader in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but only by 15 points.
Jamie McMurray: Started 5th, finished 10th and 72 fantasy points. McMurray's biggest splash, so to speak, came early in the race when he hit the outside wall and, while trying to save his car, tossed a water bottle that hit Jimmie Johnson's car. The move earned McMurray a one-lap penalty from NASCAR and a Wazzup from Dave Grayson of SpeedwayMedia.com.
David Reutimann: Started 6th, finished 26th (2 laps behind the leaders) and 40 fantasy points. Reutimann's chart for this race looks strangely like the one for Pets.com stock.
Scott Speed: Started 27th, finished 35th (5 laps behind the leaders) and 22 fantasy points. Speed was lumped into the fifth of Tom Bowles' "Five things we learned" article for SI.com:
"For people in need of potential sponsorship, the invisibility" of Speed and a handful of other drivers/teams was troubling Sunday. All of these drivers and teams in need of sponsorship and a ride for 2011 didn't do themselves any favors with Fortune 500 companies and potential new owners already hesitant to invest."
If the Pitstop is going to achieve its goal of finishing in the top 100 in that league, it will have to pass 16 other teams this week in NASCAR's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Therefore, we will need your help one more time. The NASCAR lineup polls are now open and will close as usual on Thursday night. Please vote now.
We'll be back with the full fantasy football results.
Speaking of which, it's time to review the People's Pitstop's performance on Sunday. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored only 222 points during the Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. That leaves us with a season total of 9,111, putting us in 84,668th place overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us another nine spots, to 116th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
How did our starting drivers fare?
Denny Hamlin: Started 17th, finished 12th, 190 laps led and 88 fantasy points. How can you lead more than half the laps in a race (and garner the 20-point bonus for doing so) without finishing in the top 10? By losing a fuel-related gamble late in the race. Hamlin is still the leader in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but only by 15 points.
Jamie McMurray: Started 5th, finished 10th and 72 fantasy points. McMurray's biggest splash, so to speak, came early in the race when he hit the outside wall and, while trying to save his car, tossed a water bottle that hit Jimmie Johnson's car. The move earned McMurray a one-lap penalty from NASCAR and a Wazzup from Dave Grayson of SpeedwayMedia.com.
David Reutimann: Started 6th, finished 26th (2 laps behind the leaders) and 40 fantasy points. Reutimann's chart for this race looks strangely like the one for Pets.com stock.
Scott Speed: Started 27th, finished 35th (5 laps behind the leaders) and 22 fantasy points. Speed was lumped into the fifth of Tom Bowles' "Five things we learned" article for SI.com:
"For people in need of potential sponsorship, the invisibility" of Speed and a handful of other drivers/teams was troubling Sunday. All of these drivers and teams in need of sponsorship and a ride for 2011 didn't do themselves any favors with Fortune 500 companies and potential new owners already hesitant to invest."
If the Pitstop is going to achieve its goal of finishing in the top 100 in that league, it will have to pass 16 other teams this week in NASCAR's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Therefore, we will need your help one more time. The NASCAR lineup polls are now open and will close as usual on Thursday night. Please vote now.
We'll be back with the full fantasy football results.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The People's Choice - Week 10
The results are in. Here are the players that you, the Internet, selected for the People's Pigskin and its People's League fantasy football matchup against NFL2K10 RedZone.
Quarterback: It's not as if he needed help in the form of Chad Henne's benching or Vince Young's injury question, but once again, Peyton Manning won this poll handily. He gets the Cincinnati Bengals today.
Running back: We already played Michael Turner on Thursday night. The winner of the poll for the other running back spot was Knowshon Moreno, who's coming off a bye week and plays the Kansas City Chiefs in a late afternoon game.
Wide receiver: Two familiar faces dominated the voting in this poll. The starting spots go to Calvin Johnson (who faces the Buffalo Bills) and Dwayne Bowe (who faces Moreno's Denver Broncos).
As for the flex spot, we have a tie between Chad Ochocinco and Justin Forsett. We are using the ESPN points projection as a tiebreaker. Ochocino wins that by a score of 12-2. He goes up against Manning's Indianapolis Colts today.
Kicker: We have a winner, and, fortunately, we also have a backup plan. Josh Scobee won the poll but was picked up by a team with a worse record than the Pigskin. The runner-up in this poll was Olindo Mare, who's starting for us now and will face the Arizona Cardinals in a late afternoon game.
The Tennessee Titans defense/special teams (playing the Miami Dolphins) return to our starting lineup, and in an earlier poll, you voted to pick up Tony Moeaki to fill our bye-week-addled tight end spot. He gets the Broncos today.
Thank you very much for voting. The results appear below, and a quick poll about a certain well-traveled wide receiver is open for voting now. We'll be back with game/race results.
[polldaddy poll=4060811] [polldaddy poll=4060821] [polldaddy poll=4060832] [polldaddy poll=4060842] [polldaddy poll=4060842]
Quarterback: It's not as if he needed help in the form of Chad Henne's benching or Vince Young's injury question, but once again, Peyton Manning won this poll handily. He gets the Cincinnati Bengals today.
Running back: We already played Michael Turner on Thursday night. The winner of the poll for the other running back spot was Knowshon Moreno, who's coming off a bye week and plays the Kansas City Chiefs in a late afternoon game.
Wide receiver: Two familiar faces dominated the voting in this poll. The starting spots go to Calvin Johnson (who faces the Buffalo Bills) and Dwayne Bowe (who faces Moreno's Denver Broncos).
As for the flex spot, we have a tie between Chad Ochocinco and Justin Forsett. We are using the ESPN points projection as a tiebreaker. Ochocino wins that by a score of 12-2. He goes up against Manning's Indianapolis Colts today.
Kicker: We have a winner, and, fortunately, we also have a backup plan. Josh Scobee won the poll but was picked up by a team with a worse record than the Pigskin. The runner-up in this poll was Olindo Mare, who's starting for us now and will face the Arizona Cardinals in a late afternoon game.
The Tennessee Titans defense/special teams (playing the Miami Dolphins) return to our starting lineup, and in an earlier poll, you voted to pick up Tony Moeaki to fill our bye-week-addled tight end spot. He gets the Broncos today.
Thank you very much for voting. The results appear below, and a quick poll about a certain well-traveled wide receiver is open for voting now. We'll be back with game/race results.
[polldaddy poll=4060811] [polldaddy poll=4060821] [polldaddy poll=4060832] [polldaddy poll=4060842] [polldaddy poll=4060842]
Fearless NASCAR Predictions - Phoenix
Now that you've absorbed this week's football predictions, it's time to tell you which NASCAR drivers will finish in the top 10 in today's Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. Last week's predictions went 5-5. The season record is now 157-173. A .500 season is still possible. Really.
1-3. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick. Still contending for the Sprint Cup.
4. Carl Edwards. Your pole sitter and Nationwide race winner.
5. Kyle Busch. Though you have to wonder what sort of gesture he'd make if he came up short again.
6. David Reutimann. Check out this Ed Hinton piece about his family's 70-year-plus love affair with racing. It will get you through a lot of stories about gestures.
7. Jeff Gordon. He may not win his fifth championship, but at least he can still hold his own with the likes of Brad Paisley.
8. Mark Martin. Don't look now, but he has three top 10 finishes in the last five races, including a 3rd-place finish last week.
