You, the Internet, have stepped up to the plate and helped the People's Playoffs pick its lineup for the final two rounds of the ESPN Gridiron Playoff Challenge. Our roster locks once the NFC Championship game starts, and it will stay locked all the way through the Super Bowl. The Internet's favorite playoff fantasy football team needs to make up a deficit against the Jersey Mob for control of the 9beersfantasysportstavern group. Here are the players who will help us do it.
Quarterback: In the NFC slot, we have a familiar face. Aaron Rodgers will start for the third -- and fourth -- straight week. On the AFC side, we have a newcomer (to our squad, not to the playoffs): Ben Roethlisberger.
Running back: Both our running backs from the previous round were eliminated, so we have two fresh faces here. From the AFC, we have Rashard Mendenhall. From the NFC, we have the Green Bay Packers rookie James Starks. By contrast ...
Wide receiver: Continuity carried the day in these polls. Greg Jennings and Mike Wallace keep their starting spots from last week.
Tight end: We had a nice run with Todd Heap, but the Pittsburgh Steelers stopped it dead in its tracks. It's appropriate, then, that Heath Miller of the Steelers take his place in our lineup.
Defense/special teams: Yes, there are questions about how effective Troy Polamalu will be this week. But that didn't stop you from selecting the Steelers to take over where the Baltimore Ravens left off.
Kicker: An incumbent has been unseated. Nick Folk was available to you, but you decided you didn't trust the New York Jets kicking game at Heinz Field. You went instead with Mason Crosby, who gets the relatively stable conditions at Soldier Field.
If you haven't noticed already, our lineup is filled with Packers and Steelers. If both teams make the Super Bowl, we'll be able to make a real splash. If the Jets and the Chicago Bears prevail ... well, at least we'll have time to discuss what's been going on in NASCAR.
The poll results appear below, and another Super Bowl poll is now available for voting. Enjoy the games!
[polldaddy poll=4427870] [polldaddy poll=4427874] [polldaddy poll=4427878] [polldaddy poll=4427884] [polldaddy poll=4427887] [polldaddy poll=4427895] [polldaddy poll=4427905] [polldaddy poll=4427913] [polldaddy poll=4427916]
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Fearless Predictions - Conference Championships
There's still time to vote on the People's Playoffs roster for this week (and for Super Bowl week, since the rosters will lock on Sunday). While you contemplate your selections, it's time to tell you what will happen Sunday in the NFL conference championship games. Last week's predictions went 3-1, raising the playoff forecast record to a respectable 4-4.
NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears. We'll set aside the question Bill Simmons fielded Friday about whether these two teams have a rivalry. Instead, we'll focus on what both teams bring to the table. Green Bay brings Charles Woodson, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Clay Matthews Jr., one of the favorites to take that honor this season. Chicago has Jay Cutler, who will be starting the second playoff game of his professional career. (By contrast, Mark Sanchez will be starting his sixth.) They also have Mike Martz, who sometimes still calls games as if he feels the words "blocking" and "tight end" don't belong in the same paragraph. Evidence? Cutler was sacked a league-leading 52 times this season, or 12 more times than runner-up Joe Flacco. When it comes down to it, the people who bring you the People's Pigskin trust Matthews, Woodson and their cohorts more than they trust Cutler and his offensive line. The Packers win a third straight road game and punch their ticket for the Super Bowl.
AFC Championship: New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no question that Mark Sanchez has evolved into a legitimate NFL quarterback. And Rex Ryan is proving that he can back up his big words with big games. But once again, it's a question of who do you trust. Pittsburgh has Ben Roethlisberger, who may have ridden Jerome Bettis' coattails to one Super Bowl ring but more than earned his second with a drive that culminated with one of the most famous catches in postseason history. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, we have Antonio Cromartie (remember him?), who can stand on his head one week and fall flat on his face the next. He stood on his head last week against the New England Patriots. But if the question is which player is more likely to come through again this week, the answer has to be Roethlisberger until someone proves otherwise. The Steelers march on to Arlington and the House That Texas Taxpayers Built.
We'll be back with the poll results.
NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears. We'll set aside the question Bill Simmons fielded Friday about whether these two teams have a rivalry. Instead, we'll focus on what both teams bring to the table. Green Bay brings Charles Woodson, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Clay Matthews Jr., one of the favorites to take that honor this season. Chicago has Jay Cutler, who will be starting the second playoff game of his professional career. (By contrast, Mark Sanchez will be starting his sixth.) They also have Mike Martz, who sometimes still calls games as if he feels the words "blocking" and "tight end" don't belong in the same paragraph. Evidence? Cutler was sacked a league-leading 52 times this season, or 12 more times than runner-up Joe Flacco. When it comes down to it, the people who bring you the People's Pigskin trust Matthews, Woodson and their cohorts more than they trust Cutler and his offensive line. The Packers win a third straight road game and punch their ticket for the Super Bowl.
