Let’s start on the positive side because it was just Week 1 after all right?
The big headline grabber was Arian Foster, of course. He of the 231 yards rushing and 3 TD’s. He single handedly made the rest of the Houston Offense DUDS in fact! If you were with us in the offseason and preseason prep you would remember us talking about Foster even before the Ben Tate injury. I’ll stick by my quote of him reminding me of another former University of Tennessee Running Back --- Jamal Lewis. Certainly Chris Johnson didn’t disappoint and thanks to a great OT run Rashard Mendenhall came out in the top of the RB pack. A couple of RB’s surprised a few Owners. If you were like me and stuck with Matt Forte (my Week 1 RB pick on the radio show this week) you were handsomely rewarded with a 2 TD’s, 200+ total yards and 7 big catches! Or how about Darren McFadden? Oakland is paying the guy and I think he will continue to get the ball. WR Studs were dominated by ‘2nd tier’ guys that really maybe shouldn’t be --- while Austin Collie (11 catches, 163 yards and a TD) might have seen his best day, guys like Hakeem Nicks (4/75/3), Wes Welker (8/64/2) and Ochocinco (12/159/1) should continue to thrive and were for the most part late early to middle round picks.
The Dud list this week is littered with first and second round picks up and down the line! Who would have thought this group of RB’s could have been so bad? Shonn Greene, Frank Gore, Turner, Ray Rice and that’s not mentioning Ryan Grant’s season ending injury! Not to be outdone were eggs laid by some of the NFL’s best hands guys – Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Malcom Floyd, Deshaun Jackson and to a lesser extent Marques Colston, Brandon Marshall and Randy Moss. In fact, if you had a Viking, a Jet, a Raven or a 49er you probably are scratching your head quite a bit today.
So, who is out there to go and get? Maybe the most important part of Fantasy Football is working the ‘waiver wire’. Big caveat here though, week #1 is just that, one week. No Denny Green “they are who we thought they were” speech here. Guys you took in the first 3 rounds are not being sat and should not be dropped. You might think about trades, especially unloading a guy whose value will never be higher (see Brandon Jackson if you don’t own Ryan Grant).
• The aforementioned Brandon Jackson in Green Bay. Until they trade for someone else and they get up to speed he is the guy. He automatically becomes a RB2
• Michael Vick – yep, #7. Don’t like his ethics, morals, etc? It’s Fantasy Football – who cares? If Kolb is out this guy becomes a Top 10 QB instantly
• Fragile Freddy Taylor – I may be a Gator ‘homer’ and I love Freddy but haven’t from a Fantasy perspective for a long time, BUT, he is getting the carries in New England and he looks fresh. On top of that the Patriots JUST unloaded Laurence Maroney to the Broncos. Ride him while he’s healthy
• Any number of WR’s on bad teams that will be playing catch up
o Mark Clayton (STL)
o Mike Williams (TB)
o Mike Thomas (Jax)
o Danny Amendola (STL)
o M. Massaqui (CLE)
Good luck in Week 2 --- may your stars rebound and your ‘reaches’ keep on plugging away.
Showing posts with label Fantasy Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy Football. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
So now that you drafted…
For so many Fantasy Football Owners it is “all about the draft” and in a lot of cases that is true, for any number of reasons.
But that can’t be it, right? Think of Fantasy Ownership like dating – I know, for some of you it’s been a LONG, LONG time (for many different reasons) but bear with me.
Remember all the prep work that went into that ‘first date’? Well your draft is the ‘first date’. How do you make sure it goes well? That you ask the right questions? Get to know exactly what you need to know and vice versa so there is a next date? How much time did you do in preparation? Have you been ‘studying’ your ‘prey’ for quite some time? Do you know where she likes to eat? What are her favorite movies to go to? Or exactly what it’s going to take to go all the way?
Ok, enough with the analogies but I think you get the comparison…
If that first date goes well it leads to a second and a third and maybe a nice relationship. Same for the draft – you put in the time, do your homework, pay attention to the little details that make your draft unique for yo, then you might just have a nice little relationship as well, with your team that is!
But what happens when it all goes wrong? You forgot your date was a vegetarian. She isn’t feeling well and doesn’t want to go on that nature hike you set up. What do you do then? You improvise!! You don’t give up! Same thing goes for your draft. No draft will ever go to the form you expect. MJD will slip because of his knee so do you take him at 4 or do you go Andre Johnson? These are the things you need to be thinking about.
