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.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday Update: Executive Decision
Every democracy has procedures in place for an emergency. In this fantasy football democracy, one of those emergency procedures is being put in place.
At about 3:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals reported that Kurt Warner would not play against the Tennessee Titans. In light of this, the People's Pigskin has benched Warner in favor of Matt Cassel. You can see the updated lineup here and follow our matchup against the Hawaiian Surfriders here.
At about 3:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals reported that Kurt Warner would not play against the Tennessee Titans. In light of this, the People's Pigskin has benched Warner in favor of Matt Cassel. You can see the updated lineup here and follow our matchup against the Hawaiian Surfriders here.
The People's Choice (and a New Poll)
Another week has passed, and you, the Internet, have spoken again. In our latest fantasy football poll, you decided that our team should bench Steve Slaton in favor of Matt Forte. Slaton has been benched, and Forte has moved into the starting lineup for our Landshark Maniacs matchup against the Hawaiian Surfriders. You can follow that match live here.
Our latest poll deals with something that has haunted fantasy football pretty much since its creation. Last year I played in an online league where one team was ... and there's no pleasant way to put this ... abandoned. How do we know it was abandoned? By looking at the starting quarterback for all 17 weeks of last year's NFL season: Tom Brady. (You might remember he had a problem with his knee in the season opener that year.)
I remember being frustrated about the fact that whoever was playing this team (which I will not identify here) was getting what was essentially a head start, if not an outright gift of a win, because it seemed as if one fantasy player had suffered a setback and decided that the team was a lost cause.
Nothing happened to that player as far as I can tell. Was that right? This poll is your chance to answer. Please vote now, and enjoy the Sunday games. The lineup poll results can be seen below.
[polldaddy poll=2304605]
Our latest poll deals with something that has haunted fantasy football pretty much since its creation. Last year I played in an online league where one team was ... and there's no pleasant way to put this ... abandoned. How do we know it was abandoned? By looking at the starting quarterback for all 17 weeks of last year's NFL season: Tom Brady. (You might remember he had a problem with his knee in the season opener that year.)
I remember being frustrated about the fact that whoever was playing this team (which I will not identify here) was getting what was essentially a head start, if not an outright gift of a win, because it seemed as if one fantasy player had suffered a setback and decided that the team was a lost cause.
Nothing happened to that player as far as I can tell. Was that right? This poll is your chance to answer. Please vote now, and enjoy the Sunday games. The lineup poll results can be seen below.
[polldaddy poll=2304605]
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday Afternoon Reading
If you're reading this, let me congratulate you on surviving your Thanksgiving dinner and Black Friday.
The People's Pigskin got off to a disappointing start against the Hawaiian Surfriders. Greg Jennings and Nick Folk scored 5 fantasy points each, giving us a 10-0 lead heading into Sunday's games. There is still time to vote on the rest of our lineup. That poll will close late Saturday night.
So before you settle into a plate of leftover turkey and a slate of college games, here are some fantasy football links to peruse.
Forget the budget! I've gotta set my lineup! Who says politicians can't make tough decisions? Twelve mayors from across the country are competing in the Yahoo Sports Mayoral Face-Off. The grand prize: a $15,000 donation to a nonprofit of the winning mayor's choice. One of the participants is Oklahoma City's Mick Cornett, a former sportscaster. How much has his sports background helped him in this competition? At the time the article was posted, his team was 11th.
Another set of opposing views. A couple of WordPress bloggers make this week's list. First, there's Big Rips, who offers this comparison of fantasy football versus gambling. The thesis: fantasy football "has turned many people into “that guy” at the bar." In this case, "that guy" means the guy who annoys everyone else in the bar, to the point where the barkeep tosses the guy out on his Oshiomogho Atogwe.
Another blogger, Glenn's World, offers some thoughts on having NFL games on Thursday. In a nutshell, Glenn would prefer to have games on Sunday or Monday only. "With every Sunday spent watching football, I really don’t want to devote more time to watching more football other days."
(Glenn also invited me to give him a set of confidence picks to compare with his own. My picks, which skipped the already-played Thursday games, can be found in the comments section of his post.)
