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Classy

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Attention fantasy footballers!

The time has come. No this post is not a reflection over the season or my preview to the greatest sporting event in the USA (people try to argue about the World Cup and Olympics), but this is not what the post is going to be about. So let’s get started. By now I am sure most of you have been keeping up with the NBA, the Heat, the Lakers, or at least watched a highlight here or there. The NBA has been fun to watch just to see how teams are playing with a shortened season, no preseason, and the constant travel. Also, we all want to see how well the Heat are doing. Lob City (the Clippers) are doing well so far, but we have to wait and see how the season takes a toll on the team. The Bulls could contend well against the Heat in what will probably be a repeat of the Eastern Conference Finals (maybe a different outcome). The West is too close to call at this point but my guess is the Thunder making a run to the Conference Finals against maybe the Nuggets (what?????) or the Blazers.

So I was thinking to myself about the Super Bowl (trust me I am not going to talk about the game) and it hit me – the game is in Indianapolis. Before it was “awesome the game is being played in Indy, home of the Colts!” and reality sets in and the only thing people know about Indy is that it is the home of the Colts. What are people going to do there? Last year there was an issue in Dallas for entertainment and nightlife. I heard that they were importing dancers and booze into the city to accommodate for the Super Bowl. What is Indy going to do? Does Indy even have a club? Will there be a pre-party and after party? Will there even be a party? Indy could be starting a new trend in the league that the Super Bowl is a classy event with wine, cheese, and a tie. But I doubt it will go far. The Super Bowl is about more beer, more wings, more chips and maybe even some shots. It is not just a normal Sunday football game – it is THE Sunday football game. I mean next season the Super Bowl is in NOLA. The same month (maybe a week apart) from Mardi Gras. Think about it – mix the Bowl, Bourbon Street, and beads together. And the year after that the Super Bowl is in the City (aka NYC). And I know people are complaining about how it will be cold and bad weather but its NYC! The capital of society. So if you are the few people that happen to be going to Indy to watch the game live, I would love to hear what you did for fun. Sure beats me thinking about it.

If you are throwing a party in your home remember 5 key things to make the game a great experience: 1) you can go for 48 beers or a keg depending on how cool you are, 2) food such as pizza, wings, chips and dip – do not skip on the guacamole, 3) soda (Coke, Sprite, anything not Pepsi), 4) Jack for the Coke, 5) napkins (people always forget this and run around like crazy people when a friend accidentally knocks over his drink). Follow these tips and you are on your way to having a FUN night! Stay safe, drink responsibly, and enjoy. And no this is not my last post till the game, I just figured I might forget to mention drinking responsibly that late into the week.

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The Monster Under the Bed

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Welcome fantasy footballers!

Wow. What a weekend! From missed FGs, fumbles, and overtime wins, this weekend was full of drama and mayhem. And as quickly as these games ended, the talks of a rematch began. A rematch that will fuel Brady to take down the Giants, who stopped him from getting his 4th SB victory in as many tries. So as Brady prepares from his match up against a Giants team that might not have Plaxico but has major WR threats in Cruz, Manningham, and Nicks. Last time the two teams played, the Pats were the best team the game has seen in decades. Undefeated, a superstar QB and WR, and a nasty defense. This time around the Pats are with a sub-par defense, Brady, and up-and-coming TEs. Years ago the Pats destroyed teams. This time they scrape by. The Giants will have to heavily pressure the Pats O-Line this time, as they did to Alex Smith, and make Brady rush passes. That’s the key to the game. It will be a battle between the Giants defensive pass rush against the Pats line protecting Brady. Both teams have play makers and both teams have weapons. It will be a game of QB and ball protection. The Pats proved that they can turn the ball over and still be in the game. The Giants proved that they don’t need a bye and rest to make sure all their players are healthy.