AFC Championship: New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no question that Mark Sanchez has evolved into a legitimate NFL quarterback. And Rex Ryan is proving that he can back up his big words with big games. But once again, it's a question of who do you trust. Pittsburgh has Ben Roethlisberger, who may have ridden Jerome Bettis' coattails to one Super Bowl ring but more than earned his second with a drive that culminated with one of the most famous catches in postseason history. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, we have Antonio Cromartie (remember him?), who can stand on his head one week and fall flat on his face the next. He stood on his head last week against the New England Patriots. But if the question is which player is more likely to come through again this week, the answer has to be Roethlisberger until someone proves otherwise. The Steelers march on to Arlington and the House That Texas Taxpayers Built.
We'll be back with the poll results.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Quick Update, Fresh Polls
Rather than continuing to wait for Rex Ryan to say something provocative about the Pittsburgh Steelers, we'll catch you up on how the People's Playoffs are faring. The Internet's favorite playoff fantasy football team had a rough divisional round, scoring only 108 points and falling to second place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern group standings with a total score of only 221. We now trail the Jersey Mob (hopefully not that one) by 29 points.
Here's a quick statistical breakdown of our divisional round roster.
Tom Brady, QB: 29 of 45 passing for 299 yards, 2 rushes for 2 yards, 2 touchdowns and 19 fantasy points.
Aaron Rodgers, QB: 31 of 36 passing for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 rushes for 13 yards and 1 touchdown and 33 fantasy points.
Ray Rice, RB: 12 rushes for 32 yards, 7 receptions for 32 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points.
Michael Turner, RB: 10 rushes, 39 yards, 1 touchdown and 9 fantasy points.
Mike Wallace, WR: 3 receptions for 20 yards, 2 rushes for minus-2 yards and 2 fantasy points.
Greg Jennings, WR: 8 receptions, 101 yards and 10 fantasy points.
Todd Heap, TE: 3 receptions, 43 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 touchdown.
Nick Folk, K: 4 extra points and 4 fantasy points.
Baltimore Ravens, D/ST: 6 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 defensive touchdown, 31 points allowed and 9 fantasy points.
Now that you know how we got here, it's time to discuss where we go from here. The conference championship games are Sunday afternoon, and we need to fill a roster. Unfortunately, ESPN rules state that the rosters will freeze after the conference championships. The team we pick this week will also represent the People's Playoffs at the Super Bowl. Therefore, our polls are constructed a little differently this time around. The quarterback, running back and wide receiver polls are divided into NFC and AFC spots, in order to maximize the chances of having players who will still be playing in two weeks.
Feel free to vote now, and feel free to encourage your friends, neighbors and acquaintances to do the same. We'll be back with some predictions.
Here's a quick statistical breakdown of our divisional round roster.
Tom Brady, QB: 29 of 45 passing for 299 yards, 2 rushes for 2 yards, 2 touchdowns and 19 fantasy points.
Aaron Rodgers, QB: 31 of 36 passing for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 rushes for 13 yards and 1 touchdown and 33 fantasy points.
Ray Rice, RB: 12 rushes for 32 yards, 7 receptions for 32 yards, 1 touchdown and 12 fantasy points.
Michael Turner, RB: 10 rushes, 39 yards, 1 touchdown and 9 fantasy points.
Mike Wallace, WR: 3 receptions for 20 yards, 2 rushes for minus-2 yards and 2 fantasy points.
Greg Jennings, WR: 8 receptions, 101 yards and 10 fantasy points.
Todd Heap, TE: 3 receptions, 43 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 touchdown.
Nick Folk, K: 4 extra points and 4 fantasy points.
Baltimore Ravens, D/ST: 6 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 defensive touchdown, 31 points allowed and 9 fantasy points.
Now that you know how we got here, it's time to discuss where we go from here. The conference championship games are Sunday afternoon, and we need to fill a roster. Unfortunately, ESPN rules state that the rosters will freeze after the conference championships. The team we pick this week will also represent the People's Playoffs at the Super Bowl. Therefore, our polls are constructed a little differently this time around. The quarterback, running back and wide receiver polls are divided into NFC and AFC spots, in order to maximize the chances of having players who will still be playing in two weeks.
Feel free to vote now, and feel free to encourage your friends, neighbors and acquaintances to do the same. We'll be back with some predictions.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The People's Choice - Divisional Round (and Predictions)
The votes are in, and you, the Internet, have made the following choices for the People's Pigskin for this divisional round of the ESPN Gridiron Playoff Challenge.
Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers returns to our lineup for a second week. He gets the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night. He's joined this week by Tom Brady, who will play the New York Jets late Sunday afternoon.
Running back: Another returning player from last week is Ray Rice, who visits the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday afternoon. This week, he's joined by Michael Turner, who hosts the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.