But just like dating the first date is certainly important but it’s just the beginning, so too for Fantasy Football, the draft is just the beginning. Hopefully your league is built so that you can adjust on the fly (think, how do I get that 2nd date to make a better impression). What are my leagues trading rules? Restrictions on Free Agent pick ups? Too many leagues these days want to take away the ‘tough stuff to manage’ like these things. Guess what? It’s the best part!! Just like the actual best part of dating is the process of getting to know someone! The meat of the relationship here is like your ‘regular season’.
Hopefully with the right moves, the proper amount of intuition and courage you will advance to the best part --- the post season --- I am going to leave the dating side of this analogy to your imagination my friends, but I think you know where I am going.
My point here is the draft is just the draft. It is the ONE time all the Owners of your league are together (hopefully face to face because who likes online dating? ☺). Enjoy it for what it’s worth but stay engaged for the full season!! Even if it’s not going that well a season can be saved and even if it can’t be think of all the lessons you will learn by managing through it --- again, easy analogy to dating…
We are on the eve of the 2010 Football Season my friends, and just like in life, we all have a fighting chance --- enjoy your year!
But that can’t be it, right? Think of Fantasy Ownership like dating – I know, for some of you it’s been a LONG, LONG time (for many different reasons) but bear with me.
Remember all the prep work that went into that ‘first date’? Well your draft is the ‘first date’. How do you make sure it goes well? That you ask the right questions? Get to know exactly what you need to know and vice versa so there is a next date? How much time did you do in preparation? Have you been ‘studying’ your ‘prey’ for quite some time? Do you know where she likes to eat? What are her favorite movies to go to? Or exactly what it’s going to take to go all the way?
Ok, enough with the analogies but I think you get the comparison…
If that first date goes well it leads to a second and a third and maybe a nice relationship. Same for the draft – you put in the time, do your homework, pay attention to the little details that make your draft unique for yo, then you might just have a nice little relationship as well, with your team that is!
But what happens when it all goes wrong? You forgot your date was a vegetarian. She isn’t feeling well and doesn’t want to go on that nature hike you set up. What do you do then? You improvise!! You don’t give up! Same thing goes for your draft. No draft will ever go to the form you expect. MJD will slip because of his knee so do you take him at 4 or do you go Andre Johnson? These are the things you need to be thinking about.
But just like dating the first date is certainly important but it’s just the beginning, so too for Fantasy Football, the draft is just the beginning. Hopefully your league is built so that you can adjust on the fly (think, how do I get that 2nd date to make a better impression). What are my leagues trading rules? Restrictions on Free Agent pick ups? Too many leagues these days want to take away the ‘tough stuff to manage’ like these things. Guess what? It’s the best part!! Just like the actual best part of dating is the process of getting to know someone! The meat of the relationship here is like your ‘regular season’.
Hopefully with the right moves, the proper amount of intuition and courage you will advance to the best part --- the post season --- I am going to leave the dating side of this analogy to your imagination my friends, but I think you know where I am going.
My point here is the draft is just the draft. It is the ONE time all the Owners of your league are together (hopefully face to face because who likes online dating? ☺). Enjoy it for what it’s worth but stay engaged for the full season!! Even if it’s not going that well a season can be saved and even if it can’t be think of all the lessons you will learn by managing through it --- again, easy analogy to dating…
We are on the eve of the 2010 Football Season my friends, and just like in life, we all have a fighting chance --- enjoy your year!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sage words of advice - "it's an ever changing landscape"
What worked yesterday may not work today; the tried and true precepts you've based world on are suddenly turned upside down. Sound catastrophic? In the world of Fantasy Football it very well may be. The axiom I am referring to? You MUST grab a top back in the First Round if you are say in the top 6 picks. There are actually people that swear by the philosophy of going 'back, back' in 1 and 2 and never factor much else into the equation. If you have been a savvy FFL Owner then you find these guys and prey on them. If you are not sure who they are, look in the mirror. Do you pour over cheat sheets made in April? Do you print out ESPN's ranking and go from there (even those guys will tell you this is wrong)? Better yet, in your online draft do you set up for 'auto-pick'? In poker there is a great phrase, "find the sucker at the table, if you don't see him, then it's YOU". Same thing goes with Fantasy Football. If you are going to play one way and one way only you will get run over.
Why am I bringing this up now and what's its relation to the 'Running Back Rule'? In case you missed it kids, the NFL is once again evolving. Nearly extinct are the 'every down back', the guy who will carry the rock all day long. In fact, you can count on your two hands the number of those guys out there this year. What this does is two things; 1) yes, it makes those guys all the more valuable but it also 2) creates a pretty deep pool of talent that begs you to hold off on the 'back-back' strategy. Of course all things are relative, and you MUST know your own scoring system inside and out (yes, we at the FFL Guru preach this every year and we still get complaints about our 'rankings'). In knowing that, step out of your comfort zone this year, at least look at a WR or dare I say a QB. It's a leap but it might be a leap of faith.