9. A.J. Allmendinger. All he had to do to get on the front row was to use up all his starts for the People's Pitstop.
10. Regan Smith. Two straight 8th-place starts is something to be proud of when you're working for Furniture Row Racing, and this week, it's enough to get our medium to long shot.
Just a reminder: The polls for the People's Pigskin lineup will close soon, so get in your votes while you can. We'll be back with the results.
1-3. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick. Still contending for the Sprint Cup.
4. Carl Edwards. Your pole sitter and Nationwide race winner.
5. Kyle Busch. Though you have to wonder what sort of gesture he'd make if he came up short again.
6. David Reutimann. Check out this Ed Hinton piece about his family's 70-year-plus love affair with racing. It will get you through a lot of stories about gestures.
7. Jeff Gordon. He may not win his fifth championship, but at least he can still hold his own with the likes of Brad Paisley.
8. Mark Martin. Don't look now, but he has three top 10 finishes in the last five races, including a 3rd-place finish last week.
9. A.J. Allmendinger. All he had to do to get on the front row was to use up all his starts for the People's Pitstop.
10. Regan Smith. Two straight 8th-place starts is something to be proud of when you're working for Furniture Row Racing, and this week, it's enough to get our medium to long shot.
Just a reminder: The polls for the People's Pigskin lineup will close soon, so get in your votes while you can. We'll be back with the results.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 10
It's time to tell you what will happen this weekend in the world of fantasy sports. We start by offering forecasts for this week's fantasy football matchups in the People's League. Last week's predictions went 3-2, lifting our season record to 27-18.
People's Pigskin vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. We didn't get a strong start from Michael Turner, but the Pigskin has enough depth in enough positions to overcome it and claim a victory in this battle between division leaders.
Chicago VinSethBears vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Rashard Mendenhall has to be salivating at the thought of facing a New England Patriots defense that just made Peyton Hillis look like Jim Brown himself. He'll push the Cuervonaters to the win.
nuckin' futs vs. Feely Her Up ... Hillis won't have quite the week he had last week, but fortunately for the Futs, he doesn't have to. Ahmad Bradshaw and Arian Foster both have juicy matchups, and they'll lead the Futs to a victory here.
Fighting Amish vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Amish are hoping to make a huge comeback on Monday night with all those Eagles. The problem is that the Hawks have Adrian Peterson, who should have a big day against the Bears and get the Hawks another win.
Team z vs. cowboys romero. Yes, Randy Moss is making his Tennessee Titans debut, the Zs also have Steven Jackson, who's poised for another strong afternoon against the 49ers. He'll be the one leading the Zs to a victory.
We'll be back with the NASCAR predictions. In the meantime, please vote on our lineup polls. They close Sunday morning.
People's Pigskin vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. We didn't get a strong start from Michael Turner, but the Pigskin has enough depth in enough positions to overcome it and claim a victory in this battle between division leaders.
Chicago VinSethBears vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Rashard Mendenhall has to be salivating at the thought of facing a New England Patriots defense that just made Peyton Hillis look like Jim Brown himself. He'll push the Cuervonaters to the win.
nuckin' futs vs. Feely Her Up ... Hillis won't have quite the week he had last week, but fortunately for the Futs, he doesn't have to. Ahmad Bradshaw and Arian Foster both have juicy matchups, and they'll lead the Futs to a victory here.
Fighting Amish vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Amish are hoping to make a huge comeback on Monday night with all those Eagles. The problem is that the Hawks have Adrian Peterson, who should have a big day against the Bears and get the Hawks another win.
Team z vs. cowboys romero. Yes, Randy Moss is making his Tennessee Titans debut, the Zs also have Steven Jackson, who's poised for another strong afternoon against the 49ers. He'll be the one leading the Zs to a victory.
We'll be back with the NASCAR predictions. In the meantime, please vote on our lineup polls. They close Sunday morning.
Friday, November 12, 2010
The People's Choice - Phoenix
NASCAR rolls into Arizona this week for the second-to-last race of the season, and thanks to you, the Internet, the People's Pitstop is prepared with a lineup. Here are your contenders.
A List: Two drivers tied for the top spot in this poll. Jeff Gordon and current points leader Denny Hamlin will break their tie Friday during the qualifying session.
B List: This poll is even tighter than the one for the A List spot. We had four drivers at the top here. They are Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann and Kasey Kahne. Fortunately, they can't tie for qualifying spots, so we'll know soon enough who starts and who watches from the bench.
C List: Here, we have a winner. We also have a problem. That's because Reed Sorenson took the most votes but is not fielding a car for this week's Sprint Cup race. Instead, the starting spot will go to the runner-up, Scott Speed, while the bench spot will go to the third-place finisher, Regan Smith. It's just like the Miss American pageant, only without the nude photos.
Anyway, thanks for voting. The results appear below, and the football polls remain open. If you haven't voted on them, please do so now.
We'll update this post after the qualifying session.
UPDATED 8:30 P.M. Hamlin, who qualified 17th, got the A List starting spot over Gordon, who qualified 22nd. In the B List competition, McMurray (5th) and Reutimann (6th) beat out Bowyer (14th) and Kahne (25th).
We'll be back with the weekly predictions.
[polldaddy poll=4055189] [polldaddy poll=4055209] [polldaddy poll=4055221]
A List: Two drivers tied for the top spot in this poll. Jeff Gordon and current points leader Denny Hamlin will break their tie Friday during the qualifying session.
B List: This poll is even tighter than the one for the A List spot. We had four drivers at the top here. They are Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann and Kasey Kahne. Fortunately, they can't tie for qualifying spots, so we'll know soon enough who starts and who watches from the bench.
C List: Here, we have a winner. We also have a problem. That's because Reed Sorenson took the most votes but is not fielding a car for this week's Sprint Cup race. Instead, the starting spot will go to the runner-up, Scott Speed, while the bench spot will go to the third-place finisher, Regan Smith. It's just like the Miss American pageant, only without the nude photos.
Anyway, thanks for voting. The results appear below, and the football polls remain open. If you haven't voted on them, please do so now.
UPDATED 8:30 P.M. Hamlin, who qualified 17th, got the A List starting spot over Gordon, who qualified 22nd. In the B List competition, McMurray (5th) and Reutimann (6th) beat out Bowyer (14th) and Kahne (25th).
We'll be back with the weekly predictions.
[polldaddy poll=4055189] [polldaddy poll=4055209] [polldaddy poll=4055221]
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Reality vs. Fantasy
One of the interesting things you notice when you play fantasy football is how it can alter your perception of players.
If football is the ultimate team sport, then fantasy football is the ultimate individual sport. When you focus so much on how each player did on Sunday, it can be easy to forget how that player's team did on Sunday. Many of the best performances in fantasy football come in games in which the player is on the losing side. (Witness Arian Foster's 31 points last week, when the Houston Texans fell to the San Diego Chargers.) And many games that an NFL head coach will chalk up as a victory, or even as a defining moment in the season, can make a fantasy player want to do this.
For an example of how fantasy football can alter perceptions, let's take a look at two quarterbacks who are probably starting somewhere in your league this Sunday.
