The National Football League is about to kick off another season (if the folks in Washington wrap up in time), and we at the People's Pigskin want to thank you, the Internet, for helping us get things started.
Our first fantasy football lineup poll of the season is completed, and you decided that we should let John Kasay of the New Orleans Saints handle the kicking chores this week. He visits Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers tonight.
Please remember that the rest of the polls on the right side of this page are still open. The NASCAR lineup polls will close tonight, and the rest of the fantasy football polls will close Saturday night. Feel free to vote while you watch the game (or the speech -- we at the People's Pigskin don't judge).
We'll be back with the NASCAR poll results.
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Thursday, September 8, 2011
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.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 7
You still have a couple of hours to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this week, but in the meantime, it's time to offer you a much-delayed set of predictions for the People's League. Last week's fantasy football forecasts went a disappointing 2-3, leaving us with a season record of 16-14.
People's Pigskin vs. Team z. Yes, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has some questions this week, particularly with Peyton Manning having a bye week. But we also have plenty of options at other positions, including Knowshon Moreno facing an Oakland Raiders defense that gives up rushing yards in bunches. The Pigskin will keep rolling along with another win.
Feely Her Up ... vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. This game really could go either way. The edge goes to Adrian Peterson, who gets to face a Green Bay Packers defense that is redefining the term "banged up." He'll get the points, and the Hawks will squeak out a victory.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. Fighting Amish. Ray Rice just has to be salivating at the thought of bouncing back from last week's heart-breaker by humilating the winless Buffalo Bills. His points should prove to be the winning margin for the Amish.
nuckin' futs vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Drew Brees, say hello to the Cleveland Browns, who are missing two of their best weapons (thanks to James Harrison) and will probably be handing you the ball more often than they would like. Futs, say hello to a winning record.
cowboys romero vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. The Monday night game is crucial not only for the Dallas Cowboys, but also for these two fantasy squads. If Tony Romo wants to be known for something other than screwing up that playoff kick, he needs to kick it into high gear against the Giants. That should be enough for the Cuervonaters to pull out a victory.
Remember, you can still vote on the Pigskin lineup, but please hurry. The results from the "worst NFL team" poll appear below. We'll be back shortly with the lineup results.
[polldaddy poll=3938286]
People's Pigskin vs. Team z. Yes, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has some questions this week, particularly with Peyton Manning having a bye week. But we also have plenty of options at other positions, including Knowshon Moreno facing an Oakland Raiders defense that gives up rushing yards in bunches. The Pigskin will keep rolling along with another win.
Feely Her Up ... vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. This game really could go either way. The edge goes to Adrian Peterson, who gets to face a Green Bay Packers defense that is redefining the term "banged up." He'll get the points, and the Hawks will squeak out a victory.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. Fighting Amish. Ray Rice just has to be salivating at the thought of bouncing back from last week's heart-breaker by humilating the winless Buffalo Bills. His points should prove to be the winning margin for the Amish.
nuckin' futs vs. Chicago VinSethBears. Drew Brees, say hello to the Cleveland Browns, who are missing two of their best weapons (thanks to James Harrison) and will probably be handing you the ball more often than they would like. Futs, say hello to a winning record.
cowboys romero vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. The Monday night game is crucial not only for the Dallas Cowboys, but also for these two fantasy squads. If Tony Romo wants to be known for something other than screwing up that playoff kick, he needs to kick it into high gear against the Giants. That should be enough for the Cuervonaters to pull out a victory.
Remember, you can still vote on the Pigskin lineup, but please hurry. The results from the "worst NFL team" poll appear below. We'll be back shortly with the lineup results.
[polldaddy poll=3938286]
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 4
It's Saturday morning, so it's time to grab a coffee (or another beverage; we at the People's Pigskin are not here to judge) and peruse this week's predictions for the People's League. For the second consecutive week, the picks went 2-3, leaving us with a season record of 9-6.
People's Pigskin vs. t-day cuervonatersXXL. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team has only one player on a bye week (Dwayne Bowe) and only one injured player (Knowshon Moreno, who has been ruled out again). Our opponent has three injured players and six players with bye weeks. The numbers add up to another victory for the Pigskin.
Team z vs. Fighting Amish. Both rosters feature running backs with injury concerns. The Amish have Michael Vick, who seems to be unstoppable right now and has already locked up Comeback Player of the Decade honors. His numbers against the Washington Redskins should be enough to buggy whip the Amish to a third win.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. Chicago VinSethBears. At least one of these 0-3 teams will get its first non-loss of the season. (Yes, they could tie, and that would mean the first non-loss for both teams.) The VinSethBears have not one, but two high-quality receivers listed as questionable. That may be one question mark too many. The Hawks taste victory for the first time this week.
nuckin' futs vs. cowboys romero. My heart would like to say that the Cowboys get off the mat this week. But my head sees big days for both Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald. The head wins, and so do the Futs.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. Feely Her Up ... This one should come down to the wire on Monday night. The RedZones have two Patriots players facing a Miami defense that just made Braylon "Don't Drop Your Drink" Edwards look like an All-Pro. Those two players should help the RedZones erase a Feely lead and give them the victory.
Remember to vote on the lineup polls. They will close Sunday morning. We'll be back later with the NASCAR predictions.
People's Pigskin vs. t-day cuervonatersXXL. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team has only one player on a bye week (Dwayne Bowe) and only one injured player (Knowshon Moreno, who has been ruled out again). Our opponent has three injured players and six players with bye weeks. The numbers add up to another victory for the Pigskin.
Team z vs. Fighting Amish. Both rosters feature running backs with injury concerns. The Amish have Michael Vick, who seems to be unstoppable right now and has already locked up Comeback Player of the Decade honors. His numbers against the Washington Redskins should be enough to buggy whip the Amish to a third win.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. Chicago VinSethBears. At least one of these 0-3 teams will get its first non-loss of the season. (Yes, they could tie, and that would mean the first non-loss for both teams.) The VinSethBears have not one, but two high-quality receivers listed as questionable. That may be one question mark too many. The Hawks taste victory for the first time this week.
nuckin' futs vs. cowboys romero. My heart would like to say that the Cowboys get off the mat this week. But my head sees big days for both Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald. The head wins, and so do the Futs.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. Feely Her Up ... This one should come down to the wire on Monday night. The RedZones have two Patriots players facing a Miami defense that just made Braylon "Don't Drop Your Drink" Edwards look like an All-Pro. Those two players should help the RedZones erase a Feely lead and give them the victory.