One thing I am getting bombarded with right now is, I have 'x; pick...who should I take? Again, just like every year, and written above, it is generally not enough info, which is why you can't rely on a cheatsheet. So what do you need to know, or what would I need to know to give you a knowledgeable answer:
- your point system
- how many teams in your league
- how many starters you have at each position
- some Owner tendencies
then I think I could a decent job. Without that it's tough, but I will give you my top 5 at the Big 3 spots and a sleeper and a bust (as of today 8/3/10)
QB - The Big 3 and then a whole lot of "isn't this guy like another guy", except maybe Romo (can't believe I said that)
Rodgers, Brees, Manning
Sleeper - Henne (some really mice weapons in Miami)
Bust - It's hard to call Tom Brady a bust but I see the continued diminishing of the skill positions in New England and that should impact his #'s. I certainly don't believe he is in the Top 4, where he is consistently ranked.
RB - it's all about versatility
C. Johnson, Rice and Jones-Drew - where is AP? Blasphemy? My leagues are all PPR, feel free to adjust as needed
Sleeper & Bust - going to package this one together; give me the Colts RB's for both Alex. Donald Brown is my Sleeper and Joseph Addai is my Bust. Addai literally carried me to 2nd place last year and I still scratch my head over it. Fact is he is aging rapidly and is barely averaging 3 yards a carry. Whether it be by injury or sheer lack of production, Donald Brown becomes the #1 back there by mid-season and isn't that the definition of a Sleeper?
WR - the guard continues to evolve; give me big, strong and tough. And as I think about it, I'm not sure I can give you a Top 3 that is heads above another. I'll give you a #1 and some thoughts, because I can!
Andre Johnson - duh
Other thoughts - give me some of these guys, they are ranking way too low by the 'experts'
Greg Jennings - STUD STUD STUD
Marques Colston - I've seen him in the mid teens, are you smoking crack? I hate the too many weapons argument (see Reggie Wayne for the last 3-4 years)
Brandon Marshall - he will become the first 100 reception guy in Dolphin history
Oh yeah - Sidney Rice just became the official first BUST for teams that already drafted, why anyone does that is beyond me, assuming that #4 stays retired...
In other news, the FFL Guru is continuing on with several very cool partnerships and projects to be announced shortly as the pre season goes on. One that is done, we are teaming up with Circus Dave from http://www.redhotlocks.com/ and will become an integral part of their team. You can look for weekly columns on our take of things over there as well as get Dave and all his prognosticating glory at our site, www.thefflguru.com
Why am I bringing this up now and what's its relation to the 'Running Back Rule'? In case you missed it kids, the NFL is once again evolving. Nearly extinct are the 'every down back', the guy who will carry the rock all day long. In fact, you can count on your two hands the number of those guys out there this year. What this does is two things; 1) yes, it makes those guys all the more valuable but it also 2) creates a pretty deep pool of talent that begs you to hold off on the 'back-back' strategy. Of course all things are relative, and you MUST know your own scoring system inside and out (yes, we at the FFL Guru preach this every year and we still get complaints about our 'rankings'). In knowing that, step out of your comfort zone this year, at least look at a WR or dare I say a QB. It's a leap but it might be a leap of faith.
One thing I am getting bombarded with right now is, I have 'x; pick...who should I take? Again, just like every year, and written above, it is generally not enough info, which is why you can't rely on a cheatsheet. So what do you need to know, or what would I need to know to give you a knowledgeable answer:
- your point system
- how many teams in your league
- how many starters you have at each position
- some Owner tendencies
then I think I could a decent job. Without that it's tough, but I will give you my top 5 at the Big 3 spots and a sleeper and a bust (as of today 8/3/10)
QB - The Big 3 and then a whole lot of "isn't this guy like another guy", except maybe Romo (can't believe I said that)
Rodgers, Brees, Manning
Sleeper - Henne (some really mice weapons in Miami)
Bust - It's hard to call Tom Brady a bust but I see the continued diminishing of the skill positions in New England and that should impact his #'s. I certainly don't believe he is in the Top 4, where he is consistently ranked.
RB - it's all about versatility
C. Johnson, Rice and Jones-Drew - where is AP? Blasphemy? My leagues are all PPR, feel free to adjust as needed
Sleeper & Bust - going to package this one together; give me the Colts RB's for both Alex. Donald Brown is my Sleeper and Joseph Addai is my Bust. Addai literally carried me to 2nd place last year and I still scratch my head over it. Fact is he is aging rapidly and is barely averaging 3 yards a carry. Whether it be by injury or sheer lack of production, Donald Brown becomes the #1 back there by mid-season and isn't that the definition of a Sleeper?
