Saturday, November 21, 2009

This Week in Fantasy Sports: ON TO THE FINALS!

Niagara Stingers vs Big Red Crushers : Projected- Stingers by 23
Actual: Stingers 147 to 82 Crushers
Analysis: A decisive win against my Division rival, the Big Red Crushers. We were fortunate for two things: A lot of his players were on BYE/injured and my players played extremely with almost everyone getting at least 5 points (Williams-WR got 2). Johnson-QB got 33, Batch-RB got 30, Locke-RB got 28, Childs-WR got 10, Hankerson-WR got 20, Barden-TE got 6, Waldon-K got 8 and our Texas D got 10 points. (Varner-WR who was on the bench got 21 points and could replace Williams for the final)
Final: The final will be against Salem Downpour. Who is a wild card also in our division and pulled a 167-128 upset over Kiss the Baby, who was #1 in the standings with a 8-2 record. Salem only had a 5-5 record. In our last meeting Salem beat my team 161-118 in week 8. The fact that they got 167, and we had 147 gives me a ton of hope (If we did have Varner in the game we would have won against them too).

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

This Week in Fantasy Sports BAD EDITION

College Football
Maulers vs Shrek : Projected- Shrek by 11
Actual: Maulers 142 to 135 Shrek
Analysis: Finally my defense pulls through. Air Force (who I used earlier this season) got a strong 12 points. Ingram-RB got 26, Williams-RB got 18, Broyles-WR got 21, Pettis-WR got 38. Johnson-QB only got 8 points, which could have cost us the game. But everyone else got atleast some points.
Trades: Unfortunately the Maulers didn't make the playoffs. Which is sad too, because we finally got the ball rolling. The Maulers' season closed with 5 wins and six losses. Tied 3rd in East Division, Tied 4th in the league. Good to go out with a bang

Niagara Stingers vs MBSU : Projected- Stingers by 22
Actual: Stingers 63 to 72 MBSU
Analysis: The only thing that stood out is Texas Defense with 28 points, after that no one did better then 9 points.
Trades: Fortunately the Stingers are moving into the playoffs. Our Division final is against Big Red Crushers. Who we defeated in week 4 135-112.

NFL Football
Caledonia Stingers vs Seachickens : Projected- Stingers by 13
Actual: Stingers 96 to 99 Seachickens
Analysis: Warner had another good game with 25 points, Rice-WR, had an amazing game with 20 points. The Vikings defense got a sturdy 12 points and call out to Betts-RB who I brought in as a BYE replacement with 17 points. Big busts were Austin and Wallace this week.
Trades: Hopefully the Texans getting off BYE will help us a lot.

Hamilton Maulers vs Lord Dinkins: Projected- Maulers by 27
Actual: Maulers 71 to 80 Lords
Analysis: Both RBs were busts as well as the Eagles Defense. Brady got a strong 31 points. Crotchery got 12 points and Smith finally got 15 points.
Trades: Benson, who's been a key player, maybe injured. I also have a trade in voting period with the Trippers for Vincent Jackson in exchange for Romo

Monday, November 16, 2009

Commentary: Football Overtime

Overtime is a tough subject in sports. In hockey it goes to from sudden death to a shootout. But in football it's even more confusing. NFL football has a sudden death overtime where a team just needs to put a point on the board. While NCAA & Canadian football have a shootout like system where a team gets a chance to score and then the other team gets a chance until one is eliminated. Both systems are flawed.

Here's why: NFL's system means that a team only has to get a half decent run or pass and then they can kick a field goal for the win. That's no fun because it's extremely hard to defend against (given that the team starts with decent field position), it's not because "the other team doesn't get the ball".
The Canadian & NCAA style isn't really fun because it's too complicated. It doesn't give the sense of urgency that you get in sudden death.

My solution: Six Point Sudden Death Overtime. Capitalizes on both systems. Scoring a touchdown is difficult. So reward the first team who gets a touchdown a win. No disrespect to kickers, but a game should not hinge on a single field goal. So the reason for six points is that it requires two field goals to win. Which means that if one team goes for the field goal, the other team would get a chance at the ball, which they could use to score a touchdown and win flat out or tie the game with a field goal of their own.

Now your saying, "But then the other team doesn't get a chance to play if a touchdown is scored" which is right. Like I said, it puts the game in the hands of the defense and offense rather then kickers, but it should reward the team the gets a touchdown. If the team can't hold them to a field goal, they don't really deserve try themselves.

So imagine your at the 30 with a 4th down. Do you throw for the end zone, looking to win the game? Or do you kick a field goal and put it in the hands of your defense? That's why this system works, it equalizes the risk. This creates strategy.

And that's what's important. Football is a game of strategy. And with the NFL's overtime that strategy becomes limited to "Get lucky with a pass/run or get field goal". But this still keeps the excitement.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

This Week in Fantasy Sports NFL Edition

NFL Football
Caledonia Stingers vs Tenacious Timberwolves : Projected- Stingers by 21
Actual: Stingers 130 to 61 Timberwolves
Analysis: After last weeks colossal failure, I in no way intended to play Kurt Warner. In fact last week I said I would consider trading Kurt. But for some reason Sunday morning, I looked over my team and noticed around 70% of Kurt's owners were playing him. Looking at the projected scores, and every other detail I could, I couldn't see a reason to play Kurt over Big Ben. But, I figured, they MUST know something I don't.
Luckily my hunch was right. Kurt scored 40 points! But over all my whole team was amazing. I would have won, without Kurt at all! My Falcons Defense (who I got because the Vikings are on BYE) got 17 points, Grant-RB and Slaton-RB got 15 and 8 each. Austin-WR and Johnson-WR both got 10 points and Wallace-WR got 12 (more on that in the Maulers analysis). Gates-TE got a reasonable 6 points and finally Carney-K got an astounding 12 points.
Trades: Ugh, the Texans are on BYE which means I'm down three players (Slaton-RB, Johnson-WR and Moats-RB*reserve). Luckily the Vikings are playing Detroit, so I should be able to shed the Falcons and bring in an RB and simply move Rice into Actives.

