To get back to the .500 mark, the weekly fantasy football picks for the People's League need a miracle, or a 5-0 week. That's because last week's forecasts went 2-3, lowering our season record to 15-20. If only the picks could play against Wisconsin this week. But we'll do the best we can with these.
People's Pigskin vs. LA Lockouts. The Pigskin can mount a Sunday night comeback thanks to the presence of both Tony Romo and Jason Witten in the starting lineup. The pick here is for the Pigskin to mount such a comeback and end the losing skid.
Arcadia Roses vs. Hudson Valley Hawks2. Both of these teams currently sport 4-3 records. But one has two players (Dwayne Bowe and Antonio Gates) who should be featured by their offenses on Monday night. Look for the Hawks to ride the prime time performances to victory.
VinSethVaughn Bears vs. Minneapolis Fantastic Houll. One has Tom Brady. The other had Tim Tebow. That's enough to predict a win for the Houll.
t-bay jacks Young'ry Buccs vs. Palm Bay, Fl. BearDown 85. In addition to the longest combined team names, this matchup sports Ahmad Bradshaw versus LeSean McCoy. McCoy is the player with the higher ceiling this week, so look for the BearDowns to win.
Glen Gardner's Finest vs. Team Brotherton. Michael Vick plus Calvin Johnson equals a sixth victory for the Finest. Sometimes the math is just that simple.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy the games. Some new polls should be up shortly.
Showing posts with label college football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college football. Show all posts
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The People's Choice - Martinsville
In addition to wreaking havoc with football games up and down the East Coast, Saturday's storm of rain and snow washed out the qualifying session for this weekend's Sprint Cup race. However, it did not stop you, the Internet, from voting on the People's Pitstop lineup. Here are the drivers who will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team at Sunday's Chase race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.
A List: Somebody must think Jimmie Johnson still has a chance to win a sixth straight Sprint Cup. He won this week's poll over runner-up Kyle Busch. However, with qualifying washed out, the order for this race is set by driver points. Busch (6th) starts one spot ahead of Johnson and will earn a spot in our starting lineup as a result. Let's just hope NASCAR doesn't give out penalties for bad singing.
B List: Because of a computer error, this poll ended quicker than the other two. That might be why we had a four-place tie involving Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne. By virture of points, Keselowski (3rd) and Earnhardt (9th) get starts, while Kahne (14th) and Allmendinger (16th) get spots on the bench. This will be Earnhardt's ninth and final start for the People's Pitstop this season. Let's hope he makes the most of it.
C List: To heck with foot injuries, the people said. The winner of this poll was Bobby Labonte. David Gilliland tied for second place with Regan Smith, who gets the roster spot by virtue of the driver point tiebreaker. Speaking of points, Smith (26th) gets the starting nod over Labonte (29th). So much for .
We'll be back later today with predictions for Sunday's NASCAR race. In the meantime, be sure to get those votes in for the fantasy football polls. We need to get the People's Pigskin out of its losing streak, and your votes can help make it happen. Thanks.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Fearless Predictions - Week 6
Last week's fantasy football predictions for the People's League fared about as well as the Oklahoma Sooners did Saturday night. The forecasts went a chilly 1-4, lowering our season record to 13-17. It's time to start steering these picks back toward .500.
People's Pigskin vs. Palm Bay, Fl. BearDown85. Neither quarterback (Tony Romo or John Beck) will set the world on fire, but both teams have a star running back taking the field on Monday night. Somehow, you have to like Ray Rice's chances a little bit better than Maurice Jones-Drew's. The Pigskin's losing streak ends right here.
Hudson Valley Hawks2 vs. Glen Gardner's Finest. Yes, the Finest will get plenty of points from Calvin Johnson, but so will the Hawks, because all those passes will be coming from Matthew Stafford. The Hawks should take this battle of division-leading teams.
Minneapolis Fantastic Houll vs. Arcadia Roses. The top two fantasy-scoring quarterbacks are facing off here. But in the battle of Aaron Rodgers versus Cam Newton, you have to take the player with the cheesy State Farm commercial. Look for a Houll victory here.