Here's what the inimitable Bill Simmons had to say last week about Carson Palmer:
"Apparently, I'm the only person outside of Cincinnati who realizes that Carson Palmer hasn't been good in four years. ... His conventional statistics keep throwing everyone off his rancid scent -- 1,855 yards (seventh overall), 12 TDs, seven picks, 83 QB rating. Not terrible, right? So you have to dig a little ... and that's when you find out that he's last in third-down passing (49 percent completion rate, 431 yards, 62 rating), or that defenders have dropped 215 possible Palmer interceptions (approximate) ... If the Bengals were smart, they'd start pounding the ball with Cedric Benson and reducing Palmer's effect on the game."
And it's true that Palmer is having a terrible season when it comes to winning and losing. His Cincinnati Bengals currently sit at the bottom of the AFC Central with a 2-6 record. They're even looking up at the Cleveland Browns.
Now, consider this recent quote from the top-notch Don Banks about Tom Brady:
"As his work with the just-arrived [Deion] Branch on Sunday showed, Brady makes his receivers relevant. Yep, we're starting the MVP debate as October winds down, and my vote at the moment belongs to Brady. ... When it comes to deciding his team's fortunes, he's the biggest difference-maker there is. Take him out of the lineup, and New England is a third-place team in its division, miles behind both the Jets and Dolphins."
Again, hard to argue here. Despite losing to the Browns last Sunday, the New England Patriots have a 6-2 record. The only thing keeping them from the top of the AFC East is the head-to-head tiebreaker against the New York Jets.
Now, consider this about the two quarterbacks in question: As I type this (halftime of Thursday night's game), Palmer has put up 116 points so far this season in standard ESPN fantasy football leagues. Brady has put up 115. They are separated in the fantasy world by a single point.
This is not to discount the many strengths of fantasy football. But it goes to show that determining a good NFL team is not one of them.
Reminder: The NASCAR lineup polls will close later tonight, so please get your votes in now. We'll be back with the results.
If football is the ultimate team sport, then fantasy football is the ultimate individual sport. When you focus so much on how each player did on Sunday, it can be easy to forget how that player's team did on Sunday. Many of the best performances in fantasy football come in games in which the player is on the losing side. (Witness Arian Foster's 31 points last week, when the Houston Texans fell to the San Diego Chargers.) And many games that an NFL head coach will chalk up as a victory, or even as a defining moment in the season, can make a fantasy player want to do this.
For an example of how fantasy football can alter perceptions, let's take a look at two quarterbacks who are probably starting somewhere in your league this Sunday.
Here's what the inimitable Bill Simmons had to say last week about Carson Palmer:
"Apparently, I'm the only person outside of Cincinnati who realizes that Carson Palmer hasn't been good in four years. ... His conventional statistics keep throwing everyone off his rancid scent -- 1,855 yards (seventh overall), 12 TDs, seven picks, 83 QB rating. Not terrible, right? So you have to dig a little ... and that's when you find out that he's last in third-down passing (49 percent completion rate, 431 yards, 62 rating), or that defenders have dropped 215 possible Palmer interceptions (approximate) ... If the Bengals were smart, they'd start pounding the ball with Cedric Benson and reducing Palmer's effect on the game."
And it's true that Palmer is having a terrible season when it comes to winning and losing. His Cincinnati Bengals currently sit at the bottom of the AFC Central with a 2-6 record. They're even looking up at the Cleveland Browns.
Now, consider this recent quote from the top-notch Don Banks about Tom Brady:
"As his work with the just-arrived [Deion] Branch on Sunday showed, Brady makes his receivers relevant. Yep, we're starting the MVP debate as October winds down, and my vote at the moment belongs to Brady. ... When it comes to deciding his team's fortunes, he's the biggest difference-maker there is. Take him out of the lineup, and New England is a third-place team in its division, miles behind both the Jets and Dolphins."
Again, hard to argue here. Despite losing to the Browns last Sunday, the New England Patriots have a 6-2 record. The only thing keeping them from the top of the AFC East is the head-to-head tiebreaker against the New York Jets.
Now, consider this about the two quarterbacks in question: As I type this (halftime of Thursday night's game), Palmer has put up 116 points so far this season in standard ESPN fantasy football leagues. Brady has put up 115. They are separated in the fantasy world by a single point.
This is not to discount the many strengths of fantasy football. But it goes to show that determining a good NFL team is not one of them.
Reminder: The NASCAR lineup polls will close later tonight, so please get your votes in now. We'll be back with the results.
And the Ruling on Turner Is ...
This is a quick post to let you know that you, the Internet, decided that Michael Turner should start this week for the People's Pigskin. He plays tonight against the Baltimore Ravens.
Thanks for voting in this poll. The results appear below. The NASCAR polls will close later tonight, while the other football polls will close Sunday morning. We'll be back shortly with some fantasy thoughts. Stay tuned.
[polldaddy poll=4049618]
Thanks for voting in this poll. The results appear below. The NASCAR polls will close later tonight, while the other football polls will close Sunday morning. We'll be back shortly with some fantasy thoughts. Stay tuned.
[polldaddy poll=4049618]
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The People's Facts - Kobalt Tools 500
There are only two races left in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup, and the People's Pitstop is in a chase of its own. We have two weeks to get the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team into the top 100 of the Fans of From the Marbles league. To do that, we need your help. The three NASCAR lineup polls will close Thursday evening. To help you choose the lineup, here is some information about the site of this week's race.
Track basics: Phoenix International Raceway is a relatively new one-mile tri-oval in Avondale, Arizona, with a quirky way of measuring its race. That "500" in the title of this post? That refers to kilometers, not miles. The race will actually 312 miles (and laps) in length. Yahoo Sports has more details in its weekly guide, which you can download by clicking here.
Last time we were here: Back in April, Ryan Newman gambled on a two-tire pit stop and secured his first win since 2008. The People's Pitstop scored only 214 points, in part because we benched Jimmie Johnson, who finished 3rd.
Other recent winners: Johnson (fall 2009), Johnson (2008), Johnson again (2007).
Who wins here a lot: Fans of Denny Hamlin may want to skip the next two sentences. Johnson leads all active NASCAR drivers with four victories on this track. No one else has more than two.
What's changed: For Johnson, everything. During last week's race, after Jeff Gordon crashed (and burned), Johnson started using Gordon's pit crew. Now, Johnson plans to use that crew for the last two races of the season. It's not quite changing horses in midstream, if only because we passed the "midstream" point several months ago.
Again, you have until Thursday evening to vote on our lineup, so please vote now. We'll be back with some fantasy football thoughts.
Track basics: Phoenix International Raceway is a relatively new one-mile tri-oval in Avondale, Arizona, with a quirky way of measuring its race. That "500" in the title of this post? That refers to kilometers, not miles. The race will actually 312 miles (and laps) in length. Yahoo Sports has more details in its weekly guide, which you can download by clicking here.
Last time we were here: Back in April, Ryan Newman gambled on a two-tire pit stop and secured his first win since 2008. The People's Pitstop scored only 214 points, in part because we benched Jimmie Johnson, who finished 3rd.
Other recent winners: Johnson (fall 2009), Johnson (2008), Johnson again (2007).
Who wins here a lot: Fans of Denny Hamlin may want to skip the next two sentences. Johnson leads all active NASCAR drivers with four victories on this track. No one else has more than two.
