First, fantasy football fans can rejoice in the fact that you (most likely) helped the People's Pigskin field a winner this week. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team currently leads the former Beanie's Weenies by a score of 89-52. Our opponent has Derrick Mason, who faces the New York Jets in the early Monday night game. We have Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers and Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs, who face each other in the nightcap.
Meanwhile, it's time to tell you about the People's Pitstop. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up only 264 points during Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. That leaves us with a season total of 6,984, putting us in 40,550th place overall on Yahoo Sports and dropping us 13 spots, to 53rd, in the Fans of From the Marbles league. (For the record, we finished 29th in the summer segment, which ended Saturday.)
Here's how our starting drivers fared:
Carl Edwards: Started 1st, finished 10th, 95 laps led and 92 fantasy points, including 10 for the pole and 10 for leading at least one lap. Edwards had already wrapped up his spot in the Chase, so he saw no pressure heading into this race. His finish was the best among Roush Fenway drivers.
Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 29th (4 laps behind the leaders) and 34 fantasy points. It's never good for your fantasy team when your driver's Web site sums up the race by saying the driver "fought an ill-handling car."
Jamie McMurray. Started 34th, finished 17th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 58 fantasy points. To have a realistic chance of making the Chase, McMurray needed a top 10 finish and some serious help from Clint Bowyer. He got neither.
A.J. Allmendinger. Started 3rd, finished 8th and 79 fantasy points, including 3 for his qualifying spot. If these results continue, Allmendinger may find himself off the C List for next year's racing.
And for those of you into higher math, this week's total includes 1 bonus point for the bench-riding Bowyer for qualifying 4th.
This week, NASCAR begins its Chase for the Cup with a Sunday race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The lineup polls are already up and will close Thursday night.
Also, if you look below the NASCAR polls, you will find the polls for next week's fantasy football lineup. If you're feeling psychic, feel free to vote on those now, too. We'll be back with full results for the People's Pigskin.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The People's Choice - Week 1
Thanks to you, the Internet, the People's Pigskin has its lineup for its season debut, a People's League matchup against Beanie's Weenies. Here's who you selected for our starting lineup.
Quarterback. It really was never a contest here. Everyone chose Peyton Manning to start against the Houston Texans.
Running back. A mild surprise here. Michael Turner, as expected, starts in one spot. He gets the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Darren McFadden gets the other starting spot over Knowshon Moreno and Justin Forsett. McFadden faces the Tenneessee Titans.
Wide receiver. All your votes went to three receivers: Calvin Johnson (who faces the Chicago Bears), Dwayne Bowe (who gets the San Diego Chargers tomorrow night) and Chad Ochocinco (who faces the New England Patriots). Since Ochocinco and Bowe got more votes than either Moreno or Forsett, we're using Ochocinco for the flex spot.
No surprises either at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow night) or kicker (Jeff Reed against the Atlanta Falcons).
The poll results appear below. The polls for next week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race are available now. Please vote now, and enjoy the games!
[polldaddy poll=3722953] [polldaddy poll=3722957] [polldaddy poll=3722964] [polldaddy poll=3722969] [polldaddy poll=3722976]
Quarterback. It really was never a contest here. Everyone chose Peyton Manning to start against the Houston Texans.
Running back. A mild surprise here. Michael Turner, as expected, starts in one spot. He gets the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Darren McFadden gets the other starting spot over Knowshon Moreno and Justin Forsett. McFadden faces the Tenneessee Titans.
Wide receiver. All your votes went to three receivers: Calvin Johnson (who faces the Chicago Bears), Dwayne Bowe (who gets the San Diego Chargers tomorrow night) and Chad Ochocinco (who faces the New England Patriots). Since Ochocinco and Bowe got more votes than either Moreno or Forsett, we're using Ochocinco for the flex spot.
No surprises either at tight end (Antonio Gates, who faces the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow night) or kicker (Jeff Reed against the Atlanta Falcons).
The poll results appear below. The polls for next week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race are available now. Please vote now, and enjoy the games!
