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.
Showing posts with label Cleveland Browns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cleveland Browns. Show all posts
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Worst Words to Hear
What are the worst words that a fantasy football player can hear?
You might think they would be "out for the season." There's no denying that the phrase can hurt you almost as much as it does the athlete himself, but all it means for you is that you need to run out and get his backup before he becomes the "Pickup of the Week." A few clicks of the mouse, and you're done.
A far worse phrase for anyone in the fantasy football universe is this one: "game-time decision." That's the one that will have you racing home, turning on every television set in the house and hitting the "refresh" button on your computer relentlessly until the team either releases its inactive list (if the team is having mercy on your soul) or takes the field (if the team is the New England Patriots, who like to treat their injury reports this way.)
Some injuries are harder to forecast than others. One thing that has helped in this regard is the NFL's new stance on concussions. If Kevin Kolb, for example, can't pass his test in time, the Philadelphia Eagles have no choice but to start Michael Vick and hope HE doesn't get injured.
But most of the time, fantasy players have to guess whether the word "questionable" means the athlete should be able to gut it out on game day (as Todd Heap hopes to do with his shoulder) or whether that athlete will be scratched late enough to make you question your sanity. The People's Pigskin benefitted Sunday when Beanie Wells went from "coach anticipates him playing" to "inactive," even though he kept the "Q" on our box score page. It's the sort of thing that can happen to anyone, even if you are paying attention.
Moral of the story: Don't take a player's status for granted, and don't believe everything an NFL head coach says.
There are still a few hours to vote on the polls for the People's Pitstop lineup, but if you haven't voted on them, please do so now. We'll be back with the results.
You might think they would be "out for the season." There's no denying that the phrase can hurt you almost as much as it does the athlete himself, but all it means for you is that you need to run out and get his backup before he becomes the "Pickup of the Week." A few clicks of the mouse, and you're done.
A far worse phrase for anyone in the fantasy football universe is this one: "game-time decision." That's the one that will have you racing home, turning on every television set in the house and hitting the "refresh" button on your computer relentlessly until the team either releases its inactive list (if the team is having mercy on your soul) or takes the field (if the team is the New England Patriots, who like to treat their injury reports this way.)
Some injuries are harder to forecast than others. One thing that has helped in this regard is the NFL's new stance on concussions. If Kevin Kolb, for example, can't pass his test in time, the Philadelphia Eagles have no choice but to start Michael Vick and hope HE doesn't get injured.
But most of the time, fantasy players have to guess whether the word "questionable" means the athlete should be able to gut it out on game day (as Todd Heap hopes to do with his shoulder) or whether that athlete will be scratched late enough to make you question your sanity. The People's Pigskin benefitted Sunday when Beanie Wells went from "coach anticipates him playing" to "inactive," even though he kept the "Q" on our box score page. It's the sort of thing that can happen to anyone, even if you are paying attention.
Moral of the story: Don't take a player's status for granted, and don't believe everything an NFL head coach says.
There are still a few hours to vote on the polls for the People's Pitstop lineup, but if you haven't voted on them, please do so now. We'll be back with the results.
Friday, September 3, 2010
NFL Polls and Notes
Those of you interested in helping the People's Pitstop set its lineup for Sunday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway still have a few hours to vote on those polls. And those fantasy football fans who are interested in helping the People's Pigskin set the top of its draft board have some new polls available under the NASCAR ones.
So far, you, the Internet, have decided that and Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice and Frank Gore should be the top five players on our draft board. You also decided that Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers should be our top quarterbacks, that Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall should be our top wide receivers, that Dallas Clark should be our top tight end and that the New York Jets should be our top defense/special teams.
You'll have until Sunday evening to vote on the newest football polls. They will close shortly before the People's League draft, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT. By the way, we still need three players to sign up for this league. Any takers? Click here.
In the meantime, here are a few stories fantasy football players should be following as the regular season (mercifully) approaches.
Pittsburgh pitfalls: The good news is that Ben Roethlisberger didn't do anything egregious over the last few months, so he will miss only the first four games of the season. The bad news is that Byron Leftwich may not be so lucky.
Leftwich, the quarterback still best known for getting a lift from his linemen, was expected to fill in for Roethlisberger during his suspension. But that was before Leftwich sprained his knee Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. That means either Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch will get the starting spot. For fantasy football fans, it means you might want to downgrade Pittsburgh's receivers (and running backs, since defenses will be less nervous about stuffing the box) until Batch/Dixon proves that they can get the job done.
Denouement in the desert: We knew the Arizona Cardinals would have a hard time filling the dancing shoes of Kurt Warner. What we did not know was that Matt Leinart, the former Heisman Trophy winner who has watched Warner for the last few years and presumably has absorbed Ken Whisenhunt's system, would fail to hold off Cleveland Browns castoff Derek Anderson. By the time you read this post, Leinart could be traded to another team or on the street.