What's changed: For Johnson, everything. During last week's race, after Jeff Gordon crashed (and burned), Johnson started using Gordon's pit crew. Now, Johnson plans to use that crew for the last two races of the season. It's not quite changing horses in midstream, if only because we passed the "midstream" point several months ago.
Again, you have until Thursday evening to vote on our lineup, so please vote now. We'll be back with some fantasy football thoughts.
A Quick Tight End Update
As you know, we needed a tight end for this week, since Antonio Gates and/or Randy McMichael have a bye week. We asked you, the Internet, to pick someone to claim off the waiver wire, and the majority of you chose Tony Moeaki of the pleasantly surprising Kansas City Chiefs. He has been added to the roster, taking the spot previously occupied by the New England Patriots defense/special teams.
Moeaki gets to play the Denver Broncos on Sunday. But before that happens, we need to make plenty of other decisions, starting with whether Michael Turner, a Thursday night player, will start for us. If you haven't done so already, please vote on the rest of the polls now. The tight end poll results appear below. We'll be back shortly with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
[polldaddy poll=4049627]
Moeaki gets to play the Denver Broncos on Sunday. But before that happens, we need to make plenty of other decisions, starting with whether Michael Turner, a Thursday night player, will start for us. If you haven't done so already, please vote on the rest of the polls now. The tight end poll results appear below. We'll be back shortly with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
[polldaddy poll=4049627]
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Assessing the Damage
It's safe to say the People's Pigskin will not be attending any Amish barn-raisings in the near future.
The Internet's favorite fantasy football team lost for the second time this season. And for the second time this season, the opponent who delivered the crushing blow was the Fighting Amish. The final score: 116-69.
Here's a look at how our players fared.
Peyton Manning, QB: 31 of 52 passing, 294 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions and 11 fantasy points. A very un-Peyton-like performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. Maybe he finally lost one reciever too many.
Michael Turner, RB: 24 rushes, 107 yards, 2 touchdowns and 22 fantasy points. Turner did his part to help the Pigskin, and he helped the Atlanta Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the process.
Darren McFadden, RB: 17 rushes for 89 yards, 4 receptions for 25 yards, 1 fumble and 8 fantasy points. The Oakland Raiders veered from their script and relied on Jason Campbell to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 1 reception, 13 yards and 1 fantasy points. Maybe "Revis Island" really is more than just a way to sell shoes.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 5 receptions, 63 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points. This Bowe knows how to find the end zone.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 1 reception, 15 yards and 1 fantasy point. Ochocinco also had a catch nullified by a penalty. Other than that, he might as well have stayed home looking for love.
Randy McMichael, TE: 2 receptions, 23 yards, 2 touchdowns and 14 fantasy points. You'll recall that McMichael was filling in for the injured Antonio Gates and joined our lineup at the last minute. He picked up where Gates left off in the scoring department. Too bad his performance was wasted.
New England Patriots, D/ST: 1 fumble recovery, 34 points allowed and minus-2 fantasy points. The Patriots found themselves in a hole before Tom Brady had a chance to break a sweat.
Jason Hanson, K: 2 for 2 on extra points and 2 fantasy points. It's never a good sign when your kicker is injured to the point where you're asking your nose tackle to make extra points.
Speaking of Hanson, it looks like he will miss some time with his injury, so this week's lineup polls will include one where we ask you, the Internet, to find us a new kicker. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team faces the NFL2K10 RedZone this week. The tight end poll will close tonight. The poll about Michael Turner will close Thursday before his game. The other football polls will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR race site.
The Internet's favorite fantasy football team lost for the second time this season. And for the second time this season, the opponent who delivered the crushing blow was the Fighting Amish. The final score: 116-69.
Here's a look at how our players fared.
Peyton Manning, QB: 31 of 52 passing, 294 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions and 11 fantasy points. A very un-Peyton-like performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. Maybe he finally lost one reciever too many.
Michael Turner, RB: 24 rushes, 107 yards, 2 touchdowns and 22 fantasy points. Turner did his part to help the Pigskin, and he helped the Atlanta Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the process.
Darren McFadden, RB: 17 rushes for 89 yards, 4 receptions for 25 yards, 1 fumble and 8 fantasy points. The Oakland Raiders veered from their script and relied on Jason Campbell to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 1 reception, 13 yards and 1 fantasy points. Maybe "Revis Island" really is more than just a way to sell shoes.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 5 receptions, 63 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points. This Bowe knows how to find the end zone.
Chad Ochocinco, Flex: 1 reception, 15 yards and 1 fantasy point. Ochocinco also had a catch nullified by a penalty. Other than that, he might as well have stayed home looking for love.
Randy McMichael, TE: 2 receptions, 23 yards, 2 touchdowns and 14 fantasy points. You'll recall that McMichael was filling in for the injured Antonio Gates and joined our lineup at the last minute. He picked up where Gates left off in the scoring department. Too bad his performance was wasted.
New England Patriots, D/ST: 1 fumble recovery, 34 points allowed and minus-2 fantasy points. The Patriots found themselves in a hole before Tom Brady had a chance to break a sweat.
Jason Hanson, K: 2 for 2 on extra points and 2 fantasy points. It's never a good sign when your kicker is injured to the point where you're asking your nose tackle to make extra points.
Speaking of Hanson, it looks like he will miss some time with his injury, so this week's lineup polls will include one where we ask you, the Internet, to find us a new kicker. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team faces the NFL2K10 RedZone this week. The tight end poll will close tonight. The poll about Michael Turner will close Thursday before his game. The other football polls will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR race site.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Racing Results and New Polls
As of Monday morning, the People's Pigskin trails the Fighting Amish by a score of 116-68. All is not lost, however. There's still the Monday night game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Amish have no remaining players, while the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has Chad Ochocinco.
(Yes, it's a long shot, but so were the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.)
The People's Pitstop had a very pedestrian Sunday, scoring only 212 points during the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. Our season total is 8,889, good enough for 78,903rd overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 16 spots, to 107th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Denny Hamlin, who not only won the race but took over the overall Sprint Cup points lead, was left on our bench. Here's a look at the drivers who started.
Jeff Gordon: Started 15th, finished 37th (144 laps behind the leaders) and 18 fantasy points. Gordon's day ended early thanks to his on-the-track encounter with Jeff Burton. The only way he could have helped us after that is if Yahoo awarded fantasy points for post-wreck fights.
Jamie McMurray: Started 25th, finished 16th and 60 fantasy points. As this chart shows, about the only thing McMurray didn't do during this race is lead a lap.
Clint Bowyer: Started 7th, finished 7th and 78 fantasy points. Bowyer was a top 5 driver most of this race, but again, he couldn't get his car into the lead.
Sam Hornish Jr.: Started 27th, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. A big improvement over last year, when Hornish crashed into Jimmie Johnson in lap 3. This, of course, was Hornish's last race for us this season.
It's clear now that the People's Pitstop won't win the Fans of From the Marbles league, but with your help, we can still make the top 100 or better. That's why we have a new set of polls for next week's race at Phoenix International Raceway. Please vote now.
We'll be back to wrap up the People's Pigskin's week.
(Yes, it's a long shot, but so were the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.)
The People's Pitstop had a very pedestrian Sunday, scoring only 212 points during the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. Our season total is 8,889, good enough for 78,903rd overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 16 spots, to 107th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Denny Hamlin, who not only won the race but took over the overall Sprint Cup points lead, was left on our bench. Here's a look at the drivers who started.