And just in case... you haven't seen this yet, here is video proof that Ray Lewis hasn't cornered the market on big defensive plays.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on our lineup.
The People's Pigskin got off to a disappointing start against the Hawaiian Surfriders. Greg Jennings and Nick Folk scored 5 fantasy points each, giving us a 10-0 lead heading into Sunday's games. There is still time to vote on the rest of our lineup. That poll will close late Saturday night.
So before you settle into a plate of leftover turkey and a slate of college games, here are some fantasy football links to peruse.
Forget the budget! I've gotta set my lineup! Who says politicians can't make tough decisions? Twelve mayors from across the country are competing in the Yahoo Sports Mayoral Face-Off. The grand prize: a $15,000 donation to a nonprofit of the winning mayor's choice. One of the participants is Oklahoma City's Mick Cornett, a former sportscaster. How much has his sports background helped him in this competition? At the time the article was posted, his team was 11th.
Another set of opposing views. A couple of WordPress bloggers make this week's list. First, there's Big Rips, who offers this comparison of fantasy football versus gambling. The thesis: fantasy football "has turned many people into “that guy” at the bar." In this case, "that guy" means the guy who annoys everyone else in the bar, to the point where the barkeep tosses the guy out on his Oshiomogho Atogwe.
Another blogger, Glenn's World, offers some thoughts on having NFL games on Thursday. In a nutshell, Glenn would prefer to have games on Sunday or Monday only. "With every Sunday spent watching football, I really don’t want to devote more time to watching more football other days."
(Glenn also invited me to give him a set of confidence picks to compare with his own. My picks, which skipped the already-played Thursday games, can be found in the comments section of his post.)
And just in case... you haven't seen this yet, here is video proof that Ray Lewis hasn't cornered the market on big defensive plays.
We'll be back tomorrow with an update on our lineup.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Pick the People's Team - Week 12 (and Thanksgiving Help)
First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who have kept this blog going with your visits, comments and votes. We couldn't do it without you.
We had two polls close last night. The first one was about whether Greg Jennings and/or Nick Folk should start for the People's Pigskin today or be benched. You voted to keep them both in the lineup, so they'll stay right there.
The second poll was about how much football you plan to watch this weekend. As the results (at the bottom of this post) show, you won't exactly be camped out at your local retailer all weekend.
While you're waiting for the turkey to roast -- or fry; I'm not one to look down on those of you daring enough to do this -- it's time to consider the rest of this week's lineup for our matchup against the Hawaiian Surfriders. (And at the end of this post, we'll have a link to help you deal with relatives today. Stay tuned.)
Quarterback. At the moment we have Kurt Warner as our starter. He reportedly expects to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, despite last week's injury. If you're nervous enough to bench him, Matt Cassel can start in his place.
Running back. Our current starters are Steve Slaton, who missed practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury, and Chris "Beanie" Wells, who is asserting himself more and more each week. If we bench one of these runners, we'll start Matt Forte.
Flex. Greg Jennings is in this slot and should be carving up the Lions at about the time you're carving up your poultry.
Wide receiver. Our starting lineup has T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ochocinco, who hopefully won't fumble any boxing references (or footballs) this week. If either receiver is benched, Nate Washington will move into that spot.
Defense. At the moment, we have the Philadelphia Eagles ready to go against the Washington Redskins. If you would rather insert the San Francisco 49ers (who face the Jacksonville Jaguars), vote accordingly.
You already know about the kicker, and there is no change at tight end (Jeremy Shockey).
The new poll is up. Please vote.
Now a public service announcement from the People's Pigskin. If you're a fantasy football player who's visiting or hosting some non-fantasy players today, it's possible that you'll be asked the question, "What is this fantasy football everyone's talking about?" The likelihood of this skyrockets in one of the following scenarios.
1. You excuse yourself from a conversation about Uncle Henry's surgery to go to your computer and adjust your lineup.
2. You hear over your shoulder that your quarterback is out, and you immediately ask your host for permission to use his/her computer to fix your lineup.
If they ask about fantasy football while you're at the computer, you could try to fumble your way through an explanation yourself, or you could just click here for a quick video tutorial and thank the People's Pigskin later.