Wide receiver: Yet another player makes a second straight appearance for the Internet's favorite fantasy playoff football team -- Greg Jennings, who has to improve on last week's performance. He faces the Atlanta Falcons. The other receiver spot goes to Mike Wallace, who hosts the Baltimore Ravens.
There was no change at tight end (Todd Heap). The defense/special teams and kicker polls came down to ties. We used dollar value as the tiebreaker, and in both cases, the incumbent held off a challenger. The Ravens defense/special teams ($4.5) beat the Chicago Bears ($4.8), and Nick Folk ($4.0) took the kicker spot over Matt Bryant ($4.1).
And here are some quick predictions for this week's games. Last week's forecasts went 1-3, so take this with as many grains of salt as you wish.
Steelers over Ravens.
Packers over Falcons.
Bears over Seahawks.
Patriots over Jets.
Thanks for voting in this week's lineup polls. The results appear below, and a new poll on the Super Bowl is ready to take your votes now. We'll be back with a look at this week's scores.
[polldaddy poll=4374582] [polldaddy poll=4374589] [polldaddy poll=4374593] [polldaddy poll=4374600] [polldaddy poll=4374603] [polldaddy poll=4374611]
Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers returns to our lineup for a second week. He gets the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night. He's joined this week by Tom Brady, who will play the New York Jets late Sunday afternoon.
Running back: Another returning player from last week is Ray Rice, who visits the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday afternoon. This week, he's joined by Michael Turner, who hosts the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.
Wide receiver: Yet another player makes a second straight appearance for the Internet's favorite fantasy playoff football team -- Greg Jennings, who has to improve on last week's performance. He faces the Atlanta Falcons. The other receiver spot goes to Mike Wallace, who hosts the Baltimore Ravens.
There was no change at tight end (Todd Heap). The defense/special teams and kicker polls came down to ties. We used dollar value as the tiebreaker, and in both cases, the incumbent held off a challenger. The Ravens defense/special teams ($4.5) beat the Chicago Bears ($4.8), and Nick Folk ($4.0) took the kicker spot over Matt Bryant ($4.1).
And here are some quick predictions for this week's games. Last week's forecasts went 1-3, so take this with as many grains of salt as you wish.
Steelers over Ravens.
Packers over Falcons.
Bears over Seahawks.
Patriots over Jets.
Thanks for voting in this week's lineup polls. The results appear below, and a new poll on the Super Bowl is ready to take your votes now. We'll be back with a look at this week's scores.
[polldaddy poll=4374582] [polldaddy poll=4374589] [polldaddy poll=4374593] [polldaddy poll=4374600] [polldaddy poll=4374603] [polldaddy poll=4374611]
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Off to a Wild Start
Sorry this post is so late...I was waiting for Stephen Ross to return my calls.
Anyway, you, the Internet, came through once again. You helped the People's Playoffs rack up an amazing 113 fantasy points during the wild card round of the ESPN Gridiron Playoff Challenge. For those of you who forgot your secret decoder rings, we currently have a 7-point lead in the 9beersfantasysportstavern group.
Here's how the scoring happened.
Joe Flacco, QB: 25 of 34 passing for 265 yards, 7 rushes for 26 yards, 2 touchdowns and 20 fantasy points. The biggest headlines came from the other side of the ball (and we'll discuss that later), but Flacco, who now has four playoff victories on his resume, fully earned his own kudos from authorities like NFL.com's Vic Carlucci.
Aaron Rodgers, QB: 18 of 27 passing for 180 yards, 3 rushes for 4 yards, 3 touchdowns and 19 fantasy points. It's too bad fantasy football doesn't award bonus points for things like awkward congratulations hugs on national TV.
Ray Rice, RB: 17 rushes for 57 yards, 5 receptions for 42 yards, 1 touchdown and 15 fantasy points. It might be going too far to say he made the Kansas City Chiefs look like there were "trying to grab a wet bar of soap," but he did find his way to the end zone.
Jamaal Charles, RB: 9 rushes for 82 yards, 1 reception for 15 yards, 1 touchdown and 15 fantasy points. Charles also crossed the goal line to save his fantasy performance. Unfortunately, he was swallowed whole by Terrence Cody and won't be joining us for the rest of the postseason.
Jeremy Maclin, WR: 3 receptions, 73 yards and 7 fantasy points. Maclin also won't be with us the rest of the way. He ran into a solid Green Bay Packers defense, who gave him one big 44-yard catch and little else.
Greg Jennings, WR: 1 reception, 8 yards and 0 fantasy points. The big difference between Jennings and Reggie Wayne: Jennings had enough sense not to complain publicly about getting only one catch in a playoff game.
Todd Heap, TE: 10 receptions, 108 yards and 10 fantasy points. Maybe the Baltimore Ravens should make sure Heap is matched up against rookie safeties the rest of the playoffs.
Nick Folk, K: 1 field goal, 2 extra points and 5 fantasy points. His big kick was the last one.