Remember to vote on the lineup polls. They will close Sunday morning. We'll be back later with the NASCAR predictions.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Throwing the Switch
Those of you interested in the People's Pitstop have a couple of hours left to vote on which NASCAR drivers should start for us during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Kansas Motor Speedway. But now, it's time to discuss one of the many facets of fantasy football that can make you do this.
The best time to be a fantasy football player may be the last few days before the season kicks off. Your team is undefeated, all your players lead the league in points and the NFL is still unpredictable enough to make you think this will be the year. The year you win that coveted trophy, and the the year your team gets to play the big game in the House That Texas Taxpayers Built.
Then the games kick off, and sooner or later, you have to make a choice. Do you maintain faith in the lineup that caught your eye in August, or do you adjust to new realities?
First, let's address the easiest question. You cut your kicker at the first sign of trouble. You don't wait until his team brings in a 46-year-old to try out for the job.
Injuries are also easy -- sometimes. Actually, they range from "injured reserve" easy to "game-time decision" hard. Teams also can make your decision easy by benching your player or giving him his walking papers.
The hard part comes when the player performs poorly but doesn't get sent to the bench. Do you hope that this is the week a player like Brett Favre to play his way out of a slump? Do you assume Rashard Mendenhall will bounce back once his quarterback comes back from his suspension for being stupid? Do you ignore the high draft pick you spent on Larry Fitzgerald and turn to a waiver wire star like Lance Moore?
The truth is that there is no one answer to any of these questions. If there were, there would be far fewer people with opinions touting themselves as "experts," and fantasy football would be far less fun if it were predictable. All you can do is make the decision that you feel is best for you and your team. If your decision turns out to be wrong, at least you can say you followed your heart/gut/instincts. This may make you less likely to want to do this.
The only team that doesn't have this option: the People's Pigskin. We have to do what you, the Internet, tell us to do. So tell us what to do.
We'll be back with the results of the NASCAR polls.
The best time to be a fantasy football player may be the last few days before the season kicks off. Your team is undefeated, all your players lead the league in points and the NFL is still unpredictable enough to make you think this will be the year. The year you win that coveted trophy, and the the year your team gets to play the big game in the House That Texas Taxpayers Built.
Then the games kick off, and sooner or later, you have to make a choice. Do you maintain faith in the lineup that caught your eye in August, or do you adjust to new realities?
First, let's address the easiest question. You cut your kicker at the first sign of trouble. You don't wait until his team brings in a 46-year-old to try out for the job.
Injuries are also easy -- sometimes. Actually, they range from "injured reserve" easy to "game-time decision" hard. Teams also can make your decision easy by benching your player or giving him his walking papers.
The hard part comes when the player performs poorly but doesn't get sent to the bench. Do you hope that this is the week a player like Brett Favre to play his way out of a slump? Do you assume Rashard Mendenhall will bounce back once his quarterback comes back from his suspension for being stupid? Do you ignore the high draft pick you spent on Larry Fitzgerald and turn to a waiver wire star like Lance Moore?
The truth is that there is no one answer to any of these questions. If there were, there would be far fewer people with opinions touting themselves as "experts," and fantasy football would be far less fun if it were predictable. All you can do is make the decision that you feel is best for you and your team. If your decision turns out to be wrong, at least you can say you followed your heart/gut/instincts. This may make you less likely to want to do this.
The only team that doesn't have this option: the People's Pigskin. We have to do what you, the Internet, tell us to do. So tell us what to do.
We'll be back with the results of the NASCAR polls.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 2
Someone call the Pope, because we may have a miracle on our hands.
Last week's predictions for the People's League were perfectly accurate. That's right. FIVE-AND-FRICKIN-OH, BABY!!! That still doesn't mean you should use them for anything other than entertainment purposes. (You listening, Tim Donaghy?) It does mean the bar is set pretty high for the rest of the season. Here goes.
People's Pigskin vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team had no trouble cruising to victory last week. And there's no reason for the winning ways to stop here. The Pigskin takes another one.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Both teams won their week 1 matchups, and both have players in the Monday night game. In the end, though, Vernon Davis will make the difference and lead the RedZone to another victory, no matter what play his coaches call.
Feely Her Up ... vs. nuckin' futs. In addition to Beanie Wells' gimpy knee, the former Beanie's Weenies now have to deal with an injury to Kellen Winslow. Both players are being called "game-time decisions." Those decisions usually don't end up going well for fantasy players. Look for the futs to win here.
Chicago VinSethBears vs. Fighting Amish. The Amish plodded their win to a narrow win last week, but now they have to face Tom Brady. Children may be scared of Brady's Javier Bardem haircut (can't you picture him going out to the coin toss and telling the Jets, "Call it ... friend-o"?), but fantasy players should fear his arm. It will produce enough points to lead the VinSethBears to victory.
cowboys romero vs. Team 9. This one is a puzzler. Both teams lost last week. As of this writing, one plans to start Kevin Kolb (who is out for being concussed), while the other plans to start Ben Roethlisberger (who is still out for being stupid). Still, Marques Coltson should give the Cowboys just enough points to seal the late win.
The lineup polls are still open, but they will close Sunday morning, so please vote now if you haven't done so already. We'll be back with some NASCAR predictions.
Last week's predictions for the People's League were perfectly accurate. That's right. FIVE-AND-FRICKIN-OH, BABY!!! That still doesn't mean you should use them for anything other than entertainment purposes. (You listening, Tim Donaghy?) It does mean the bar is set pretty high for the rest of the season. Here goes.
People's Pigskin vs. Hudson Valley Hawks. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team had no trouble cruising to victory last week. And there's no reason for the winning ways to stop here. The Pigskin takes another one.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. t-bay cuervonatersXXL. Both teams won their week 1 matchups, and both have players in the Monday night game. In the end, though, Vernon Davis will make the difference and lead the RedZone to another victory, no matter what play his coaches call.