LA Lockouts vs. VinSethVaughn Bears. Adrian Peterson gets to take handoffs from a rookie quarterback starting his first NFL game. Drew Brees gets to throw to Jimmy Graham, currently the top-scoring tight end in fantasy football. (Look it up.) The Lockouts have the tools to get a fifth win.
Team Brotherton vs. t-bay jacks Young'ry Buccs. ESPN's experts have the defense/special teams matchup here as a "push." The people who bring you this fine Web site would respectfully disagree. The advantage goes to the Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams, who should lead the Brothertons to a Monday-fueled victory.
Thanks as always for reading, and enjoy the games (and the race). We'll be back with some results.
People's Pigskin vs. Palm Bay, Fl. BearDown85. Neither quarterback (Tony Romo or John Beck) will set the world on fire, but both teams have a star running back taking the field on Monday night. Somehow, you have to like Ray Rice's chances a little bit better than Maurice Jones-Drew's. The Pigskin's losing streak ends right here.
Hudson Valley Hawks2 vs. Glen Gardner's Finest. Yes, the Finest will get plenty of points from Calvin Johnson, but so will the Hawks, because all those passes will be coming from Matthew Stafford. The Hawks should take this battle of division-leading teams.
Minneapolis Fantastic Houll vs. Arcadia Roses. The top two fantasy-scoring quarterbacks are facing off here. But in the battle of Aaron Rodgers versus Cam Newton, you have to take the player with the cheesy State Farm commercial. Look for a Houll victory here.
LA Lockouts vs. VinSethVaughn Bears. Adrian Peterson gets to take handoffs from a rookie quarterback starting his first NFL game. Drew Brees gets to throw to Jimmy Graham, currently the top-scoring tight end in fantasy football. (Look it up.) The Lockouts have the tools to get a fifth win.
Team Brotherton vs. t-bay jacks Young'ry Buccs. ESPN's experts have the defense/special teams matchup here as a "push." The people who bring you this fine Web site would respectfully disagree. The advantage goes to the Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams, who should lead the Brothertons to a Monday-fueled victory.
Thanks as always for reading, and enjoy the games (and the race). We'll be back with some results.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
The People's Choice - Atlanta
Mother Nature can mess with your football game, but she can't stop you, the Internet, from showing your love for the People's Pitstop. You voted for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who should represent us this Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Your votes, along with Saturday afternoon's qualifying session, have produced these results.
A List: It shouldn't be surprising that the winners of this poll are also the top two drivers in points: Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. By qualifying 3rd (or 14 spots in front of Johnson), Busch earned himself a starting spot and the Pitstop 3 bonus points.
B List: This poll came down to the proverbial wire. Brad Keselowski won -- something he's been doing quite frequently of late -- followed by A.J. Allmendinger, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and, in driver-points tiebreaker, Clint Bowyer. Bowyer qualified 2nd (earning us 5 bonus points), while Allmendinger qualified 11th. They will start, while Keselowski (14th) and Earnhardt (29th) will sit.
C List: The usual suspects rose to the top of this poll -- Paul Menard and Regan Smith. Menard qualified 22nd, while Smith qualified 26th. This means that Menard will make his ninth and final start of the season for the People's Pitstop. Let's hope he makes the most of it.
And if you want to make the most of your experience here at this site, don't forget to vote for the wide receiver and tight end you think the People's Pigskin should target in Monday night's fantasy football draft.
We'll be back with some predictions for Sunday's race and the results of the football polls.
A List: It shouldn't be surprising that the winners of this poll are also the top two drivers in points: Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. By qualifying 3rd (or 14 spots in front of Johnson), Busch earned himself a starting spot and the Pitstop 3 bonus points.
B List: This poll came down to the proverbial wire. Brad Keselowski won -- something he's been doing quite frequently of late -- followed by A.J. Allmendinger, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and, in driver-points tiebreaker, Clint Bowyer. Bowyer qualified 2nd (earning us 5 bonus points), while Allmendinger qualified 11th. They will start, while Keselowski (14th) and Earnhardt (29th) will sit.