Baltimore Ravens, D/ST: 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles, 7 points allowed, 1 win and 22 fantasy points. That's right; our top fantasy scorer was our defense. They played their hearts out for one of their leaders, Ed Reed, who was playing with a heavy heart. Keep him and his family in your thoughts.
Now it's on to the divisional playoffs. Four new sets of players are joining in the fantasy playoff festivities. And six new polls are available for voting. Once again, they will stay open until shortly before the first game kicks off Saturday, so feel free to vote now.
We'll be back with some more football thoughts.
Anyway, you, the Internet, came through once again. You helped the People's Playoffs rack up an amazing 113 fantasy points during the wild card round of the ESPN Gridiron Playoff Challenge. For those of you who forgot your secret decoder rings, we currently have a 7-point lead in the 9beersfantasysportstavern group.
Here's how the scoring happened.
Joe Flacco, QB: 25 of 34 passing for 265 yards, 7 rushes for 26 yards, 2 touchdowns and 20 fantasy points. The biggest headlines came from the other side of the ball (and we'll discuss that later), but Flacco, who now has four playoff victories on his resume, fully earned his own kudos from authorities like NFL.com's Vic Carlucci.
Aaron Rodgers, QB: 18 of 27 passing for 180 yards, 3 rushes for 4 yards, 3 touchdowns and 19 fantasy points. It's too bad fantasy football doesn't award bonus points for things like awkward congratulations hugs on national TV.
Ray Rice, RB: 17 rushes for 57 yards, 5 receptions for 42 yards, 1 touchdown and 15 fantasy points. It might be going too far to say he made the Kansas City Chiefs look like there were "trying to grab a wet bar of soap," but he did find his way to the end zone.
Jamaal Charles, RB: 9 rushes for 82 yards, 1 reception for 15 yards, 1 touchdown and 15 fantasy points. Charles also crossed the goal line to save his fantasy performance. Unfortunately, he was swallowed whole by Terrence Cody and won't be joining us for the rest of the postseason.
Jeremy Maclin, WR: 3 receptions, 73 yards and 7 fantasy points. Maclin also won't be with us the rest of the way. He ran into a solid Green Bay Packers defense, who gave him one big 44-yard catch and little else.
Greg Jennings, WR: 1 reception, 8 yards and 0 fantasy points. The big difference between Jennings and Reggie Wayne: Jennings had enough sense not to complain publicly about getting only one catch in a playoff game.
Todd Heap, TE: 10 receptions, 108 yards and 10 fantasy points. Maybe the Baltimore Ravens should make sure Heap is matched up against rookie safeties the rest of the playoffs.
Nick Folk, K: 1 field goal, 2 extra points and 5 fantasy points. His big kick was the last one.
Baltimore Ravens, D/ST: 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles, 7 points allowed, 1 win and 22 fantasy points. That's right; our top fantasy scorer was our defense. They played their hearts out for one of their leaders, Ed Reed, who was playing with a heavy heart. Keep him and his family in your thoughts.
Now it's on to the divisional playoffs. Four new sets of players are joining in the fantasy playoff festivities. And six new polls are available for voting. Once again, they will stay open until shortly before the first game kicks off Saturday, so feel free to vote now.
We'll be back with some more football thoughts.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The People's Choice - Wild Card
Thanks to all of you who voted on the People's Playoffs lineup for the wild card round of the ESPN Gridiron Playoff Challenge. Our quest to dominate the 9beersfantasysportstavern group begins with this roster. (No need to race to your TV to follow these players; all but one play on Sunday.)
Quarterback. The clear winner in this poll was Aaron Rodgers, who plays the Philadephia Eagles late Sunday afternoon. For the second QB spot, we had a tie between Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco. As the tiebreaker, we chose the player will the lower salary, and Flacco (5.7) beat Manning (6.1) for the spot. He gets the Kansas City Chiefs early Sunday afternoon.
Running back. Again, we had a clear winner: Ray Rice, who plays the Chiefs. And once again, we had a tie for the second spot. In this tiebreaker, Jamaal Charles (5.8) edged LeSean McCoy (5.9). Charles plays the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Wide receiver: Yes, we had one clear winner again: Greg Jennings, who faces the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. And once again, we have a tie for second. Jeremy Maclin (5.6) beats Dwayne Bowe (6.1) by virtue of the tiebreaker. He faces Jennings' Green Bay Packers.
Tight end: This time, there was only one spot available, and it came down to a tie between two players. Todd Heap (4.8) beat Jacob Tamme (4.9) and gets the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Kicker: Another poll, another tie. Nick Folk (4.0) beat David Akers (4.2) to give us our only Saturday player. He faces the Indianapolis Colts.
Defense/special teams: Yes, even this one resulted in a tie to be broken by salary. And, believe it or not, the Baltimore Ravens (4.5) had a lower salary than the New Orleans Saints (4.6). They get the Kansas City Chiefs.
By the way, if you would have liked a different outcome, one solution would be to get a friend to vote on these polls, too.
