FCNPFFL: Week 8 Results

I hope everyone survived Sandy.  The pictures on my Twitter machine looked awful up in New Jersey and New York.  I know some of you were without power last night and maybe even (Cox) cable for a bit.  Luckily the Monday night football game was boring as sin.  I actually didn't watch a single second of it.  With 8 weeks done, we have now officially entered the home stretch.  Five games remaining and playoff spots will be getting snatched up quickly.  There is no time for a losing streak and with two weeks of Bye weeks left, your hopes may still rely on your backups...I know mine will.

There is another (boring) Thursday night game this week between SAN DIEGO and KANSAS CITY

There are four teams on BYE this week: ST LOUIS, NEW ENGLAND, NEW YORK JETS and SAN FRANCISCO

Onto the games:

Nate and I met up again with what CBS expected to be a high scoring shootout.  When we met last time we each had sub par weeks and that happened once again.  It didn't start out that way as AP had one good run that netted him 19 points on Thursday night and 22 points overall and it must have left my team shell shocked.  My Redskins duo of RGIII and Alfred Morris were kept in check combining for only 17 points and even 12 each from DMC and Matt Bryant weren't enough to keep pace.  Drew Brees sealed the deal for Nate to keep him undefeated on the season by posting 17 points while the Packers D had 10 points.


Final Score: The Bounchers 68 Escaped Lunatics 53



Our other first place team, Joel, had began to struggle with injuries and Nick G was hoping he could take advantage and get to within a game of first with a win.  All year long the strength of Joel's team has been its wide receivers and Aaron Rodgers.  This week Roddy White and Victor Cruz struggled to 3 total points.  Aaron Rodgers had a pedestrian 15 points and now Joel was in need of help.  That's when Trent Richardson deemed himself healthy enough and posted a team high 18 points and both Steelers running backs ahead of Jonathan Dwyer weren't healthy again giving Dwyer another start in which he posted 10 fantasy points.  Nick G got 13 from SeaBass and 27 from Peyton Manning on Sunday night to take a lead going into Monday as he refused to give up.  With a slim 2 point lead Nick G needed Frank Gore to go off to keep pace with David Akers and the 49ers defense.  He didn't.  Even with a large lead all game long, Gore could only muster 5 points while Joel got 18 points and a victory.


Final Score: Nikachu 75 Lollipop Kids 64



With Joel winning, Luke needed a win to stay two back of his brother while Mike was in desperate win just to keep his playoff hopes alive.  Doug Martin took most of the drama of this game out on Thursday night as he cruised to 36 points. Then Luke's two Eagles posted 17 points each and Julio Jones tacked on 20 points for good measure.  Not even 31 from Tom Brady, 17 from the Dolphins defense and 10 from Matt Prater could keep this close.  Luke not only earned a victory, but scored the most points in the league this week giving him a $10 prize.


Final Score: Deathtongue 107 Bookoo Barbarians 67



Jody was looking to keep his roller coaster ride of a season on the upswing with a win over John who hasn't been able to find any consistency this year.  This was more of the same.  Only Eric Decker was able to get into double digits for John as he scored 14 points.  Jody had no such problems.  He got 29 from a suddenly en fuego Josh Freeman and 21 from Gronk who is thoroughly enjoying the absence of Aaron Hernandez.  Vick Ballard scored 12 points including a corkscrewing, highlight reel, walk-off touchdown and CJ2K posted 10 points as he continues to mirror his owners season of peaks and valleys.




Final Score: DoggNutz 94 The Situation 51


In the other division, Ike and Matt met up in a very important game for both teams.  A win by Ike and he would stay within striking distance of Nate while a win by Matt would get him to within a half game of second place.  Matt couldn't have asked for a better week to take down Ike as he was without two of his big guns (Arian Foster-Bye and Jordy Nelson-injury).  Then along came the Vikings defense who posted a possible record -3 points which could not have been the way Matt was expecting to start.  He needed help and he got help.  Matt Ryan returned from his week off and shredded the Eagles to the tune of 30 points.  Stevan Ridley went to London and all he got was a lousy 18 points while Connor Barth posted 12 points.  Ike got 27 from Tony Romo and 16 from the Giants defense (against Romo), but his other six players could only muster 16 total points.


Final Score: Rainbows and Puppies 75 Myra's College Fund 59



 Staying in the Back Wall division Adam and Alex were in the same boat as Matt and Ike each looking to stick around in the race for second place.  Adam would tie Alex and 4-4 with a win, but fall two games back with a loss.  Big Ben got things started for Alex with 23 points while Adam could only get 16 from his quarterback, Cam Newton.  The battle at wide receiver was a dead head as each team got 15 total points, but it was the running backs that decided this match up.  Adam scored only 12 points between his two backs while both of Alex's backs far exceeded that total.  Marshawn Lynch regained his 'beast mode' status with 22 points and Willis McGahee busted loose for 18 points.



Final Score: Worthless Peons 87 Biggums' 'Basers 55



I've saved the game between Ben and Nick B last for a reason.  I can almost hear the anger that Ben must have exuded this weekend through the computer.  Where do I start?  Nick B left not one, not two, but three players in his starting lineup who were on a Bye.  3!!!!  At worst Ben had a 3 person advantage.  Nick B also left the 'hot hand' of Andrew Luck in his starting lineup over Eli Manning who is a notorious Cowboys killer.  That worked well as Luck scored 19 points to only 8 for Manning.  Ben always has a quarterback decision to make and this week did not got so well as Matthew Stafford sat on his bench with 35 points while Phillip 'soon to be cut' Rivers struggled against the Browns to 7 points.  Matt Forte helped Ben out though with 14 points, but while Nick B went without a defense, Ben played the Rams defense who set a FCNPFFL record with -4 points.  Kudos on that strategy Nick B!  Sunday night Ben struck with 15 points from Demaryius Thomas and he now held a commanding 12 points lead with each team having a player to go on Monday.  Ben had LaRod Stephens-Howling left while Nick B's fate rested in the hands of Michael Crabtree who has been very disappointing this year with just one double digit game in the first 7 weeks.  Well yesterday he broke out in a big way.  Crabtree hauled in two touchdowns for 16 fantasy points and Stephens-Howling was absolutely stuffed by the 49ers defense being held to just 2 points giving Nick B the most improbable of improbable victories that I have ever seen.


Final Score: The Knacks 53  The Magic Wands 51



Standings after Week 8:

Back Wall Division:

Nate 7-0-1 (#1 Seed)
Ike 5-3 (#3-5 Seed)
Alex 5-3 (#3-5 Seed)
Matt 4-3-1 (#6 Seed)
Jason 3-5
Adam 3-5
John 2-6

Critter Corner Division:

Joel 6-2 (#2 Seed)
Jody 5-3 (#3-5 Seed)
Luke 4-4
Nick G 3-5
Ben 3-5
Nick B 3-5
Mike 2-6

Schedule for Week 9:

Nate 7-0-1 vs. Nick G 3-5
Joel 6-2 vs. Jody 5-3 (Game of the Week)
Ike 5-3 vs. Alex 5-3
Matt 4-3-1 vs. Jason 3-5
Luke 4-4 vs. Nick B 3-5
Adam 3-5 vs. John 2-6
Ben 3-5 vs. Mike 2-6

FCNPFFL: Week 7 Results

Each week I harp on injuries and Bye Weeks affecting fantasy rosters.  Every week this continues to be the main factor of the success or failure of each team in this league.

I thought that there would be a normal downward progression of total points scored in the league as attrition occurred and more and more backups were forced into action.  I suppose a sign of a strong league (especially a 14 team league where depth is already at a premium) is that scoring would remain somewhat constant the deeper each team was thrust into its roster.