C List: The usual suspects rose to the top of this poll -- Paul Menard and Regan Smith. Menard qualified 22nd, while Smith qualified 26th. This means that Menard will make his ninth and final start of the season for the People's Pitstop. Let's hope he makes the most of it.
And if you want to make the most of your experience here at this site, don't forget to vote for the wide receiver and tight end you think the People's Pigskin should target in Monday night's fantasy football draft.
We'll be back with some predictions for Sunday's race and the results of the football polls.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Evidence That Things Could Be Different
By now, most of America has digested Connecticut's all-time-ugly win over Butler for the national championship in college basketball, and we're waiting excitedly for a draft that may be the last action we see from the National Football League for a while. Many people also have had a chance to watch HBO's Real Sports put the NCAA through the journalism equivalent of a meat grinder. One thing that's clear from the report is that the NCAA isn't getting the job done when it comes to maintaining the integrity and amateurism of college basketball and football.
Of course, things don't have to be this way. To demonstrate that, it's time to take a look at an individual.
America, say hello to Lionel Messi.
Messi is a forward for FC Barcelona, one of the most powerful soccer clubs in Europe, a place that treats soccer more seriously than America treats any single sport. In 2009, Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League Final, Europe's answer to the Super Bowl, and Messi was named FIFA World Player of the Year, in part because he can do things like this with a ball. His current contract will pay him a salary of 10.5 million euros (just under $15 million) a year until 2016.
And he never had to step foot on a college campus.
Messi was so talented so early in his life that he was recruited from his native Argentina to join Barcelona's youth academy in 2000--at the age of 13. One of the things that lured Messi to the academy was the fact that it promised to pay for the drugs he needed to treat a hormone deficiency. (His height is officially listed at 5' 6 1/2".) And there was no NCAA to tell Barcelona that it couldn't offer him this extra benefit. Messi took classes at local schools and trained daily at the academy until he joined Barcelona's senior team in 2004. He has been there ever since.
And, if this report from London's Daily Mail is any indication, he was a relative latecomer to the academy. As Albert Capellas, Barcelona's senior youth coordinator, describes the soccer training, "From the age of seven to the age of 15 everything is about working with the football."
That's right; kids who won't be eligible for Little League for several years are training for a career in soccer. And they don't have to spend a second worrying about their eligibility.
Here in America, we do things differently. Kids can play professional hockey and baseball (and drive a NASCAR racecar) without taking English 101, but the NBA requires you to wait a year after your high school graduation. That means either taking your chances in Europe or playing by the NCAA's rules for at least a year. Likewise, the NFL makes you wait three years, and the NCAA doesn't have to worry about losing quarterbacks to Europe. And as long as people make money off college football and basketball, people are going to cheat at it.
Is the answer to let, say, the Green Bay Packers set up an academy? Maybe not. After all, Barcelona doesn't have a salary cap or a draft, and Americans aren't much better keeping their youth sports under control. ("Play Their Hearts Out," George Dohrmann's book on youth basketball, demonstrates that.) And then there's the fact that a lot of colleges use their football and men's basketball teams to finance the rest of their athletic programs, where trading four years of sweat for a debt-free bachelor's degree is actually a good deal.
But it might be time for us to stop expecting our colleges to serve as minor leagues for our professional sports. Amateurism is a lot easier to accept if you descend from aristocracy, as Baron Pierre de Coubertin did. For many others, turning down LeBron James-level money in exchange for a bachelor's degree may not be that good a deal anymore.
Disagree? Leave a comment at the link at the bottom of this post, and tell me what you think.
Of course, things don't have to be this way. To demonstrate that, it's time to take a look at an individual.
America, say hello to Lionel Messi.
Messi is a forward for FC Barcelona, one of the most powerful soccer clubs in Europe, a place that treats soccer more seriously than America treats any single sport. In 2009, Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League Final, Europe's answer to the Super Bowl, and Messi was named FIFA World Player of the Year, in part because he can do things like this with a ball. His current contract will pay him a salary of 10.5 million euros (just under $15 million) a year until 2016.