Feely Her Up ... vs. nuckin' futs. In addition to Beanie Wells' gimpy knee, the former Beanie's Weenies now have to deal with an injury to Kellen Winslow. Both players are being called "game-time decisions." Those decisions usually don't end up going well for fantasy players. Look for the futs to win here.
Chicago VinSethBears vs. Fighting Amish. The Amish plodded their win to a narrow win last week, but now they have to face Tom Brady. Children may be scared of Brady's Javier Bardem haircut (can't you picture him going out to the coin toss and telling the Jets, "Call it ... friend-o"?), but fantasy players should fear his arm. It will produce enough points to lead the VinSethBears to victory.
cowboys romero vs. Team 9. This one is a puzzler. Both teams lost last week. As of this writing, one plans to start Kevin Kolb (who is out for being concussed), while the other plans to start Ben Roethlisberger (who is still out for being stupid). Still, Marques Coltson should give the Cowboys just enough points to seal the late win.
The lineup polls are still open, but they will close Sunday morning, so please vote now if you haven't done so already. We'll be back with some NASCAR predictions.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Kickoff Time, Baby!
"Professional football in America is a special game. A unique game. Played nowhere else on earth, it is a rare game." -- John Facenda, NFL Films.
And now the time has come for that game to get underway, along with that other special game called fantasy football.
The National Football League opens its season tonight with an NFC Championship rematch between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the People's Pigskin, that grand fantasy football democracy experiment, begins its quest for a 2010 title with a matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Mmmmmm, beanie weenies....
Oh, where was I?
Speaking of the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, the first lineup poll of the season for that team is done. You, the Internet, decided to play the Vikings defense/special teams in lieu of finding a free agent. The results appear below. The other polls are still open. The NASCAR polls will close tonight, while the football polls will close Sunday morning. Thanks for voting, and enjoy the game.
[polldaddy poll=3722973]
And now the time has come for that game to get underway, along with that other special game called fantasy football.
The National Football League opens its season tonight with an NFC Championship rematch between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the People's Pigskin, that grand fantasy football democracy experiment, begins its quest for a 2010 title with a matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Mmmmmm, beanie weenies....
Oh, where was I?
Speaking of the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, the first lineup poll of the season for that team is done. You, the Internet, decided to play the Vikings defense/special teams in lieu of finding a free agent. The results appear below. The other polls are still open. The NASCAR polls will close tonight, while the football polls will close Sunday morning. Thanks for voting, and enjoy the game.
[polldaddy poll=3722973]
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Last Word? Try Opening Salvo
Everyone circles a certain date on the NFL offseason calendar: the day by which all teams must whittle their lineups to 53 players. "Cut day" is known far and wide as the date when many football dreams die, as well as the day when players learn whether they are "safe," or at least as safe as a player ever can be in this league.
It's also the day when we fantasy players are supposed to have some sort of clarity about who's part of a team's plans and who's not. Matt Leinart wasn't part of the plan for the Arizona Cardinals. Ditto for T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the Seattle Seahawks.
This year, "cut day" was Saturday, September 4. But it was also the day when some NFL teams seemed to start forming their plans for the 2010-11 season.
Since Saturday, there have been plenty of reports about plenty of players. Some of the stories are absolutely useless to the average fantasy players. In one Yahoo fantasy league, I happen to have Tom Brady, whose name had a "breaking news" icon next to it this evening. The news that Yahoo felt fantasy players needed to know? The New England Patriots are reportedly close to signing Brady to an extension. The effect of that potential deal on this year's fantasy teams? None.
There was also news about a certain Heisman trophy winner (this one, not this one) potentially being stripped of that trophy. The effect of that on this year's fantasy teams? None. As we learned on "cut day" when two former winners got the axe, the NFL hasn't taken a player's trophy case into account for a long time.
Now, on to the post-cut developments that will affect fantasy teams. First, Darrelle Revis made a lot of fantasy players happy by deciding not to extend his holdout into the regular season. So, yes, those of you who drafted the New York Jets defense/special teams way too early can breathe easier.
If you spent a late pick on the Washington Redskins defense, it's time to scan the waiver wire. Albert Haynesworth, the $100 million malcontent who has spent the preseason ticking off his coaches, may soon be out the door. Since all he'd probably draw is draft picks, he will leave a hole in the middle. Whether a hole would be better than Haynesworth is up to fantasy players.
Oh, and as far as Houshmandzadeh, Leinart and Troy Smith are concerned, all three have new homes now. Houshmandzadeh will probably get significant playing time Monday night, while the other two are only a play like this away from being relevant in fantasy football again.
It just goes to show that fantasy football is a seven-days-a-week hobby. Plan accordingly.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
It's also the day when we fantasy players are supposed to have some sort of clarity about who's part of a team's plans and who's not. Matt Leinart wasn't part of the plan for the Arizona Cardinals. Ditto for T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the Seattle Seahawks.
This year, "cut day" was Saturday, September 4. But it was also the day when some NFL teams seemed to start forming their plans for the 2010-11 season.
Since Saturday, there have been plenty of reports about plenty of players. Some of the stories are absolutely useless to the average fantasy players. In one Yahoo fantasy league, I happen to have Tom Brady, whose name had a "breaking news" icon next to it this evening. The news that Yahoo felt fantasy players needed to know? The New England Patriots are reportedly close to signing Brady to an extension. The effect of that potential deal on this year's fantasy teams? None.
There was also news about a certain Heisman trophy winner (this one, not this one) potentially being stripped of that trophy. The effect of that on this year's fantasy teams? None. As we learned on "cut day" when two former winners got the axe, the NFL hasn't taken a player's trophy case into account for a long time.
Now, on to the post-cut developments that will affect fantasy teams. First, Darrelle Revis made a lot of fantasy players happy by deciding not to extend his holdout into the regular season. So, yes, those of you who drafted the New York Jets defense/special teams way too early can breathe easier.