If you have Larry Fitzgerald on your team, it's OK to be nervous. If you have Beanie Wells or Tim Hightower, it's OK to salivate over the handoffs they might be getting next week.
Game 4's not for them: The National Football League is considering switching from a four-game preseason to a two-game one. Those who are probably in favor of that right about now include LenDale White (out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon),Montario Hardesty (out with a torn ACL) and Albert Haynesworth (who played the whole game and probably wishes he were injured Thursday night).
In happier news: Patrick Crayton has a new home, while Vincent Jackson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh may soon get theirs. Stay tuned.
We'll be back later with results from the NASCAR polls.
So far, you, the Internet, have decided that and Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice and Frank Gore should be the top five players on our draft board. You also decided that Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers should be our top quarterbacks, that Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall should be our top wide receivers, that Dallas Clark should be our top tight end and that the New York Jets should be our top defense/special teams.
You'll have until Sunday evening to vote on the newest football polls. They will close shortly before the People's League draft, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT. By the way, we still need three players to sign up for this league. Any takers? Click here.
In the meantime, here are a few stories fantasy football players should be following as the regular season (mercifully) approaches.
Pittsburgh pitfalls: The good news is that Ben Roethlisberger didn't do anything egregious over the last few months, so he will miss only the first four games of the season. The bad news is that Byron Leftwich may not be so lucky.
Leftwich, the quarterback still best known for getting a lift from his linemen, was expected to fill in for Roethlisberger during his suspension. But that was before Leftwich sprained his knee Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. That means either Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch will get the starting spot. For fantasy football fans, it means you might want to downgrade Pittsburgh's receivers (and running backs, since defenses will be less nervous about stuffing the box) until Batch/Dixon proves that they can get the job done.
Denouement in the desert: We knew the Arizona Cardinals would have a hard time filling the dancing shoes of Kurt Warner. What we did not know was that Matt Leinart, the former Heisman Trophy winner who has watched Warner for the last few years and presumably has absorbed Ken Whisenhunt's system, would fail to hold off Cleveland Browns castoff Derek Anderson. By the time you read this post, Leinart could be traded to another team or on the street.
If you have Larry Fitzgerald on your team, it's OK to be nervous. If you have Beanie Wells or Tim Hightower, it's OK to salivate over the handoffs they might be getting next week.
Game 4's not for them: The National Football League is considering switching from a four-game preseason to a two-game one. Those who are probably in favor of that right about now include LenDale White (out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon),Montario Hardesty (out with a torn ACL) and Albert Haynesworth (who played the whole game and probably wishes he were injured Thursday night).
In happier news: Patrick Crayton has a new home, while Vincent Jackson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh may soon get theirs. Stay tuned.
We'll be back later with results from the NASCAR polls.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Football-Related Interlude
Yes, this blog still covers fantasy football, and yes, the National Football League is having a busy offseason. From the fantasy perspective, some of the recent football headlines don't really carry a lot of long-term weight ("Coin Flip Irks Jets Owner," for instance). Some of them, of course, may have profound consequences for your next fantasy draft, which is only ... wow, four and a half months away.
Here are a few of the developments that deserve your attention as fantasy fans.
The Big Brown Quarterback Purge. It's been quite a week for Mike Holmgren and Company. First the Cleveland Browns acquired Seneca Wallace from the Seattle Seahawks. Then the Browns showed Derek Anderson the door. Then the Browns picked up Jake Delhomme from the scrap heap (that is, if anyone still getting millions from the Carolina Panthers can be considered a "scrap heap" candidate). Then the Browns dealt Brady Quinn to the Denver Broncos for, among other things, Peyton Hillis.
Who's the winner here? Right now it looks like Quinn, whose competition for starting status just went from Derek Anderson to Kyle Orton. It's certainly not the Browns, whose new starter has to prove that he still knows how to complete a pass to someone other than the other team's safety.
L-D-T-Is a JET! JET! JET! Just a couple of years ago, LaDainian Tomlinson was the clear-cut, no-brainer first choice in every fantasy draft in America. This spring he got a new title: salary-cap casualty. After a visit with the Minnesota Vikings went nowhere, Tomlinson found a new home with the New York Jets. The Jets can use whatever he has left in the tank, and Tomlinson has to be happy that his primary competition for playing time (for the moment) is Shonn Greene.