WR - the guard continues to evolve; give me big, strong and tough. And as I think about it, I'm not sure I can give you a Top 3 that is heads above another. I'll give you a #1 and some thoughts, because I can!
Andre Johnson - duh
Other thoughts - give me some of these guys, they are ranking way too low by the 'experts'
Greg Jennings - STUD STUD STUD
Marques Colston - I've seen him in the mid teens, are you smoking crack? I hate the too many weapons argument (see Reggie Wayne for the last 3-4 years)
Brandon Marshall - he will become the first 100 reception guy in Dolphin history
Oh yeah - Sidney Rice just became the official first BUST for teams that already drafted, why anyone does that is beyond me, assuming that #4 stays retired...
In other news, the FFL Guru is continuing on with several very cool partnerships and projects to be announced shortly as the pre season goes on. One that is done, we are teaming up with Circus Dave from http://www.redhotlocks.com/ and will become an integral part of their team. You can look for weekly columns on our take of things over there as well as get Dave and all his prognosticating glory at our site, www.thefflguru.com
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Looking forward to LOL and ROFLMAO tonight
For most of you this will probably begin at 9:00 with the VP debate! And trust me I am TiVOing it so I can laugh along with you.
However tonight will be even funnier for me and G-d freaking knows I need to shut off for an hour or two and just LAUGH! I, along with three of my good friends are off to see Lewis Black from the 5th row! This will be my third time seeing Lewis and each time is unique, crazy and hysterical. If you don't know him you should look him up! He is probably best known for his stints on the Daily Show with John Stewart where he does mostly political satire work. In his stand up he does that and so much more! He also makes sure to be audience/city specific so no two shows are totally alike. I can already here all the great political stuff he must be ready to crank out. In fact, I was joking this week that he could roll out a TV at 9:00 and just add commentary to the Palin-Biden debate! He'll also have lots to say on the 'energy crisis' as well as the financial collapse I am sure.
I can't wait! I am picking the boys up around 6, we hitting midtown for dinner and drinks and then WALKING to the Fox for the show.
On the Football front it looks like within two weeks I won't just be on the internet, I will also be on the radio. It looks like Sunday mornings from 11-12 and Monday mornings during 15 minutes of DRIVE TIME!!!!!!
However tonight will be even funnier for me and G-d freaking knows I need to shut off for an hour or two and just LAUGH! I, along with three of my good friends are off to see Lewis Black from the 5th row! This will be my third time seeing Lewis and each time is unique, crazy and hysterical. If you don't know him you should look him up! He is probably best known for his stints on the Daily Show with John Stewart where he does mostly political satire work. In his stand up he does that and so much more! He also makes sure to be audience/city specific so no two shows are totally alike. I can already here all the great political stuff he must be ready to crank out. In fact, I was joking this week that he could roll out a TV at 9:00 and just add commentary to the Palin-Biden debate! He'll also have lots to say on the 'energy crisis' as well as the financial collapse I am sure.
I can't wait! I am picking the boys up around 6, we hitting midtown for dinner and drinks and then WALKING to the Fox for the show.
On the Football front it looks like within two weeks I won't just be on the internet, I will also be on the radio. It looks like Sunday mornings from 11-12 and Monday mornings during 15 minutes of DRIVE TIME!!!!!!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Shameless plug and I am being a bit lazy...
I spent the past weekend at an absolutely amazing retreat with a program called Leadership Atlanta (www.leadershipatlanta.org). It has left my head spinning and back in the real world my head is spinning from too many other things.
So forgive me for 'copying' from myself but this will allow those of that like my sports stuff to have another avenue.
As part of my day job I am a partner and co-creator of a site called www.thefflguru.com. As part of that site I write a weekly article on anything I want to (football related).
Here is the article that will go up later today, you my favorite people get to see it first :-)
So the first weekend of NFL has come and gone. In general, you are probably in one of three Fantasy ‘states’:
1. Euphoria – as my team(s) rock; I made all the right moves and I am hoping to go ‘coast to coast’ to win my league crown.
2. You feel ‘ok’ (insert John Malkovich Russian accent from ROUNDERS) – you team looked ok, there were not a ton of TD’s but guys performed pretty well; also, you might have seen your bench step up and look good.
3. Is it next year yet – You own TOM BRADY, one of the Bengal or Rams Wide Receivers. You won’t be the only ones in this pile eventually but right now you are dejected.