Speaking of polls, a new one about the wild card teams is now available for voting. Enjoy the games, everybody.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Fearless Wild Card Predictions
There's still time for you to vote on which players the People's Playoffs will field in the wild card round of ESPN's Gridiron Playoff Challenge. Our goal is to dominate the 9beersfantasysportstaven group in this postseason fantasy football game.
Speaking of the postseason, it's time to offer a peek at what will happen on Saturday and Sunday in the wild card games. The Week 17 predictions for the People's League (including picks for that week and overall results) went 5-5, leaving us with a final season record of 59-36.
Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints. When we last saw Matt Hasselbeck, he was straining his hip running into the end zone. And we're supposed to believe he's ready to face a New Orleans Saints team that has to be ticked off they're flying across the country to visit a 7-9 team. And it won't matter if they bring back Archie Manning to play halfback; the Saints should make short work of the Seahawks. And the sooner we all forget that a 7-9 team won its division, the better off we'll all be.
New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts. Let's discuss the recent Jets arrivals. Rex Ryan has spent most of the last two seasons running his mouth. LaDainian Tomlinson has spent the last few postseasons sulking. And Mark Sanchez...well, this pretty much sums it up. No, the Colts won't find this game easy, but it is undoubtedly winnable for Peyton Manning and Company. The Jets' road ends here.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs are not exactly charging full-speed ahead into the playoffs. Matt Cassel has been sacked nine times and thrown three picks in the last three weeks alone. Last week, the Oakland Raiders -- a team that would show its coach the door days later -- tossed the Chiefs around like rag dolls. Ray Lewis can still dominate a team like that, even if he does look ridiculous in his commercials. Look for the Ravens to manhandle the Chiefs.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers. This one is probably the hardest game to call. Is Michael Vick fully healed from that thigh injury? Can Green Bay find enough of a running game to keep the Eagles defenders honest? Did Andy Reid have one of his coaches explain to his quarterbacks how the new overtime rules work? So many questions, but only one answer: fantasy football. And since this game does feature fantasy football's 2010 Most Valuable Player, we have to go with him. The Eagles should find a way to win at Lambeau Field.
Remember to get your votes in before the lineup polls close Saturday. Thanks. We'll be back with the results.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Fantasy Football: Playoff Edition
Those of you who thought that your fantasy duties with this site expired when the Fighting Amish beat the People's Pigskin for a league title were wrong. So wrong.
That's because one of the newest developments in the fantasy sports world is the rise of fantasy playoff games. Lots of sites have them, including ESPN, which is running a Gridiron Playoff Challenge. The idea is to form a team (2 quarterbacks, 2 running backs, 2 receivers, a tight end, a defense/special team and a kicker) while adhering to a fictional salary cap. The team that compiles the most fantasy points between now and the end of the Super Bowl wins. It's simple, unlike the overtime rules.
The people who bring you this wonderful Web site have set up a Gridiron Playoff Challenge team called the People's Playoffs. We'll compete in the 9beersfantasysportstaven group (and others, if we're invited). And once again, we need you, the Internet, to pick our lineup. The polls are now open in the usual place and will remain open through Saturday morning.
Please note that this week's polls include only players in wild card games. We'll get no points this week from the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots (not even this guy). And please feel free to vote now.
That's because one of the newest developments in the fantasy sports world is the rise of fantasy playoff games. Lots of sites have them, including ESPN, which is running a Gridiron Playoff Challenge. The idea is to form a team (2 quarterbacks, 2 running backs, 2 receivers, a tight end, a defense/special team and a kicker) while adhering to a fictional salary cap. The team that compiles the most fantasy points between now and the end of the Super Bowl wins. It's simple, unlike the overtime rules.
The people who bring you this wonderful Web site have set up a Gridiron Playoff Challenge team called the People's Playoffs. We'll compete in the 9beersfantasysportstaven group (and others, if we're invited). And once again, we need you, the Internet, to pick our lineup. The polls are now open in the usual place and will remain open through Saturday morning.
Please note that this week's polls include only players in wild card games. We'll get no points this week from the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots (not even this guy). And please feel free to vote now.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2010 in review
(The following post comes courtesy of the folks at WordPress.)
A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.
Mixed Signals at CBS (and Others) October 2009
5 comments
About Last Weekend (and the Next One) January 2010
1 comment
When Does Football Season Start Again? June 2010
3 comments
A People's Pro Bowl - Updated December 2010
Fantasy Preview Review - USA Today July 2010
9 comments
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here's a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.
Crunchy numbers
A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,000 times in 2010. That's about 7 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 269 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 401 posts. There was 1 picture uploaded, taking a total of 491kb.
The busiest day of the year was December 5th with 80 views. The most popular post that day was Mixed Signals at CBS (and Others).