Jeff Gordon: Started 15th, finished 37th (144 laps behind the leaders) and 18 fantasy points. Gordon's day ended early thanks to his on-the-track encounter with Jeff Burton. The only way he could have helped us after that is if Yahoo awarded fantasy points for post-wreck fights.
Jamie McMurray: Started 25th, finished 16th and 60 fantasy points. As this chart shows, about the only thing McMurray didn't do during this race is lead a lap.
Clint Bowyer: Started 7th, finished 7th and 78 fantasy points. Bowyer was a top 5 driver most of this race, but again, he couldn't get his car into the lead.
Sam Hornish Jr.: Started 27th, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. A big improvement over last year, when Hornish crashed into Jimmie Johnson in lap 3. This, of course, was Hornish's last race for us this season.
It's clear now that the People's Pitstop won't win the Fans of From the Marbles league, but with your help, we can still make the top 100 or better. That's why we have a new set of polls for next week's race at Phoenix International Raceway. Please vote now.
We'll be back to wrap up the People's Pigskin's week.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A New Friend: Fantasy Sports Reporters
It's halftime of Sunday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, and the People's Pigskin trails the Fighting Amish by a score of 91-68. It's a tall task, but we can overcome that.
Right now, it's time to introduce you to a Web site called Fantasy Sports Reporters. It's a blog where fantasy football leagues can sign up to have weekly reports written by specialized writers. (Full disclosure: One of them is the author of this fine blog.) It's a fun way to distinguish your league from all the others on your block or floor. Check them out.
We'll be back with results from both NASCAR and fantasy football.
Right now, it's time to introduce you to a Web site called Fantasy Sports Reporters. It's a blog where fantasy football leagues can sign up to have weekly reports written by specialized writers. (Full disclosure: One of them is the author of this fine blog.) It's a fun way to distinguish your league from all the others on your block or floor. Check them out.
We'll be back with results from both NASCAR and fantasy football.
The People's Choice - Week 9
It's almost time to kick off another National Football League weekend, and we at the People's Pigskin have a lineup to field thanks to you, the Internet. Here's who you picked for this week's People's League showdown against the Fighting Amish.
Quarterback: Another week, another sweep for Peyton Manning. He's got a late afternoon date with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Running back: With Knowshon Moreno on a bye week, two players swept this poll -- Michael Turner (who plays the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Darren McFadden (who has a late afternoon game against the Kansas City Chiefs).
Wide receiver: With Kenny Britt out, you split your votes among three wideouts. The receiver slots go to Calvin Johnson (who faces New York Jets early) and Dwayne Bowe (who plays the New York Jets late in the afternoon). Meanwhile, Chad Ochocinco gets the flex spot. He plays the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.
Tight end: Antonio Gates won this poll unanimously. However, he was ruled inactive about the time this poll closed, so we grabbed his backup, Randy McMichael. Welcome back, Randy, and so long, Robert Meachem, who was cut to make room for him. You get the gift of facing the Houston Texans.
There's no change at kicker (Jason Hanson, facing the Jets). And earlier in the week, you voted to pick up the New England Patriots defense/special teams. They visit the Cleveland Browns today.
The poll results appear below. Thanks for voting. Two new polls are now open. The first one, which will close Tuesday night, asks which tight end we should acquire to deal with Gates/McMichael's bye week. The second one, which will close Thursday afternoon, asks whether Turner should start for us Thursday night. Please vote now.
[polldaddy poll=4025596] [polldaddy poll=4025606] [polldaddy poll=4025610] [polldaddy poll=4025614] [polldaddy poll=4025622]
Quarterback: Another week, another sweep for Peyton Manning. He's got a late afternoon date with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Running back: With Knowshon Moreno on a bye week, two players swept this poll -- Michael Turner (who plays the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Darren McFadden (who has a late afternoon game against the Kansas City Chiefs).
Wide receiver: With Kenny Britt out, you split your votes among three wideouts. The receiver slots go to Calvin Johnson (who faces New York Jets early) and Dwayne Bowe (who plays the New York Jets late in the afternoon). Meanwhile, Chad Ochocinco gets the flex spot. He plays the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.
Tight end: Antonio Gates won this poll unanimously. However, he was ruled inactive about the time this poll closed, so we grabbed his backup, Randy McMichael. Welcome back, Randy, and so long, Robert Meachem, who was cut to make room for him. You get the gift of facing the Houston Texans.
There's no change at kicker (Jason Hanson, facing the Jets). And earlier in the week, you voted to pick up the New England Patriots defense/special teams. They visit the Cleveland Browns today.
The poll results appear below. Thanks for voting. Two new polls are now open. The first one, which will close Tuesday night, asks which tight end we should acquire to deal with Gates/McMichael's bye week. The second one, which will close Thursday afternoon, asks whether Turner should start for us Thursday night. Please vote now.
[polldaddy poll=4025596] [polldaddy poll=4025606] [polldaddy poll=4025610] [polldaddy poll=4025614] [polldaddy poll=4025622]
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Fearless NASCAR Predictions - Texas
Now that you've been able to give our football predictions their proper consideration, it's time to tell you which NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will finish in the top 10 at Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway. Last week's predictions went 5-5, leaving us with a season record of 152-168. There's still a chance for these forecasts to reach .500 by the end of the season.
1-3. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick. As these standings show, one of these three will walk away from this race in the driver's seat (so to speak) for the Sprint Cup.
4. Jeff Gordon. He thinks he can do better than just validate this prediction -- he says he can win the race.
5. Greg Biffle. Not only will he start on the front row, but Biffle also has four straight top 10 finishes on this track.
6. Joey Logano. This young man has an equally impressive streak going; he's finished in the top 10 the last three weeks.
7. Carl Edwards. If you believe in momentum, you have to like Edwards' chances after he won the Nationwide race on Saturday.
8. Kyle Busch. Ditto for the younger Busch brother, who won the Camping World truck race on Friday.
9. Jamie McMurray. Back to the Sprint Cup for a moment. People pay a lot of attention to the drivers who made the top 12 and are (theoretically) eligible for the Cup, and rightly so. But take a look at who's in the "best of the rest" spot, also known as 13th place. You get the feeling McMurray is making a run for next year's A List?
10. Elliott Sadler. Not only did he win the pole for this race, but he also secured a ride for next season. That's good enough to make him our medium to long shot.
Remember: The polls for the People's Pigskin will close Sunday morning. Please vote now. We'll be back with the results.
1-3. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick. As these standings show, one of these three will walk away from this race in the driver's seat (so to speak) for the Sprint Cup.
4. Jeff Gordon. He thinks he can do better than just validate this prediction -- he says he can win the race.
5. Greg Biffle. Not only will he start on the front row, but Biffle also has four straight top 10 finishes on this track.
6. Joey Logano. This young man has an equally impressive streak going; he's finished in the top 10 the last three weeks.
7. Carl Edwards. If you believe in momentum, you have to like Edwards' chances after he won the Nationwide race on Saturday.
8. Kyle Busch. Ditto for the younger Busch brother, who won the Camping World truck race on Friday.
9. Jamie McMurray. Back to the Sprint Cup for a moment. People pay a lot of attention to the drivers who made the top 12 and are (theoretically) eligible for the Cup, and rightly so. But take a look at who's in the "best of the rest" spot, also known as 13th place. You get the feeling McMurray is making a run for next year's A List?