[polldaddy poll=3722953] [polldaddy poll=3722957] [polldaddy poll=3722964] [polldaddy poll=3722969] [polldaddy poll=3722976]
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Fearless NASCAR Predictions - Richmond
Now that you've digested the fearless predictions for week 1 of the People's League, it's time to sink your teeth into our forecasts for tonight's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Last week's predictions went 4-6, leaving us with a season record of 113-127.
1. Carl Edwards. Lots of folks with a clinched Chase spot would probably either lay low this weekend or work on things that will pay dividends during the Chase. Edwards went out and won the freaking pole.
2 and 3. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Each driver has five wins so far this season, and each one can clinch the top spot going into the Chase by winning here.
4. Jeff Gordon. On the other end of the spectrum, there's Gordon, who's currently second in points but has no wins under his belt.
5. Clint Bowyer. He's the only one of the top 12 who might not make the Chase. (Greg Biffle hasn't technically clinched a spot yet, but he will the moment he starts this race.)
6 and 7. Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. These are the drivers who can take Bowyer's spot away. It would take a miracle, but this is NASCAR we're talking about.
8. Tony Stewart. If you believe in momentum, he's your man. Last week's victory was Stewart's 5th top 10 finish in his last 7 races.
9. Juan Pablo Montoya. When Yahoo's From the Marbles blog is using you as the poster boy for a post titled "What Do You Do When Your Best Drivers Aren't in the Chase," you must be doing something right. Especially if you have yet to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race anywhere other than Sonoma or Watkins Glen.
10. A.J. Allmendinger. The medium to long shot starts third tonight and has a starting spot tonight for the People's Pitstop. What more could you want? Other than one of these, that is.
Remember that the fantasy football polls will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
1. Carl Edwards. Lots of folks with a clinched Chase spot would probably either lay low this weekend or work on things that will pay dividends during the Chase. Edwards went out and won the freaking pole.
2 and 3. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Each driver has five wins so far this season, and each one can clinch the top spot going into the Chase by winning here.
4. Jeff Gordon. On the other end of the spectrum, there's Gordon, who's currently second in points but has no wins under his belt.
5. Clint Bowyer. He's the only one of the top 12 who might not make the Chase. (Greg Biffle hasn't technically clinched a spot yet, but he will the moment he starts this race.)
6 and 7. Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. These are the drivers who can take Bowyer's spot away. It would take a miracle, but this is NASCAR we're talking about.
8. Tony Stewart. If you believe in momentum, he's your man. Last week's victory was Stewart's 5th top 10 finish in his last 7 races.
9. Juan Pablo Montoya. When Yahoo's From the Marbles blog is using you as the poster boy for a post titled "What Do You Do When Your Best Drivers Aren't in the Chase," you must be doing something right. Especially if you have yet to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race anywhere other than Sonoma or Watkins Glen.
10. A.J. Allmendinger. The medium to long shot starts third tonight and has a starting spot tonight for the People's Pitstop. What more could you want? Other than one of these, that is.
Remember that the fantasy football polls will close Sunday morning. Please vote now.
Fearless Football Predictions - Week 1
There is still time for you vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for its opening-week matchup against Beanie's Weenies. But now it's time to revive a longstanding tradition of this blog: predicting the outcome of each of the matchups in the People's League.
People's Pigskin vs. Beanie's Weenies. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team has gotten out to a 2-0 lead. That's a lead we should maintain throughout Sunday and Monday, leading the Pigskin to a 1-0 start.
t-bay cuervonaters XXL vs. Chicago VinSethBears. The Cuervonaters are off to a 13-0 start, and Rashard Mendenhall should give them points all day long. Look for the Cuervonaters to post the victory here.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. cowboys romero. The Cowboys have taken a 6-0 league in this matchup, thanks to Bernard Berrian's Thursday night donut. Fortunately, the RedZone has two players in the late Monday night game. Philip Rivers and Nate Kaeding should help the RedZone erase its deficit and emerge with the win.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. Fighting Amish. The Hawks have a 17-0 lead, but they have already used two players. Matt Schaub and Ray Rice can erase that lead by themselves. The Amish may not have the technology to learn this right away, but they should be victorious.
nuckin' futs vs. Team F. The Futs have a 13-9, and as of this writing, Team F still has Ben Roethlisberger listed as its starter. Um...you've heard he's suspended, right? The futs should have no problem winning this one.