[polldaddy poll=2257311] [polldaddy poll=2292722]
We had two polls close last night. The first one was about whether Greg Jennings and/or Nick Folk should start for the People's Pigskin today or be benched. You voted to keep them both in the lineup, so they'll stay right there.
The second poll was about how much football you plan to watch this weekend. As the results (at the bottom of this post) show, you won't exactly be camped out at your local retailer all weekend.
While you're waiting for the turkey to roast -- or fry; I'm not one to look down on those of you daring enough to do this -- it's time to consider the rest of this week's lineup for our matchup against the Hawaiian Surfriders. (And at the end of this post, we'll have a link to help you deal with relatives today. Stay tuned.)
Quarterback. At the moment we have Kurt Warner as our starter. He reportedly expects to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, despite last week's injury. If you're nervous enough to bench him, Matt Cassel can start in his place.
Running back. Our current starters are Steve Slaton, who missed practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury, and Chris "Beanie" Wells, who is asserting himself more and more each week. If we bench one of these runners, we'll start Matt Forte.
Flex. Greg Jennings is in this slot and should be carving up the Lions at about the time you're carving up your poultry.
Wide receiver. Our starting lineup has T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ochocinco, who hopefully won't fumble any boxing references (or footballs) this week. If either receiver is benched, Nate Washington will move into that spot.
Defense. At the moment, we have the Philadelphia Eagles ready to go against the Washington Redskins. If you would rather insert the San Francisco 49ers (who face the Jacksonville Jaguars), vote accordingly.
You already know about the kicker, and there is no change at tight end (Jeremy Shockey).
The new poll is up. Please vote.
Now a public service announcement from the People's Pigskin. If you're a fantasy football player who's visiting or hosting some non-fantasy players today, it's possible that you'll be asked the question, "What is this fantasy football everyone's talking about?" The likelihood of this skyrockets in one of the following scenarios.
1. You excuse yourself from a conversation about Uncle Henry's surgery to go to your computer and adjust your lineup.
2. You hear over your shoulder that your quarterback is out, and you immediately ask your host for permission to use his/her computer to fix your lineup.
If they ask about fantasy football while you're at the computer, you could try to fumble your way through an explanation yourself, or you could just click here for a quick video tutorial and thank the People's Pigskin later.
[polldaddy poll=2257311] [polldaddy poll=2292722]
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Fearless Predictions - Week 12
Somebody should cue Al Michaels -- we have a miracle. Last week the Landshark Maniacs predictions went (hang on, this is gonna require the Caps Lock) FIVE-AND-OH, BABY!!! OH, YEAH!!! This lifts the season record to 31-24.
With the dinner-busting tripleheader on Thanksgiving, we have to get this week's predictions in early. Let's see if the short week affects the forecasts as much as it does the New York Giants.
Peoples Pigskin vs. Hawaiian Surfriders. If the forecasts can have a perfect week, then the Pigskin can make the playoffs.
Ravens Fan T Sizzle vs. T-bay jacks 151rum stumblrs. It comes down to one letter: Q. That's the letter you'll see next to Calvin Johnson's name. The Lions may either inactivate him or hold down his playing time. That will be enough for the stumblrs to squeeze out a win.
Big Lough O vs. Houston Wreckin' Crew. You'll see another Q next to Michael Turner's name, but that one won't matter as much. The Lough Os have too many weapons and will cruise to a victory.
Southern Rebels vs. D.C. Destroyers. This is your wishbone game of the week -- the one that could go either way. The difference? Chris Johnson. He's heading for a rushing title, and the Destroyers are heading for the winner's circle.
Northeast Dragons vs. Tinks Revenge. There are two indisputable facts to remember this week: One of your relatives will attack Thanksgiving dinner the way these folks attack hot dogs, and the Dragons will chalk up another win.
Please remember to vote in our polls, both of which will close tonight. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and be sure to save me some pie.
With the dinner-busting tripleheader on Thanksgiving, we have to get this week's predictions in early. Let's see if the short week affects the forecasts as much as it does the New York Giants.