Me? I’m firmly in camp #1. My team had the high score in week 1 in my ‘Big League’ (the one with a good cash, 2 great trophies and bragging rights with guys I’ve known for decades). My biggest coup you ask? Starting my #3 RB in Michael Turner. However, just like group #3 should not get too down (hopefully they drafted well enough to stay competitive) those of us in Group #1 need not get too excited. It is just ONE week! As they say on the PGA Tour, you can’t win a golf tournament on the first. However, you can lose one .
If you are in Group 1, don’t rest on your laurels. Really evaluate your team and see where your flaws are. Identify teams in groups 2 & 3 where panic for unseasoned Owners might be setting in and see if you can shore things up. For me, I am need depth at WR. I am good 4 deep in a league where we start 3 WR’s but I need insurance. I purposely helped start the run on back up QB’s so I have room to deal either a Derek Anderson or Eli Manning since I will be gunning Drew Brees out most days.
If you are Group 2 – don’t panic! Realize your starting line up has the quality and were drafted where they should be. Guys like Addai, Santonio Holmes and Derek Anderson are going to get there’s. Now is not the time to panic and start juggling those line-ups.
Enjoy the few days between games. It is amazing how quickly this time year flies by…before you know it we will be in Week 10 and beyond!
So forgive me for 'copying' from myself but this will allow those of that like my sports stuff to have another avenue.
As part of my day job I am a partner and co-creator of a site called www.thefflguru.com. As part of that site I write a weekly article on anything I want to (football related).
Here is the article that will go up later today, you my favorite people get to see it first :-)
So the first weekend of NFL has come and gone. In general, you are probably in one of three Fantasy ‘states’:
1. Euphoria – as my team(s) rock; I made all the right moves and I am hoping to go ‘coast to coast’ to win my league crown.
2. You feel ‘ok’ (insert John Malkovich Russian accent from ROUNDERS) – you team looked ok, there were not a ton of TD’s but guys performed pretty well; also, you might have seen your bench step up and look good.
3. Is it next year yet – You own TOM BRADY, one of the Bengal or Rams Wide Receivers. You won’t be the only ones in this pile eventually but right now you are dejected.
Me? I’m firmly in camp #1. My team had the high score in week 1 in my ‘Big League’ (the one with a good cash, 2 great trophies and bragging rights with guys I’ve known for decades). My biggest coup you ask? Starting my #3 RB in Michael Turner. However, just like group #3 should not get too down (hopefully they drafted well enough to stay competitive) those of us in Group #1 need not get too excited. It is just ONE week! As they say on the PGA Tour, you can’t win a golf tournament on the first. However, you can lose one .
If you are in Group 1, don’t rest on your laurels. Really evaluate your team and see where your flaws are. Identify teams in groups 2 & 3 where panic for unseasoned Owners might be setting in and see if you can shore things up. For me, I am need depth at WR. I am good 4 deep in a league where we start 3 WR’s but I need insurance. I purposely helped start the run on back up QB’s so I have room to deal either a Derek Anderson or Eli Manning since I will be gunning Drew Brees out most days.
If you are Group 2 – don’t panic! Realize your starting line up has the quality and were drafted where they should be. Guys like Addai, Santonio Holmes and Derek Anderson are going to get there’s. Now is not the time to panic and start juggling those line-ups.
Enjoy the few days between games. It is amazing how quickly this time year flies by…before you know it we will be in Week 10 and beyond!
Friday, August 29, 2008
It's so close I can feel it...
I am actually talking about several things with that line, not in the least are:
1. Football season
2. My FAVORITE season - Autumn
3. Our Fantasy Football show getting set to take off!
So, let's 'tackle' them in that order.
1. As I type this the Gators take the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in less than 26 hours from now. I get very nostalgic thinking about all of my 'firsts' in that stadium and on that campus. I remember the first time I set foot in The Swamp. I was a high school Senior and we went up for Gator Growl (Homecoming). I knew right then and there that Gainesville would always be HOME. I remember throwing the ball around on the astro turf back then and I even remember a crazy night where I wound up on the G that was painted for Goal Line but I was convinced it was for Gil. Let's just say there is a spot on my arm/wrist that hair will never grow thanks to that astro turf...sorry no details my Mom reads this blog :).
Optimism is everywhere in college football this time of year but I really do believe this season can be a special one for the Gators. I'm not sure Tebow can win back to back Heisman's but I do think we can go 12-1 and wind up playing for it all in MIAMI at the Orange Bowl - WOW, that would be INCREDIBLE! I know where I will be and I know Denise will have our lucky sweatshirt ready to go!