Again, feel free to vote on the lineup polls. We'll be back with predictions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
People's Pigskin vs. Beanie's Weenies. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team has gotten out to a 2-0 lead. That's a lead we should maintain throughout Sunday and Monday, leading the Pigskin to a 1-0 start.
t-bay cuervonaters XXL vs. Chicago VinSethBears. The Cuervonaters are off to a 13-0 start, and Rashard Mendenhall should give them points all day long. Look for the Cuervonaters to post the victory here.
NFL2K10 RedZone vs. cowboys romero. The Cowboys have taken a 6-0 league in this matchup, thanks to Bernard Berrian's Thursday night donut. Fortunately, the RedZone has two players in the late Monday night game. Philip Rivers and Nate Kaeding should help the RedZone erase its deficit and emerge with the win.
Hudson Valley Hawks vs. Fighting Amish. The Hawks have a 17-0 lead, but they have already used two players. Matt Schaub and Ray Rice can erase that lead by themselves. The Amish may not have the technology to learn this right away, but they should be victorious.
nuckin' futs vs. Team F. The Futs have a 13-9, and as of this writing, Team F still has Ben Roethlisberger listed as its starter. Um...you've heard he's suspended, right? The futs should have no problem winning this one.
Again, feel free to vote on the lineup polls. We'll be back with predictions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The People's Choice - Richmond
Not only do we have the first game of this NFL season in the books, but we have also completed another week of NASCAR voting. You, the Internet, have selected the People's Pitstop lineup for Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Here are the results.
A List. We have a tie for the starting spot here. Carl Edwards will battle Greg Biffle for the chance to represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team. Once again, the qualifying session will serve as the tiebreaker.
B List. No need for a tiebreaker here. Two clear-cut winners emerged this week. They are Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne. They will start, while Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman will watch from the bench.
C List. This time, we have a three-way tie. A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed will battle during the qualifying session for the starting spot. (Sorry, Sam Hornish Jr. fans, but he's too far down the driver points list.)
We'll update this post after the qualifying session. The NASCAR poll results appear below. The fantasy football polls will stay open until Sunday. Feel free to vote on those now.
UPDATED 8:45 P.M. Wow, what a qualifying session! Carl Edwards earned a starting spot (and a 10-point bonus) by winning the freaking pole! A.J. Allmendinger earned the C List spot (and a 3-point bonus) by qualifying 3rd. And even though Clint Bowyer will stay on the bench, he earned us a 1-point bonus by qualifying 4th.
We'll be back with predictions for both the People's League and the final Sprint Cup race before the Chase.
[polldaddy poll=3722579] [polldaddy poll=3722585] [polldaddy poll=3722594]
A List. We have a tie for the starting spot here. Carl Edwards will battle Greg Biffle for the chance to represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team. Once again, the qualifying session will serve as the tiebreaker.
B List. No need for a tiebreaker here. Two clear-cut winners emerged this week. They are Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne. They will start, while Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman will watch from the bench.
C List. This time, we have a three-way tie. A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed will battle during the qualifying session for the starting spot. (Sorry, Sam Hornish Jr. fans, but he's too far down the driver points list.)
We'll update this post after the qualifying session. The NASCAR poll results appear below. The fantasy football polls will stay open until Sunday. Feel free to vote on those now.
UPDATED 8:45 P.M. Wow, what a qualifying session! Carl Edwards earned a starting spot (and a 10-point bonus) by winning the freaking pole! A.J. Allmendinger earned the C List spot (and a 3-point bonus) by qualifying 3rd. And even though Clint Bowyer will stay on the bench, he earned us a 1-point bonus by qualifying 4th.
We'll be back with predictions for both the People's League and the final Sprint Cup race before the Chase.