Here is what I found.  The total points scored for the league week by week:

Week 1: 1048
Week 2: 1053
Week 3: 1027
Week 4: 1082 (2 teams on Bye)
Week 5: 1005 (4 teams on Bye)
Week 6: 1042 (4 teams on Bye)
Week 7: 921 (6 teams on Bye)

I'd say we were doing a damn good job at getting the healthiest, strongest lineups out there each week.  Week 7 was by far our lowest scoring output with six teams sitting out and some injuries occurring early in the game (Fred Davs and MJD).  Sometimes its difficult to prepare for last minute scratches (Jimmy Graham, Rashard Mendenhall and Greg Jennings) which is why I will be proposing next season to have full, open waivers after the normal waiver process has gone through.  This will not give any owner an extra advantage as the waiver process will still allow any team to check in just once a week to claim the best possible player. I think its an unfair advantage (even if I benefited from it this week) to have a team lose a player Friday afternoon and not have enough time to make a trade or pick up a replacement.  I'd even be willing to add a caveat to the rule change to say that if you pick up a QB, RB or WR after the computer waivers, your waiver spot is still affected while if you pick up a K, Def or TE afterwards your waiver spot will not be affected.

I just want each team to have all the chances in the world to pick up a Johnathan Dwyer type player (120 yards rushing in Week 7) rather than being forced to start Mendenhall.  Playing 8 on 8 each week will make the league much more competitive and eliminate many more zero point weeks.

Week 8 features a THURSDAY night game between: MINNESOTA and TAMPA BAY

Week 8 features four teams on BYE: BUFFALO, HOUSTON, BALTIMORE, CINCINNATI

Onto the games:

John and I had our backs against the wall staring at a 2-5 record if we lost this week.  3-4 keeps you in the playoff hunt and that was the goal for each of us.  It was the wrong week for John to have important parts of his team on a BYE week.  Without them and losing Jimmy Graham, John was in need of some stellar play from his reserves.  That didn't happen.  Jay Cutler led everyone on his squad with 14 and Shaun Suisham tried his best with 13, but it wasn't enough.  RGIII again carried the load for me scoring 25 points and the Patriots defense tacked on 16 to overcome struggles of my key players.


Final Score:  Escaped Lunatics 73 The Situation 56



Our only undefeated team, coached by Nate, faced another difficult test as he faced Ben.  Without Michael Turner or DeSean Jackson, Nate turned to LeGarrette Blount and Greg Little.  Adding to that, Nate lost Fred Davis for the season and Dez Bryant was slightly concussed and both scored zero points.  Blount made it a zero trifecta and now Nate was in deep trouble.  Then along came Drew Brees and AP to the rescue.  They combined for 54 points and Greg Little added 9 in relief and Nate now had a chance at a victory.  Ben got 18 from his own replacement, Randall Cobb, but was still down 32 points going into MNF with Matt Stafford and Matt Forte left to play.  It was an ugly game to watch on Monday as both teams had numerous opportunities to score and continued to fail miserably.  All Ben needed was one play from his big guns to get him over the top and while Stafford threw a late touchdown pass, it was just not enough to get the lead.  Nate keeps the zero in the loss column for another week.


Final Score:  The Bounchers 72 The Magic Wands 67



When things aren't going your way, sometimes its out of the box thinking that inspires your team.  At 1-5, Nick B showed his team who was boss by benching Eli Manning...the #1 overall draft pick in fantasy world for the #1 overall draft pick in the real NFL, Andrew Luck.  Guess what? It work.  The Texans D scored 19, Fred Jackson had 16, Mason Crosby booted in 12 and Darren Sproles added 10.  As for Luck...well he was outscored by Manning 22-20, but it didn't matter.  The team rallied and fended off Nick G.  With Peyton Manning, Nick G turned to Russell Wilson who flopped with just 6 points.  Frank Gore did manage 16 and SeaBass had 13 in a losing effort.


Final Score:  The Knacks 84  Lollipop Kids 50



When Jody drafted his team, it was weeks like this that he had in mind.  Chris Johnson looked like CJ2K again posting 37 points, Gronk awoke from a deep slumber with 17 points, Stevie Johnson scored 10 and Jody chose wisely in his weekly quarterback decision as Josh Freeman exploded with 33 points.  In all Jody scored the most points in the league this week, earning him $10 as he more than doubled a depleted Mike.  Without a single point from either running back thanks in large part to an injured MJD.  Not even a record day by Vincent Jackson who scored 20 points with 216 yards receiving could save him.  Tom Brady also added 20 points.

Final Score: DoggNutz 107 Bookoo Barbarians 50



Ike and Adam played a very important Back Wall game as Ike needed a win to keep pace with Nate and Adam needed a win to tie for second place.  Vernon Davis started the week with 0 points for Ike and he was hoping it wasn't a sign of things to come.  Arian Foster wouldn't let that happen.  He led the assault against Adam with 21 points, Tony Romo pitched in 16, Jordy stayed hot with 14 and both Greg the Leg and Brandon Marshall added 11 points.  Adam got 18 from Cam Newton, 13 from a resurgent Shone Green and 11 from Gostkowski, but it was his WR duo that let him down this week.  AJ Green and Brandon Lloyd caught only 2 balls this weekend and combined for just 6 points.

Final Score:  Myra's College Fund 82 Biggums' 'Basers 67



Speaking of important Ball Wall division games, Matt and Alex tangled in a low scoring, tight affair.  Neither team got double digits from their starting quarterback as Joe Flacco regressed big time to 9 points and Andy Dalton picked the wrong week to suck as he posted only 8 points in the place of Matt Ryan.  Each team had a 10 point scorer, but it was the Vikings defense who posted 15 points that was the key to victory for Matt. He escaped missing Greg Jennings and watching Ray Rice and Stevan Ridley combine for just 10 points to get a much needed victory.

Final Score:  Rainbows & Puppies 53  Worthless Peons 47



Our 'Game of the Week' was hampered by Bye week hell on Luke's team as he took on his brother, Joel.  Without Mike Vick, LeSean McCoy and Julio Jones, Deathtongue looked like a lost puppy.  His three replacements mustered a scant 12 points and James Jones' hot streak came to a screeching halt.  Only Doug Martin produced as he put up 16 points.  For Joel he again got little to no production from his running backs as Trent Richardson proved more injured than he led on to be and Danny Woodhead only scored 2 points.  He did get great days from Aaron Rodgers who rallied for 29 points and Victor 'eff you' Cruz who burned the idiotic Redskins secondary for 20 points (17 on one play).  This was more than enough to hold off Luke.

Final Score: Nikachu 70  Deathtongue 43



Week 7 Standings:

Back Wall Division:

Nate 6-0-1 (#1 seed)
Ike 5-2 (#3 seed)
Alex 4-3 (#4/5 seed)
Matt 3-3-1 (#6 seed)
Jason 3-4
Adam 3-4
John 2-5

Critter Corner Division:

Joel 5-2 (#2 seed)
Jody 4-3 (#4/5 seed)
Nick G 3-4
Luke 3-4
Ben 3-4
Nick B 2-5
Mike 2-5

Week 8 Schedule:

Nate 6-0-1 vs. Jason 3-4 (Game of the Week)
Joel 5-2 vs. Nick G 3-4
Ike 5-2 vs. Matt 3-3-1
Alex 4-3 vs. Adam 3-4
Jody 4-3 vs. John 2-5
Luke 3-4 vs. Nick B 2-5
Ben 3-4 vs. Mike 2-5

FCNPFFL: Week 6 Results

Six weeks in the book.  There is not much time left to get your team in order.  With six teams on a BYE in Week 7 and the injuries mounting there will be slim pickings available on the waiver wire.  This is where drafting for depth comes in handy.  For those of you who took two quarterbacks early or reached for a kicker/defense before the 13th round, this is the type of week where you might be starting a backup.  Winning in weeks 7-9 is the key to fantasy football as you can take advantage of holes in your opponents teams.  By Week 10 you will know whether you have a shot at making the playoffs and this key stretch will go a long way in determining your placement.

As a reminder there is a THURSDAY night game between SAN FRANCISCO and SEATTLE

As another reminder Week 7 BYES:  ATLANTA, DENVER, KANSAS CITY, MIAMI, PHILADELPHIA, SAN DIEGO

Just for fun I wrote this in my NFL season preview: 'Out west Norv Turner doesn't last as Chargers head coach through their Bye Week in Week 7.'