So, About That Tim Guy... If you buy the thesis that Tim Tebow was the greatest college football player of all time, then it had to hurt to hear that the former Florida Gators quarterback has throwing issues that could affect his professional future. However, if you thought that college football had produced better players (Herschel Walker, anyone?), then the news that Tebow may not be an instant Canton candidate was less earth-shattering. Either way, Tebow's supposed to unveil a new-and-improved motion at Florida's pro day Wednesday. It better be good; the NFL draft is only a month away.
We'll be back tomorrow with some more thoughts on racing.
Here are a few of the developments that deserve your attention as fantasy fans.
The Big Brown Quarterback Purge. It's been quite a week for Mike Holmgren and Company. First the Cleveland Browns acquired Seneca Wallace from the Seattle Seahawks. Then the Browns showed Derek Anderson the door. Then the Browns picked up Jake Delhomme from the scrap heap (that is, if anyone still getting millions from the Carolina Panthers can be considered a "scrap heap" candidate). Then the Browns dealt Brady Quinn to the Denver Broncos for, among other things, Peyton Hillis.
Who's the winner here? Right now it looks like Quinn, whose competition for starting status just went from Derek Anderson to Kyle Orton. It's certainly not the Browns, whose new starter has to prove that he still knows how to complete a pass to someone other than the other team's safety.
L-D-T-Is a JET! JET! JET! Just a couple of years ago, LaDainian Tomlinson was the clear-cut, no-brainer first choice in every fantasy draft in America. This spring he got a new title: salary-cap casualty. After a visit with the Minnesota Vikings went nowhere, Tomlinson found a new home with the New York Jets. The Jets can use whatever he has left in the tank, and Tomlinson has to be happy that his primary competition for playing time (for the moment) is Shonn Greene.
So, About That Tim Guy... If you buy the thesis that Tim Tebow was the greatest college football player of all time, then it had to hurt to hear that the former Florida Gators quarterback has throwing issues that could affect his professional future. However, if you thought that college football had produced better players (Herschel Walker, anyone?), then the news that Tebow may not be an instant Canton candidate was less earth-shattering. Either way, Tebow's supposed to unveil a new-and-improved motion at Florida's pro day Wednesday. It better be good; the NFL draft is only a month away.
We'll be back tomorrow with some more thoughts on racing.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Wednesday's "Oh, Crap" Update
The People's Pigskin has just learned that the Cleveland Browns have put Jamal Lewis on the injured reserve list. That means the end of his season (and possibly his career).
In light of this, we have moved T.J. Houshmandzadeh into the starting lineup. We've also updated the lineup poll.
Flex. Houshmandzadeh is now in that spot. If you vote to bench him, we can start Chris "Beanie" Wells.
Wide receiver. You can still vote to bench either Greg Jennings or Chad Ochocinco, but if you do so, Nate Washington will get that spot.
The poll is updated and open, along with the poll on abandoned fantasy football teams. We'll be back tomorrow with another early edition of the Landshark Maniacs predictions.
In light of this, we have moved T.J. Houshmandzadeh into the starting lineup. We've also updated the lineup poll.
Flex. Houshmandzadeh is now in that spot. If you vote to bench him, we can start Chris "Beanie" Wells.
Wide receiver. You can still vote to bench either Greg Jennings or Chad Ochocinco, but if you do so, Nate Washington will get that spot.
The poll is updated and open, along with the poll on abandoned fantasy football teams. We'll be back tomorrow with another early edition of the Landshark Maniacs predictions.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday Update and Reading
It's Monday, and the People's Pigskin is alive and well. We currently lead Big Lough O by a score of 84-80. That means that if the Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams can be held to under 4 fantasy points tonight, the Pigskin will record a victory. How hard could that be? After all, it's not as if the Cleveland Browns have a head coach who has ticked off enough players to draw the union's attention, right?
While we wait to learn about our fantasy football team's fate, here are some links for your surfing pleasure.
Better take a knee for this one. There are countless ways to lose a fantasy football game. It's painful, for example, when your running back is tackled on the 1-yard line and his backup scores the touchdown. It has to be even worse when your running back takes a knee at the 1-yard line on purpose, as Maurice Jones-Drew did Sunday, following the orders of his head coach.
The Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to deny the New York Jets a chance to get the ball back (sound familiar?), so they told Jones-Drew to take a knee if he was in a position to get into the end zone. He apologized later to those who had him on his fantasy team. One of those teams: the Big Lough Os. I'm just saying...
Well, that was quick. As I'm typing this list up, ESPN is reporting that the Cincinnati Bengals will sign Larry Johnson to a contract. The Bengals were pushed into the LJ market by Cedric Benson's hip injury Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What kind of first impression will Johnson make in Cincinnati? Hopefully, it will be better than the last impression he made in Kansas City. (Not that the bar is set particularly high.)