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were tunearticle.com, en.wordpress.com, freesexmovie.irwanaf.com, alphainventions.com, and facebook.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for charlie brown augh, charlie brown scream, charlie brown argh, when does football season start, and lucy van pelt.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
1
Mixed Signals at CBS (and Others) October 2009
5 comments
2
About Last Weekend (and the Next One) January 2010
1 comment
3
When Does Football Season Start Again? June 2010
3 comments
4
A People's Pro Bowl - Updated December 2010
5
Fantasy Preview Review - USA Today July 2010
9 comments
Reviewing the Previews (Again)
By now, every fantasy football player is looking back at the season and wondering how everything went so wrong (or, in cases like the Fighting Amish, so right). One popular question: Did I get my advice from a bad source?
In this post, we look back at the predictions offered by four preseason fantasy preview magazines and consider whether they did any better than you would have fared picking your team this way.
QUARTERBACKS
Top 10 (in standard ESPN leagues): Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Josh Freeman, Matt Schaub, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco.
How the previews fared: There was amazing fidelity among the magazines at this position; nine quarterbacks appeared in all four previews' top 10 lists. ESPN and Fantasy League Football had Flacco in the top 10 and got seven players right. USA Today and the Sporting News substituted Eli Manning for Flacco and got six players right.
What happened: All the magazines thought that Tony Romo would stay healthy and that Mike Martz would at least try to keep Jay Cutler upright all season. And at this point, the less said about Brett Favre, the better.
RUNNING BACKS
Top 10 (actually, 11, because two players tied for 10th): Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson, Peyton Hillis, Darren McFadden, Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, Chris Johnson, Michael Turner, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashard Mendenhall.
How the previews fared: It's as if they called each other before their printer deadline to exchange notes. The ESPN, Sporting News and Fantasy League Football previews got the same six players right (Johnson, Peterson, Jones-Drew, Rice, Turner and Mendenhall). USA Today missed on Mendenhall but had the other five players.
What happened: All four magazines showed too much faith in the bones and sinew of DeAngelo Williams and Frank Gore, and they all thought the St. Louis Rams would continue to ride on Steven Jackson's shoulders.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Top 10: Dwayne Bowe, Brandon Lloyd, Greg Jennings, Calvin Johnson, Roddy White, Mike Wallace, Hakeem Nicks, Andre Johnson, DeSean Jackson, Steve Johnson.
How the previews fared: Not well. USA Today got two players right (White and Andre Johnson). Fantasy League Football got those two plus DeSean Jackson. The other two previews got those three players plus Calvin Johnson.
What happened: Let's see ... Randy Moss was traded AND cut by different teams. Miles Austin and Larry Fitzgerald played on teams that tanked. Sidney Rice had migraines. And Reggie Wayne -- who, to be fair, missed the top 10 by two points -- lost a boatload of teammates to injury.
TIGHT ENDS
Top 10 (again, we go to 11 because of a tie): Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, Marcedes Lewis, Kellen Winslow, Chris Cooley, Rob Gronkowski, Dustin Keller, Aaron Hernandez, Zach Miller, Brandon Pettigrew.
How the previews fared: More fidelity. The Sporting News and Fantasy League Football got the same four players right (Gates, Davis, Witten and Winslow). USA Today got those four and added Miller. ESPN got those four and added Cooley.
What happened: Everyone in the Western world expected Dallas Clark to be the top tight end again. All four previews also expected stellar performances from Brent Celek and Tony Gonzalez. (Remember: You don't have to be a top-performing tight end to make the Pro Bowl.)
KICKERS
Top 10: Sebastian Janikowski, David Akers, Matt Bryant, Josh Brown, Dan Carpenter, Adam Vinatieri, Neil Rackers, David Buehler, Nick Folk, Jay Feely.
How the previews fared: Each preview got two players right. No preview picked Vinatieri, which is understandable, since it's not like he's ever made a big kick or anything.
What happened: Predicting kickers is always a crapshoot, but all four previews swung and missed on Nate Kaeding, Stephen Gostkowski, Ryan Longwell, Rob Bironas, Mason Crosby and Garrett Hartley.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Top 10: Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns.
How the previews fared: All four previews hit on the Jets, Packers, Ravens and Steelers. Fantasy League Football made it five right with the Patriots. The Sporting News made it six right with the Bears and Titans.
What happened: Too much confidence in teams that either fired the head coach in midseason (Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings) or let the coach's contract expire at the end of the season (Cincinnati Bengals).
We'll be back with some news about postseason fantasy football.
In this post, we look back at the predictions offered by four preseason fantasy preview magazines and consider whether they did any better than you would have fared picking your team this way.
QUARTERBACKS
Top 10 (in standard ESPN leagues): Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Josh Freeman, Matt Schaub, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco.
How the previews fared: There was amazing fidelity among the magazines at this position; nine quarterbacks appeared in all four previews' top 10 lists. ESPN and Fantasy League Football had Flacco in the top 10 and got seven players right. USA Today and the Sporting News substituted Eli Manning for Flacco and got six players right.