Some are calling it a revenge game and some are calling it an epic rematch. But honestly, it’s the Super Bowl. You can’t let the past dicate how things are done this time around. Both teams have different key players on both sides of the ball and both teams cannot simply think about playing the way they did last time. Similar to the game, both teams have evolved. The winner will be the one that made the most stops, not necessarily the one that made the most plays. In other news Tim Tebow might not be playing in this season’s Pro Bowl. Ouch. After a year of ups and downs, and with the national media fanatically in love with the QB, people might be saying its time for some change. Poor Skip Bayless.

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Holding Our Breath

January 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Howdy fantasy footballers!

Story time: I was sitting watching ESPN with my dad earlier and they showed the Giants beating the Cowboys as ESPN continues to try and impress us with their video-editing abilities (not working). During that clip they showed Romo getting sacked (I know you laughed) and I ended up smirking, telling my dad how Romo is being Romo in that sack. He tells me he likes Romo and that he is a good QB with a horrible line and inexperienced receivers. I might be adopted.

Anyway, on to the games! This is the moment we have all been waiting for. I think this weekend is the best weekend in football. Before I get called out for not liking the Super Bowl, hear me out. This week we have the 4 best teams in the league playing right now. I know some other teams could make a point to be in the Championship games, but these are the teams and they deserve that much recognition. This weekend every team will play to make it to the big stage. They will play lights out, on a level they cannot have fathomed during the regular season. They will play for everything because they have their whole season riding on this one game. And after this weekend, there is still more football coming up. Win or lose the Super Bowl, every team will be happy to have made it so far, and to play for the trophy. But sadly, after that game, there is no more football for months.

Moving on. For the NFC, its hard to imagine two number 1 overall picks battling it out in a playoff game, let alone the NFC Championship game. On top of that the 49ers have lost more NFC Championship games than the Giants have ever played in. Even though you have such great speed rushers on the Giants, a stellar receiving core, and a QB that has impressed all of us, I still think the 49ers can pull off a win and make it to the next stage. As for the AFC, Rob Gronk has pulled in 17 TDs this season. The entire Ravens team managed to pull in 21. And if you think the Pats are much more passing orientated then the Ravens, look again. The two teams are almost similar when it comes to rushing attempts for the entire season. And while the media is talking about the Ravens crazy defense, the weak Pats defense, and the issues Tom Brady could have this weekend, the Pats will not lose. Tom Brady will show us once more why he is a clutch QB. Like the Kobe of his time when it comes to the incomparable drive to win and win in a spectacular fashion. Tom Brady will make sure everyone understands that the issues he had in the past few seasons in the playoffs have been corrected. He dismantled the Broncos and Tim Tebow, and now all eyes are back on Brady. Let the games begin!

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Bittersweet

January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

How’s it going fantasy footballers!

What a dramatic weekend for everyone. These games could not have been played any better (minus one team). Such passion, drama, and intensity (minus one team). With only one weekend of play left till we find the potential Super Bowl match up, it has been a great journey. This is past summer no one would have guessed we would have made it to the part of the season. No one would have guessed half the stuff this season entailed, and we are finally here: the conference championship games. My hat goes off the the Saints, who played a great game. Lack of focus and mental slips let them down but this team will be at this stage again next season without a doubt. Brees is a passing machine (hence all the records) and this team still has a lot to prove. The Texans had their best season ever, and they are only getting started. What could have been if Shaub, Andre, Mario Williams, and Foster were healthy for the entire season? Maybe the number one seed in the AFC. With the probability that their defense will only improve and the high chance that their offense can increase their level of play, the Texans will continue to be a playoff team. They tasted the sweetness of a playoff victory and the sting of a playoff loss and there is now way they are going to let that slide. They will be back. Same for the Packers who, similar to the Saints, had mental errors that cost them the game. Everyone including Romo knows that if the Cowboys had won the division, there was no chance that they would pull off the same victory the Giants did, so you are welcome Romo on behalf of the Giants. I do not think we could handle another run to the goal only to end up fumbling. Speaking of playoff collapse, the Broncos just did not show up. I don’t know if it was the media that got the best of them of Brady being Brady and remembering that he has not won a playoff game in ages. What ever the reason, I do not see the Broncos coming back to the playoffs. The off-season will allow teams to adjust their defenses against a Tebowing. Tim Tebow had his glory season and he needs to soak it up, get into some trouble, maybe say a curse word. Because it won’t happen again. It has been a great playoff run for all these teams, including the Broncos, and a congrats to all those players. And good luck to all the teams still in the battle!