On a more positive note. If you used your first-round fantasy pick to draft LaDainian Tomlinson, you're probably starting him no matter what. Still, wouldn't you have liked to know before the game that LDT would have extra motivation after learning that he was going to be a father? It reminds me of when Brett Favre had a monster game a day after his father died. Emotion has a well-deserved reputation for fueling big performances like Favre's and LDT's.
If you're running an NFL pregame show, would it kill you to squeeze a few more notes like this into your broadcast in between the analysts' efforts to talk over one another and laugh hilariously at the drop of a hat? I'm sure fantasy players would really appreciate actually learning something from your shows every once in a while.
This Bud's for you. Imagine if you're the owner of a National Football League team. Imagine that your team just recorded its third straight victory -- and did so in front of its home crowd, the folks who buy your tickets and merchandise and allow you to live the lifestyle you are currently living. Now imagine that you live in a world where cameras are everywhere, and that every single fan in that stadium, friend or foe, could have a camera-equipped phone in his/her pocket.
Knowing all that, how would you celebrate after your team's hard-earned victory? If you're Bud Adams, the owner of the Houston Oil...er, sorry, the Tennessee Titans, you do this. (Warning: This link shows an unsafe-for-work video.)
Bill Belichick is being called stupid in many circles for what he did Sunday evening, but at least his decision had a chance of working out in his favor. I can't say the same for Adams.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on our matchup with the Lough Os. Until then, enjoy the Monday night game. (And get comfortable with Jon Gruden's voice. You'll be hearing it for a while.)
While we wait to learn about our fantasy football team's fate, here are some links for your surfing pleasure.
Better take a knee for this one. There are countless ways to lose a fantasy football game. It's painful, for example, when your running back is tackled on the 1-yard line and his backup scores the touchdown. It has to be even worse when your running back takes a knee at the 1-yard line on purpose, as Maurice Jones-Drew did Sunday, following the orders of his head coach.
The Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to deny the New York Jets a chance to get the ball back (sound familiar?), so they told Jones-Drew to take a knee if he was in a position to get into the end zone. He apologized later to those who had him on his fantasy team. One of those teams: the Big Lough Os. I'm just saying...
Well, that was quick. As I'm typing this list up, ESPN is reporting that the Cincinnati Bengals will sign Larry Johnson to a contract. The Bengals were pushed into the LJ market by Cedric Benson's hip injury Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What kind of first impression will Johnson make in Cincinnati? Hopefully, it will be better than the last impression he made in Kansas City. (Not that the bar is set particularly high.)
On a more positive note. If you used your first-round fantasy pick to draft LaDainian Tomlinson, you're probably starting him no matter what. Still, wouldn't you have liked to know before the game that LDT would have extra motivation after learning that he was going to be a father? It reminds me of when Brett Favre had a monster game a day after his father died. Emotion has a well-deserved reputation for fueling big performances like Favre's and LDT's.
If you're running an NFL pregame show, would it kill you to squeeze a few more notes like this into your broadcast in between the analysts' efforts to talk over one another and laugh hilariously at the drop of a hat? I'm sure fantasy players would really appreciate actually learning something from your shows every once in a while.
This Bud's for you. Imagine if you're the owner of a National Football League team. Imagine that your team just recorded its third straight victory -- and did so in front of its home crowd, the folks who buy your tickets and merchandise and allow you to live the lifestyle you are currently living. Now imagine that you live in a world where cameras are everywhere, and that every single fan in that stadium, friend or foe, could have a camera-equipped phone in his/her pocket.
Knowing all that, how would you celebrate after your team's hard-earned victory? If you're Bud Adams, the owner of the Houston Oil...er, sorry, the Tennessee Titans, you do this. (Warning: This link shows an unsafe-for-work video.)
Bill Belichick is being called stupid in many circles for what he did Sunday evening, but at least his decision had a chance of working out in his favor. I can't say the same for Adams.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on our matchup with the Lough Os. Until then, enjoy the Monday night game. (And get comfortable with Jon Gruden's voice. You'll be hearing it for a while.)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Midweek Link Batch
The NFL gets a head start on week 10 tomorrow, when the San Francisco 49ers will face the Chicago Bears. While you get your lineups ready (and decide what to do with ours), here is some recommended reading.
Further review? I've got your further review. If you feel your fantasy football team was robbed when Ryan Moats fumbled the ball last week against the Indianapolis Colts, think how Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak must feel. Kubiak said he has filed a report with the NFL about how the replay of that fumble was handled:
"The bottom line, they're saying that the ball was not touched by anybody who was out of bounds. Or if it was, it was only touched by Ryan (Moats), who was on top of another player. We thought looking at it that 41 (DB Antoine Bethea) is touching the ball and he's out of bounds."
How far will that report get Kubiak? I'm hoping he's not holding his breath (or anyone else's).