What happened: All the magazines thought that Tony Romo would stay healthy and that Mike Martz would at least try to keep Jay Cutler upright all season. And at this point, the less said about Brett Favre, the better.
RUNNING BACKS
Top 10 (actually, 11, because two players tied for 10th): Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson, Peyton Hillis, Darren McFadden, Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, Chris Johnson, Michael Turner, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashard Mendenhall.
How the previews fared: It's as if they called each other before their printer deadline to exchange notes. The ESPN, Sporting News and Fantasy League Football previews got the same six players right (Johnson, Peterson, Jones-Drew, Rice, Turner and Mendenhall). USA Today missed on Mendenhall but had the other five players.
What happened: All four magazines showed too much faith in the bones and sinew of DeAngelo Williams and Frank Gore, and they all thought the St. Louis Rams would continue to ride on Steven Jackson's shoulders.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Top 10: Dwayne Bowe, Brandon Lloyd, Greg Jennings, Calvin Johnson, Roddy White, Mike Wallace, Hakeem Nicks, Andre Johnson, DeSean Jackson, Steve Johnson.
How the previews fared: Not well. USA Today got two players right (White and Andre Johnson). Fantasy League Football got those two plus DeSean Jackson. The other two previews got those three players plus Calvin Johnson.
What happened: Let's see ... Randy Moss was traded AND cut by different teams. Miles Austin and Larry Fitzgerald played on teams that tanked. Sidney Rice had migraines. And Reggie Wayne -- who, to be fair, missed the top 10 by two points -- lost a boatload of teammates to injury.
TIGHT ENDS
Top 10 (again, we go to 11 because of a tie): Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, Marcedes Lewis, Kellen Winslow, Chris Cooley, Rob Gronkowski, Dustin Keller, Aaron Hernandez, Zach Miller, Brandon Pettigrew.
How the previews fared: More fidelity. The Sporting News and Fantasy League Football got the same four players right (Gates, Davis, Witten and Winslow). USA Today got those four and added Miller. ESPN got those four and added Cooley.
What happened: Everyone in the Western world expected Dallas Clark to be the top tight end again. All four previews also expected stellar performances from Brent Celek and Tony Gonzalez. (Remember: You don't have to be a top-performing tight end to make the Pro Bowl.)
KICKERS
Top 10: Sebastian Janikowski, David Akers, Matt Bryant, Josh Brown, Dan Carpenter, Adam Vinatieri, Neil Rackers, David Buehler, Nick Folk, Jay Feely.
How the previews fared: Each preview got two players right. No preview picked Vinatieri, which is understandable, since it's not like he's ever made a big kick or anything.
What happened: Predicting kickers is always a crapshoot, but all four previews swung and missed on Nate Kaeding, Stephen Gostkowski, Ryan Longwell, Rob Bironas, Mason Crosby and Garrett Hartley.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Top 10: Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns.
How the previews fared: All four previews hit on the Jets, Packers, Ravens and Steelers. Fantasy League Football made it five right with the Patriots. The Sporting News made it six right with the Bears and Titans.
What happened: Too much confidence in teams that either fired the head coach in midseason (Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings) or let the coach's contract expire at the end of the season (Cincinnati Bengals).
We'll be back with some news about postseason fantasy football.
Monday, January 3, 2011
It Was a Heck of a Run
...but one that came up just short of the goal for the People's Pigskin. We would like to congratulate the Fighting Amish for winning the People's League championship. It was a title that was hard-fought but richly deserved.
The Internet's favorite fantasy football team fell this week by a score of 82-67.
The final overall score for the two-week championship was 171-144.
As promised, here is a look at the individual player results.
Peyton Manning, QB: 27 of 41 passing, 264 yards, 2 touchdowns and 18 fantasy points. Manning did his part both for fantasy football teams and for his Indianapolis Colts, who clinched the AFC South title and the conference's No. 3 playoff seed.
Michael Turner, RB: 17 rushes, 67 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble and 10 fantasy points. The second red-zone fumble in as many games has to raise a red flag for the Atlanta Falcons, who nevertheless wrapped up home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
Knowshon Moreno, RB: 6 rushes for 41 yards, 1 reception for 2 yards and 4 fantasy points. If the Broncos stick with Tim Tebow next season, his ability to call his own number will hurt the fantasy value of anyone sharing a backfield with him.
Dwayne Bowe, WR: 5 receptions, 68 yards and 6 fantasy points. It didn't help his fantasy cause that Bowe's quarterback was sacked 7 times. Regardless, Bowe ended the season as fantasy football's top receiver.
Kenny Britt, WR: 5 receptions, 85 yards, 1 touchdown and 14 fantasy points. Britt got most of his points on a single throw from Kerry Collins -- before Collins forgot how to take a snap.
Calvin Johnson, Flex: 0 receptions, 0 yards and 0 fantasy points. Yes, Johnson was active for the Detroit Lions, but it seems that just because you're listed as "active" does not mean you will actually ... you know ... take the field. On behalf of fantasy football players everywhere, thanks for resting Megatron for the Pro Bowl, Detroit Lions.