Peoples Pigskin vs. Hawaiian Surfriders. If the forecasts can have a perfect week, then the Pigskin can make the playoffs.
Ravens Fan T Sizzle vs. T-bay jacks 151rum stumblrs. It comes down to one letter: Q. That's the letter you'll see next to Calvin Johnson's name. The Lions may either inactivate him or hold down his playing time. That will be enough for the stumblrs to squeeze out a win.
Big Lough O vs. Houston Wreckin' Crew. You'll see another Q next to Michael Turner's name, but that one won't matter as much. The Lough Os have too many weapons and will cruise to a victory.
Southern Rebels vs. D.C. Destroyers. This is your wishbone game of the week -- the one that could go either way. The difference? Chris Johnson. He's heading for a rushing title, and the Destroyers are heading for the winner's circle.
Northeast Dragons vs. Tinks Revenge. There are two indisputable facts to remember this week: One of your relatives will attack Thanksgiving dinner the way these folks attack hot dogs, and the Dragons will chalk up another win.
Please remember to vote in our polls, both of which will close tonight. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and be sure to save me some pie.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Some Pre-Thanksgiving Reading
Here are some links to peruse while you consider what to do with our lineup for our upcoming matchup against the Hawaiian Surfriders.
Champ, why don't you stop talking for a while? In his always-essential "Monday Morning Quarterback," Peter King alerted football fans to a tweet he got Monday morning from our very own Chad Ochocinco:
"Good morning to all, top of the morning on this awesome football Sunday ALI-HOLMES=OCHO CINCO-NNAMDI'' I damn sure ain't HOLMES either.''
In case you missed yesterday's post, Chad got only 6 fantasy points Sunday and was kept out of the end zone by Nnamdi Asomugha and the rest of the Oakland Raiders.
Maybe Chad knew he was headed for a mediocre fantasy football performance. After all, Larry Holmes beat Muhammad Ali.
Cause for alarm. The New York Jets had to know they would need all the help they could get facing the New England Patriots in Foxboro. What they got instead was dragged out of their hotel rooms early Sunday morning when someone pulled a false fire alarm.
Once again, this is something that one of the pregame television shows could have flagged before fantasy players set their rosters. (And you can't argue that the networks didn't know about this. Players were sending out tweets starting practically the moment it happened.) Seriously, if you had known that the Jets were being pulled out of their beds that late, would you have started any of them?
The only Jet I would have started in those circumstances is Joe Namath, since he would have just been getting back to the hotel at that time, anyway.
Well, there's a switch. Unless you live in Buffalo or Jacksonville or had players from the Bills or Jaguars in your fantasy lineups, you probably did not see Eric Wood of the Buffalo Bills break his leg and end his season. That's because CBS decided that the injury was too gruesome to show in a replay. (If you want to see it for yourself, you can click here.)
It's interesting that CBS made that decision about that injury. Those of us old enough to remember Joe Theismann as something other than a TV personality remember how his playing career ended. When the Washington Redskins were playing the New York Giants on Monday night, Lawrence Taylor sacked Theismann and broke his leg in a way that probably still send chills down Joe's spine when he thinks about it. However, no one felt any qualms about replaying the hit immediately afterward or in the days, months and years that followed.
(You can see Taylor's hit, and a replay of it, by clicking here.)
We'll be back tomorrow with an early edition of the Landshark Maniacs predictions.
Champ, why don't you stop talking for a while? In his always-essential "Monday Morning Quarterback," Peter King alerted football fans to a tweet he got Monday morning from our very own Chad Ochocinco:
"Good morning to all, top of the morning on this awesome football Sunday ALI-HOLMES=OCHO CINCO-NNAMDI'' I damn sure ain't HOLMES either.''
In case you missed yesterday's post, Chad got only 6 fantasy points Sunday and was kept out of the end zone by Nnamdi Asomugha and the rest of the Oakland Raiders.
Maybe Chad knew he was headed for a mediocre fantasy football performance. After all, Larry Holmes beat Muhammad Ali.
Cause for alarm. The New York Jets had to know they would need all the help they could get facing the New England Patriots in Foxboro. What they got instead was dragged out of their hotel rooms early Sunday morning when someone pulled a false fire alarm.