2. The fall is just the best time of year. I love the change in weather, I like to pull out different clothes to wear. I like waking up to the cool air and opening the windows in the evening and breathing the fresh air. I love the change in the foliage and the smell of a fire roaring in the neighborhood. Of course fall also ushers in football and closes out baseball and it also welcomes back hockey and basketball. Driving with the radio blasting, windows down letting the cool breeze take you wherever you want to go, literally or figuratively, that is what fall is about for me.
3. The FFL Guru - wow, this journey that Jordan and I started last year is really beginning to take flight. First, we signed the deal with 790 The Zone and you can reach us directly from their website (www.790thezone.com), then we grabbed a 'title sponsor' in Lincoln and the new MKZ, and the latest news, we are now a part of the World Championship of Fantasy Football (www.wcofs.com). We officially kick off with them next week when Jordan will be in Vegas for their weekend extravaganza and draft. We will be covering the event and we will also be participants. Viewers will be able to follow our progress in their Leagues through our weekly videos. We also are creating a custom front end for them so they can sell their own advertising which is where we make some money. Lastly, they have over 100,000 players who will now be watching The FFL Guru TWICE a week - traffic should skyrocket and that can only mean good things for us, our partners and our advertisers.
Cheers to what should be the most rewarding season ever and a terrific launching into 2009!
1. Football season
2. My FAVORITE season - Autumn
3. Our Fantasy Football show getting set to take off!
So, let's 'tackle' them in that order.
1. As I type this the Gators take the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in less than 26 hours from now. I get very nostalgic thinking about all of my 'firsts' in that stadium and on that campus. I remember the first time I set foot in The Swamp. I was a high school Senior and we went up for Gator Growl (Homecoming). I knew right then and there that Gainesville would always be HOME. I remember throwing the ball around on the astro turf back then and I even remember a crazy night where I wound up on the G that was painted for Goal Line but I was convinced it was for Gil. Let's just say there is a spot on my arm/wrist that hair will never grow thanks to that astro turf...sorry no details my Mom reads this blog :).
Optimism is everywhere in college football this time of year but I really do believe this season can be a special one for the Gators. I'm not sure Tebow can win back to back Heisman's but I do think we can go 12-1 and wind up playing for it all in MIAMI at the Orange Bowl - WOW, that would be INCREDIBLE! I know where I will be and I know Denise will have our lucky sweatshirt ready to go!
2. The fall is just the best time of year. I love the change in weather, I like to pull out different clothes to wear. I like waking up to the cool air and opening the windows in the evening and breathing the fresh air. I love the change in the foliage and the smell of a fire roaring in the neighborhood. Of course fall also ushers in football and closes out baseball and it also welcomes back hockey and basketball. Driving with the radio blasting, windows down letting the cool breeze take you wherever you want to go, literally or figuratively, that is what fall is about for me.
3. The FFL Guru - wow, this journey that Jordan and I started last year is really beginning to take flight. First, we signed the deal with 790 The Zone and you can reach us directly from their website (www.790thezone.com), then we grabbed a 'title sponsor' in Lincoln and the new MKZ, and the latest news, we are now a part of the World Championship of Fantasy Football (www.wcofs.com). We officially kick off with them next week when Jordan will be in Vegas for their weekend extravaganza and draft. We will be covering the event and we will also be participants. Viewers will be able to follow our progress in their Leagues through our weekly videos. We also are creating a custom front end for them so they can sell their own advertising which is where we make some money. Lastly, they have over 100,000 players who will now be watching The FFL Guru TWICE a week - traffic should skyrocket and that can only mean good things for us, our partners and our advertisers.
Cheers to what should be the most rewarding season ever and a terrific launching into 2009!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
It's not cooler yet, at least here in the South, but can you feel the Fall winds blowing?
That can mean only one thing, and that is Football and yes indeed we are so very close to making the women we love and the children we adore weekend widows. I know a lot of guys (and some women) are college football people and others are Pro football people and this befuddles me as I am clearly both.
On the college side we are just 10 days away from my beloved Florida Gators open with Hawaii. Amongst our very difficult schedule I am very excited about our 2nd game against the University of Miami Hurricanes. What was once an annual rivalry has been changed to a once every 6-7 year thing. With that we have not beaten the 'Canes since my Senior year in High School. Interestingly enough one of the cable channels has been playing that game every night for the last few days. It brought back a lot of good memories at the Orange Bowl and has gotten me completely psyched for September 6th when we finally putting a hurting on the boys down south.