Randy McMichael, TE: 2 receptions, 22 yards and 2 fantasy points. It wasn't a good season to be a top-notch tight end such as Antonio Gates (or Dallas Clark). Will the 2010 injuries shake up the 2011 tight end rankings? We'll find out in a few months.
Washington Redskins, D/ST: 1 interception, 17 points allowed and 3 fantasy points. The Shanahans clearly have a lot of work to do.
Olindo Mare, K: 3 for 3 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 10 fantasy points. It's safe to say Mare did at least as much as Charlie Whitehurst to get the Seattle Seahawks the NFC West title.
Again, we'd like to thank you, the Internet, for helping us get this far. This season provides strong evidence that the masses know at least as much as the "experts" about how to build a run a fantasy football team.
But don't take this blog off your reading list yet. Fantasy NASCAR will be here before we know it. In the interim, we have the playoffs, the Super Bowl and a season to review. We'll be back.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The People's Choice - Week 17
Championship Sunday is upon us, and once again we at the People's Pigskin must thank you, the Internet, for helping us pick a lineup. Here's who the Internet's favorite fantasy football team will field for the second half of the two-week People's League final against the Fighting Amish.
Quarterback: Peyton Manning has everything to play for today, so he gets the nod for the 16th time this season as he takes on the Tennessee Titans in the late afternoon.
Running back: Two backs split the vote. One was Michael Turner, who will play the Carolina Panthers. The other was Darren McFadden, who won't play anyone because he's inactive. In his place, we are turning to the other running back on our roster, Knowshon Moreno, who's questionable for the late afternoon game against the San Diego Chargers. If he can't go, we've got the next best thing: his backup, Correll Buckhalter, who will take his place in our lineup.
Wide receiver: This poll delivered two winners. Dwayne Bowe plays the Oakland Raiders, and Kenny Britt plays the Indianapolis Colts in the late afternoon.
Flex: For probably the first time all season, neither the running back poll nor the wide receiver one produced a third-place player, so we'll go to the fallback position of projected fantasy points. Calvin Johnson is expected to produce some, so he gets this spot. He plays the Minnesota Vikings.
Tight end: Once again, the winner of this poll was the Antonio Gates/Randy McMichael combo platter. McMichael gets the start in a late afternoon game against the Denver Broncos, since Gates has been put on injured reserve. (We cut Gates to make room for Buckhalter on the Pigskin roster.)
There are no changes at kicker (Olindo Mare, playing Sunday night against the St. Louis Rams) or defense/special teams (the Washington Redskins, who will try to keep the New York Giants out of the playoffs).
Once again, thank you for helping to put us in this position. The poll results appear below, and a ridiculously premature Super Bowl poll is now available for your votes. Enjoy the games. We'll be back with the results.
[polldaddy poll=4305165] [polldaddy poll=4305168] [polldaddy poll=4305174] [polldaddy poll=4305178] [polldaddy poll=4305180] [polldaddy poll=4305189] [polldaddy poll=4300149]
Quarterback: Peyton Manning has everything to play for today, so he gets the nod for the 16th time this season as he takes on the Tennessee Titans in the late afternoon.
Running back: Two backs split the vote. One was Michael Turner, who will play the Carolina Panthers. The other was Darren McFadden, who won't play anyone because he's inactive. In his place, we are turning to the other running back on our roster, Knowshon Moreno, who's questionable for the late afternoon game against the San Diego Chargers. If he can't go, we've got the next best thing: his backup, Correll Buckhalter, who will take his place in our lineup.
Wide receiver: This poll delivered two winners. Dwayne Bowe plays the Oakland Raiders, and Kenny Britt plays the Indianapolis Colts in the late afternoon.
Flex: For probably the first time all season, neither the running back poll nor the wide receiver one produced a third-place player, so we'll go to the fallback position of projected fantasy points. Calvin Johnson is expected to produce some, so he gets this spot. He plays the Minnesota Vikings.
Tight end: Once again, the winner of this poll was the Antonio Gates/Randy McMichael combo platter. McMichael gets the start in a late afternoon game against the Denver Broncos, since Gates has been put on injured reserve. (We cut Gates to make room for Buckhalter on the Pigskin roster.)
There are no changes at kicker (Olindo Mare, playing Sunday night against the St. Louis Rams) or defense/special teams (the Washington Redskins, who will try to keep the New York Giants out of the playoffs).
Once again, thank you for helping to put us in this position. The poll results appear below, and a ridiculously premature Super Bowl poll is now available for your votes. Enjoy the games. We'll be back with the results.
[polldaddy poll=4305165] [polldaddy poll=4305168] [polldaddy poll=4305174] [polldaddy poll=4305178] [polldaddy poll=4305180] [polldaddy poll=4305189] [polldaddy poll=4300149]
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