Once again, this is something that one of the pregame television shows could have flagged before fantasy players set their rosters. (And you can't argue that the networks didn't know about this. Players were sending out tweets starting practically the moment it happened.) Seriously, if you had known that the Jets were being pulled out of their beds that late, would you have started any of them?
The only Jet I would have started in those circumstances is Joe Namath, since he would have just been getting back to the hotel at that time, anyway.
Well, there's a switch. Unless you live in Buffalo or Jacksonville or had players from the Bills or Jaguars in your fantasy lineups, you probably did not see Eric Wood of the Buffalo Bills break his leg and end his season. That's because CBS decided that the injury was too gruesome to show in a replay. (If you want to see it for yourself, you can click here.)
It's interesting that CBS made that decision about that injury. Those of us old enough to remember Joe Theismann as something other than a TV personality remember how his playing career ended. When the Washington Redskins were playing the New York Giants on Monday night, Lawrence Taylor sacked Theismann and broke his leg in a way that probably still send chills down Joe's spine when he thinks about it. However, no one felt any qualms about replaying the hit immediately afterward or in the days, months and years that followed.
(You can see Taylor's hit, and a replay of it, by clicking here.)
We'll be back tomorrow with an early edition of the Landshark Maniacs predictions.
Monday, November 23, 2009
The People's Win (and Plans for Thursday)
The People's Pigskin bounced back this week by defeating the Houston Wreckin' Crew by a score of 68-38. The Crew didn't get any favors from Michael Turner, who was ruled inactive for the Atlanta Falcons, but even with a typical Turner performance, you, the Internet, would have prevailed in this fantasy football contest. Here's the breakdown.
Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 15 of 19 passing, 203 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 fumble and 14 fantasy points. The big news here, of course, is the injury Warner suffered shortly before halftime. He's saying that the injury wasn't serious, but it's well worth monitoring this week.
Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 14 rushes for 34 yards, 4 receptions for 20 yards, a 2-point conversion and 7 fantasy points. No member on the Chicago Bears covered himself in glory Sunday night, except perhaps for Robbie Gould.
Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB. The stats: 14 rushes for 74 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards and 14 fantasy points. Wells' campaign for Pleasant Fantasy Surprise of the Year continues and may even get a lift if Warner can't go Sunday.
Greg Jennings, Flex. The stats: 5 receptions, 126 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. Whew. That's more like it.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 36 yards and 3 fantasy points. It seemed as if the Seattle Seahawks offense was swallowed whole by the Minnesota Vikings.
Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 67 yards and 6 fantasy points. Another high-powered offense fell flat against the Oakland Raiders. Can anyone figure that out?
Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 2 receptions, 17 yards and 1 fantasy point. The New Orleans Saints spread the ball around in their thumping of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Can't decide whether they spread it too much or not enough.
Nick Folk, K. The stats: 0 for 1 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 0 fantasy points. Ugh.
Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 blocked kick, 20 points allowed and 5 fantasy points. The Eagles late plays on defense and special teams saved their game and their fantasy value at the same time.
Bench. Matt Cassel scored 15 points, while Jamal Lewis scored 10. The 49ers defense/special teams had minus-2.
Now let's talk about Thanksgiving. The People's Pigskin has two players who will be working on that day: Greg Jennings, whose Green Bay Packers visit the Detroit Lions, and Nick Folk, whose Dallas Cowboys entertain the Oakland Raiders. A poll about whether to bench either (or both) of these players is now up and will close on Thanksgiving morning. If we bench Jennings, Nate Washington will be moved into the starting lineup, though there will be time to switch him for someone else by Sunday. If we bench Folk, a kicker will be picked up from the waiver wire.
Again, the poll is up. Please vote. We'll be back later with more football thoughts.
Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 15 of 19 passing, 203 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 fumble and 14 fantasy points. The big news here, of course, is the injury Warner suffered shortly before halftime. He's saying that the injury wasn't serious, but it's well worth monitoring this week.
Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 14 rushes for 34 yards, 4 receptions for 20 yards, a 2-point conversion and 7 fantasy points. No member on the Chicago Bears covered himself in glory Sunday night, except perhaps for Robbie Gould.
Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB. The stats: 14 rushes for 74 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards and 14 fantasy points. Wells' campaign for Pleasant Fantasy Surprise of the Year continues and may even get a lift if Warner can't go Sunday.
Greg Jennings, Flex. The stats: 5 receptions, 126 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. Whew. That's more like it.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 36 yards and 3 fantasy points. It seemed as if the Seattle Seahawks offense was swallowed whole by the Minnesota Vikings.
Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 67 yards and 6 fantasy points. Another high-powered offense fell flat against the Oakland Raiders. Can anyone figure that out?
Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 2 receptions, 17 yards and 1 fantasy point. The New Orleans Saints spread the ball around in their thumping of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Can't decide whether they spread it too much or not enough.
Nick Folk, K. The stats: 0 for 1 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 0 fantasy points. Ugh.
Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 blocked kick, 20 points allowed and 5 fantasy points. The Eagles late plays on defense and special teams saved their game and their fantasy value at the same time.
Bench. Matt Cassel scored 15 points, while Jamal Lewis scored 10. The 49ers defense/special teams had minus-2.
Now let's talk about Thanksgiving. The People's Pigskin has two players who will be working on that day: Greg Jennings, whose Green Bay Packers visit the Detroit Lions, and Nick Folk, whose Dallas Cowboys entertain the Oakland Raiders. A poll about whether to bench either (or both) of these players is now up and will close on Thanksgiving morning. If we bench Jennings, Nate Washington will be moved into the starting lineup, though there will be time to switch him for someone else by Sunday. If we bench Folk, a kicker will be picked up from the waiver wire.
Again, the poll is up. Please vote. We'll be back later with more football thoughts.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The People's Choice - Week 11
Another week has passed, and once again you, the Internet, have spoken. Though some voted to switch defenses, you voted to leave the lineup alone. Here's how our lineup looks for this week's matchup against the Houston Wreckin' Crew. You can follow that matchup live by clicking here.
The Thanksgiving-related poll will stay up until Thanksgiving. We'll be back tomorrow with a breakdown of this week's game and a look at next week's action. In the meantime, here are the results of our lineup poll. Enjoy today's games.
[polldaddy poll=2272260]
The Thanksgiving-related poll will stay up until Thanksgiving. We'll be back tomorrow with a breakdown of this week's game and a look at next week's action. In the meantime, here are the results of our lineup poll. Enjoy today's games.
[polldaddy poll=2272260]
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Saturday Afternoon Reading
This would have been posted earlier, but we were unavoidably detained at Sofia Restaurant, the unofficial second home of the People's Pigskin. Anyway, here are some links to peruse while you decide how you will vote in our polls. (Reminder: the lineup poll will close Saturday night.)
Maybe he and the producers should huddle. I wish I could find video to support my point here, but I can't, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.
The NFL Network has a show called Playbook, where several National Football League veterans, including the inimitable Sterling Sharpe, analyze game film and try to use what they see on that film to predict the outcome of the upcoming games. If it sounds familiar, it's because ESPN has been using that format for years for its "NFL Matchup" show with Ron Jaworski and Merrill Hoge. (If you're looking for that show on your TV listings, it's easy to find -- just look in the boxes marked "3:30 a.m. EST Sunday" and "7:30 EST Sunday." You know, the times when every football fan's TV is on.)
Anyway, this week on Playbook, Sterling and company were analyzing this week's titanic matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions. Sterling was telling us that the Lions would prevail, because he likes what he's seeing from the Lions defense. While he was praising the defense, the producers were showing three plays from last week's game between the Lions and the Minnesota Vikings. The plays: a long Sidney Rice touchdown, a long reception by Percy Harvin and a touchdown run by Adrian Peterson. In at least two of the plays, the Vikings player broke at least one Lions tackle.
I still don't know whether the producers were paying tribute to Alanis Morissette's take on irony, or whether they didn't get the memo that all three analysts were picking the Lions to beat the Browns. Or maybe it was just easier to find three plays where the Lions were schooled.