Well, they're both filled with large male human beings. That's a similarity. It can't be easy to be Eric Mangini right now. He has a quarterback with worse stats than JaMarcus Russell, his hand-picked GM is out, and he may be next to get the heave-ho if his owner brings in the football czar he wants.
But Mangini is mounting a defense. (Off the field, at least.) He claims that there are "remarkable similarities" between how his Browns are now and how the New England Patriots were when Bill Belichick arrived. "It was top-heavy financially, there were tough decisions that had to be made, and we didn't have much success that first year."
The Patriots went 5-11 in Belichick's first year there and 11-5 in his second. If Mangini thinks he can pull off something similar in his second year -- heck, if he thinks he can match that 5-11 record this year -- he might be sharing an office with these guys.
It's not just for slackers anymore. The Boston Globe has a nice story about a nursing home that started a fantasy football league for its residents. About a dozen people who are old enough to have watched Sammy Baugh are now monitoring Sammy Morris' stats. If anyone from that league is reading this, kudos to you (and don't be afraid to help our team out by voting in the polls).
If this isn't enough for you... The NFL Network, apparently afraid that some football fans may not feel invested in Thursday's tussle, is offering a Fan Challenge. It's basically a mini-fantasy football league in which you pick from the players involved in the NFL Network's eight Thursday and Saturday night games. No, this guy isn't available. But then again, neither is this guy.
We'll be back with more thoughts tomorrow.
Further review? I've got your further review. If you feel your fantasy football team was robbed when Ryan Moats fumbled the ball last week against the Indianapolis Colts, think how Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak must feel. Kubiak said he has filed a report with the NFL about how the replay of that fumble was handled:
"The bottom line, they're saying that the ball was not touched by anybody who was out of bounds. Or if it was, it was only touched by Ryan (Moats), who was on top of another player. We thought looking at it that 41 (DB Antoine Bethea) is touching the ball and he's out of bounds."
How far will that report get Kubiak? I'm hoping he's not holding his breath (or anyone else's).
Well, they're both filled with large male human beings. That's a similarity. It can't be easy to be Eric Mangini right now. He has a quarterback with worse stats than JaMarcus Russell, his hand-picked GM is out, and he may be next to get the heave-ho if his owner brings in the football czar he wants.
But Mangini is mounting a defense. (Off the field, at least.) He claims that there are "remarkable similarities" between how his Browns are now and how the New England Patriots were when Bill Belichick arrived. "It was top-heavy financially, there were tough decisions that had to be made, and we didn't have much success that first year."
The Patriots went 5-11 in Belichick's first year there and 11-5 in his second. If Mangini thinks he can pull off something similar in his second year -- heck, if he thinks he can match that 5-11 record this year -- he might be sharing an office with these guys.
It's not just for slackers anymore. The Boston Globe has a nice story about a nursing home that started a fantasy football league for its residents. About a dozen people who are old enough to have watched Sammy Baugh are now monitoring Sammy Morris' stats. If anyone from that league is reading this, kudos to you (and don't be afraid to help our team out by voting in the polls).
If this isn't enough for you... The NFL Network, apparently afraid that some football fans may not feel invested in Thursday's tussle, is offering a Fan Challenge. It's basically a mini-fantasy football league in which you pick from the players involved in the NFL Network's eight Thursday and Saturday night games. No, this guy isn't available. But then again, neither is this guy.
We'll be back with more thoughts tomorrow.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday Evening Reading
I'd better get these links up before the trick-or-treaters get here in earnest. Remember, the polls are still open. And if you need a refresher on our lineup, you can click here.
Are you ready for some civil discontent? It seems as if some Cleveland Browns have had enough of Mangini & Company. A season ticket holder who goes by the name "Dawg Pound Mike" is organizing a fan protest for the Monday night game Nov. 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. Basically, he wants fans to stay away from their seats (and, presumably, the TV cameras) for the opening kickoff.
Thank goodness the protest is taking that form. We all know that signs can be dangerous (at least, when they're made by fans and not the team PR department).
It ain't over til...well, it may not be over even then. The folks who run the Landshark Maniacs fantasy football league tell us that the scores aren't official until the Saturday after the games. This week we got a reminder why. Several days after Ben Roethlisberger apparently ran for minus-1 yard in a rush against the Minnesota Vikings, Elias Sports Bureau reversed itself by saying the play was a sack for the Vikings, not a run.