Equally as important for me is the NFL. From a team perspective I am a born and bred Philadelphian and that will never leave me no matter where I call home. I have lived and mostly dies with the Eagles over the last 39 years but hope always springs eternal this time of year. Additionally, as many of you know I am not just a fantasy football player but I also co-host a web video show on the topic
www.thefflguru.com
(shameless plug). In my own league tonight is one of those 3 or 4 great nights. The best night of all is draft night. Tonight is the lead up to the draft where we will find out what order we pick in the draft. In most leagues there are 10-12 teams, this is where my league begins to differ. We have remained an 8 team league throughout or 20+ year history. The other major draft day difference is how we choose draft order. Again, most leagues do what is called a 'snake draft' where it serpentines back and forth, so if you draft 2nd in a 12 team league then you would have the then you would pick 23rd in the 2nd round and so forth. Well, we differ and it works for us because we are only an 8 team league. We have what is called 'the picking of the cards' which to me sounds like, 'the running of the bulls' but I digress. Essentially we have a RANDOM draw for all 23 rounds of our draft! So yes, it is conceivable that you could have the number 1 pick or the number 8 pick, if you are a pessimist) for multiple rounds in a row! What we have always seen is that it evens itself out over time and certainly allows for a fun event this evening. Once tonight is over I go into full prep mode where I will overlay my projections with where guys draft and try to determine who will be available for me when I draft. As I have said before, I am not the most detail oriented guy on this so I'll do it a few times just to get a sense for things.
Picking of the cards is at 6:30 tonight. I imagine I will have every one 'seeded' into my excel spreadsheet by 9:00 and I'll probably mock draft the first 3 rounds tonight. Some of you are reading this, or stopped reading awhile ago, but for me it makes for a fun few days as I get ready for the draft
On the college side we are just 10 days away from my beloved Florida Gators open with Hawaii. Amongst our very difficult schedule I am very excited about our 2nd game against the University of Miami Hurricanes. What was once an annual rivalry has been changed to a once every 6-7 year thing. With that we have not beaten the 'Canes since my Senior year in High School. Interestingly enough one of the cable channels has been playing that game every night for the last few days. It brought back a lot of good memories at the Orange Bowl and has gotten me completely psyched for September 6th when we finally putting a hurting on the boys down south.
Equally as important for me is the NFL. From a team perspective I am a born and bred Philadelphian and that will never leave me no matter where I call home. I have lived and mostly dies with the Eagles over the last 39 years but hope always springs eternal this time of year. Additionally, as many of you know I am not just a fantasy football player but I also co-host a web video show on the topic
www.thefflguru.com
(shameless plug). In my own league tonight is one of those 3 or 4 great nights. The best night of all is draft night. Tonight is the lead up to the draft where we will find out what order we pick in the draft. In most leagues there are 10-12 teams, this is where my league begins to differ. We have remained an 8 team league throughout or 20+ year history. The other major draft day difference is how we choose draft order. Again, most leagues do what is called a 'snake draft' where it serpentines back and forth, so if you draft 2nd in a 12 team league then you would have the then you would pick 23rd in the 2nd round and so forth. Well, we differ and it works for us because we are only an 8 team league. We have what is called 'the picking of the cards' which to me sounds like, 'the running of the bulls' but I digress. Essentially we have a RANDOM draw for all 23 rounds of our draft! So yes, it is conceivable that you could have the number 1 pick or the number 8 pick, if you are a pessimist) for multiple rounds in a row! What we have always seen is that it evens itself out over time and certainly allows for a fun event this evening. Once tonight is over I go into full prep mode where I will overlay my projections with where guys draft and try to determine who will be available for me when I draft. As I have said before, I am not the most detail oriented guy on this so I'll do it a few times just to get a sense for things.
Picking of the cards is at 6:30 tonight. I imagine I will have every one 'seeded' into my excel spreadsheet by 9:00 and I'll probably mock draft the first 3 rounds tonight. Some of you are reading this, or stopped reading awhile ago, but for me it makes for a fun few days as I get ready for the draft
Thursday, August 14, 2008
My first article for a Fantasy Football website
20 Years of Fantasy Football
It was 1988, as a junior in college, that I started getting involved in Fantasy Football. I thought it would be fun to take a look back as we get ready for 2008 and see just how different the game was then and where it might be the same.