And he never had to step foot on a college campus.
Messi was so talented so early in his life that he was recruited from his native Argentina to join Barcelona's youth academy in 2000--at the age of 13. One of the things that lured Messi to the academy was the fact that it promised to pay for the drugs he needed to treat a hormone deficiency. (His height is officially listed at 5' 6 1/2".) And there was no NCAA to tell Barcelona that it couldn't offer him this extra benefit. Messi took classes at local schools and trained daily at the academy until he joined Barcelona's senior team in 2004. He has been there ever since.
And, if this report from London's Daily Mail is any indication, he was a relative latecomer to the academy. As Albert Capellas, Barcelona's senior youth coordinator, describes the soccer training, "From the age of seven to the age of 15 everything is about working with the football."
That's right; kids who won't be eligible for Little League for several years are training for a career in soccer. And they don't have to spend a second worrying about their eligibility.
Here in America, we do things differently. Kids can play professional hockey and baseball (and drive a NASCAR racecar) without taking English 101, but the NBA requires you to wait a year after your high school graduation. That means either taking your chances in Europe or playing by the NCAA's rules for at least a year. Likewise, the NFL makes you wait three years, and the NCAA doesn't have to worry about losing quarterbacks to Europe. And as long as people make money off college football and basketball, people are going to cheat at it.
Is the answer to let, say, the Green Bay Packers set up an academy? Maybe not. After all, Barcelona doesn't have a salary cap or a draft, and Americans aren't much better keeping their youth sports under control. ("Play Their Hearts Out," George Dohrmann's book on youth basketball, demonstrates that.) And then there's the fact that a lot of colleges use their football and men's basketball teams to finance the rest of their athletic programs, where trading four years of sweat for a debt-free bachelor's degree is actually a good deal.
But it might be time for us to stop expecting our colleges to serve as minor leagues for our professional sports. Amateurism is a lot easier to accept if you descend from aristocracy, as Baron Pierre de Coubertin did. For many others, turning down LeBron James-level money in exchange for a bachelor's degree may not be that good a deal anymore.
Disagree? Leave a comment at the link at the bottom of this post, and tell me what you think.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
The People's Results - Week 16
Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor gift-returning duties could stop you, the Internet, from selecting the People's Pigskin lineup for this week. Here's who the Web's favorite fantasy football team will start in the first week of its two-week People's League championship matchup against the Fighting Amish.
Quarterback: Peyton Manning. Enough said. (OK, we'll say something else; he's playing the Oakland Raiders in a late afternoon game.)
Running back: Only two players got votes this week in this poll. They are Michael Turner (who faces the New Orleans Saints on Monday night) and Darren McFadden (who faces Manning's Indianapolis Colts in the late afternoon).
Wide receiver: Calvin Johnson won this poll handily. He plays the Miami Dolphins. The other votes were split evenly between Dwayne Bowe, who plays the Tennessee Titans, and Kenny Britt, who plays Bowe's Kansas City Chiefs. Bowe gets a receiver spot, and Britt takes the flex spot.
Tight end: Once again, you, the Internet, went with the Randy McMichael/Antonio Gates combo platter. Gates has already been ruled out, so McMichael gets the start against the Cincinnati Bengals in the late afternoon.
Defense/special teams: We have a change here this week. The winning choice in this poll was "Get a free agent," so we did. We got the Washington Redskins, who face the Jacksonville Jaguars today. To get them, we waived Justin Forsett. Try not to shed too many tears.
Unlike the Sunday night game, we have no change at kicker (Olindo Mare, who gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a late afternoon game).
Thanks again for voting. The results for the football/holiday drink polls appear below, and a college football poll is available now for voting. Enjoy the games, and stay safe out there.
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Thursday, June 10, 2010
The People's Facts - Heluva Good Sour Cream Dips 400
There's still time for you, the Internet, to make a difference in the People's Pitstop fantasy NASCAR team by voting on our lineup for Sunday's Sprint Cup race. To help you make your decisions, here are a few facts about this week's site.