If you spent a late pick on the Washington Redskins defense, it's time to scan the waiver wire. Albert Haynesworth, the $100 million malcontent who has spent the preseason ticking off his coaches, may soon be out the door. Since all he'd probably draw is draft picks, he will leave a hole in the middle. Whether a hole would be better than Haynesworth is up to fantasy players.
Oh, and as far as Houshmandzadeh, Leinart and Troy Smith are concerned, all three have new homes now. Houshmandzadeh will probably get significant playing time Monday night, while the other two are only a play like this away from being relevant in fantasy football again.
It just goes to show that fantasy football is a seven-days-a-week hobby. Plan accordingly.
We'll be back with a look at this week's NASCAR track.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
One Last Pre-Draft Set of Poll Results
Before the People's Pigskin drafts its lineup for the 2010-11 NFL season, it's time to post the results of one last set of draft board polls.
First of all, you, the Internet, decided that Drew Brees should be sixth overall on our draft board (after Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice and Frank Gore). You also said that Tom Brady should be the No. 4 quarterback (after Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers) and that Randy Moss should be our No. 4 wide receiver (after Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall).
You said that we should have Antonio Gates as our No. 2 tight end (after Dallas Clark). When asked who should be our No. 2 defense/special teams (after the New York Jets), you split between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. We just had Roger Goodell flip a coin for us, and we'll have the Vikings No. 2 and the Steelers No. 3.
Meanwhile, even though the NASCAR Sprint Cup race is taking place right now, we have a new set of driver polls up. They will stay up until Thursday evening. Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with the draft results.
[polldaddy poll=3715058] [polldaddy poll=3715069] [polldaddy poll=3715074] [polldaddy poll=3715081] [polldaddy poll=3715085]
First of all, you, the Internet, decided that Drew Brees should be sixth overall on our draft board (after Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice and Frank Gore). You also said that Tom Brady should be the No. 4 quarterback (after Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers) and that Randy Moss should be our No. 4 wide receiver (after Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Marshall).
You said that we should have Antonio Gates as our No. 2 tight end (after Dallas Clark). When asked who should be our No. 2 defense/special teams (after the New York Jets), you split between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. We just had Roger Goodell flip a coin for us, and we'll have the Vikings No. 2 and the Steelers No. 3.
Meanwhile, even though the NASCAR Sprint Cup race is taking place right now, we have a new set of driver polls up. They will stay up until Thursday evening. Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with the draft results.
[polldaddy poll=3715058] [polldaddy poll=3715069] [polldaddy poll=3715074] [polldaddy poll=3715081] [polldaddy poll=3715085]
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The NFL's Not-So-Sudden Death Wish
We'll take a look at things like Martinsville and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s NSFW tirade tomorrow. But first, the National Football League borrowed a metaphor from another sport and threw everyone a curveball.
A day earlier than a vote was even expected on the matter, the NFL owners voted 28-4 to alter the overtime rules for playoff games. Rich McKay called the new rules "modified sudden death," but that's like saying "mostly dead," and I'm hoping that phrase is completely dead soon.
(Why are these new playoff rules relevant at a Web site that deals with fantasy football? Because the owners will vote in May on applying the same rules to the regular season.)
Lots of people have criticized the old way the NFL decided tied games. The main complaint was crystallized in January in the NFC championship game, when the New Orleans Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre never touched the ball in overtime. People were hoping that the new rules would fix that problem.
Wrong. There will be plenty of scenarios in which that can happen again. Here are some of them. (And since the Saints-Vikings game is so fresh in everyone's thoughts, we'll use it for our examples.)
Scenario 1: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. The Saints return man makes a single Vikings special teamer stumble, runs past him and takes the ball to the end zone. The Saints win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 2: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. Sean Payton, playing by the new rules, decides that he doesn't want to settle for a 45-yard field goal, since he figures a defense that just gave up 30 or so yards isn't going to suddenly turn into the Steel Curtain now. The Saints finish their scoring drive with a touchdown, the game is over, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 3: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. However, this time, instead of driving forward, they stumble backward, so much so that the Vikings sack Drew Brees in the end zone, scoring a safety. The Vikings win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball. (In this case, he's probably cool with that.)
Scenario 4: The Vikings win the toss this time and elect to receive. Only Sean Payton elects to not give them the ball. The Saints execute an onside kick to perfection (where have we seen that before?), take the ball down the field, and kick a field goal.
So would the Vikings then get a chance to tie? No. Mark Maske of the Washington Post explains why:
"Also, the team kicking off could recover an onside kick in overtime and drive to a field goal, and the game would be over because its opponent had the opportunity to possess the ball. The NFL released a lengthy list of odd overtime scenarios, all boiling down to the fact the rule is based on the opportunity to possess the ball, as with the onside kick scenario."
In other words, the game is over when the Saints kick the field goal, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Think these scenarios are far-fetched? Once upon a time, you probably thought the idea of an onside kick in the Super Bowl -- let alone the Saints' presence in one -- was far-fetched, too.
Disagree with that assessment? Feel free to leave a comment and tell me why.
A day earlier than a vote was even expected on the matter, the NFL owners voted 28-4 to alter the overtime rules for playoff games. Rich McKay called the new rules "modified sudden death," but that's like saying "mostly dead," and I'm hoping that phrase is completely dead soon.
(Why are these new playoff rules relevant at a Web site that deals with fantasy football? Because the owners will vote in May on applying the same rules to the regular season.)
Lots of people have criticized the old way the NFL decided tied games. The main complaint was crystallized in January in the NFC championship game, when the New Orleans Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre never touched the ball in overtime. People were hoping that the new rules would fix that problem.
Wrong. There will be plenty of scenarios in which that can happen again. Here are some of them. (And since the Saints-Vikings game is so fresh in everyone's thoughts, we'll use it for our examples.)
Scenario 1: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. The Saints return man makes a single Vikings special teamer stumble, runs past him and takes the ball to the end zone. The Saints win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 2: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. Sean Payton, playing by the new rules, decides that he doesn't want to settle for a 45-yard field goal, since he figures a defense that just gave up 30 or so yards isn't going to suddenly turn into the Steel Curtain now. The Saints finish their scoring drive with a touchdown, the game is over, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Scenario 3: The Saints win the toss and elect to receive. However, this time, instead of driving forward, they stumble backward, so much so that the Vikings sack Drew Brees in the end zone, scoring a safety. The Vikings win the game, and Brett Favre never touches the ball. (In this case, he's probably cool with that.)