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The Start of Something New

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Howdy fantasy footballers!

Many of you are back in the normal grind of school and work. Many of you are having trouble sitting at work without being able to set lineups and read articles on who to start and sit. Its a tough time for many. Some of you have started fantasy basketball but with so many games, it requires a whole different set of skills than football. Nonetheless, we have playoffs. By now all of you have seen the highlights from the Broncos game, the Falcons epic collapse, and the Saints rolling the Lions. If not, I am surprised you are even reading this blog. This weekend will be jam packed with great games. The Giants will face the Packers who have only lost once this season. Many are saying the Packers could repeat a Super Bowl win but with the Giants coming to town, you can only hope. Even if they pull off a win at home, you still face the Saints/49ers winner which will not be easy either. Fatigue and time to recover will become the greatest enemies the Packers will face this postseason. You have the Saints facing the 49ers, and both these teams have a good chance of making it to the Super Bowl. On the AFC side, Tebow comes to New England. Many people are saying the Broncos can knock off the Pats, but I think this game will bring out the best from Brady and his TEs. Tim Tewbow won’t be facing as strong of a defense as he did against the Steelers, but at this point in the season it becomes a mental game and he does not have the experience to pull off a win in such a dire situation. Similar to Jefferson on LSU, he will overexcite himself. The Texans will face the Ravens who are favorites in many polls to go to the Super Bowl. I think the Texans can pull off a miracle win here with their running game and defense to secure a spot in the AFC Championship game. If you are a Cowboys or Jets fan, I am sure you stopped watching football altogether until next season. As this season winds down, and college football is over (congrats again Bama on making history in the Championship game and proving to the media that you deserved to be in the game) people are talking about the upcoming draft, trades, and who the Colts should take if they still want Manning too. I say this, draft Luck and have him learn from Manning. It would be a shame if the Colts trade away Manning becuase they think Luck can have the same impact Ryan and Flacco did. Keep both.

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The Things I Learned From My Friend’s Fantasy

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Our normal blog writer is still on vacation since his gift cards are about to expire. This is from the desk of an anonymous writer.

Along with the rest of the Indianapolis Colts’ fans, my friend Gregg was in denial. Without a doubt in Gregg’s mind, Peyton Manning would play this year. At the most, he would only miss the first one or two games. Tops. And in Gregg’s denial, he thought that drafting Peyton as his starting fantasy QB was a great idea. He was a stud in our league last year — all years, actually — so Gregg didn’t want to pass him up this year. I understand his ambitious thought process, but boy was he wrong.

Don’t Be a Homer

By now, if you drafted Peyton Manning in the hopes he would actually suit up and play this year, you are kicking yourself. Poor old Gregg, being the homer that he was, then proceeded to draft Curtis Painter as his backup QB.  Needless to say, Gregg was a newbie to fantasy football, and it showed.Not only did Gregg draft Manning and Painter, he then snagged Reggie Wayne as his WR! Really? But Gregg was in denial, okay? He should have known that “Painter … to Wayne … touchdown!” wasn’t going to be said much. In the world of fantasy football, leaving your feelings behind for your favorite team is a critical approach to draft day. But do you think I was going to tell Gregg that? Nah. He’d have to learn the hard way.

Cut your Dead Weight Early and Often

Just like that one credit card company tell us: it pays to recover (or something like that). Gregg’s performance was lacking from week to week, and it’s because he couldn’t let go of his home team feelings (see “Don’t’ Be a Homer”).Similar to Gregg’s last girlfriend, he held on for way too long. He carried those busts on his bench for most of the season with the hope that the “probable” or “questionable” tag would disappear. All Gregg needed to do was think, recover, and move on. And just to clarify, I am talking about football. Simply because they’re a “big name” or have had success in the past does not justify weekly starts if they’re not putting up solid numbers. Gregg showed us all just how important it is to play the good, bench the bad, and drop the ugly because there are always a few well-rested sleepers that need to be awoken.