10. Elliott Sadler. Not only did he win the pole for this race, but he also secured a ride for next season. That's good enough to make him our medium to long shot.
Remember: The polls for the People's Pigskin will close Sunday morning. Please vote now. We'll be back with the results.
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 9
This week, we'll do something a little different. We are going to give you the predictions for fantasy football's People's League first. Last week's forecasts went a solid 4-1, raising our season record to 24-16.
People's Pigskin vs. Fighting Amish. Do you really think I'm going to let an Antonio Gates injury stop me from picking the Pigskin to win again? (Insert Boris Badenov laugh here.)
Feely Her Up... vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Jay Cutler may not be getting it done for the Bears (Chicago or VinSeth) this season, but Andre Johnson has crossed the 100-yard threshold in each of the last two games. Look for Andre to make it three and the Bears to take the win.
cowboys romero vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. America, say hello to Jacob Tamme. He's the tight end who took Dallas Clark's spot in the Indianapolis Colts lineup last Monday, scoring a touchdown and 12 fantasy points. He's one of many reasons the Colts will survive its rash of injuries and the RedZone will roll to victory here.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Longtime readers of this blog will remember me saying that Adrian Peterson remains the featured back for the Minnesota Vikings after Randy Moss' departure. Well, if Brad Childress wants to keep his job, he'll make Peterson his featured player and run the ball all over the lot. That will fuel a win for the Hawks.
Team z vs. nuckin' futs. This one should come down to the Monday night game, where the Zs have Ben Roethlisberger and the Futs have Mike Wallace (no, not that one). It will be far easier for Roethlisberger to score without Wallace than vice versa, so the Zs get the pick.
We'll be back later with the NASCAR predictions. In the meantime, please vote on the lineup polls, which will close Sunday morning. We can't field a team without your help.
People's Pigskin vs. Fighting Amish. Do you really think I'm going to let an Antonio Gates injury stop me from picking the Pigskin to win again? (Insert Boris Badenov laugh here.)
Feely Her Up... vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Jay Cutler may not be getting it done for the Bears (Chicago or VinSeth) this season, but Andre Johnson has crossed the 100-yard threshold in each of the last two games. Look for Andre to make it three and the Bears to take the win.
cowboys romero vs. NFL2K10 RedZone. America, say hello to Jacob Tamme. He's the tight end who took Dallas Clark's spot in the Indianapolis Colts lineup last Monday, scoring a touchdown and 12 fantasy points. He's one of many reasons the Colts will survive its rash of injuries and the RedZone will roll to victory here.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Longtime readers of this blog will remember me saying that Adrian Peterson remains the featured back for the Minnesota Vikings after Randy Moss' departure. Well, if Brad Childress wants to keep his job, he'll make Peterson his featured player and run the ball all over the lot. That will fuel a win for the Hawks.
Team z vs. nuckin' futs. This one should come down to the Monday night game, where the Zs have Ben Roethlisberger and the Futs have Mike Wallace (no, not that one). It will be far easier for Roethlisberger to score without Wallace than vice versa, so the Zs get the pick.
We'll be back later with the NASCAR predictions. In the meantime, please vote on the lineup polls, which will close Sunday morning. We can't field a team without your help.
Friday, November 5, 2010
The People's Choice - Texas
As we get ready for another weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are preparing for Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway. And the People's Pitstop will be there with a lineup thanks to you, the Internet. Here are your choices.
A List. With 2 of the 10 drivers on this list now officially ineligible for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team, the pickings got a little slimmer. Maybe that's why you put Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin in a dead heat. They will compete during the qualifying session for a spot in the starting lineup.
B List. This poll produced one clear-cut winner: Jamie McMurray, who will start for us. But it also produced a tie for the second spot. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer will battle it out in qualifying. The loser will join David Reutimann on the bench.
C List. This will be the fantasy racing swan song for Sam Hornish Jr., who will start for the final time this season. Scott Speed gets the bench slot.
Thanks for voting. The results appear below. And while you're here, feel free to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this weekend's fantasy football match with the Fighting Amish.
We'll update this post after the qualifying session.
UPDATED 9:30 P.M. Gordon qualified 15th and will start over Hamlin, who qualified 30th. And Bowyer, who qualified 7th, will get the other starting spot over Earnhardt, who qualified 22nd.
We'll be back with our weekly fearless predictions.
[polldaddy poll=4018406] [polldaddy poll=4018414] [polldaddy poll=4018422]
A List. With 2 of the 10 drivers on this list now officially ineligible for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team, the pickings got a little slimmer. Maybe that's why you put Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin in a dead heat. They will compete during the qualifying session for a spot in the starting lineup.
B List. This poll produced one clear-cut winner: Jamie McMurray, who will start for us. But it also produced a tie for the second spot. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer will battle it out in qualifying. The loser will join David Reutimann on the bench.
C List. This will be the fantasy racing swan song for Sam Hornish Jr., who will start for the final time this season. Scott Speed gets the bench slot.
Thanks for voting. The results appear below. And while you're here, feel free to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this weekend's fantasy football match with the Fighting Amish.
UPDATED 9:30 P.M. Gordon qualified 15th and will start over Hamlin, who qualified 30th. And Bowyer, who qualified 7th, will get the other starting spot over Earnhardt, who qualified 22nd.
We'll be back with our weekly fearless predictions.
[polldaddy poll=4018406] [polldaddy poll=4018414] [polldaddy poll=4018422]
Thursday, November 4, 2010
How to Deal with a Headache
The polls for the People's Pitstop lineup will close in a couple of hours, so please vote if you haven't done so already. While you consider your vote, it's time for a little talk about football.
One of the strengths of fantasy football, as opposed to the real thing, is that a fantasy team doesn't have to worry about chemistry or character. It's a meritocracy in the best sense of the word. All that matters is whether you get the job done on the field. A fantasy player doesn't care if the players are wacky or arrogant or even mean. Whether that player is a well-adjusted human being is someone else's problem.
In the National Football League, it doesn't work that way. Coaches do have to worry about whether a player is hurting the team. This week, Brad Childress decided that Randy Moss was hurting the Minnesota Vikings, and the coach made the extreme (and, apparently, unilateral) decision to let the malcontent go. Moss, of course, has landed on his feet with the Tennessee Titans, and he'll get a bye week to learn the offense, so his production shouldn't be an issue with his new team.
How will his move to his third team of this season affect everyone else? First, we look at the Vikings.
Brett Favre: He's probably too busy applying ice packs to various parts to notice Moss' absence.
Adrian Peterson: He was and remains the featured back. No big change here.
Percy Harvin: As he demonstrates here, Rice doesn't need to run a go route to score, so he'll be fine.
Now, how about the Titans?
Vince Young: What quarterback wouldn't want a new toy like this one? At least until that toy starts acting funny.
Chris Johnson: The Titans offense runs through Johnson until further notice.
Kenny Britt: His injury may have been one reason the Titans were attracted to Moss in the first place. Once Britt gets healthy, he'll appreciate the attention Moss gets from defensive backs, but he might not appreciate the way Moss becomes the weapon of choice when it comes to deep throws.