Scenario 4: The Vikings win the toss this time and elect to receive. Only Sean Payton elects to not give them the ball. The Saints execute an onside kick to perfection (where have we seen that before?), take the ball down the field, and kick a field goal.
So would the Vikings then get a chance to tie? No. Mark Maske of the Washington Post explains why:
"Also, the team kicking off could recover an onside kick in overtime and drive to a field goal, and the game would be over because its opponent had the opportunity to possess the ball. The NFL released a lengthy list of odd overtime scenarios, all boiling down to the fact the rule is based on the opportunity to possess the ball, as with the onside kick scenario."
In other words, the game is over when the Saints kick the field goal, and Brett Favre never touches the ball.
Think these scenarios are far-fetched? Once upon a time, you probably thought the idea of an onside kick in the Super Bowl -- let alone the Saints' presence in one -- was far-fetched, too.
Disagree with that assessment? Feel free to leave a comment and tell me why.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Pick the People's Pitstop - Daytona 500
First, a quick update on the fantasy football side. Thanks to the input of you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin finished the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge with 477 points. The most valuable player on our team was also the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLIV: Drew Brees, who scored 57 points. The Pigskin ended up tied for 55,478th overall and in 18th place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. And we have you to thank.
With the fantasy football completed for the time being, it's time to shift gears (pardon the pun) to fantasy NASCAR. And once again, it's time for you, the Internet, to speak up.
The People's Pigskin will be running the People's Pitstop team in Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Auto Racing. We'll be part of the Fans of From the Marbles league. Our goal: to win by picking a lineup via Internet polling.
Here are some of the rules. (You can learn more by clicking here.) Each week the fantasy players pick a roster of eight drivers for that week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. It's sort of like a Chinese menu. You can have two drivers from the A List (basically the top 10 drivers from the last season), four drivers from the B List (the 16 next-best drivers in NASCAR), and two drivers from the C List (everyone else). From those drivers, we pick four starters (one from the A List, two from the B List, and one from the C List). The starting drivers score points for the fantasy team according to how well they do in that week's race.
Oh, and one more thing: No driver can start more than nine races for a fantasy team. Once a driver has started his ninth race, he (yes, for the time being, that's still the correct pronoun) is off limits.
In future weeks, there will be points for qualifying well for that week's race. However, this week's race is the Daytona 500, and qualifying for that race -- well, it's complicated. They had a typical qualifying session this past weekend, but only for the front two positions. They went to Mark Martin (one of the drivers on the A List) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one of the drivers on the B List). On Thursday, NASCAR will hold a pair of 125-mile races to determine the rest of the grid for Sunday's version of the "Great American Race."
Got it? Good. Cause now it's your turn to vote. The polls are now open. You're voting for two drivers in the first poll, four drivers in the second poll, and two drivers in the third poll. The drivers with the most votes will get the spots in the People's Pitstop lineup. If you want to learn more about the race, you can click here for a Yahoo-written PDF or click here for a RotoSports.com preview. Because I will be on the road Sunday for a Chinese New Year dinner (again, it's complicated), the polls will close on Saturday night. Please vote now. We'll be back later with some more thoughts on the NASCAR season.
With the fantasy football completed for the time being, it's time to shift gears (pardon the pun) to fantasy NASCAR. And once again, it's time for you, the Internet, to speak up.
The People's Pigskin will be running the People's Pitstop team in Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Auto Racing. We'll be part of the Fans of From the Marbles league. Our goal: to win by picking a lineup via Internet polling.
Here are some of the rules. (You can learn more by clicking here.) Each week the fantasy players pick a roster of eight drivers for that week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. It's sort of like a Chinese menu. You can have two drivers from the A List (basically the top 10 drivers from the last season), four drivers from the B List (the 16 next-best drivers in NASCAR), and two drivers from the C List (everyone else). From those drivers, we pick four starters (one from the A List, two from the B List, and one from the C List). The starting drivers score points for the fantasy team according to how well they do in that week's race.
Oh, and one more thing: No driver can start more than nine races for a fantasy team. Once a driver has started his ninth race, he (yes, for the time being, that's still the correct pronoun) is off limits.
In future weeks, there will be points for qualifying well for that week's race. However, this week's race is the Daytona 500, and qualifying for that race -- well, it's complicated. They had a typical qualifying session this past weekend, but only for the front two positions. They went to Mark Martin (one of the drivers on the A List) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one of the drivers on the B List). On Thursday, NASCAR will hold a pair of 125-mile races to determine the rest of the grid for Sunday's version of the "Great American Race."
Got it? Good. Cause now it's your turn to vote. The polls are now open. You're voting for two drivers in the first poll, four drivers in the second poll, and two drivers in the third poll. The drivers with the most votes will get the spots in the People's Pitstop lineup. If you want to learn more about the race, you can click here for a Yahoo-written PDF or click here for a RotoSports.com preview. Because I will be on the road Sunday for a Chinese New Year dinner (again, it's complicated), the polls will close on Saturday night. Please vote now. We'll be back later with some more thoughts on the NASCAR season.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The Obligatory Super Bowl Prediction
There's still time for you to vote on the People's Pigskin's lineup for the final round in the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge. The polls will close Sunday in time to set the Internet's favorite fantasy football lineup for Super Bowl XLIV.
In the meantime, before we switch our focus to fantasy NASCAR racing, it's time to make one last football prediction: the Super Bowl. There are plenty of places to find matchup breakdowns and thoughts on things like prop bets and whether Reggie Bush should allow himself to get within 100 yards of a Kardashian. But I couldn't call myself a football writer of any sort (fantasy or otherwise) without offering a prediction for Sunday's game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.
