So after my improbable dismissal from the ONLY league I was eligible for a championship, I thought I should pass along a little advice. This also could be considered a cry for help to the man who utterly owned me this week (he had Ray Rice, Andre Johnson, Buffalo defense and Jay Feely), I hate you. Hate is such a strong word, despise sounds better.
So the top 10 things I have learned about Fantasy Football...
10) I am the Dallas Cowboys of Fantasy Football
Yeah I know I am an 8 win team in the regular season but let's face it, I just can't win in any format besides CBS. I would fire my coach but I just don't have the heart. I like him too much. Besides, he is great in the regular season!
9) Don't believe the hype of last year
This is directed at Steve Slaton. He utterly killed me this year. I drafted him as my second back to Maurice Jones Drew. I love MJD and would pick him again in a second. However I will be against having Slaton on my team ever....EVER...AGAIN! He is now added to the banned player list which leads me to..
8) Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...
Without completely mocking "Dubbya", I can never be fooled again. Previous drafts for me lead me to my banned from my team list. On that list is, Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson and Drew Brees. Why Drew Brees? I don't want to ruin his career. He is only great for me when he is on my bench. Call it voodoo, call it whatever you will, Drew Brees will not be on my roster. I like him too much.
7) Time to invite my buddies significant others
Previously to this season I haven't had to live down the infamous, "Dude even your girl made it further then you!" In my defense my girlfriend actually does follow football and knows 99% of the players and all of which who are on her roster. However my aunt doesn't even know who Adrian Peterson is. "I just drafted who was at the top of the list, who is this Adrian Peterson guy?" Also she once picked Kyle Boller and said that Yahoo! suggested it. NO ONE BELIEVES YOU! She always makes the playoffs! ALWAYS! Ignorance is bliss I suppose.
6) In case of emergency...
I have known this after my first season when I watched another team fall apart. However my lesson didn't stick this year when I dropped Jonathan Stewart who I had drafted for this very rule. If you draft Ronnie Brown, Deangelo Williams, Brian Westbrook, Larry Johnson or Steven Jackson grab their backup later in the draft(like you will for Stewart, Ricky Williams or Lesean McCoy). If not that at least keep an eye on the waiver wire because other owners are vultures. They love to watch you squirm and panic.
5) Do you want to play the repeater?
Do you want to play the repeater? All Super Troopers quotes aside, no one ever has a repeat performance of the previous season. Who here wants to drive to Atlanta to punch Michael Turner in the face? Well, maybe not that since he is bigger then you. But don't you want to kick him in the shin? No, because he could sue. Don't you want to write him a nasty e-mail? There it is. Don't draft a guy who has a blow up season the year before and expect the same results. If Brady and Manning can't do it, who can? These are just some shenanigans, no one likes my shenanigans, oooooh silly shenanigans! Or you could go to that place with all the crap on the walls and the mozzarella sticks. (too many references for you, TOO BAD)
4) There are exactly 10 QBs worth their weight in gold
Maybe not even that but what I mean by this is that there are only a few quarterbacks that are going to average double digit points for you. Everyone knows a few (Brees, Manning, Favre, Rivers, Warner, etc). You need to grab the one that no one thinks of. This season that was Favre and Matt Schaub. While everyone was spending their first QB pick on Tom Brady, probably because he is so dreamy, the person who got Schaub later scooped up another position player. I'm not saying to grab Schaub with your first pick next year, especially since there is always a sleeper. My pick for next year is Joe Flacco. Call me Wacko for Flacco if you want. The guy is going to be an absolute beast next year, that is, as long as Derrick Mason doesn't retire again.
3) Late round running back WIN!
The past two years we have seen later round backs go absolutely crazy. As a Raven fan I am super happy that this year it was Ray Rice. Every year there is always one and I can't even pretend who next year's is going to be. The guy could get drafted this year. I only have been lucky enough one season when I drafted Adrian Peterson in his rookie season(in like the 10th round). It was the first and last time I was able to say that he was on my roster. You are sadly missed sir. However I did hit a homerun with a late round WR in Percy Harvin. So...there's that.
2) Hit the waiver wire early for sleepers
I can't say how many times I got on to my fantasy site on Tuesday afternoon to see a couple of people already active in picking up guys I wanted to scoop up for bye week fills or injury replacements. This year it killed me since I needed a TON of running back help with Slaton not doing much/getting hurt. Add to the fact that owners can start 3 in my leagues and anyone can see how I could have a problem. Also there are such things as making too many moves. Something I do a lot. My name is Brandan Spiegel and I am an over thinker when it comes to fantasy football. Where's the free coffee and baked goods?