Good thing the People's Pigskin isn't affected by this stuf...wait a minute. We have Britt and Young on our roster?
(Gulp.)
(Nah, Britt will be fine. Really.)
We'll be back with the NASCAR poll results.
One of the strengths of fantasy football, as opposed to the real thing, is that a fantasy team doesn't have to worry about chemistry or character. It's a meritocracy in the best sense of the word. All that matters is whether you get the job done on the field. A fantasy player doesn't care if the players are wacky or arrogant or even mean. Whether that player is a well-adjusted human being is someone else's problem.
In the National Football League, it doesn't work that way. Coaches do have to worry about whether a player is hurting the team. This week, Brad Childress decided that Randy Moss was hurting the Minnesota Vikings, and the coach made the extreme (and, apparently, unilateral) decision to let the malcontent go. Moss, of course, has landed on his feet with the Tennessee Titans, and he'll get a bye week to learn the offense, so his production shouldn't be an issue with his new team.
How will his move to his third team of this season affect everyone else? First, we look at the Vikings.
Brett Favre: He's probably too busy applying ice packs to various parts to notice Moss' absence.
Adrian Peterson: He was and remains the featured back. No big change here.
Percy Harvin: As he demonstrates here, Rice doesn't need to run a go route to score, so he'll be fine.
Now, how about the Titans?
Vince Young: What quarterback wouldn't want a new toy like this one? At least until that toy starts acting funny.
Chris Johnson: The Titans offense runs through Johnson until further notice.
Kenny Britt: His injury may have been one reason the Titans were attracted to Moss in the first place. Once Britt gets healthy, he'll appreciate the attention Moss gets from defensive backs, but he might not appreciate the way Moss becomes the weapon of choice when it comes to deep throws.
Good thing the People's Pigskin isn't affected by this stuf...wait a minute. We have Britt and Young on our roster?
(Gulp.)
(Nah, Britt will be fine. Really.)
We'll be back with the NASCAR poll results.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The People's Facts - AAA Texas 500
Before we get into racing, let me offer a word of thanks to those of you who voted in the poll on which defense/special teams the People's Pigskin should acquire for its fantasy football showdown against the Fighting Amish. As you can see at the bottom of this post, the New England Patriots won this one unanimously and have earned a spot in our starting lineup.
Now, let's turn our attention to the People's Pitstop, which is hoping to bounce back with a strong performance at Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. We need you, the Internet, to select our drivers. Here is some information you might find useful.
Track basics: Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth. You can call it a "cookie cutter" if you want, but consider this. The Sprint Cup qualifying record on this track was set by Terry Labonte in 2000. His speed? Over 192 miles an hour. That's one fast cookie.
Last time we were here: Back in April (yes, seven months ago), Denny Hamlin held off a late charge by Jimmie Johnson and took the checkered flag in his second race after ACL surgery. The People's Pitstop fared well, scoring 307 fantasy points. Our top scorer was Kevin Harvick, who finished 7th.
Other recent winners: Kurt Busch (fall 2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Johnson (2007).
Who wins here a lot: For once, there's not a Hendrick driver in sight. Edwards leads all active NASCAR drivers with three victories in Texas, followed by Jeff Burton with two.
Where we stand: For the first time in a while, this race and the two that will follow are going to matter in the big picture. Take a look at the top of the points standings. Johnson normally has the Sprint Cup title all but sewn up by now, but Hamlin sits just 14 points behind, and Harvick is just 38 points behind. That means every pit stop, restart and passing decision will play a role in determining this year's championship. So much for conspiracy theories.
As always, you can learn more by downloading this guide from our friends at Yahoo Sports. The NASCAR polls will close Thursday night, so please vote now.
We'll be back with some football thoughts.
[polldaddy poll=4018395]
Now, let's turn our attention to the People's Pitstop, which is hoping to bounce back with a strong performance at Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. We need you, the Internet, to select our drivers. Here is some information you might find useful.
Track basics: Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth. You can call it a "cookie cutter" if you want, but consider this. The Sprint Cup qualifying record on this track was set by Terry Labonte in 2000. His speed? Over 192 miles an hour. That's one fast cookie.
Last time we were here: Back in April (yes, seven months ago), Denny Hamlin held off a late charge by Jimmie Johnson and took the checkered flag in his second race after ACL surgery. The People's Pitstop fared well, scoring 307 fantasy points. Our top scorer was Kevin Harvick, who finished 7th.
Other recent winners: Kurt Busch (fall 2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Johnson (2007).
Who wins here a lot: For once, there's not a Hendrick driver in sight. Edwards leads all active NASCAR drivers with three victories in Texas, followed by Jeff Burton with two.
Where we stand: For the first time in a while, this race and the two that will follow are going to matter in the big picture. Take a look at the top of the points standings. Johnson normally has the Sprint Cup title all but sewn up by now, but Hamlin sits just 14 points behind, and Harvick is just 38 points behind. That means every pit stop, restart and passing decision will play a role in determining this year's championship. So much for conspiracy theories.
As always, you can learn more by downloading this guide from our friends at Yahoo Sports. The NASCAR polls will close Thursday night, so please vote now.
We'll be back with some football thoughts.
[polldaddy poll=4018395]
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Another Week, Another Victory
The magical run by the People's Pigskin continues. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team beat the nuckin' futs by a score of 100-79. Thanks to you, the Internet, we now enjoy a league-leading record of 7-1. Here's your scoring breakdown.
Peyton Manning, QB: 26 of 45 passing, 268 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 rushes for 3 yards and 18 fantasy points. Sometimes it almost seems too easy for Manning and whoever his teammates are this week.
Darren McFadden, RB: 21 rushes for 111 yards, 2 receptions for 24 yards and 13 fantasy points. All that was missing from McFadden's stats this week was a touchdown, but his teammates more than picked up the slack.
Justin Forsett, RB: 5 rushes for 11 yards, 3 receptions for 23 yards and 3 fantasy points. Forsett, on the other hand, is stuck on a team with an offensively bad offense.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 9 receptions, 101 yards, 3 touchdowns and 28 fantasy points. Clearly, Matthew Stafford knows where his proverbial bread is buttered.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 3 receptions for 16 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 rush for 4 yards and 7 fantasy points. Bowe's end zone catch saved his fantasy day.
Knowshon Moreno, Flex: 11 rushes for 40 yards, 4 receptions for 19 yards and 5 fantasy points. Who'd have thought Moreno would have to worry about losing goal line touches to a rookie quarterback?
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 123 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. It's nice having the tight end who's leading the NFL in touchdown catches.
Tennessee Titans, D/ST: 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 safety, 1 punt block, 33 points allowed and 3 fantasy points. The San Diego Chargers special teams are the gift that keeps on giving.
Jason Hanson, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 2 for 2 on extra points and 5 fantasy points. Hanson did enough to remain on the People's Pigskin roster.
Bench: I don't know how you knew benching Kenny Britt would be a good idea, but you were right. Britt went down with a hamstring injury without scoring a single fantasy point. Vince Young, however, scored 18. Robert Meachem scored 7, Chad Henne scored 6, and Chad Ochocinco scored 3.
Now, it's time to set our lineup for this week's People's League showdown with the Fighting Amish. The defense/special teams poll will close tonight, while the other football polls (found just under the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday evening. Please vote now.