In fantasy football terms, you would be happy to have just about any of the starters on either team, offense or defense. Both quarterbacks were in the top four at their position in ESPN fantasy points this season. Each team had a running back and a wide receiver in the top 20. Dallas Clark ranked 2nd among tight ends (and will stay in the top five until someone decides he's not a tight end just because the Colts call him one), but Jeremy Shockey also made the top 20. Dwight Freeney's injury might make the Colts defense slightly less valuable, but both defenses ranked in the top 20. (The Saints ranked third.)
In other words, no matter who wins this year's Super Bowl, you could point to fantasy football stats to explain why.
The People's Pigskin predictions went 2-0 in the conference championship round, raising the season record to 6-4 and guaranteeing a winning postseason for the forecasts. But it nearly wasn't so. The Minnesota Vikings were in position to at least give its kicker a chance to win the game in regulation. If Brett Favre doesn't throw one of the dumbest interceptions of the year, the Vikings probably beat the Saints. And that was despite the fact that the Vikings had already fumbled the ball six times and turned it over four times before that throw.
If the Saints are hoping for a similar performance from the Colts in general or Peyton Manning in particular, they must have gotten a hold of some bad gumbo. The Colts will take care of the ball and take care of the Saints.
We'll be back tomorrow with the poll results. In the meantime, enjoy the Bud Shootout, a sneak preview of the NASCAR season that's just getting started as football season winds down.
In the meantime, before we switch our focus to fantasy NASCAR racing, it's time to make one last football prediction: the Super Bowl. There are plenty of places to find matchup breakdowns and thoughts on things like prop bets and whether Reggie Bush should allow himself to get within 100 yards of a Kardashian. But I couldn't call myself a football writer of any sort (fantasy or otherwise) without offering a prediction for Sunday's game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.
In fantasy football terms, you would be happy to have just about any of the starters on either team, offense or defense. Both quarterbacks were in the top four at their position in ESPN fantasy points this season. Each team had a running back and a wide receiver in the top 20. Dallas Clark ranked 2nd among tight ends (and will stay in the top five until someone decides he's not a tight end just because the Colts call him one), but Jeremy Shockey also made the top 20. Dwight Freeney's injury might make the Colts defense slightly less valuable, but both defenses ranked in the top 20. (The Saints ranked third.)
In other words, no matter who wins this year's Super Bowl, you could point to fantasy football stats to explain why.
The People's Pigskin predictions went 2-0 in the conference championship round, raising the season record to 6-4 and guaranteeing a winning postseason for the forecasts. But it nearly wasn't so. The Minnesota Vikings were in position to at least give its kicker a chance to win the game in regulation. If Brett Favre doesn't throw one of the dumbest interceptions of the year, the Vikings probably beat the Saints. And that was despite the fact that the Vikings had already fumbled the ball six times and turned it over four times before that throw.
If the Saints are hoping for a similar performance from the Colts in general or Peyton Manning in particular, they must have gotten a hold of some bad gumbo. The Colts will take care of the ball and take care of the Saints.
We'll be back tomorrow with the poll results. In the meantime, enjoy the Bud Shootout, a sneak preview of the NASCAR season that's just getting started as football season winds down.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Now, About the Super Bowl...
Nothing against the Tim Tebow Lovefest known as the Senior Bowl, or the burning question about whether Chad Ochocinco should kick in the Pro Bowl (and whether the NFC can borrow him to play offensive tackle), but it's time to refocus attention on the game that has motivated every NFL player since he put on his first shoulder pads: the Super Bowl.
The People's Pigskin's quest to kick virtual butt in the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge took almost as many hits as Brett Favre took last week. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team scored 89 points. Our three-week total is 314, which leaves us tied for 118,427th overall and 40th in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league.
That's the bad news. The good news is that six of our players from last week are eligible to be used in the Super Bowl. Drew Brees would get triple the points, since we would be using him for the third straight week. Five other players (Pierre Thomas, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Marques Colston and Dallas Clark) would get double the points for their work.
With that in mind, it's time for you, the Internet, to rise to the challenge again and pick our lineup for Super Bowl XLIV. The polls are open and will stay open until Super Sunday. Happy picking. We'll be back with some insight on our upcoming fantasy racing season. By the way, here are the results for our poll on other fantasy sports.
[polldaddy poll=2538706]
The People's Pigskin's quest to kick virtual butt in the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge took almost as many hits as Brett Favre took last week. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team scored 89 points. Our three-week total is 314, which leaves us tied for 118,427th overall and 40th in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league.
That's the bad news. The good news is that six of our players from last week are eligible to be used in the Super Bowl. Drew Brees would get triple the points, since we would be using him for the third straight week. Five other players (Pierre Thomas, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Marques Colston and Dallas Clark) would get double the points for their work.
With that in mind, it's time for you, the Internet, to rise to the challenge again and pick our lineup for Super Bowl XLIV. The polls are open and will stay open until Super Sunday. Happy picking. We'll be back with some insight on our upcoming fantasy racing season. By the way, here are the results for our poll on other fantasy sports.
[polldaddy poll=2538706]
Friday, January 22, 2010
Conference Championship Predictions
Sorry this post didn't get up sooner, but I'm still waiting to hear about the Raiders job.
There's still time to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for the conference championship round of the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge. One reminder: Drew Brees would get double the points if he makes the lineup, and the New York Jets defense/special teams would get triple the points.
Now it's time to do something that thousands of people across the country are doing right now, online and off: make predictions for the National Football League conference championships. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, leaving us with a postseason record of 4-4. It's time to break out of mediocrity.
AFC Championship: Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets. The last time these two franchises met (which wasn't Super Bowl III, no matter what the NFL Network might want you to believe), Peyton Manning and company left the game in the third quarter, ending the Colts' chances for an undefeated season and easing the Jets path to the playoffs.
And how much influence will that have on Sunday's championship game? The same amount of influence that the result of Super Bowl III will have: Jack Squat.
Clearly, Mark Sanchez has defied expectations this postseason. (It always helps to have a solid defense and a running game that doesn't humiliate itself.) Nevertheless, it's still Peyton Manning's world, and the rest of us are just watching it. The one thing this season has shown us is that Peyton could direct touchdown drives even if Robin Williams' character from "The Best of Times" lined up at receiver. This game could come down to somebody leading a 90-second scoring drive at the end. If that's the case, which quarterback do you want? The Colts take this one.