I have to think that somewhere out there in fantasy football, somebody's loss turned into a win (or vice versa) because of the extra points this would mean for the Vikings defense. Not so for the Landshark Maniacs. Tinks Revenge, who started the Vikings, still lost by a score of 93-88 to Big Lough O. If you know of someone who was saved/robbed by this, leave a comment and let us know.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun. A fellow blogger named Redsoxmaniac offers a list of Top Five Annoying-Sad-Great Things from Week 7 in fantasy football. The list proves that fantasy football is not for the faint of heart. After discussing Matt Cassell's stats from last week, he says "If I had him starting and seen this, I would Ryu dragon punch the next stranger on the street. I would be mad enough that I would have fire coming out of my fist!"
If you wan't something longer than a blog post... How about a book about blogging itself? Scott Rosenberg, a cofounder of Salon.com, has written a book called "Say Everything" about the history and development of blogging. It's a nice read for anyone who's interested in blogging. (And if you've read this far, I'm guessing you are.) Besides, if pitching the book keeps just one person away from lolcat picture collections, my job will be done.
Happy Halloween to all of you, except if you're the type of person who smashes up church pumpkin fundraisers. If you're that type of person, I hope you break your leg, Leon Washington-style.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on the lineup.
Are you ready for some civil discontent? It seems as if some Cleveland Browns have had enough of Mangini & Company. A season ticket holder who goes by the name "Dawg Pound Mike" is organizing a fan protest for the Monday night game Nov. 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. Basically, he wants fans to stay away from their seats (and, presumably, the TV cameras) for the opening kickoff.
Thank goodness the protest is taking that form. We all know that signs can be dangerous (at least, when they're made by fans and not the team PR department).
It ain't over til...well, it may not be over even then. The folks who run the Landshark Maniacs fantasy football league tell us that the scores aren't official until the Saturday after the games. This week we got a reminder why. Several days after Ben Roethlisberger apparently ran for minus-1 yard in a rush against the Minnesota Vikings, Elias Sports Bureau reversed itself by saying the play was a sack for the Vikings, not a run.
I have to think that somewhere out there in fantasy football, somebody's loss turned into a win (or vice versa) because of the extra points this would mean for the Vikings defense. Not so for the Landshark Maniacs. Tinks Revenge, who started the Vikings, still lost by a score of 93-88 to Big Lough O. If you know of someone who was saved/robbed by this, leave a comment and let us know.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun. A fellow blogger named Redsoxmaniac offers a list of Top Five Annoying-Sad-Great Things from Week 7 in fantasy football. The list proves that fantasy football is not for the faint of heart. After discussing Matt Cassell's stats from last week, he says "If I had him starting and seen this, I would Ryu dragon punch the next stranger on the street. I would be mad enough that I would have fire coming out of my fist!"
If you wan't something longer than a blog post... How about a book about blogging itself? Scott Rosenberg, a cofounder of Salon.com, has written a book called "Say Everything" about the history and development of blogging. It's a nice read for anyone who's interested in blogging. (And if you've read this far, I'm guessing you are.) Besides, if pitching the book keeps just one person away from lolcat picture collections, my job will be done.
Happy Halloween to all of you, except if you're the type of person who smashes up church pumpkin fundraisers. If you're that type of person, I hope you break your leg, Leon Washington-style.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on the lineup.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Happy Hour Reading
In the words of Jimmy Buffett, it's 5 o'clock somewhere as you read this, so while you decide how you'll vote in the lineup poll and the team devotion poll (and please vote), here are some random stories to spice up your day.
I'm a lover, not a receiver. How mad would you be to find out that a player on your fantasy football team was inactivated because he was out late with a female friend and missed a bed check? That's what happened to Mike Sims-Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. You have to wonder how that would be listed on the injury report. "Out: Mike Sims-Walker (libido)"
Someone's in a world of hurt. It could be worse for Mike. He could have been James Davis of the Cleveland Browns, whose season-ending injury reportedly occurred when he took part in a postgame drill, without pads, against a defender who was wearing pads. No reports on whether head coach Eric Mangini accused him of taking the strawberries.
Fashion statements. The National Football League has some strange ideas about what should be forbidden on its fields. According to the underrated uniformviolation.com, Eric Wright of the Browns (yes, the Browns again) was fined $5,000 last month for wearing pants that exposed his knee. This is on top of Chad Ochocinco's fine, also for $5,000, for wearing an orange chinstrap during a preseason game.
Personally, I'd take the NFL's uniform rules more seriously if the league itself didn't allow sights like these on its fields.
Back on the air. If you live in the Cincinnati area and have a Bengal on your roster (what are the odds, right?), you'll be relieved to know that the game has sold out and will not be blacked out, after all. Now you won't have to rely on fantasy-statistic-updating Web sites for updates on your team. You can watch it the way God intended: on one of these.
No, we don't throw darts (as far as you know). I got an e-mail this week from ESPN trying to explain how the folks in Bristol come up with their fantasy projections each week. Here are some highlights.