[polldaddy poll=3722579] [polldaddy poll=3722585] [polldaddy poll=3722594]
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]
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The People's Facts - Air Guard 400
This is an interesting time for the people who run this Web site. First, we have another National Football League season getting started, so we have a set of polls that will help determine who will start for the People's Pigskin this weekend. (The one about defense/special teams will close Thursday morning, so please vote now.)
Second, we have a NASCAR season about to enter Chase phase. So we also have a set of polls that will determine who will start for the People's Pitstop in Saturday night's Sprint Cup race. Those polls will close Thursday night. For those of you still deciding how to vote, here are some details about the place where they will be racing.
Track basics: Richmond International Raceway, one of the oldest of the old school NASCAR tracks, is a 3/4-mile oval known for its tight turns and side-by-side competition. According to NASCAR.com, it's also "the only track to hold all of its major events under the lights."
Last time we were here: A late caution gave Kyle Busch the opening he needed to win his first race of the season. It's a good thing the People's Pitstop started him; otherwise, the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team would have scored far less than 265 points.
Recent winners: Denny Hamlin (2009 fall), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Johnson again (2007).
Who wins here a lot: No active NASCAR driver is dominant at Richmond. Johnson has a grand total of three wins here, tying him for the lead with Tony Stewart and, believe it or not, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What's in it for them? After Saturday's race, the Chase for the Sprint Cup will begin. Ten of the 12 spots in NASCAR's version of a playoff have already been determined. Out of curiosity, I asked Nick Bromberg and Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports today what would keep the 10 drivers from essentially taking this race off. Jay's answer, "Sponsors who would be very displeased." Nick's response, "There are 10 points on the line."
As always, you can click here to read Yahoo Sports' handy guide for fantasy racing fans. And please remember to vote. We'll be back.
Second, we have a NASCAR season about to enter Chase phase. So we also have a set of polls that will determine who will start for the People's Pitstop in Saturday night's Sprint Cup race. Those polls will close Thursday night. For those of you still deciding how to vote, here are some details about the place where they will be racing.
Track basics: Richmond International Raceway, one of the oldest of the old school NASCAR tracks, is a 3/4-mile oval known for its tight turns and side-by-side competition. According to NASCAR.com, it's also "the only track to hold all of its major events under the lights."
Last time we were here: A late caution gave Kyle Busch the opening he needed to win his first race of the season. It's a good thing the People's Pitstop started him; otherwise, the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team would have scored far less than 265 points.
Recent winners: Denny Hamlin (2009 fall), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Johnson again (2007).
Who wins here a lot: No active NASCAR driver is dominant at Richmond. Johnson has a grand total of three wins here, tying him for the lead with Tony Stewart and, believe it or not, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What's in it for them? After Saturday's race, the Chase for the Sprint Cup will begin. Ten of the 12 spots in NASCAR's version of a playoff have already been determined. Out of curiosity, I asked Nick Bromberg and Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports today what would keep the 10 drivers from essentially taking this race off. Jay's answer, "Sponsors who would be very displeased." Nick's response, "There are 10 points on the line."
As always, you can click here to read Yahoo Sports' handy guide for fantasy racing fans. And please remember to vote. We'll be back.
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.
Monday, September 6, 2010
While We Were Drafting
NASCAR was holding a great race and hoping that its fans stick around when the NFL's regular season kicks off this week.
The People's Pitstop managed to rack up 295 points during Sunday night's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The season total rose to 6,720, good enough for 38,286th overall on Yahoo Sports and lifting us 19 spots, to 48th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Here's how the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team did it.
Tony Stewart: Started 5th, finished 1st, 176 laps led and 110 fantasy points, including 20 for leading the most laps. He should have this much trouble with restarts every week.
Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 32nd (15 laps behind the leaders), 16 laps led and 38 fantasy points, including the 10-point bonus for leading a lap. A late get-together with Kurt Busch caused a flat tire that pretty much ended Kahne's chances.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 8th, 9 laps led and 91 fantasy points, including the 10-points lap-leading bonus. His score would have been higher if Kahne, who blamed Newman for his get-together with Busch and tried to settle the score. It's never good for your fantasy team to have a driver involved in a dispute like this; it's even worse when your team is on both sides of one.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 16th, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. You know you had a quiet race when your most exciting citation in the NASCAR lap-by-lap report shows you breaking into the top 10 -- on lap 26.