If blowing a 24 point lead at home, on MNF, to a division rival isn't grounds for termination, I don't know what is.

Onto the games:

After 15+ years of playing fantasy football, I have figured out the key to success.  Score the most points in your league each week.  It seems simple enough and this week I employed this strategy against Ike.  Thanks to 43 points from 'Black Jesus' (RGIII) including a scintillating 76 yard touchdown run my team was able to hang on against a Sunday night Blitzkrieg.  After holding a 39 point lead, Ike got 5 total touchdowns from Jordy Nelson and Arian Foster to get within 2 points heading into the 4th quarter Sunday night.  With the game a blowout, neither player touched the ball down the stretch ensuring me a victory.  When Antonio Gates awoke from his season long slumber to score 17 points, it got me to top scoring team in the league for the 2nd time this year earning me $10.  I am now 2-0 when doing that and 0-4 when not.

Final Score:  Escaped Lunatics 105 Myra's College Fund 84

Our 'Game of the Week' lived up to all the expectations and more.  In a battle for top record in the league, Nate and Alex tangled and this game wasn't decided until the last couple minutes of MNF.  Alex got rolling with 26 points from Big Ben on Thursday night.  Nate responded with his backup quarterback Brandon 'You have got to be kidding me' Weeden stepping in for Drew Brees with 22 points.  Then Dez Bryant joined Antonio Gates in appearing out of nowhere to haul in 18 points giving Nate a good sized lead.  Larry Fitzgerald started the comeback for Alex scoring 12 points which left him down 8 points with only Willis McGahee left to play.  He had a horrible start to the game as did his team, but in the second half he turned it up.  He finished with 56 yards rushing and 42 yards receiving, but that was good for only 7 points with our scoring.  He was rushing yards and 3 receiving yards short of turning a loss into a victory for Alex.  Maybe he'll get another Big Ben scoring correction to get him over the top.

Finals Score:  The Bounchers 72  Worthless Peons 71

Just as Joel's team was beginning to look like a runaway freight train, it all came crashing down during the afternoon on Sunday.  Going up against Nick G this week, Joel saw Trent Richardson go down with an injury, his two 49ers combine for 3 points and only Victor Cruz cracked double digits with just 10 points.  Nick G couldn't take advantage as he too only had one player, Denarius Moore, score double digits with 12 points.  It was going to come down to the quarterback play to decide this game.  Joel had Aaron Rodgers and did he ever come through when needed most.  Six touchdowns led to 41 fantasy points and a small deficit was now a 34 point lead.  It was going to take a herculean effort from Peyton Manning to make this a close game.  At 24-0 at halftime it seemed to be all but over.  Manning then roared back with 3 second half scores and Nick G trimmed the lead to 8 hoping for one more drive.  San Diego threw a pick six rather than scoring and that was all she wrote.

Final Score:  Nickachu 72  Lollipop Kids 71

Jody and Ben locked horns with both teams riding a two game losing streak.  For Jody he has a decision on which quarterback to play each week and this week he chose wrong.  He started Alex Smith against the Giants and he managed only 7 points while the hot and cold Josh Freeman torched Kansas City for 31 points.  Ben also has the same dilemma as he chooses between Philip Rivers and Matt Stafford each week.  This week he chose wisely taking Stafford who put up 24 points to only 12 for Rivers.  These choices along with 15 points each from CJ Spiller and Wes Welker put put on top early as he ran away with the game.

Final Score: The Magic Wands 85  DoggNutz 56

Speaking of sliding teams, Nick B was looking to shake his pesky three game losing streak against John who was aiming at a winning streak after starting 0-4.  Ahmad Bradshaw continued his stellar run with another 17 point effort for John.  Eric Dekcer and Matt Bryant added 12 points each to put John in a good position to win against a slumping opponent.  Neither of Nick's running backs scored a point.  At least Darren Sproles had a good reason as he didn't play (with a healthy Fred Jackson left on the bench to boot), but Toby Gerhart couldn't get any run against the Redskins.  Only Jermaine Gresham showed up for The Knacks as he scored 16 points.

Final Score:  The Situation 66  The Knacks 44

Matt and Luke went to battle this week in a game that wasn't very close.  Matt got a great effort from Ray Rice with 20, but not much else.  Matt Ryan struggled to score 14 points and his Vikings defense went backwards with -2 points.  Luke saw Michael Vick put up 30 points, James Jones stay red hot with 14, Phil Dawson kick in 11 and Doug Martin score 10 to win easily.

Final Score:  Deathtongue 82 Rainbows & Puppies 55

Our last game of the week saw Adam roll over Mike behind a  three headed monster of 20+ point scorers.  AJ Green scored 27, Sam Bradford put up 25 and Jeremy Maclin added 20 points in this rout.  Mike did get a great effort from Tom Brady with 25 and good showings from his receiving core of Mike Wallace and Vincent Jackson who combined for 34, but it wasn't enough.  Adam fell a point short of splitting the top scoring money.

Final Score:  Biggums' 'Basers 104 Bookoo Barbarians 71

Week 6 Standings:

Back Wall Division

Nate 5-0-1

Ike 4-2

Alex 4-2

Adam 3-3

Matt 2-3-1

Jason 2-4

John 2-4

Critter Corner Division

Joel 4-2

Luke 3-3

Nick G 3-3

Ben 3-3

Jody 3-3

Mike 2-4

Nick B 1-5

Week 7 Schedule:

Nate 5-0-1 vs. Ben 3-3

Ike 4-2 vs. Adam 3-3

Alex 4-2 vs. Matt 2-3-1

Joel 4-2 vs. Luke 3-3 (Game of the Week)

Jody 3-3 vs. Mike 2-4

Nick G 3-3 vs. Nick B 1-5

Jason 2-4 vs. John 2-4

FCNPFFL: Week 5 Results

This was one of the ugliest weeks for competitive games this league has seen in its 16 year history.  Only one of the seven match ups was worth paying attention to.  The other six games had an average scoring margin of 36.5 points.  I hope this is not a start of a trend, because that would make the final eight weeks of the season rather boring.

As a reminder there is a Thursday game, this week between PITTSBURGH and TENNESSEE

Also there are BYE WEEKS: CHICAGO, NEW ORLEANS, CAROLINA & JACKSONVILLE

Waivers will be ran overnight Wednesday.

Let's get to the carnage that was Week 5:

After four weeks of high scoring affairs, it was only a matter of time until til me or my opponent came up empty one week and this week I chose to fall flat against Nate.  RGIII got injured and Alfred Morris was my only double digit scorer.  Nate almost beat me with just Drew Brees who posted 33 points.  Until his outing, Nate was in the same boat as me with only one double digit scorer as Michael Turner scored 12 points.

Final Score: The Bounchers 70  Escaped Lunatics 39



Our second blowout of the week at least had a bit more scoring to it.  Nick B and Joel collided and this week good Joel came to play.  Aaron Rodgers scored 28, Victor Cruz salsa'd his way to three touchdowns and 21 points and Trent Richardson continued his stellar play with 17 points.  Nick B also had two 20+ point scorers to try and keep pace as Eli Manning put up 23 points and Reggie Wayne hauled in 20 points.  Unfortunately for Nick B his next highest scoring player topped out at 5 points.



Final Score: Nikachu 92 The Knacks 62



Our biggest blowout of the week was between Luke and Jody.  With 31 points from Alex Smith, Jody looked to be in good shape to run away with things, but his RB/WR/TE five-some combined for a mere seven points.  Meanwhile Luke had seven of his eight players get into double digits, led by the Bears defense who scored 24 points.  James Jones scored 15, Tony Gonzalez had 14, Mike Vick posted 13, Julio Jones and LeSean McCoy put up 12 each and Phil Dawson kicked in 10 to boot.