"Here's what you need to know about using our projections. It would be very simple for us to take our season-long projections, divide by 16 and simply trot out Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald and Peyton Manning (or Brees) at No. 1 every week. Simple, yes … but informative? No way. ...
"By mathematically analyzing each team's offensive tendencies in terms of play-calling and targeting choices, and then combining those statistics with the defensive strengths and weaknesses of that week's opponent, the numbers we ultimately come up with show which players can be expected to perform better or worse than usual in a given week. But these numbers are not to be taken as gospel; after all, predicting the future is an inexact science."
The e-mail then tells us why Rashard Mendenhall (remember him?) and Jason Campbell are expected to have big games. Then it tells us this:
"Let's face it; predicting touchdowns in the NFL can be like predicting fly outs to center field in baseball. There's no real rhyme or reason to it. Sure, a guy like Dwayne Bowe might be the most likely Chiefs receiver to find paydirt, but if he gets pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line after a long pass, it's just as likely someone else (a running back, even Mike Vrabel) will go and steal another handful of potential fantasy points out from under him on the next play from scrimmage."
Glad to see that sometimes, they have no clue, either.
We'll be back tomorrow with Landshark Maniacs projections. Until then, vote.
I'm a lover, not a receiver. How mad would you be to find out that a player on your fantasy football team was inactivated because he was out late with a female friend and missed a bed check? That's what happened to Mike Sims-Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. You have to wonder how that would be listed on the injury report. "Out: Mike Sims-Walker (libido)"
Someone's in a world of hurt. It could be worse for Mike. He could have been James Davis of the Cleveland Browns, whose season-ending injury reportedly occurred when he took part in a postgame drill, without pads, against a defender who was wearing pads. No reports on whether head coach Eric Mangini accused him of taking the strawberries.
Fashion statements. The National Football League has some strange ideas about what should be forbidden on its fields. According to the underrated uniformviolation.com, Eric Wright of the Browns (yes, the Browns again) was fined $5,000 last month for wearing pants that exposed his knee. This is on top of Chad Ochocinco's fine, also for $5,000, for wearing an orange chinstrap during a preseason game.
Personally, I'd take the NFL's uniform rules more seriously if the league itself didn't allow sights like these on its fields.
Back on the air. If you live in the Cincinnati area and have a Bengal on your roster (what are the odds, right?), you'll be relieved to know that the game has sold out and will not be blacked out, after all. Now you won't have to rely on fantasy-statistic-updating Web sites for updates on your team. You can watch it the way God intended: on one of these.
No, we don't throw darts (as far as you know). I got an e-mail this week from ESPN trying to explain how the folks in Bristol come up with their fantasy projections each week. Here are some highlights.
"Here's what you need to know about using our projections. It would be very simple for us to take our season-long projections, divide by 16 and simply trot out Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald and Peyton Manning (or Brees) at No. 1 every week. Simple, yes … but informative? No way. ...
"By mathematically analyzing each team's offensive tendencies in terms of play-calling and targeting choices, and then combining those statistics with the defensive strengths and weaknesses of that week's opponent, the numbers we ultimately come up with show which players can be expected to perform better or worse than usual in a given week. But these numbers are not to be taken as gospel; after all, predicting the future is an inexact science."
The e-mail then tells us why Rashard Mendenhall (remember him?) and Jason Campbell are expected to have big games. Then it tells us this:
"Let's face it; predicting touchdowns in the NFL can be like predicting fly outs to center field in baseball. There's no real rhyme or reason to it. Sure, a guy like Dwayne Bowe might be the most likely Chiefs receiver to find paydirt, but if he gets pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line after a long pass, it's just as likely someone else (a running back, even Mike Vrabel) will go and steal another handful of potential fantasy points out from under him on the next play from scrimmage."
Glad to see that sometimes, they have no clue, either.
We'll be back tomorrow with Landshark Maniacs projections. Until then, vote.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Receiver Developments
Don't oversleep if you're a fantasy football fan. If you do, you run the risk of missing major stories about your players.
If you were one of the many who drafted Michael Crabtree before the season, only to ditch him as his holdout lingered into the regular season, you may be interested to know that Crabtree has agreed to a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, this doesn't automatically make Mr. I Should Get As Much As Darrius Heyward-Bey relevant to fantasy football. Just because Crabtree is on the team does not automatically mean he'll be in the starting lineup on Sunday. He has a lot of catching up to do.
And if you're a fantasy player, that's not even the biggest news from Wednesday morning. ESPN Radio is reporting that Braylon Edwards has been traded to the New York Jets. That one, obviously, is huge. Edwards goes from playing with the Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson combo platter to catching passes from Mark Sanchez. He also escapes the Eric Mangini stalag that the Cleveland Browns are quickly becoming. (No word on whether LeBron James is letting Edwards off the hook, though.)