Ladies and Gentleman, the number one thing I have learned about fantasy football is...
1) Play with people you are friends/enemies/or at least know
If there is one thing that The League (best comedy on FX...EVER) has taught us, it is that a tight knit group of buddies playing fantasy football is pretty awesome. It is like a family. A very, very dysfunctional family. One that you may call gay, retarded or threaten to kill on a weekly basis. One that you can threaten harm, deadly diseases or tragic ways to die on players who have scorned you that week. Now, losses in leagues of people that aren't known don't hurt less. It is a lot easier to get away from them when you lose to some schmo who has never met you. Saying all this there is only one other thing to say. A message to Alex Tirdil, Antoine Pollard, Brandon Waters, Michelle Landers, Bea Wells, Lauren Webster, John Moore, Marcel Cottman, and Nick Barnes...I hate you guys and I love you guys.
If you don't get it readers, you are missing out on quite a fantasy football group. Call them your best buddy, your girlfriend/boyfriend, spouse, significant other(or insignificant other once you guys play fantasy together, BAHZINGA), uncle, aunt, co-worker it doesn't matter. Once September starts, another part of you opens up. Even discussions about the league in June get you pumped up. "When is the draft?" "Who you pickin'?" "Dude you suck!" Oh yes, it begins when you set up the league. My readers, the fun never stops. It lasts a lifetime.
Showing posts with label 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009. Show all posts
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Ray Lewis' Greatest Play of His Career?
Here, as a friend I owe this to you all..
You're welcome. That last video should refresh your memory of Ray Lewis' "greatest play" of his career. Personally I am not a fan of hearing that term from a player or anyone related to football. I mean most recently John Madden was heard calling the "greatest Super Bowl" ever played, obviously two months later he is out. Favre does this every offseason. Two years ago it was his "greatest season," and he was one game away from the Super Bowl. Indecisiveness, patience, mixed signals, comeback demanding for trade, and got traded. Then last season it was the "greatest meltdown" ever of Favre's career. More of the same ensues. I digress, this isn't a story about an old man who can't decide what new fangled TV to get(sorry older folks), this is about Ray Lewis.
Not that I think this is going to be Lewis' last season, so I hope. Somehow if it happens I know my friends will blame me for it (sorry guys). But, Antoine, I can guarantee your argument will be irrelevant. Just makes me a little nervous, that's all.
Also I just don't enjoy this term being thrown around so lightly. Whether its best all around player, play, pass, run, linebacker, third baseman, shortstop, quarterback, running back, shooting guar(almost had me, uh Jordan!), those of you who know me know that 999,999 times out of 1,000,000 I can't just name one player. I will say that Ray Lewis is one of the greatest linebackers of this generation (honestly that is how you have to break it down). So if you don't like to hear/read someone wax poetic about Ray Lewis or the Ravens, turn away from the screen or just head to the comments section where you the mocking can commence.
Now for the rest of you let's just think about this for a second. I mean, that MVP moment was pretty awesome. Yeah you remember, when he owned the Giants in Baltimore's Super Bowl XXXV victory. Or when he owned Hall from the Titans last year? Him obliterating Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards and Eddie George (completely taking away his manhood, changed his career FOREVER!)? Well the answer should be yes since some of those hits were in the videos above. There are millions of Ray Lewis "hit lists" and one collaboration with Ed Reed as well.
Now the term future Hall of Famer has been thrown at Ray Lewis, it sticks. Is he one of the greatest middle linebackers in history? Definitely. Was he the base of this defense since he came here in the inaugural season? Oh yeah. Has he assisted several defensive staff members in getting head coaching nods (Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Jack Del Rio and Rex Ryan)? Just answered my own question there huh. Wasn't the BBQ at Full Moon Barbecue (his old restaurant) decent, especially the BBQ meat filled potatoes? I'm drooling right now thinking about it. Have I lost you completely on the constant questioning of Ray Lewis' awesomeness? I sure hope not. Ray Lewis is the player/coach/motivational speaker for the team. So when you hear greatest stop ever (it was awesome I'm not going to lie, in fact my reaction was to leap from the couch with an, "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh YEAH!") you really have to think about a lot of punishment that this man has delivered in his past 14 seasons.
I can't even call it the greatest Ravens hit ever. That sack Bart Scott put on Roethlisberger a couple years ago is just tops for me. This so far (yeah I know week 2 but bare with me) is the play of the season. A tough win on the other coast has a lot of folks paying attention to us when they wanted to say we couldn't repeat and get into the playoffs. This win has made people second guess that decision. Probably about as much as Norv Turner is second guessing that run up the middle today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