Hamilton Maulers vs A League of Their Own: Projected- Maulers by 26
Actual: Maulers 89 to 88 ALOTO
Analysis: Can you say: "By the hairs of his ass!" This is kind of sad because he didn't have a TE, K, and was missing a WR. But still, a win's a win. Brady-QB did alright with 19 points. Benson-RB got 17 points, Carney-K got 12 points and my Eagles D got a disappointing 10 points. So at the end of Sunday it was 77 to 88 for the Leagues and only one player on my team was left, Wallace-WR. I watched the game on Monday and you wouldn't believe how elated I was when Wallace caught a touch down catch to give us the win.
Trades: Moats is on BYE but now Lynch is back so we're good.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

This Week in Fantasy Sports College Edition

College Football
Maulers vs Hurricanes : Projected- Maulers by 11
Actual: Maulers 80 to 106.25 Hurricanes
Analysis: I was so optimistic for this game too. Our two early week games yielded a 17 point game by Williams-RB and 16 point game by Pettis-WR. Then yesterday Johnson-QB got 20 points and Ingram-RB got 15 points. So guess what f'd me in the ass! My newly brought in Oregon Defense, got 0 points. UGH! Guess how USC Defense did? 22 points! AHHHHH! Cobb-WR also got 0 points, no excuse either because it was a 37-12 win.
Trades: Picking USC back off waivers, I'm number 1 so I should be able to get it.
STANDINGS NOTE: Drops me into possibly last place with 4-6 I'll update on Greens game tonight, don't hold your breath, he'd need a 26 point game to get us there.

Niagara Stingers vs Sacramento Thunder : Projected- Stingers by 26
Actual: Stingers 63 to 62 Baby
Analysis: I'm not going to hold my breath here, after last weeks shifts I would not be surprised if I lose by 46 or something. But I hope it stays the same. Johnson did okay with 20 points, Texas Defense got 14 and everyone else did pretty poorly. Exception being my kicker Sturgis with 9 points.
Trades: The big problem this week wasn't that my players are bad, it's the match ups. I should have known better than to but my players up against NC and FL, but what can you do? Trade away for poor players and hope for the best later on?
STANDINGS NOTE: If the win stands it keeps me tied for number 1

Thursday, November 5, 2009

This Week in Fantasy Sports NFL Edition

NFL Football
Caledonia Stingers vs Dirty Dogs : Projected- Dogs by 4
Actual: Stingers 55 to 113
Analysis: Well first problem right of the start, Big Ben was on BYE so I had to put Warner in as my QB. He got 9 points. Really Warner? 5 pass interceptions? AND a fumble. Second problem, Slaton-RB got -1 points, and he's a player I depend on! Apparently he fumbled on his 2nd play and the coach benched him! WTF? Third problem, mediocre play by everyone else except Austin-WR who got 13 points.
Trades: Had to bring on Moats in case Slaton doesn't play this week. Other than that I had to bring in the Falcons Defense since the Vikings are on bye. Collie will be playing since Rice is on bye as well. Big Ben will definitely be play, I think if Warner doesn't start performing I might drop him.

Hamilton Maulers vs Trippers : Projected- Trippers by 23
Actual: Maulers 80 to 68 Trippers
Analysis: Their QB did bad. Our did good, pretty much sums it up. Other than Romo with 27 points, only my Eagles Defense and Steve Smith-WR were able to get over the 10 point barrier. Both my RBs were slacking off today.
Trades: Luckily my usual RB, Benson, is off bye now so he'll be playing. But now Lynch is on bye so I brought Moats on to the team and if he plays that's good, but if not I have Jamal Charles on backup. Cotchery-WR is on bye to so I have Austin Collie in his position.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

This Week in Fantasy Sports College Edition

2nd UPDATE: The score of the maulers game changed again, Page actually score 22 points making it a 125-108 win! Hooray! Also wtf CBS?
UPDATE: The score of the maulers game changed to a 101-101 tie, yay
College Football
Maulers vs The Knights : Projected- Maulers by 25
Actual: Maulers 102 to 106 Knights
Analysis: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry had to let that out. My QB, Johnson, did great with 37 points. Hardesty-RB got 25 points! Royster-RB and Pettis-WR got 17 and 12 points each! HECK my kicker Lawrence got an astounding 11 points! And look at the other teams QB, ONLY 5 POINTS! This should have been an easy win.
But then... Page-WR, Smith-WR and Green-TE: 0 points. Guess who else got 0 points? My USC number 3 ranked defense! 47 points against! THAT'S EMBARRASSING!
Trades: Definitely bringing on a different defense. 3 games in a row with under 10 points! WTF USC?

Niagara Stingers vs Kiss the Baby : Projected- Baby by 2
Actual: Stingers 149 to 107 Baby
Analysis: I called Johnson perfectly on both of these games. Luckily my Texas D didn't let me down, in fact the got 32 points! And they're rated 6 behind USC! Also Batch-RB matched Johnson with 37 points. Everyone else got 2 points or more.
Trades: Not sure, see what pops up on waivers, very happy were back on track.