NFC Championship: New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings. One team lead the NFL in scoring this season and has the quarterback who threw for the most touchdowns this season. The other team is being led by a quarterback last seen performing "Pants on the Ground." No, I'm not linking to Brett Favre's version or the original. Both songs have gotten far more attention than they deserve.
So has Favre.
Yes, he proved that he can still throw a football down the field. Yes, his interceptions and fumbles dropped considerably this season. However, Drew Brees beat Favre this season in yardage, completion percentage, touchdowns and quarterback rating. If you look at statistics for this postseason, Brees is still beating Favre in percentage and yardage. And given the way Favre handled everything from his signing with the Vikings to his relationship with Brad Childress, Brees has to be leading in one other crucial category: karma. All that adds up to the first Super Bowl appearance in the Saints' history.
Remember to vote in our polls, and do whatever you can to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. We'll be back Sunday with poll results and an announcement.
There's still time to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for the conference championship round of the NFL Fantasy Playoff Challenge. One reminder: Drew Brees would get double the points if he makes the lineup, and the New York Jets defense/special teams would get triple the points.
Now it's time to do something that thousands of people across the country are doing right now, online and off: make predictions for the National Football League conference championships. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, leaving us with a postseason record of 4-4. It's time to break out of mediocrity.
AFC Championship: Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets. The last time these two franchises met (which wasn't Super Bowl III, no matter what the NFL Network might want you to believe), Peyton Manning and company left the game in the third quarter, ending the Colts' chances for an undefeated season and easing the Jets path to the playoffs.
And how much influence will that have on Sunday's championship game? The same amount of influence that the result of Super Bowl III will have: Jack Squat.
Clearly, Mark Sanchez has defied expectations this postseason. (It always helps to have a solid defense and a running game that doesn't humiliate itself.) Nevertheless, it's still Peyton Manning's world, and the rest of us are just watching it. The one thing this season has shown us is that Peyton could direct touchdown drives even if Robin Williams' character from "The Best of Times" lined up at receiver. This game could come down to somebody leading a 90-second scoring drive at the end. If that's the case, which quarterback do you want? The Colts take this one.
NFC Championship: New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings. One team lead the NFL in scoring this season and has the quarterback who threw for the most touchdowns this season. The other team is being led by a quarterback last seen performing "Pants on the Ground." No, I'm not linking to Brett Favre's version or the original. Both songs have gotten far more attention than they deserve.
So has Favre.
Yes, he proved that he can still throw a football down the field. Yes, his interceptions and fumbles dropped considerably this season. However, Drew Brees beat Favre this season in yardage, completion percentage, touchdowns and quarterback rating. If you look at statistics for this postseason, Brees is still beating Favre in percentage and yardage. And given the way Favre handled everything from his signing with the Vikings to his relationship with Brad Childress, Brees has to be leading in one other crucial category: karma. All that adds up to the first Super Bowl appearance in the Saints' history.
Remember to vote in our polls, and do whatever you can to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. We'll be back Sunday with poll results and an announcement.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4767366
Saturday, December 19, 2009
A Saturday Evening Update
My thanks to those who voted in our kicker poll. You, the Internet, voted to add Jay Feely to our lineup to replace Nick Folk. And that's exactly what the People's Pigskin did. (You can see the results for yourself at the bottom of this post.)
Speaking of our lineup, this week's version included Austin Collie, who scored 8 fantasy points Thursday night, narrowing the People's Pigskin deficit against the Houston Wreckin' Crew to 65-62. Folk is now out of our lineup, but thanks to Jeremy Shockey, the People's Pigskin will still have a stake in Saturday night's game between the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys.
There is still time to vote in the lineup poll, which will close early Sunday. Thanks in advance for voting.
(And our sympathies go out to Chris Henry's family.)
[polldaddy poll=2390302]
Speaking of our lineup, this week's version included Austin Collie, who scored 8 fantasy points Thursday night, narrowing the People's Pigskin deficit against the Houston Wreckin' Crew to 65-62. Folk is now out of our lineup, but thanks to Jeremy Shockey, the People's Pigskin will still have a stake in Saturday night's game between the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys.
There is still time to vote in the lineup poll, which will close early Sunday. Thanks in advance for voting.
(And our sympathies go out to Chris Henry's family.)
[polldaddy poll=2390302]
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Saturday Afternoon Reading
There's still time to vote in the polls about our lineup, the waiver wire pickup and your favorite type of fantasy football trophy.
In the meantime, there's a very good football game on the schedule: Army vs. Navy in Philadelphia. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. EST on CBS. There are no Heisman Trophy candidates here, and nobody is going to argue for putting either team in the mix for a national championship. However, there are many reasons to make time in your schedule for this game (other than the "I need a football fix right bleeping now" reason). Here's one: The players on the field and their classmates in the stands take the "going pro in something other than sports" concept to a whole new level.
And while you're waiting for that game to kick off, here are some links to ponder.
Is it too soon for fantasy nostalgia? For those of us who can only fantasize about what it would be like to be a playoff contender right now, the folks at Yahoo's Roto Arcade blog offer some Decembers to Remember: a list of the top "fantasy football playoff runs" from the past decade. Number 1 on the list: Drew Bennett and Billy Volek putting up monster numbers in two December games for the 2004 Tennessee Titans. "They're the patron saints of Scrubs Gone Wild in the fantasy playoffs."
It's a fun list, unless you remember being bumped out of your playoffs by one of these performances. If that's the case, the list may make you want to do this.
That's it -- let the anger out. The People's Pigskin was not the only fantasy football team burned when Steve Slaton was inactivated for the season with a nerve injury. A fellow WordPress blogger, Second String Fullback, offers some not-so-pleasant thoughts on the matter. (And by "not-so-pleasant," I mean "not-so-G-rated.")
I can't believe I picked up Carrie Underwood in the third round. Yes, Virginia, you can set up fantasy leagues for anything. Sony is offering a Fantasy Festival application that lets you set up a league where you and your friends try to assemble the ultimate music festival. The grand prize: "four 'money can't buy' tickets (including VIP accommodation, flights and spending money) to one of Europe's best festivals." (Thanks to Converge Technologies for the assist on this one.)