Final Score: Deathtongue 101 DoggNutz 59



In another 40 point blowout, albeit a very high scoring affair, Matt and Nick G locked horns.  With 27 points from Peyton Manning, 26 points from Marques Colston, 17 from Santana Moss, 16 from Frank Gore, 12 from Blair Walsh and 11 from Reggie Bush, nobody was slowing down Nick G from taking home $10 for the top scoring team of the week.  Matt had a good trio of scorers with 22 from Matt Ryan, 19 from Stevan Ridley and 11 from Ray Rice, but it was far too little to keep pace.

Final Score:  Lollipop Kids 115  Rainbows & Puppies 75



Everything finally came together for John this week as he earned victory #1 on the season by destroying Adam.  Ahmad Bradshaw exploded with 25 points and Jay Cutler backed him up with 23 to get John rolling.  The Ryan Mathews was given a chance to produce and he responded with 17 points.  This was just how John drew it up all season long.  For Adam, it all came crashing down as Owen Daniels was his top scoring guy with just 11 points.  Cam Newton continued to disappoints with just 9 points as well.

Final Score: The Situation 85  Biggums' 'Basers 50



Our final boring game of the week also brought our lowest scoring team of the week.  Outside of the 21 points scored by Tom Brady, Mike got next to nothing from the other seven players.  This wasn't a problem for Ike who survived a 5 point effort from his starting quarterback to win easily.  He got 22 points from Arian Foster and 15 each from Jamaal Charles and Brandon Marshall to win.

Final Score:  Myra's College Fund: 75 Bookoo Barbarians 34



All that other crud, brings us to the one exciting game of the week between Alex and Ben.  If I had been watching the Saints/Chargers Sunday night game, I'm sure I would have been riveted by the down to the last minute affair, but alas I was too jaded by my own teams output to care.  Alex had taken a big lead behind 19 from Percy Harvin, 11 from Robbie Gould and his other six players all scoring between 6 and 9 points.  Ben got 12 from Wes Welker, 11 from Matt Forte and 10 from Demaryius Thomas to keep within reach with only Philip Rivers to play.  Down 24 points, Ben was hoping for a shootout in New Orleans and he got his wish.  Philip Rivers had 354 yards passing and two touchdowns and on the final drive of the game Rivers had tied the score up.  Then on the final play of the night for the Chargers, Rivers was sacked and fumbled the ball.  It was recovered by the the Saints costing Ben two points and the game.  He was six passing yards short of a victory before that play.

Final Score: Worthless Peons 76 The Magic Wands 74



Standings after Week 5:

Back Wall Division

Nate 4-0-1
Ike 4-1
Alex 4-1
Matt 2-2-1
Adam 2-3
Jason 1-4
John 1-4

Critter Corner Division

Joel 3-2
Nick G 3-2
Jody 3-2
Luke 2-3
Ben 2-3
Mike 2-3
Nick B 1-4

Week 6 Schedule:

Nate 4-0-1 vs. Alex 4-1 (Game of the Week)
Ike 4-1 vs. Jason 1-4
Joel 3-2 vs. Nick G 3-2
Jody 3-2 vs. Ben 2-3
Matt 2-2-1 vs. Luke 2-3
Mike 2-3 vs. Adam 2-3
John 1-4 vs. Nick B 1-4

Weekend Viewing Guide 10/5/12

It's October.  Next to March it is my favorite sports month of the year.  With the NHL being locked out and already canceling the start of the season it is a bit tempered this year, but thanks to the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals making the playoffs, I'll have plenty to watch.

The NFL is past the quarter pole, college football is loaded with big games this month and of course the playoffs in baseball are about to get underway.  What more could a kid ask for?

Here's what I'll be watching:

10. Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins

Defenses need not apply to this game.  The Falcons have been the offensive juggernaut that I expected them to be and the Redskins have been the surprise of the league on offense behind star rookie RGIII.  The two teams are ranked 3rd and 4th respectively in the NFL in scoring this season and nothing should change on Sunday.  Matt Ryan has done nothing to dispel my prediction of league MVP and with Roddy White and Julio Jones playing against a terrible secondary, it's not a question of how, but how many times will they score.  So it will be up to the arm and legs of RGIII to keep the Redskins competitive and as of yet he has not disappointed.  This will be a big test for Washington to avoid giving up the big play and to use fellow rookie Alfred Morris to shorten the game, but the Falcons have just too good a passing game to expect an upset.  Final Score: Atlanta 34 Washington 24

9. MLB Wild Card Games: Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves

One and done.  After six months and 162 games the fate of these four teams will come down to nine innings (barring extra innings of course).  Anything can happen in a single game and that has to scare each player the most.  One bad start, one dropped fly ball (yeah I'm looking at you Josh), one strikeout with the bases loaded, it won't take much to win or lose this game.  Even though Baltimore has been playing better baseball down the stretch than have the Rangers, the experience factor of the last two seasons has to give them the edge.  Add that to being at home and having a better starting pitcher (Yu Darvish versus Joe Saunders) and I expect Texas to out slug Baltimore.  In the senior circuit Atlanta has a chance to do what they couldn't do to St. Louis last year when they lost their final five games of the season and that is to eliminate them.  They will have their biggest lucky charm, and best pitcher to boot on the mound in Kris Medlen.  The Braves have won 23 consecutive games with him starting.  What could possibly go wrong?  Not to be outdone, the Cardinals turn to Kyle Lohse who has had himself a fantastic season.  He went 16-3 which is eye opening, but he has not pitched to the level of Kris Medlen.  Until I see him and the Braves lose with him on the mound, I'm picking Atlanta.

8. #4 LSU Tigers at #10 Florida Gators

I'm not really sure what to expect when these two teams meet on Saturday.  At times both teams have looked downright awful and nowhere near top 10 teams.  Last week LSU fell down early to Towson before rallying to win with some cushion.  Florida played much better in their last game two weeks ago against Kentucky, but underwhelmed against the likes of Bowling Green and Texas A&M.  This will be a defensive struggle as neither team has a stout offense.  They're both ranked in the top 10 nationally in points against and that trend should continue.  Hopefully it won't be a snoozefest like the National Championship game, but it definitely won't be WVU v. Baylor.  I give Florida the slight advantage for not only being at home, but have a full week to rest and prepare.  They take down LSU in a game that will not be for the faint of heart 16-13.
 
7. Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants

As with most postseason match ups, pitching is usually key and this series will prove to be no different.  I feel bad for quality hitters like Joey Votto and Buster Posey as they will be over shadowed by Matt Cain, Johnny Cueto, Madison Bumgarner, Arodlis Chapman and Sergio Romo.  Usually it is the unsung hero, the slap hitter with the limited skill set that comes through when pitchers take the forefront.  All the focus is on shutting down the main weapons that players like Drew Stubbs or Brandon Crawford that come out of nowhere to surprise.  I will also have my eye on the erratic Tim Lincecum to see what if anything he can provide to the Giants.  Fun fact: these two teams combined to have only 3 starts all season long not from their original starting five rotation.  Cincinnati continues to be underestimated, but they will knock out the Giants in four games.

6. New York Yankees at AL Wild Card Winner

I for one am really hoping the Orioles get another shot, 15 years later, at vanquishing some Jeffrey Meier nightmares.  Of course watching some 8-7 games between New York and Texas would be quite fun as well, but that doesn't hold a candle to the animosity that the two east cost cities hold towards each other.  Since I already picked Texas to beat Baltimore, I certainly can't let myself get caught up in what might be.  I've seen a lot of both the Yankees and Rangers down the stretch being an Athletics fan and I haven't been that impressed with the pitching.  The hitting on both sides can be unmatched at times and for casual viewers that will be the biggest draw.  The Yankees advance against either Texas or Baltimore in four games.



5. Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

Welcome back Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning.  The NFL missed this annual get together of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks that don't much like each other.  Both teams have already had their struggles, but both played exceptional last weekend combining to score 89 points.  This is what I am hoping for again this weekend.  A good old fashioned shootout that will come down to the final play of the game.  Unlike in years past where neither team seemed to use their running game with much effectiveness this year both are keeping good balance.  The Patriots had two running backs eclipse 100 yards rushing in the same game for the first time since 1980 last week.  Willis McGahee did the same for Denver.  In the four games this season he has alternated 100+ yards rushing with at least one touchdown with crap outputs.  He might want to switch that up if the Broncos have a chance.  Final Score: New England 31 Denver 23

 4. Washington Nationals at NL Wild Card Winner

Living just outside of DC I've watched the Nationals more than any team outside of Oakland and my two favorite teams have mirrored each other in a reverse type of way.  The Nationals started the season in a major hitting slump but their pitching was top notch.  They infused a young prospect and all of a sudden it clicked.  They played really well all season long until they lost their front end starter.  That's where the Nationals started to struggle.  They went just 10-10 down the stretch and couldn't put away the pesky Braves until game 160 when Atlanta matched Washington's loss that night.  That being said I won't count them out against Atlanta or even St. Louis, but I think their run ends quicker than most believe it will.  Atlanta matches up well against them and I think they take down the Nationals in five games.

3. Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers

Everything points to Detroit winning this series easily.  They have the better front line starters, they have the better lineup, they have postseason experience and for some godforsaken reason get to start at home.  The Athletics will need to get a great start from Brett Anderson if he is indeed healthy enough to pitch.  They will need at least a few of their young power hitters to him home runs, because I can't see them stringing together hits against Verland, Scherzer and Fister.  All Detroit will need to do is ride Justin Verlander to victory in Game 1, steal one of the middle games and have Verlander shut the door in Game 5.  This is not the best possible match up for the plucky Athletics and I think they fall in five games again.  

2. #8 West Virginia Mountaineers at #11 Texas Longhorns

Last weekend was fun for undefeated West Virginia scoring at will in front of their home crowd.  This weekend they might just find out that the Big 12 isn't going to be a cake walk.  They head deep in the heart of Texas to face the Longhorns who undefeated as well.  The good news for West Virginia is that Texas loves to play offense just about as much as they do.  The Mountaineers are 3rd in the nation at 53 points scored per game while the Longhorns are averaging just a shade over 47 a game.  With Gus Johnson at the mic on Fox, this can only end in tears of joy.  I've already waxed poetic on the abilities of Geno Smith as he continues his march to the Heisman Trophy, but Texas uses a far more balanced approach to score their points.  They average 267 yards through the air and 228 on the ground and they will need to be able to run the ball to keep Geno off the field.  I see Texas using their home field advantage to stave off West Virginia this time around although it guarantees to be fun.  Final Score:  Texas 45 West Virginia 42

1. #5 Georgia Bulldogs at #6 South Carolina Gamecocks

Welcome to the forefront SEC.  College football fans have had to suffer through Big 10 and Pac 10 games long enough.  It's time for the big boys to strut.  They're not messing around with this battle of Goliath's who are looking to give perennial power houses LSU and Alabama a run for their money.  The winner of this game will have the inside track to represent the SEC East in the SEC Championship game which always leads to a BCS Championship appearance.  Georgia has found a dynamic freshman duo of running back in Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall who have combined for nearly 1000 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns in their first five games.  Unfortunately the Bulldogs lost their top receiver Michael Bennett to a torn ACL at practice on Tuesday which will further increase the workload of the the two backs.  South Carolina is led by their defense which currently ranks 6th in the nation giving up just over 11 points per game.  They will need their defense to stay strong this weekend and the rest of the month as their next two opponents, LSU and Florida are also currently in the top 10.  Georgia goes on the road and ekes out a close game 23-20.

94 Reasons I Love the 2012 Oakland Athletics

After winning 74 games last year, the Oakland Athletics decided to rebuild again in the hopes of having a young nucleus ready for a potential move into a new stadium somewhere other than in the city of Oakland.  Traded away were All-Star pitchers Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey.  In return the Athletics acquired Tommy Milone, Derek Norris, A.J. Cole, Brad Peacock, Josh Reddick, Miles Head, Raul Alcantara, Ryan Cook, Collin Cowgill and Jarrod Parker.  Ten hopeful future quality players for three current good players.  To everyone outside of the Oakland executive offices (and maybe them too) this was seen as waving the white flag at the 2012 season.

I had seen this before.  The Athletics traded away Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson within two days of each other in the winter of 2004.  They missed the playoffs in 2005 with a much better starting roster than was the 2011 team, but went to the ALCS in 2006.  This was the idea although the plan was set for 2014, not 2012.  By 2014 the hopes was to have moved the team into a brand new park in San Jose with a brand new television deal that would afford the Athletics to hang onto some of the new, young talent.

The 2012 season started as everyone expected.  The team could pitch, but couldn't hit at all.  They were floating around the Mendoza line...AS A TEAM!!  You don't believe me?? Try a .209 team batting average in March/April and a .210 team batting average in May.  It was a miracle that they were only 22-29.  June was a bit better as the team stabilized into .500 baseball going 15-13 that month.  What momentum that had built that month seemed to melt away as they left June on a three game losing streak, 13 games behind the 1st place Texas Rangers and even 6 games out of the 2nd Wild Card.  It should have been worse.  In my mind the team was playing better, but without the ability to hit, it wasn't going to matter.  The calendar then turned to July 1st.

I happened to fly into Texas the night that Oakland had just lost that 3rd straight game against the Rangers and what hope they had at making a run in the West seemed to be gone.  Then something funny happened.  In my five days in Texas, Oakland didn't lose.  When I got home, the winning ways continued.  By the time July was done the Athletics had gone 19-5 and were the talk of the baseball world.  They were all of sudden just 3.5 games out of first place in the West and now in a playoff position as they held the 2nd Wild Card spot.  One month doesn't make up for a horrid start, but I now had hope.

August was more of the same as Oakland went 18-10.  I was in utter amazement.  While they stayed hot, Texas got a bit hotter and stretched the lead to 4 games out West.  Oakland did manage to climb to the 1st Wild Card spot and thoughts of making the playoffs became a distinct possibility.  I knew September was going to be difficult.  There was a 20 game stretch with 17 road games and the only 3 home games were against equally surprising Baltimore.  This was going to be a long month.

Oakland won the first two games of the month, but then dropped three straight to surging Los Angeles at home and the 20 game stretch from hell was now about to begin.  I didn't think this young Athletics team would survive.  I feared the worst.  I thought back to 1999 when injuries and youth aided in the collapse down the stretch.  This team is young, talented, but not ready for prime time just yet I said.  I was just preparing myself for the inevitable.  Of course they won 6 of the first 7 games on the road.  Of course they did.  They took two of three at home against Baltimore and I thought for a second that they might just make it.  They had 10 road games left against future playoff teams New York, Detroit, and Texas.  They needed to just survive.  They did...barely.  They went 4-6 including the heart breaker of heart breaker games, blowing a 4 run, 13th inning lead against the Yankees.  The spirit of this team could not be broken.

Along the way they had lost their only three veteran pitchers.  Bartolo Colon was suspended for PED use with 40 games left in the season.  Brandon McCarthy was hit in the head with a batted ball and cracked his skull and was lost for the season.  Brett Anderson who had worked tirelessly to get back from Tommy John surgery to pitch wonderfully strained his oblique and was lost for the regular season.  Oakland now relied on 5...count them...5 rookie starting pitchers to finish the season.  The record for starts from rookie pitchers on a playoff team was 69 from the '52 Dodgers.  This Athletics team finished with over 100.

Oakland lost their final road game against Texas and stood 4 games back with 6 to go.  It was Wild Card or bust it seemed.  Oakland did their part sweeping away Seattle in dramatic fashion and welcomed Texas for the final three games of the season needing a sweep to win the West.  Of course they swept them.  What couldn't this group of kids not do?  Whatever happens in the playoffs seems almost meaningless compared to the wild ride that Oakland took their fans on in 2012.  Instead of 1999, this team turned into the 2000 team that won the AL West on the final day of the season as well when they swept Texas at home.  That 2000 team ended up going to the playoffs for four straight years and had a movie made about them.  What will the 2012 version accomplish?  I cannot wait to find out.