Ten drivers have clinched a spot in the Chase; the others have one race to do so. NASCAR takes its act to Richmond on Saturday night. The polls are up and will close Thursday evening. Most of the football polls (located right below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. The one involving the Minnesota Vikings defense will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
The People's Pitstop managed to rack up 295 points during Sunday night's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The season total rose to 6,720, good enough for 38,286th overall on Yahoo Sports and lifting us 19 spots, to 48th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league.
Here's how the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team did it.
Tony Stewart: Started 5th, finished 1st, 176 laps led and 110 fantasy points, including 20 for leading the most laps. He should have this much trouble with restarts every week.
Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 32nd (15 laps behind the leaders), 16 laps led and 38 fantasy points, including the 10-point bonus for leading a lap. A late get-together with Kurt Busch caused a flat tire that pretty much ended Kahne's chances.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 8th, 9 laps led and 91 fantasy points, including the 10-points lap-leading bonus. His score would have been higher if Kahne, who blamed Newman for his get-together with Busch and tried to settle the score. It's never good for your fantasy team to have a driver involved in a dispute like this; it's even worse when your team is on both sides of one.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 16th, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. You know you had a quiet race when your most exciting citation in the NASCAR lap-by-lap report shows you breaking into the top 10 -- on lap 26.
Ten drivers have clinched a spot in the Chase; the others have one race to do so. NASCAR takes its act to Richmond on Saturday night. The polls are up and will close Thursday evening. Most of the football polls (located right below the NASCAR ones) will close Sunday morning. The one involving the Minnesota Vikings defense will close Thursday morning. Please vote now.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Draft Results Are In
It's not quite as momentous or historic an event as, say, the invention of the Big Mac, but it's a moment of pride nonetheless.
The People's Pigskin has completed its second annual draft, and as a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has a fairly strong lineup to test the theory that the masses can do just as well as the "experts" in running a fantasy team. Here are the round-by-round results.
Round 1. The People's Pigskin drew the ninth spot out of 10 teams, and all six of the players selected in the who should top our draft board polls were taken in the first seven picks. We responded by taking the best player left, Michael Turner. No truly shocking picks, except Tony Romo's pick at No. 10 overall.
Round 2. One of the side effects of picking 9th in a 10-team draft is picking again three picks later. Drew Brees didn't make it to this round, so we took the second-rated quarterback on our board, Peyton Manning. And a few weeks ago, you would have won a few bets if you guessed that someone would pick Arian Foster in the second round of a fantasy draft.
Round 3. Time to get a receiver, but none of our top four receivers made it this far. (Brandon Marshall almost did.) We took Calvin Johnson.
Round 4. Again, a quick turnaround. We took Knowshon Moreno, the winner of this year's T.J. Houshmandzadeh award for "player whose name the people who run this blog will be able to spell in their sleep by Halloween."
Round 5. Dallas Clark continued his habit of coming off the draft board ridiculously early (in the fourth round, along with Vernon Davis), but we got the tight end who was ranked second on our board, Antonio Gates.
Round 6. Time to get a second receiver. We went with Chad Ochocinco, who, despite his ongoing love affair with himself, manages to put up solid numbers season after season.
Round 7. This round saw a run of tight ends, but we were able to avoid it by taking Dwayne Bowe.
Round 8. Time to get Turner and Moreno a backup. We went with Justin Forsett, since his numbers won't go south if Matt Hasselbeck still have a gimpy back. (By the way, this was the round where the first defense/special teams, the New York Jets, was selected.)
Round 9. Since the Jets escaped our grasp, we went with the next-best option, according to our draft board, the Minnesota Vikings. They went eight picks after NFL2K10 RedZone took the first kicker, Nate Kaeding. And you probably already know what I would say here, so let's just move on.
Round 10. Time for another receiver. We went with Robert Meachem.
Round 11. We missed out on our chance to get Donovan McNabb as our backup QB, so we picked Chad Henne instead.