Just Have Fun

Even though Gregg is in absolute last place in our league right now, you’d think he was in first place when I see him every Sunday. Or it could be that he always has five or six too many brews … that would certainly explain a lot. Either way, he’s always as jolly as Kris Kringle from week to week and is always having a great time just being part of the league. Joining a fantasy league gives you an excuse to get together with your friends every week, share some laughs, and maybe even win some money. Whether you are a serious contender or Gregg, it’s always an awesome time. And Gregg, if you’re reading this and want to do better next year, here’s a little tip: get some help. scoutPro’s accuracy continues to improve over the season. They were #3 (out of 76) in predicting the starters in Week 12 on the FantasyPros site (they refer the most people to our site). I’m just saying…You don’t have to be an athlete or avid follower of sports to appreciate or enjoy fantasy football. But from watching and notating how Gregg consistently performed so poorly, I learned that if you want to be a contender, do the opposite of what he did.

 

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Working Through the Playoff Buzz

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Since it is the holiday season, we decided to give our blog writer a break (legal and moral issues – we couldn’t keep paying him in gift cards and beer) so this is from the desk of our anonymous writer.

This is the time of year when our blood pressure rises and hangovers, like family members, stick around for a few days longer than we’d like. It’s the time of year when we are filled with so much anticipation and anxiety that we can’t sleep and our minds are constantly running. That’s right, folks … it’s time for the NFL playoffs! Whenever I hear Johnny Mathis letting me know it’s the most wonderful time of the year, I get pretty excited.   Even though he’s referring to the holidays, I can’t help but to think of the amazing matchups that are to come. So crack a beer and let’s talk playoff traditions and predictions!

Don’t Mess with Tradition

Just like Christmas traditions, my personal playoff schedule doesn’t change. For the past ten years, five of my best friends and I do the exact same thing. And since it’s a tradition, we’re not going to mess with it. Canceling a tradition is like leaving your hat on during the National Anthem; you just don’t do it.After the playoff schedule has been finalized, we all get together every year at the same bar and each of us makes our Super Bowl Champion prediction. The format is simple: we each pay $10 and guess the winner of the Super Bowl. If someone guesses the winner, they get the money. In the event of a tie, the money’s split evenly. If there’s no winner, we all meet again in February at the same bar and have an all-expenses paid night out on the town.

But this year, we’re upping the ante. Each person pays $25 and picks the AFC, NFC, and Super Bowl Champion. So what better way to start thinking about my guesses than making some predictions?

A Familiar Face in the AFC

Although the playoff schedule is not yet finalized, we do know a few things. In the AFC, New England and Houston have each won their division. The AFC is always stacked with some hard-hitting teams, and this year is no exception.

Unpredictable play and injuries this year have hurt the Ravens and Steelers. It’s because of these things that I don’t think they have enough steam to carry them through to the Super Bowl. If each is healthy and playing good football, they have a shot, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case.

The Patriots are on a seven-game win streak. Once Brady is in the playoffs, he’s pretty tough to beat. Even with a weak defense, I’m taking a chance and picking New England to win the AFC.

The Best Record Takes the NFC

In the NFC, the Packers, Saints, and 49ers have claimed top honors in their respective division. The defending Super Bowl Champions looked unstoppable throughout most of the year, but a hiccup in Week 15 ended their hopes of an undefeated season.Drew Brees and the Saints have flown under the radar this year but should definitely not be overlooked. Also underrated are the 49ers who are the best in the league in stopping the run.When it comes down to picking a winner, I don’t think any team in the NFC can stack up to the Packers. Brees and Rodgers are two of the best quarterbacks in the league, but I don’t think the rest of the Saints have enough to back Brees up. I’m picking the Packers to win the NFC.Well, there it is. Now you have a brief look into my playoff football traditions and predictions. We all know that anything can happen in the playoffs, so I hope my predictions ring true. The monetary stakes aren’t that high for me, but the bragging rights are worth so much more. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

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