And speaking of votes, today is Election Day. Get to your polling place and cast your ballot. Yes, it matters. No, your excuse isn't good enough.
The Halloween poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=4014133]
Peyton Manning, QB: 26 of 45 passing, 268 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 rushes for 3 yards and 18 fantasy points. Sometimes it almost seems too easy for Manning and whoever his teammates are this week.
Darren McFadden, RB: 21 rushes for 111 yards, 2 receptions for 24 yards and 13 fantasy points. All that was missing from McFadden's stats this week was a touchdown, but his teammates more than picked up the slack.
Justin Forsett, RB: 5 rushes for 11 yards, 3 receptions for 23 yards and 3 fantasy points. Forsett, on the other hand, is stuck on a team with an offensively bad offense.
Calvin Johnson, WR: 9 receptions, 101 yards, 3 touchdowns and 28 fantasy points. Clearly, Matthew Stafford knows where his proverbial bread is buttered.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 3 receptions for 16 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 rush for 4 yards and 7 fantasy points. Bowe's end zone catch saved his fantasy day.
Knowshon Moreno, Flex: 11 rushes for 40 yards, 4 receptions for 19 yards and 5 fantasy points. Who'd have thought Moreno would have to worry about losing goal line touches to a rookie quarterback?
Antonio Gates, TE: 5 receptions, 123 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. It's nice having the tight end who's leading the NFL in touchdown catches.
Tennessee Titans, D/ST: 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 safety, 1 punt block, 33 points allowed and 3 fantasy points. The San Diego Chargers special teams are the gift that keeps on giving.
Jason Hanson, K: 1 for 1 on field goals, 2 for 2 on extra points and 5 fantasy points. Hanson did enough to remain on the People's Pigskin roster.
Bench: I don't know how you knew benching Kenny Britt would be a good idea, but you were right. Britt went down with a hamstring injury without scoring a single fantasy point. Vince Young, however, scored 18. Robert Meachem scored 7, Chad Henne scored 6, and Chad Ochocinco scored 3.
Now, it's time to set our lineup for this week's People's League showdown with the Fighting Amish. The defense/special teams poll will close tonight, while the other football polls (found just under the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday evening. Please vote now.
And speaking of votes, today is Election Day. Get to your polling place and cast your ballot. Yes, it matters. No, your excuse isn't good enough.
The Halloween poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=4014133]
Monday, November 1, 2010
NASCAR Results, New Polls and Recommended Reading
First, a fantasy football update: The People's Pigskin walks into Monday night's game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans with an 82-50 lead over the nuckin' futs. The Futs have Pierre Garcon and Arian Foster in tonight's matchup. The Pigskin has Peyton Manning. Not to jinx it, but things are looking good for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team.
We can't say the same thing for the People's Pitstop, which managed to scrape together only 171 points during Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Our season total is now 8,677, putting us in 72,036th place overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 7 spots, to 90th place, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Clint Bowyer, who was awarded the win from the Pitstop's bench, did contribute 5 points for qualifying in 2nd place. Here's how our starters did.
Tony Stewart: Started 26th, finished 31st and 30 fantasy points. Ironically, in his last start of the season for us, Stewart was the only People's Pitstop starter who did not lead a lap in this wild race. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the last-lap crash and led to Bowyer's win.
Jamie McMurray: Started 12th, finished 36th (5 laps behind the leaders), 4 laps led and 30 fantasy points. McMurray's chances were essentially extinguished when he got caught up in Jeff Burton's crash roughly two-thirds of the way into the race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 6th, finished 39th (25 laps behind the leaders), 24 laps led and 34 fantasy points. Earnhardt took the blame for the Burton wreck, which ended the day for the 88 car, as well. And that's too bad; Earnhardt wound up leading the most laps in this race.
Sam Hornish Jr.: Started 10th, finished 15th, 5 laps led and 72 fantasy points. Raise your hand if you thought Hornish would score twice as many points as any other driver in our lineup. Now put your hand down, you liar.
Here's the truth: The People's Pitstop has only three races left, starting with Sunday's contest at Texas Motor Speedway. The polls are up and will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
By the way, if you're a football fan, you owe it to yourself to get your hand on a copy of Ron Jaworski's book "The Games that Changed the Game." In this book, Jaworski (with the help of Greg Cosell and David Plaut of NFL films) breaks down seven games that demonstrated a system that altered the way players and coaches across the league viewed the sport. For example, here's an excerpt from Jaworski's analysis of Buddy Ryan's 46 defense:
"Another change the 46 brought about was how teams drafted. More an more personnel directors now pick receivers specifically to beat press coverage. Cornerbacks who cover wider field areas are also popular draft choices. And offenses have had to put in greater numbers of deception plays, such as quick screens where the quarterback gets the ball out fast to a receiver with linemen blocking in front of him."
There's plenty more where that came from, so get a copy and enjoy the Monday night game. In the meantime, we have to pick a defense/special teams for next week. A poll on that topic is now open and will close Tuesday evening. Please vote now.
We'll be back with the full football results.
We can't say the same thing for the People's Pitstop, which managed to scrape together only 171 points during Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Our season total is now 8,677, putting us in 72,036th place overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 7 spots, to 90th place, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Clint Bowyer, who was awarded the win from the Pitstop's bench, did contribute 5 points for qualifying in 2nd place. Here's how our starters did.
Tony Stewart: Started 26th, finished 31st and 30 fantasy points. Ironically, in his last start of the season for us, Stewart was the only People's Pitstop starter who did not lead a lap in this wild race. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the last-lap crash and led to Bowyer's win.
Jamie McMurray: Started 12th, finished 36th (5 laps behind the leaders), 4 laps led and 30 fantasy points. McMurray's chances were essentially extinguished when he got caught up in Jeff Burton's crash roughly two-thirds of the way into the race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 6th, finished 39th (25 laps behind the leaders), 24 laps led and 34 fantasy points. Earnhardt took the blame for the Burton wreck, which ended the day for the 88 car, as well. And that's too bad; Earnhardt wound up leading the most laps in this race.
Sam Hornish Jr.: Started 10th, finished 15th, 5 laps led and 72 fantasy points. Raise your hand if you thought Hornish would score twice as many points as any other driver in our lineup. Now put your hand down, you liar.
Here's the truth: The People's Pitstop has only three races left, starting with Sunday's contest at Texas Motor Speedway. The polls are up and will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
By the way, if you're a football fan, you owe it to yourself to get your hand on a copy of Ron Jaworski's book "The Games that Changed the Game." In this book, Jaworski (with the help of Greg Cosell and David Plaut of NFL films) breaks down seven games that demonstrated a system that altered the way players and coaches across the league viewed the sport. For example, here's an excerpt from Jaworski's analysis of Buddy Ryan's 46 defense:
"Another change the 46 brought about was how teams drafted. More an more personnel directors now pick receivers specifically to beat press coverage. Cornerbacks who cover wider field areas are also popular draft choices. And offenses have had to put in greater numbers of deception plays, such as quick screens where the quarterback gets the ball out fast to a receiver with linemen blocking in front of him."
There's plenty more where that came from, so get a copy and enjoy the Monday night game. In the meantime, we have to pick a defense/special teams for next week. A poll on that topic is now open and will close Tuesday evening. Please vote now.
We'll be back with the full football results.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)