Round 12. Three more kickers found homes in this round, but we selected Kenny Britt as a backup receiver.
Round 13. Santonio Holmes did not make it down to us in this round, so we grabbed a third QB in Vince Young.
Round 14. We rounded out our running game with Darren McFadden, while two other players drafted kickers, including NFL2K10 RedZone, who made David Akers his backup kicker. Or something.
Round 15. The boneheaded move of the night goes to the People's Pigskin, which forgot about Montario Hardesty's injury and drafted him. Just goes to show that you don't need to have any intelligence to write about fantasy football. (Don't worry; we already have a waiver claim on Kevin Smith to take his spot.)
Round 16. Four teams waited until this round to draft a kicker, including the People's Pigskin, which selected Jeff Reed.
What do you think of our lineup? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the football lineup polls are open. Most of them will stay open until Sunday morning. The one about the Vikings defense/special teams will close Thursday, since the Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in the season opener. Feel free to vote now.
The People's Pigskin has completed its second annual draft, and as a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team has a fairly strong lineup to test the theory that the masses can do just as well as the "experts" in running a fantasy team. Here are the round-by-round results.
Round 1. The People's Pigskin drew the ninth spot out of 10 teams, and all six of the players selected in the who should top our draft board polls were taken in the first seven picks. We responded by taking the best player left, Michael Turner. No truly shocking picks, except Tony Romo's pick at No. 10 overall.
Round 2. One of the side effects of picking 9th in a 10-team draft is picking again three picks later. Drew Brees didn't make it to this round, so we took the second-rated quarterback on our board, Peyton Manning. And a few weeks ago, you would have won a few bets if you guessed that someone would pick Arian Foster in the second round of a fantasy draft.
Round 3. Time to get a receiver, but none of our top four receivers made it this far. (Brandon Marshall almost did.) We took Calvin Johnson.
Round 4. Again, a quick turnaround. We took Knowshon Moreno, the winner of this year's T.J. Houshmandzadeh award for "player whose name the people who run this blog will be able to spell in their sleep by Halloween."
Round 5. Dallas Clark continued his habit of coming off the draft board ridiculously early (in the fourth round, along with Vernon Davis), but we got the tight end who was ranked second on our board, Antonio Gates.
Round 6. Time to get a second receiver. We went with Chad Ochocinco, who, despite his ongoing love affair with himself, manages to put up solid numbers season after season.
Round 7. This round saw a run of tight ends, but we were able to avoid it by taking Dwayne Bowe.
Round 8. Time to get Turner and Moreno a backup. We went with Justin Forsett, since his numbers won't go south if Matt Hasselbeck still have a gimpy back. (By the way, this was the round where the first defense/special teams, the New York Jets, was selected.)
Round 9. Since the Jets escaped our grasp, we went with the next-best option, according to our draft board, the Minnesota Vikings. They went eight picks after NFL2K10 RedZone took the first kicker, Nate Kaeding. And you probably already know what I would say here, so let's just move on.
Round 10. Time for another receiver. We went with Robert Meachem.
Round 11. We missed out on our chance to get Donovan McNabb as our backup QB, so we picked Chad Henne instead.
Round 12. Three more kickers found homes in this round, but we selected Kenny Britt as a backup receiver.
Round 13. Santonio Holmes did not make it down to us in this round, so we grabbed a third QB in Vince Young.
Round 14. We rounded out our running game with Darren McFadden, while two other players drafted kickers, including NFL2K10 RedZone, who made David Akers his backup kicker. Or something.
Round 15. The boneheaded move of the night goes to the People's Pigskin, which forgot about Montario Hardesty's injury and drafted him. Just goes to show that you don't need to have any intelligence to write about fantasy football. (Don't worry; we already have a waiver claim on Kevin Smith to take his spot.)
Round 16. Four teams waited until this round to draft a kicker, including the People's Pigskin, which selected Jeff Reed.
What do you think of our lineup? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the football lineup polls are open. Most of them will stay open until Sunday morning. The one about the Vikings defense/special teams will close Thursday, since the Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in the season opener. Feel free to vote now.
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