Track basics. Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile oval that hosted its first NASCAR race in 1969. Maybe it's because of the two-mile length, but this track has a reputation for emphasizing fuel efficiency. Just ask Mark Martin. He won last year's June race on this track when his competitors ran out of gas.
Recent winners. Martin (2009), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2008), Carl Edwards (2007).
Who wins here a lot? Not the usual suspects here this week. Martin leads active NASCAR drivers with five victories on this track. The runner-up? Bobby Labonte, who has won here three times.
What do NASCAR and football have in common? They both seem to draw the biggest crowds in Michigan. The track brags that it seats 119,500 (no word about whether it does so comfortably) and hosts "the largest, single-day paid admission sporting event in the state." Second place must go to Michigan Stadium, which also boasts of its six-digit crowds.
As always, Yahoo Sports has prepared a packet for those needing even more information. You can download the PDF by clicking here. We'll be back with the poll results.
Track basics. Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile oval that hosted its first NASCAR race in 1969. Maybe it's because of the two-mile length, but this track has a reputation for emphasizing fuel efficiency. Just ask Mark Martin. He won last year's June race on this track when his competitors ran out of gas.
Recent winners. Martin (2009), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2008), Carl Edwards (2007).
Who wins here a lot? Not the usual suspects here this week. Martin leads active NASCAR drivers with five victories on this track. The runner-up? Bobby Labonte, who has won here three times.
What do NASCAR and football have in common? They both seem to draw the biggest crowds in Michigan. The track brags that it seats 119,500 (no word about whether it does so comfortably) and hosts "the largest, single-day paid admission sporting event in the state." Second place must go to Michigan Stadium, which also boasts of its six-digit crowds.
As always, Yahoo Sports has prepared a packet for those needing even more information. You can download the PDF by clicking here. We'll be back with the poll results.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Quarterbacks, Quarterbacks Everywhere ...
There's still time to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol. While you ponder your votes and your brackets, it's time to ponder something football-related at the People's Pigskin.
First, some basic math. There are 32 teams in the National Football League. Let's take as a given that the typical NFL team has three quarterbacks on its roster: a starter, a backup and an emergency third quarterback. I think the teams that collect quarterbacks the way some people collect stamps (yes, I'm looking at you, Jon Gruden) are balanced out by the teams that use a wide receiver who played quaterback in high school as their third quarterback. That means that, in any given season, there are 96 quarterback slots available in the NFL.
Now let's look at college football. According to the NCAA, 630 teams played college football in one division or another last year. If you add the 111 teams that play NAIA football, then you have 741 college teams in all, each of which has a starting quarterback. I have no idea exactly how many of these teams had a junior, senior or fifth-year senior starting at quarterback this past season, but let's just say, for the purpose of this exercise, that two-thirds of them did. That would mean there are 494 quarterbacks who would be eligible for selection in next month's NFL draft.
Think about that stat for a moment, fantasy football fans. Hundreds of quarterbacks are coming out of college every year, and you would think at least a few of them are coming out with the particular skills that make them NFL-ready. Yet so many of the stories you'll read over the next few months are about quarterbacks who are considered "projects" (even prospective top draft picks) or are being told they need to make "ridiculous" changes in the way they play if they want an NFL job.
Think about these things the next time someone working on the personnel department of an NFL team is called a "genius."
And despite the steady flow of candidates for the QB slots, people still end up recycling such stellar passers as Rex Grossman, and performances like JaMarcus Russell's are tolerated...oh, wait, Russell's tolerated because this guy likes him. Never mind.
Anyway, the polls close Thursday night so we can get a lineup submitted in time for Friday's qualifying session. We'll be back Friday with a new poll.
First, some basic math. There are 32 teams in the National Football League. Let's take as a given that the typical NFL team has three quarterbacks on its roster: a starter, a backup and an emergency third quarterback. I think the teams that collect quarterbacks the way some people collect stamps (yes, I'm looking at you, Jon Gruden) are balanced out by the teams that use a wide receiver who played quaterback in high school as their third quarterback. That means that, in any given season, there are 96 quarterback slots available in the NFL.