Here are 94 reasons why I love the 2012 Oakland Athletics:

1.  The Athletics pick one day to be in first place by themselves.  It was the final day of the season.    
2.  The McCarthy's twitter accounts.  Brandon and his wife Mrs. McCarthy are hilarious (@BMcCarthy32  & @MrsMcCarthy32)
3.  The Bernie Lean music video
4. Josh Reddick's Arm
5. Coco Crips's speed
6. Yoenis Cespedes' massive swings
7. Josh Donaldson getting a second chance
8. Brandon Inge carrying the team for a month and trying to comeback with his arm ready to fall off, just because
9. Jarrod Parker's change up
10. A.J. Griffin's curve ball
11. Grant Balfour's rage
12. The dedicated fans in the bleachers (The Bleacher Creatures)
13. Daric Barton and Jemile Weeks for vowing to get better and not complaining after being demoted
14. Winning 14 games with walk off hits
15. Kurt Suzuki being a million times better to the city of Oakland off the field than on the field and being a pretty damn good leader on the field
16. Brandon Moss figuring it out in front of our eyes
17. Chris Carter shortening his swing
18. Derrick Norris' facial hair changes
19. Jonny Gomes' shaving his mohawk to end a slump and homering that night
20. Bartolo Colon throwing 38 consecutive strikes
21. The Australian Athletics
22. The Story of Sean Doolittle 
23. Kila Ka'aihue getting his walk off hit and taking his release the right way
24. The Gold alternate jerseys
25. Cream Pies
26. Josh Reddick's fascination with WWE
27. Stephen Drew stabilizing the SS position just in time
28. Taking the Red Sox behind the woodshed in August 20-2
29. The hustle of Adam Rosales around the base paths
30. Seth Smith pinch hitting for Jonny Gomes and vice versa
31. The platoon of Chris Carter and Brandon Moss combining for 37 home runs in 556 plate appearances
32. Management realizing that 5 home runs in 275 plate appearances from Barton and Ka'aihue wasn't good enough and trying something...anything else.
33. Eric Sogard wearing glasses and looking like he's 12
34. The release of Brian Fuentes
35. Bringing in another side armed pitcher in Pat Neshek following in the line of Dennis Eckersley, Brad Ziegler and Chad Bradford
36. Tommy Milone somehow getting away with it on the mound
37. Brett Anderson losing weight and looking like his old self
38. Josh Reddick climbing the wall in Toronto like Spider-Man, then buying a Spider-Man outfit in Baltimore at a Comic Convention and pieing his teammate while wearing it.
39. The Oakland clubhouse being everything that Boston and New York aren't
40. Ryan Cook's slider
41. Evan Scribner in game 162
42. Billy Beane for never giving up
43. Yoenis Cespedes for surprising everyone
44. George Kottaras for stepping right in as if he'd been there all along
45. The Twitter handle of Josh Donaldson (@BringerofRain20)
46. Brandon Hicks and Derrick Norris hitting their 1st career home run in walk off fashion
47. The bulls-eye tattoo on Coco Crisp's neck with piercing
48. The tattoos on the arms of Travis Blackley
49. Grant Balfour's warm up music choice and the fan reaction
50. The dance between Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes after a home run
51. The Bernie Lean dance that started it all between Coco Crisp and Brandon Inge after a home run
52. Bob Melvin mixing and matching at all times
53. The team for accepting their limitations and being okay with the platoon situations
54. A 9 game winning streak during the 10 year celebration of the 20 game winning streak
55. Sean Doolittle fooling batters by throwing fastball after fastball after fastball
56. The unabashed leadership of Jonny Gomes in his 1st year with the team
57. Brandon McCarthy coming back stronger after each DL stint
58. Daric Barton's splits when he stretches at 1st
59. The double play combination of Cliff Pennington and Jemile Weeks allowing me to forget that they were barely hitting their weight
60. The way Adam Rosales waddles as he runs off the field
61. The amazing agility of Bartolo Colon at his size
62. The way Jerry Blevins owns Josh Hamilton (0-7 5 K's 1 BB)
63. Every inning not pitched by Tyson Ross
64. The fact that no starting pitcher threw more than 120 pitches in a game (only playoff team to do so)
65. The mid season hype of Dan Straily coming out of nowhere
66. The fact that Josh Reddick shaved his face clean after batting practice to end an 0-30 slump and got two hits that night and two home runs the next night
67. The way Travis Blackley overuses #hashtags on Twitter and is proud of it
68. Setting an American League strikeout record as a team (the hitters...not the pitchers) and winning despite it
69. Turning a triple play
70. Committing the 3rd most errors in the American League and winning despite it
71. Having the 2nd worst team batting average in the American League and winning despite it
72. Hitting 81 more home runs this year than last year
73. Jordan Noberto being excellent when healthy
74. The classic second half surge that made the teams of the early 2000's famous
75. Every time Josh Reddick says how thankful he is to be out of Boston
76. Derrick Norris hitting .201 and seemingly being an upgrade to Kurt Suzuki at the plate
77. Brandon Moss practically placing the ball in the exact same spot in the right field corner with every swing of the bat
78. Scoring 11 straight runs in game 162 when down 5-1 with the Division at stake
79. Surviving a stretch of losing 10 of 11 games while being shut out 5 times and then winning 3 of 4 against Texas
80. Getting to have two champagne celebrations in the same series
81. The way Yoenis Cespedes covers ground in bunches
82. Brandon Inge considering not having surgery to stay a DH while hitting .226 and Oakland considering it for a second
83. Sweeping the Yankees in a four game set at home...all by one run
84. Jim Miller being effective while being as flashy as his name is
85. Stephen Drew stepping in for Coco Crisp in the lead off spot while he had pink eye and having his best week long stretch of the season
86. Grant Balfour losing his closer's role to allow Ryan Cook to emerge as an All-Star and then not blowing a save when he returned to the role after Cook struggled
87. Surviving a start to the season where Felix Hernandez had his first three starts of the year against Oakland.  Who made that schedule?
88. Realizing the Athletics were 92-53 in games where Tyson Ross and Graham Godfrey (who won't be on the playoff roster) didn't have a decision.
89. Hanging Brandon McCarthy's jersey in the dugout
90. Billy Beane not mortgaging the future for Hanley Ramirez
91. The announcing duos of  Glen Kuiper & Ray Fosse (television) and Ken Korach & Vince Cotroneo (radio).  Both are excellent and fair to both teams.
92. Being too young and too inexperienced to know any better
93. For Dallas Braden trying so hard to get back to pitch for the team he loves only to suffer a setback and for not letting it get to him publicly.  Still a great Twitter follow @DALLASbRADEN209
94. For making me feel young again with another spectacular summer of excitement and surprises

FCNPFFL: Week 4 Results

By now each team should know its strengths and weaknesses.  My teams glaring weakness, for example, is a defense more porous than the Washington Redskins on their worst day.  Other teams are thin at certain positions, have Tony Romo as their quarterback, have been decimated by injury or have forgotten to replace a wide receiver who was on a Bye Week with one that would have won them the game.

Fantasy football is an unfair, cruel game at times where you as a manager can do everything right and still lose while others seem to throw darts in the dark at setting their roster and come out the other end on top.  Yet we trudge on hoping our quarterback doesn't fumble the ball on the one yard line or our kicker doesn't shank three field goals before hitting the game winner.  We applaud when our defense has two defensive touchdowns and cringe when Dez Bryant drops another 60 yard touchdown.

As a reminder there is a THURSDAY NIGHT game with ST. LOUIS playing ARIZONA.

Also as a reminder the BYE WEEKS for Week 5 are: OAKLAND, DALLAS, DETROIT & TAMPA BAY...all four who have some serious issues to resolve this week with players who are just killing their fantasy owners.

Onto the games:

Alex and I played yet another high scoring affair which was close for a minute, but in the end was a runaway.  For the first time it looks as though Alex has a contending team as he is not only getting good scoring, but getting the breaks needed to win.  This week he got off to a flying start as Joe Flacco poured in 26 points and didn't let up as his running back tandem of Marshawn Lynch and Willis McGahee combined for 37.  I had gotten 12 from Torrey Smith to start and then my Redskins combo of RGIII and Alfred Morris got me real close with 43 total points, but I ran out of ammo just as Larry Fitzgerald put the game away for Alex with a 10 point effort.