I guess someone's watching. Remember that TV show "The League" about a group of friends in a fantasy football league? Well, FX must have liked what it saw from this show, because it is getting a second season. And this is in spite of (or perhaps because of) reviews like this one from YourTango that call the show a "moap opera" (short for "men's soap opera") and say it is "a relationship show in macho clothing."
By the way, has anyone out there actually watched the show? If you have, would you mind confirming whether it's about football as opposed to, say, what fantasy owners think of their significant others?
Things that make fans go "Hmmm." Christopher Harris, the top fantasy football expert on ESPN.com, breaks down every NFL game from a fantasy perspective in his essential column "The Breakdown." In this week's version, Harris has something very interesting to say about that Robert Meachem play from last week in which the Washington Redskins intercepted a pass and Meachem stripped the ball from the defender and scored a touchdown.
"Thanks, Mr. Meachem. True, your tying 53-yarder was a thing of beauty (and an unforgivably stupid play by LaRon Landry), but that stripped fumble of a Kareem Moore interception return and subsequent touchdown set off a fantasy firestorm. For the record, Meachem got credited for a fumble-recovery touchdown, and the Saints' defense got credited with a fumble recovery (but not a touchdown). There's no perfect way to score freak plays like that. We felt the way we scored it was the fairest thing we could do."
The most interested word in that passage? "We." Harris probably meant "we" in the "I am part of the ESPN family that made the decision" sense, but it also can be read as if he meant he personally had a hand in scoring that play. (Experts making predictions about games and then deciding how those games are scored? Talk about your conflict of interests.)
Anyway, there's still time to vote on our polls. We'll be back Sunday with a pregame update.
In the meantime, there's a very good football game on the schedule: Army vs. Navy in Philadelphia. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. EST on CBS. There are no Heisman Trophy candidates here, and nobody is going to argue for putting either team in the mix for a national championship. However, there are many reasons to make time in your schedule for this game (other than the "I need a football fix right bleeping now" reason). Here's one: The players on the field and their classmates in the stands take the "going pro in something other than sports" concept to a whole new level.
And while you're waiting for that game to kick off, here are some links to ponder.
Is it too soon for fantasy nostalgia? For those of us who can only fantasize about what it would be like to be a playoff contender right now, the folks at Yahoo's Roto Arcade blog offer some Decembers to Remember: a list of the top "fantasy football playoff runs" from the past decade. Number 1 on the list: Drew Bennett and Billy Volek putting up monster numbers in two December games for the 2004 Tennessee Titans. "They're the patron saints of Scrubs Gone Wild in the fantasy playoffs."
It's a fun list, unless you remember being bumped out of your playoffs by one of these performances. If that's the case, the list may make you want to do this.
That's it -- let the anger out. The People's Pigskin was not the only fantasy football team burned when Steve Slaton was inactivated for the season with a nerve injury. A fellow WordPress blogger, Second String Fullback, offers some not-so-pleasant thoughts on the matter. (And by "not-so-pleasant," I mean "not-so-G-rated.")
I can't believe I picked up Carrie Underwood in the third round. Yes, Virginia, you can set up fantasy leagues for anything. Sony is offering a Fantasy Festival application that lets you set up a league where you and your friends try to assemble the ultimate music festival. The grand prize: "four 'money can't buy' tickets (including VIP accommodation, flights and spending money) to one of Europe's best festivals." (Thanks to Converge Technologies for the assist on this one.)
I guess someone's watching. Remember that TV show "The League" about a group of friends in a fantasy football league? Well, FX must have liked what it saw from this show, because it is getting a second season. And this is in spite of (or perhaps because of) reviews like this one from YourTango that call the show a "moap opera" (short for "men's soap opera") and say it is "a relationship show in macho clothing."
By the way, has anyone out there actually watched the show? If you have, would you mind confirming whether it's about football as opposed to, say, what fantasy owners think of their significant others?
Things that make fans go "Hmmm." Christopher Harris, the top fantasy football expert on ESPN.com, breaks down every NFL game from a fantasy perspective in his essential column "The Breakdown." In this week's version, Harris has something very interesting to say about that Robert Meachem play from last week in which the Washington Redskins intercepted a pass and Meachem stripped the ball from the defender and scored a touchdown.
"Thanks, Mr. Meachem. True, your tying 53-yarder was a thing of beauty (and an unforgivably stupid play by LaRon Landry), but that stripped fumble of a Kareem Moore interception return and subsequent touchdown set off a fantasy firestorm. For the record, Meachem got credited for a fumble-recovery touchdown, and the Saints' defense got credited with a fumble recovery (but not a touchdown). There's no perfect way to score freak plays like that. We felt the way we scored it was the fairest thing we could do."
The most interested word in that passage? "We." Harris probably meant "we" in the "I am part of the ESPN family that made the decision" sense, but it also can be read as if he meant he personally had a hand in scoring that play. (Experts making predictions about games and then deciding how those games are scored? Talk about your conflict of interests.)
Anyway, there's still time to vote on our polls. We'll be back Sunday with a pregame update.
Monday, November 30, 2009
A Pre-MNF Update
In fantasy football, there are times when you can do no wrong, and there are times when everything you do will blow up in your face.
A week after a 30-point win over the Houston Wreckin' Crew the People's Pigskin finds itself trailing the Hawaiian Surfriders by a score of 69-36. The Surfriders have Laurence Maroney and John Carney in the Monday night matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots. We have Jeremy Shockey. It's not an entirely lost cause, but it is certainly time for a Hail Mary.
We'll be back tomorrow to review this game and get ready for the next one.
A week after a 30-point win over the Houston Wreckin' Crew the People's Pigskin finds itself trailing the Hawaiian Surfriders by a score of 69-36. The Surfriders have Laurence Maroney and John Carney in the Monday night matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots. We have Jeremy Shockey. It's not an entirely lost cause, but it is certainly time for a Hail Mary.
We'll be back tomorrow to review this game and get ready for the next one.
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