Conflict of interest? By now you know that Maurice Jones-Drew's taking a knee at the 1-yard line last week hurt a lot of fantasy football players last week. Well, the Chicago Tribune learned that one of the players burned by the decision was Robbie Gould of the Chicago Bears. He has a team in the NFL Players Association league, and his team had Jones-Drew in its lineup.
That's right. The NFL Players Association has a fantasy football league. Now, it would be the height of hypocrisy for me to criticize NFL players for playing fantasy football. But it is interesting that a league that sued to keep Delaware from taking bets on football games allows its players to play fantasy football, a game where inside knowledge about who's starting and who's healthy (and who's lying about their injury reports) would be worth a king's ransom.
Your weekly "opposing view" update. A fellow WordPress blogger, Pigskin Is the New Pink, has something to say about fantasy football. In the post "Fantasy or Loyalty," the blog (which, to be fair, is written by a fantasy player) tells us that fantasy football "has shamed the way fans treat their rivals." The thesis: Playing fantasy football encourages you to root for players on your archrival's team, in the hopes that said players will reward you with points and victories.
"I encourage you all to stop playing fantasy football for money and start cheering for what really matters, when your most hated team and/or player has a TERRIBLE GAME and LOSES!"
Ummm...good luck with that.
Now to the important stuff. Remember what's truly important about football: the chance to enjoy whatever your favorite beverage may be, even if you feel the same way as this guy.
We'll be back Sunday morning with an update on our lineup.
Maybe he and the producers should huddle. I wish I could find video to support my point here, but I can't, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.
The NFL Network has a show called Playbook, where several National Football League veterans, including the inimitable Sterling Sharpe, analyze game film and try to use what they see on that film to predict the outcome of the upcoming games. If it sounds familiar, it's because ESPN has been using that format for years for its "NFL Matchup" show with Ron Jaworski and Merrill Hoge. (If you're looking for that show on your TV listings, it's easy to find -- just look in the boxes marked "3:30 a.m. EST Sunday" and "7:30 EST Sunday." You know, the times when every football fan's TV is on.)
Anyway, this week on Playbook, Sterling and company were analyzing this week's titanic matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions. Sterling was telling us that the Lions would prevail, because he likes what he's seeing from the Lions defense. While he was praising the defense, the producers were showing three plays from last week's game between the Lions and the Minnesota Vikings. The plays: a long Sidney Rice touchdown, a long reception by Percy Harvin and a touchdown run by Adrian Peterson. In at least two of the plays, the Vikings player broke at least one Lions tackle.
I still don't know whether the producers were paying tribute to Alanis Morissette's take on irony, or whether they didn't get the memo that all three analysts were picking the Lions to beat the Browns. Or maybe it was just easier to find three plays where the Lions were schooled.
Conflict of interest? By now you know that Maurice Jones-Drew's taking a knee at the 1-yard line last week hurt a lot of fantasy football players last week. Well, the Chicago Tribune learned that one of the players burned by the decision was Robbie Gould of the Chicago Bears. He has a team in the NFL Players Association league, and his team had Jones-Drew in its lineup.
That's right. The NFL Players Association has a fantasy football league. Now, it would be the height of hypocrisy for me to criticize NFL players for playing fantasy football. But it is interesting that a league that sued to keep Delaware from taking bets on football games allows its players to play fantasy football, a game where inside knowledge about who's starting and who's healthy (and who's lying about their injury reports) would be worth a king's ransom.
Your weekly "opposing view" update. A fellow WordPress blogger, Pigskin Is the New Pink, has something to say about fantasy football. In the post "Fantasy or Loyalty," the blog (which, to be fair, is written by a fantasy player) tells us that fantasy football "has shamed the way fans treat their rivals." The thesis: Playing fantasy football encourages you to root for players on your archrival's team, in the hopes that said players will reward you with points and victories.
"I encourage you all to stop playing fantasy football for money and start cheering for what really matters, when your most hated team and/or player has a TERRIBLE GAME and LOSES!"
Ummm...good luck with that.
Now to the important stuff. Remember what's truly important about football: the chance to enjoy whatever your favorite beverage may be, even if you feel the same way as this guy.
We'll be back Sunday morning with an update on our lineup.
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