Week 7: The Pull-Out Method

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Devin & I started a fantasy football league through ESPN back in 2001. Joey's league had ended after the 1999 season and I still hadn't gathered everyone to begin the UDFFL. It was a cool Sunday morning on November 4th, 2001. My team, the "Alabama Exit Wounds" was taking on Devin's that particular week, and I wanted to make sure I came away with the victory since we didn't know anyone else in the league.

While rummaging through the free agent pool, I saw the great white hype: Joe Jurevicius. Quite possibly the best mediocre white receiver since Drew Bennett.

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Rather than play it safe, I decided to take a chance. Jurevicius only had one touchdown through the first seven weeks of the season, but I was feeling lucky! I grabbed him off the wire just minutes before kick-off and threw him into my starting lineup.

Wouldn't you know it? He went on to get two touchdowns. The only touchdowns he would catch for the rest of the season. If memory serves, Devin was aghast at the fact that Jurevicius was the instrument of his destruction.

Ever since that day nearly 15 years ago, I've been enamored with finding that gem of a player who will shine on the one day I pick him up and place him into my lineup.

It was the points earned by that longshot sleeper which keeps me chasing the big score. This must be how gamblers feel when they want to roll the dice one more time, knowing that success is just around the corner.

On Sunday, just before after 12:00PM, I came across Zach Zenner:
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Or as I liked to call him, the second coming of Joe Jurevicus. Seeing as how Matt Forte had been a huge disappointment the previous four weeks, I decided to try my luck once again.

As is the case every time I pull someone out of my lineup at the last second, they outperform all expectations. While the player I substitute manages to have an off day.

Forte's 29 points on my bench, versus the 8 points Zenner earned single-handedly cost me the victory this week.

The moral of the story: Don't trust your last minute judgement, it will only betray you. Congratulations on the win T.

Week 6: Lick Dez Nuts? How About You Suck My (David) Johnson Instead?

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I'd probably be in a better mood right now if I didn't just watch the Sabres blow the lead on three separate occasions on the way to a 4-3 loss to the Flames. It's hard to believe it only cost a first round pick in the trade that brought Robin Lehner to the team.

Sorry, but the beginning and end of hockey season always seem to be the times when I'm most invested in the outcome of the games.

Combine that with the impending presidential election, and the stupidity of the American populace at the forefront of it all, and it all adds up to putting me into a highly agitated state.

But, I suppose I should look on the bright side of things. I managed to beat Rock and avoid losing to the team with the worst record in the league. If only I had been like Spae and made a side bet with him for a six pack of Pump-King. If that were the case, I could be sipping my victory beer just in time for the start of the 2017 NHL Playoffs given Rock's propensity for paying six months late.

It appears that T-Smoke's team is for real this season. He's leading the league in both overall record and total points scored. Davie's team isn't nearly as bad as his record indicates, he's just had an incredible amount of points scored against him. Those Haylett boys sure do love throwing all of their eggs into the basket of an NFC South team.

As for me, I'll do my best to hand T-Smoke his second loss of the season this week. I'm just glad my boy Gronk has returned to form.
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This week also marks the official halfway point of the season, so if you haven't paid your entry fee as of yet, you might want to start setting a little bit of money aside each week so you don't have to cough up the entire $150 all at once.

Week 5: We Are At the 38.5% Point of the Season

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This gif pretty well sums up my season to this point.

Short post this week since I just got back from the weekend trip to Vegas & L.A. It was easily the best vacation I've been on in almost 15 years (Spring Break in March of 2002).

Anyone who's vacationed with me knows how easily I get pissed off with my travel companions. Fortunately, that was not the case this time. From Friday morning until Monday night, it was a blast.

I might do a post about the trip later, but now is not the time.

Congratulations to T-Smoke and Joe Pro for holding down first and second place in the overall standings.