Now let's look at college football. According to the NCAA, 630 teams played college football in one division or another last year. If you add the 111 teams that play NAIA football, then you have 741 college teams in all, each of which has a starting quarterback. I have no idea exactly how many of these teams had a junior, senior or fifth-year senior starting at quarterback this past season, but let's just say, for the purpose of this exercise, that two-thirds of them did. That would mean there are 494 quarterbacks who would be eligible for selection in next month's NFL draft.
Think about that stat for a moment, fantasy football fans. Hundreds of quarterbacks are coming out of college every year, and you would think at least a few of them are coming out with the particular skills that make them NFL-ready. Yet so many of the stories you'll read over the next few months are about quarterbacks who are considered "projects" (even prospective top draft picks) or are being told they need to make "ridiculous" changes in the way they play if they want an NFL job.
Think about these things the next time someone working on the personnel department of an NFL team is called a "genius."
And despite the steady flow of candidates for the QB slots, people still end up recycling such stellar passers as Rex Grossman, and performances like JaMarcus Russell's are tolerated...oh, wait, Russell's tolerated because this guy likes him. Never mind.
Anyway, the polls close Thursday night so we can get a lineup submitted in time for Friday's qualifying session. We'll be back Friday with a new poll.
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.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Columbus Weekend Reading
The polls on what to do with our lineup and how you set up yours will close later tonight, but while you ponder how you will vote, I thought I'd offer you some links to visit.
Why Fooball Is Better Than Baseball. What does baseball say when the temperature drops below 30 degrees? No way, Jose Molina. What does football say when the temperature does that? Oh, yeah! Bring it on!
I Want My Vick TV. I'm not sure whether this should be called ridiculous or inevitable (or maybe both). Michael Vick (remember him?) will star in an eight-part documentary that will air on BET. Of course, the first thought that came into my mind was when the other Eagles backup QB was getting his show?
Don't Rush to Judgment. (Yes, I chose the cheap pun. Sue me.) Players like Bart Scott and Matthias Kiwanuka heard that someone's actually interested in the Rams and responded by saying they wouldn't play for Rush Limbaugh. Of course, before they say that, they should check out the histories of some of the people who have owned NFL teams in the past. George Marshall, for instance. Heck, at this point, I'd bet the Oakland Raiders would be glad to have an owner with a pulse.
Recommended Links. Sclike offers an insightful (and humorous) view on how Christians should feel about "Playing Fantasy Football for Money."
Also, a newcomer to the fantasy football game, Queen of the Savages, tells us how she got into the game. (Warning: The language here isn't safe for children, unless you want to have a certain conversation with said children.)
Again, vote on the polls. We'll be back with the results and a new poll on Sunday.
Why Fooball Is Better Than Baseball. What does baseball say when the temperature drops below 30 degrees? No way, Jose Molina. What does football say when the temperature does that? Oh, yeah! Bring it on!
I Want My Vick TV. I'm not sure whether this should be called ridiculous or inevitable (or maybe both). Michael Vick (remember him?) will star in an eight-part documentary that will air on BET. Of course, the first thought that came into my mind was when the other Eagles backup QB was getting his show?
Don't Rush to Judgment. (Yes, I chose the cheap pun. Sue me.) Players like Bart Scott and Matthias Kiwanuka heard that someone's actually interested in the Rams and responded by saying they wouldn't play for Rush Limbaugh. Of course, before they say that, they should check out the histories of some of the people who have owned NFL teams in the past. George Marshall, for instance. Heck, at this point, I'd bet the Oakland Raiders would be glad to have an owner with a pulse.
Recommended Links. Sclike offers an insightful (and humorous) view on how Christians should feel about "Playing Fantasy Football for Money."
Also, a newcomer to the fantasy football game, Queen of the Savages, tells us how she got into the game. (Warning: The language here isn't safe for children, unless you want to have a certain conversation with said children.)
Again, vote on the polls. We'll be back with the results and a new poll on Sunday.
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