Back with more fantasy thoughts later.
If you were one of the many who drafted Michael Crabtree before the season, only to ditch him as his holdout lingered into the regular season, you may be interested to know that Crabtree has agreed to a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, this doesn't automatically make Mr. I Should Get As Much As Darrius Heyward-Bey relevant to fantasy football. Just because Crabtree is on the team does not automatically mean he'll be in the starting lineup on Sunday. He has a lot of catching up to do.
And if you're a fantasy player, that's not even the biggest news from Wednesday morning. ESPN Radio is reporting that Braylon Edwards has been traded to the New York Jets. That one, obviously, is huge. Edwards goes from playing with the Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson combo platter to catching passes from Mark Sanchez. He also escapes the Eric Mangini stalag that the Cleveland Browns are quickly becoming. (No word on whether LeBron James is letting Edwards off the hook, though.)
Back with more fantasy thoughts later.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Gameday Thoughts
As we get ready for our epic clash with Tinks Revenge, here are some random thoughts, some of them related to fantasy football.
Guess who's coming to kickoff? A lot is being made about Michael Vick's return to active duty. Of course, most of the fuss is being made by folks who don't talk about fantasy football for a living. You would be insane to put Vick into your fantasy lineup at this point, and your sanity would also be questioned if you played Kevin Kolb, given the possibility that he'll get pulled for Vick (or even Jeff Garcia) on any given play.
No Brownie points for you. How far behind the curve are the Cleveland Browns? Most teams take care of their rookie pranks during training camp. This team waits until week 3 of the regular season to pull a prank that starts a locker room fight. Of course, if I were the Browns, I'd worry less about pranks and punches than I would about who's going to carry the ball with Jamal Lewis hurt. And we don't have to worry about discipline issues in Cleveland, right? After all, this is the place that issues four-figure fines for forgetting to pay for a $3 water bottle. Any prank or fight that caused serious damage would likely be punished this way.
Fantasy triage. By this point every year, no matter how many rules are changed or how many hits are outlawed, every fantasy team is dealing with injuries. ESPN is even offering a blog just for keeping track of the wounded warriors. As of 10:45 a.m. EDT, we know that Donovan McNabb, Jamal Lewis and LaDainian Tomlinson are out. Matt Hasselbeck is doubtful (which, for fantasy players, is just as good as being out). Brian Westbrook, Clinton Portis, Marion Barber, Wes Welker, Randy Moss and a cast of thousands are questionable.
What does this mean? It means if you're a serious fantasy player, you're either watching a pregame show so you can set your lineup at the last minute, or you're driving the people around you crazy because you're worrying about your lineup.
Isn't fantasy football fun? ;)
Anyway, we'll be back later with an early look at our results. In the meantime, here's a new poll. Enjoy your Sunday.
[polldaddy poll=2045824]
Guess who's coming to kickoff? A lot is being made about Michael Vick's return to active duty. Of course, most of the fuss is being made by folks who don't talk about fantasy football for a living. You would be insane to put Vick into your fantasy lineup at this point, and your sanity would also be questioned if you played Kevin Kolb, given the possibility that he'll get pulled for Vick (or even Jeff Garcia) on any given play.
No Brownie points for you. How far behind the curve are the Cleveland Browns? Most teams take care of their rookie pranks during training camp. This team waits until week 3 of the regular season to pull a prank that starts a locker room fight. Of course, if I were the Browns, I'd worry less about pranks and punches than I would about who's going to carry the ball with Jamal Lewis hurt. And we don't have to worry about discipline issues in Cleveland, right? After all, this is the place that issues four-figure fines for forgetting to pay for a $3 water bottle. Any prank or fight that caused serious damage would likely be punished this way.
Fantasy triage. By this point every year, no matter how many rules are changed or how many hits are outlawed, every fantasy team is dealing with injuries. ESPN is even offering a blog just for keeping track of the wounded warriors. As of 10:45 a.m. EDT, we know that Donovan McNabb, Jamal Lewis and LaDainian Tomlinson are out. Matt Hasselbeck is doubtful (which, for fantasy players, is just as good as being out). Brian Westbrook, Clinton Portis, Marion Barber, Wes Welker, Randy Moss and a cast of thousands are questionable.
What does this mean? It means if you're a serious fantasy player, you're either watching a pregame show so you can set your lineup at the last minute, or you're driving the people around you crazy because you're worrying about your lineup.
Isn't fantasy football fun? ;)
Anyway, we'll be back later with an early look at our results. In the meantime, here's a new poll. Enjoy your Sunday.
[polldaddy poll=2045824]
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