Final Score:  Worthless Peons 95 Escaped Lunatics 77




I thought a game combining for 172 points was high, but Nate and Adam went all WVU/Baylor on the league scoring a whopping 188 points!  Drew Brees and Cam Newton set the tone with 70 total points from the quarterback slot.  Adam got 13 from A.J. Green and 10 from Owen Daniels while Nate got 12 from DeSean Jackson and 10 from A.P. to keep the score balanced.  The difference maker in this game was Michael Turner who unhooked the shackles off his ankles for a week to run and catch for 171 total yards and a bonus 60 yard touchdown worth 26 fantasy points.  Nate eclipsed 100 points which is usually good for the top scoring team of the league, but not this week.  He settles for just a victory.


Final Score:  The Bounchers 107 Biggums' 'Basers 81



Speaking of the top score of the week.  It happened to coincide in the game that had, by far, our lowest scoring team of the week.  Yes it was a woodshed game between Joel and Ben of almost historic proportions.  To get into our record books a team must win/lose by at least 93 points.  The margin of victory this week was only 82...but still, damn.  Joel is officially the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team of the league so far with two sub 60 point efforts and two 100+ outputs.  With 31 from Aaron Rodgers, 23 each from Roddy White and the 49ers D and 13 each from Trent Richardson and Salsa Boy it was no contest from the outset.  Ben got 17 from Philip Rivers, but his running backs scored all of 2 points.  Joel also rakes home another $10 for his efforts.

Final Score: Nikachu 121 The Magic Wands 39



Our first Bye Week causality came in the meeting between Nick B and Mike.  The Knacks must of felt confident in their chances this weekend, leaving Reggie Wayne in the starting lineup even though he wasn't playing.  Well after Tom Brady posted 35 big points for Mike, things weren't looking good.  Matt Prater kicked in 15 and VJax added 12 to stake Mike to a good sized lead, but the Knacks were quite dead in the water.  The Texans D smothered the Titans for 19 points, Dwayne Bowe had another junk time touchdown for 13 points, Darren Sproles added 10 and as Eli Manning took the field Nick B trailed by 23 and Mike only had the Eagles D left to counter.  The Eagles only scored 1 point and Manning put up 22 points leaving The Knacks 2 points short.  If only he had played Danny Amendola who scored 9 points on his bench.  Oh what could of been.

Final Score:  Bookoo Barbarians 73  The Knacks 71



John's miserable season continued as Matt beat him down this week.  Matt Ryan was the driving force scoring 33 points, but Stevan Ridley adding 22 points was a nice surprise.  John got 18 from Matt Schaub and 14 from Matt Bryant, but he needed more Matt's to beat Matt this week.  Maybe if Matt didn't have Matt Ryan, but rather Matt Schaub this battle of the Matt's would have been closer.  John did try and sneak Ryan Mathews into the Matt game, but it didn't work this week as he scored only 7 points.


Final Score: Rainbows & Puppies 94 The Situation 66



It was a boom or bust game between Ike and Luke of the 16 players involved, 8 scored in double digits and 8 scored 3 points or less.  With five of those double digit scorers, it was Ike that prevailed.  He got 18 from Jamaal Charles, 15 from Brandon Marshall, 14 each from Tony Romo (ridiculous) and Arian Foster and 12 from Jordy Nelson.  His balanced was enough to get past Luke who had the top scoring player from the game, Mick Vick who posted 20.  What really killed Luke was Nate Kaeding not playing with an injury and Santonio Holmes injuring himself, fumbling and scoring -1 points.


Final Score: Myra's College Fund 79 Deathtongue 58



This takes us to our only unblemished team, Jody who at 3-0 looked to take a full two game lead in the Critter Corner division, but Nick G stood in his way.  Neither team lit the scoreboard ablaze, but it was Peyton Manning and his 28 points that was key to victory for Nick G.  Jody's top scorer was Josh Freeman who posted 17 points and each team had only one other double digit scorer.  Jody was dealt a huge blow in his chance for a comeback when Matt Forte declared himself healthy enough to play relegating Michael Bush  to the backup role.  With a 15 point deficit there was a chance at a victory for Jody on Monday night, but Bush could only muster 2 points.


Final Score: Lollipop Kids 68  DoggNutz 55



Standings after Week 4:

Backwall Division

Nate 3-0-1
Ike 3-1
Alex 3-1
Matt 2-1-1
Adam 2-2
Jason 1-3
John 0-4

Critter Corner Division

Jody 3-1
Joel 2-2
Nick G 2-2
Ben 2-2
Mike 2-2
Luke 1-3
Nick B 1-3

Week 5 Schedule:

Nate 3-0-1 vs. Jason 1-3
Jody 3-1 vs. Luke 1-3
Ike 3-1 vs. Mike 2-2
Alex 3-1 vs. Ben 2-2
Matt 2-1-1 vs. Nick G 2-2
Joel 2-2 vs. Nick B 1-3
Adam 2-2 vs. John 0-4

Weekend Viewing Recap 9/30/12

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  That's the old saying, but I'm saying that in the sports world, that's a bunch of crap.  Nothing was predictable this weekend.  Absolutely nothing.  On a scale of 1-10 this weekend was eleventy billion on drama, excitement and awesomeness. 

Here are some things not covered by my Top 10:

RGIII and the Redskins finding a way to win with kicker Billy Cundiff saving his job on a last second field goal

The Atlanta Falcons pulling victory out of defeat with a last second drive to stay undefeated against the Carolina Panthers

The Green Bay Packers getting screwed by another set of officials, but surviving at home sending New Orleans to an 0-4 start.

The University of Texas outlasting Oklahoma St. on the road with a last minute touchdown run.

The University of Georgia combining with Tennessee to score 88 points in the first 3 quarters before running out of steam and only scoring 7 in the final 15 minutes with Georgia hanging on between the hedges.

The University of Nebraska winning a close game against Wisconsin despite being forced to wear Scrabble tiles for uniforms.

Homer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds throwing a no hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates matching the MLB record of 7 total no hitters pitched in a single season.

Outside of that, nothing much else happened...but I'll still cover the 10 things I was watching this weekend:

10.  #14 Ohio St. Buckeyes at #20 Michigan St. Spartans

7-3 at the half.  Yup, another riveting Big 10 game.  I don't give a damn that it ended up being a 1 point game the two teams were a combined 10-28 on third downs.  They couldn't sustain a drive to save their lives.  The 3rd quarter was the only watchable quarter where *gasp* 20 whole points were scored.  Defensive dominance??  No.  More like putrid, slow, outdated offenses.  The worst part about it is that Ohio St. won to stay undefeated meaning the Big 10 will still stay on the radar for another couple of weeks. 

9. Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals

Beware of the trap games.  I tried to warn everyone that this looked too good to be true for Arizona.  Everything was in their favor and it took Kevin Kolb pulling a rabbit out of the hat to survive.  Miami held a 13-0 lead into the 3rd quarter when Arizona finally woke up putting together 14 consecutive points to take a lead.  It lasted just over two minutes.  Brian Hartline caught an 80 yard touchdown pass en route to 253 yards receiving while collecting dust on my fantasy football bench.  Arizona answered back, scoring the game tying touchdown with only :22 left.  In overtime, Jay Feely blasted a game winning 46 yard field goal to keep the Cardinals undefeated heading into their prime time, nationally televised game on the Thursday night against the St. Louis Rams.  I had the game being 20-17 Arizona and it finished 24-21...not too shabby.

8. A.L. Central Race (Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins & Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox)

Ding dong the White Sox are dead...almost.  After a very promising start to the weekend with Detroit losing and Chicago winning Friday night, it was all down hill for the White Sox the rest of the way.  Chicago was shut down as the Tampa Bay Rays rolled out Matt Moore and David Price who combined to give up just 2 runs in 12.1 innings.  The Minnesota Twins didn't help Chicago either against Detroit as Justin Verlander dominated them on Saturday and Prince Fielder hit a go ahead 2 run home run in the 8th inning Sunday.  This leaves the A.L. Central exactly as I predicted at a 3 game spread with 3 to go.  Get the champagne ready Detroit.

7. Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals

In a potential playoff preview, the Washington Nationals continued to show some cracks in the mighty exterior against a quality opponent.  Their starting pitching struggled (Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler gave up 16 runs, 11 earned in just 4 total innings) and when Jordan Zimmermann actually gave them a good start, Drew Storen blew a 9th inning lead.  The Nationals survived in the Storen game, but they lost 2 of 3 and are now 7-9 in their last 16 games.  Because the Dodgers swept the Rockies while giving up just 1 run all weekend, the Cardinals didn't clinch a playoff spot and the Nationals are still stuck with a magic number of 1 because the Braves won 2 of 3 against the Mets.  Washington welcomes Philadelphia to D.C. with the champagne still on ice while St. Louis plays their main rival, the Cincinnati Reds to end the regular season with the playoff hopes on the line.

6. #25 Baylor Bears at #9 West Virginia Mountaineers

 There were no rational words to describe this game.  The scoring came easier than {insert racy, adult joke here}.  133 total points.  I pray to God you all bet the over.  Each team scored double digits in each quarter except the 3rd where Baylor only mustered 7 points.  Luckily West Virginia scored 21.  It was 35-35 at the half thanks to your average, run of the mill 67 yard (non Hail Mary) touchdown pass on the final play of the second quarter.  You name an offensive record and it was probably broken.  I had predicted the score to be 38-27, but I forgot that they play two halves and not just one in the Big 12.  Geno Smith, the quarterback for the Mountaineers, made his Heisman statement by going 45-51 for 656 yards (not a typo), 8 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.  He also added 31 yards on the ground, but who is counting?  He now has 20 passing touchdowns and only 28 INCOMPLETIONS on the season with no interceptions.  That's absurd.  Nick Florence did his best to keep pace for Baylor throwing for 581 yards, 5 touchdowns and rushing for a score as well, but the Bears ran out of time.  Somewhere between this and what the Big 10 produces is good, quality college football.  (Hint: its called the SEC).

5.  New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

 For more than half of this game, it looked as though Buffalo was ready to take control of the AFC East and put a boot to the throats of the Patriots.  Then reality set in.  New England reeled off 35 straight points after falling behind 21-7 in about 13 minutes of game time.  In all the Patriots scorched the Bills for 45 second half points and climbed back to 2-2 along with Buffalo by winning 52-28.  My score of 27-20 New England was spot on if the game had ended after the 1st minute of play in the 4th quarter.  Somehow I keep underestimating the quality of offenses and the lack of defense in both college and pro football.  Not only did New England get 340 yards passing and 3 touchdowns from Tom Brady, but they had two running backs (Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden) eclipse 100 yards while scoring three times total.  Buffalo had both of their running backs (Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller) quasi-healthy for the game, but they were held in check rushing for only 62 total yards on 21 carries.

4. New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

 What started out as a snooze fest, turned into another dramatic, down to the last play, controversial ending, classic NFC East grudge match.  The keys for Philadelphia (per me) was to involve LeSean McCoy more and he had 26 touches for 140 yards.  Michael Vick didn't turn the ball over and since both of my two keys came true it only meant that the Eagles were destined to win a close game.  Down by just a point late in the 4th quarter, the Eagles were forced to settle for a field goal after having a 1st and goal.  This left just under 2 minutes to play and Eli Manning with yet another chance to win a game late.  Thanks to a very, very questionable pass interference call, the Giants moved to within field goal range with only seconds to play.  That didn't stop them from taking one last shot to the end zone, but Manning under threw the receiver and he was forced to tackle Nnamdi Asomugha for offensive pass interference.  The Giants were now forced into attempting a 54 yard field goal which they missed.  But wait...Andy Reid called a timeout.  The Giants got a second chance and this time the kick split the uprights, but fell two yards short.  The Eagles won 19-17 which was kind of close to my 27-26 prediction.

3. A.L. West Race/Wild Card (Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics & Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers) 

Both of these series were incredible.  The Athletics took care of business easily on Friday night, but looked to be dead in the water on Saturday.  Heading into the 8th inning they trailed Seattle 4-1 and the half empty (shocker) O.co Coliseum crown was listless.  They scored a run in that inning, but the rally was squashed when the potential third run was gunned down at the plate.  But the 9th inning in Oakland is when the magic begins for these Athletics.  After a walk to Josh Reddick, Josh Donaldson hit a game tying 2 run homer and in the 10th inning, Brandon Moss hit the game winning 3 run homer to give Oakland its 14th walk off victory of the season.  Sunday saw the Athletics hit two more home runs in the 8th inning to break open a 2-2 tie to sweep the Mariners.  In Texas, the Angels survived a late rally to win game one of their series.  Saturday was rained out forcing the two teams to play a double header on Sunday.  The Rangers were an out away from evening the series at a game apiece when Torii Hunter smashed a two run double and the Angels won game two in dramatic fashion.  Game 3 was more of the same at the start as the Angels raced out to a 4-0 lead.  The Rangers were staring at a one game lead heading to Oakland, but rallied to score the next 8 runs.  Los Angeles hit a 3 run homer to close the gap to 8-7, but that was all she wrote.  Texas goes into Oakland needing just one win to clinch the West while Oakland needs a win or a loss by both Tampa Bay and Los Angeles to clinch a playoff berth.  With the Rangers win, they are in the playoffs as are the Orioles and Yankees.

2. A.L. East Race (Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles & New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays)

So I called for the Orioles to sweep the Red Sox. Yup.  So I called for the Yankees to take two of three from the Blue Jays (after losing game one of the 4 game set Thursday). Yup.  Nailed it.  Baltimore and New York are tied atop the A.L East (and Wild Card #1 for the matter) with only three games left.  Baltimore has by far the tougher road as they go to Tampa Bay for their games, although they will miss both David Price and Matt Moore.  The Yankees get to head home and welcome the horrid Red Sox to town.  Now nothing would make Boston fans somewhat happier than watching the Red Sox cost New York a division crown, but I don't know if the players on the field have enough talent to even make it close.  Their heart may be in it, but the current Red Sox suck to put it bluntly. They have lost 9 of 10 as they limp to the end of a disastrous season.  As much as it pains me to do so, I think the Yankees win the division outright by a game as Baltimore has to settle for a one game playoff against (probably Oakland) someone.


1.  The Ryder Cup     
 







I don't think even the most talented writer would be able to piece enough glorious prose together to give what actually happened justice.  To put it simply, the USA got beat by the better team in remarkable fashion.  After the first two days, the Americans held a very commanding 10-6 lead.  Only once (in 1999) had either side come back to win on Sunday when trailing by 4 points or more.  That lead was 10-6 for Europe and the Americans made a outrageous comeback on home soil.  This time, with the tables turned, but still on American soil, nobody gave Europe much of a chance to win away from home.  The strategy that was employed by captain Jose Maria Olazabal was to put his best players out first to try and quiet the raucous crowd.  It worked perfectly.  The Europeans won the first four matches out of the gate and the score was even at 10.  Since Europe had won the previous Cup they only needed 14 total points to retain it, while the Americans needed 14 1/2 to win it.  The next two groups split victories to keep the score knotted at 11.  The Americans took a 12-11 lead, but Europe erased that quickly winning two straight and took their first lead of the weekend 13-12.  All they needed was one more point.  It wasn't going to come easy as Jason Dufner won to tie the score at 13.  It came down to the final two matches and with Europe leading in one and trailing in the other things were looking good for them.  American Steve Stricker holed a par putt to force Martin Kaymer to sink a six foot putt to win and that's just what he did.  It was an epic collapse, but the tension was unmatched.  I had predicted a 16-12 American victory and that's how it should have happened, but sports doesn't work that way.  Win, lose or draw that's the way I like them.