Let’s start with ‘draft preparation’ since that is what everyone is doing right now. What tools did we have in 1988? There was the local paper and access to regional ones and of course there was ESPN, which basically consisted of highlights on SportsCenter. I don’t think there was a magazine out there yet and there certainly was no internet. I honestly don’t remember doing very much draft prep per se. There were some things we didn’t have to worry about though; bye weeks, Running Backs by Committee and protracted camp holdouts thanks to greedy agents. Look at how different today is; if you walk into a draft with a cheat sheet from a magazine that was printed in May and that’s it, you are doomed. From ESPN, to CBS, to sites like Draftsharks.com and rotoworld.com there is a wealth of information available. Sites pay bloggers with every NFL Team to provide them with in depth notes on a daily basis and all of this is available to us for free or for a fairly nominal cost. Also, every NFL Player today is firmly aware of their ‘fantasy value’ and they love to follow along. How many hours does the average fantasy player prep these days? For me, I am on the low end of prep. I tend to not have the patience for 39 mock drafts deep into the night. I like to go through certain websites and even a magazine or two and then come up with my own draft strategy based on my league’s rules and the other owners and the tendencies they have. I believe this is the one facet that the internet and overflow of information can never help with. As a good reader of people through years of playing poker, it’s nice to know my fellow owner’s tendencies or tells. Does Owner A who drafts right before me in Round 3 like to have 2 backs before going WR or does he think getting a top 3 QB is most important. These are the subtle tips that will help your draft strategies.
So, if draft prep was first then the actual draft would be next. For my league not much has changed here. We are all friends and we could never imagine drafting via a website or exchanges of emails, but that is the predominant method of drafts today. Millions of players flock to sites like ESPN to play for free or for money and draft virtually. About the most high tech my league gets here is every once in awhile one or two of us might have to draft via conference call. As someone who has had to do this twice, it is not nearly as fun, but it is effective. I imagine technology could also lead to collusion with IM chats and other devices that would allow owners to communicate with others behind the ‘internet curtain’.
Once the draft is over the rest of the year is dedicated to trades, free agent moves and weekly line ups and scoring. Once again, here is where technology has taken over. Back in the day I remember waiting for the Thursday edition of the Gainesville Sun so I could read the ‘injury report’ to know who was hurt. Today we can watch SportsCenter 7 times a day or flip over to the NFL Network and each team has its own website with all the info. However, with information comes deception. What once was a true injury report is today a load of bull; probable means definite, questionable means most likely. Then there are coaches like Bill Belichek who either likes to screw with reporters, the gamblers or the fantasy players or most likely all three because he is likely to put EVERYONE on an injury report. It reminds me of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL when someone loses an arm in Game One and they are listed with an ‘upper body injury’ for Game Two and are listed as day to day. Besides the injury issue, the access to information has made life so much easier for in season moves. Back in the day you would have little access to who the third string tailback is in New Orleans but today everyone knows who Pierre Thomas is and IF he goes undrafted what a pick up he could be.
The last major change I can think of is scoring. In the fall I would wake up on Monday early whether I had class or not and run to the newspaper machine outside the fraternity house to make sure I got a copy of the Sun so I could ‘do my stats’. Yes kids of the internet age, we actually went through box scores the next day to figure out who had won and by how much. Today if you play on a site you get instant updates and even if you don’t you can follow along with the internet or the NFL Network. This also brings us to ‘How we watch the games’. Back in ’88 we were excited if local TV carried two 1:00 games and what we often did was get to THE local sports bar so we could catch all of the action. Today, even without Direct TV you can stay on top of all the action right from your couch.
At the end of the day though one thing will never change; fantasy football is about competition, friendship and the love of a sport we all dreamed we could play at one point in our lives. It is our way of being on the field or owning the team we grew up loving. Whether you go wire to wire this year or are locked in a battle for the cellar, enjoy every minute of it, because before you can say TJ Houshmanzadeh it will be all over again for the year.
It was 1988, as a junior in college, that I started getting involved in Fantasy Football. I thought it would be fun to take a look back as we get ready for 2008 and see just how different the game was then and where it might be the same.
Let’s start with ‘draft preparation’ since that is what everyone is doing right now. What tools did we have in 1988? There was the local paper and access to regional ones and of course there was ESPN, which basically consisted of highlights on SportsCenter. I don’t think there was a magazine out there yet and there certainly was no internet. I honestly don’t remember doing very much draft prep per se. There were some things we didn’t have to worry about though; bye weeks, Running Backs by Committee and protracted camp holdouts thanks to greedy agents. Look at how different today is; if you walk into a draft with a cheat sheet from a magazine that was printed in May and that’s it, you are doomed. From ESPN, to CBS, to sites like Draftsharks.com and rotoworld.com there is a wealth of information available. Sites pay bloggers with every NFL Team to provide them with in depth notes on a daily basis and all of this is available to us for free or for a fairly nominal cost. Also, every NFL Player today is firmly aware of their ‘fantasy value’ and they love to follow along. How many hours does the average fantasy player prep these days? For me, I am on the low end of prep. I tend to not have the patience for 39 mock drafts deep into the night. I like to go through certain websites and even a magazine or two and then come up with my own draft strategy based on my league’s rules and the other owners and the tendencies they have. I believe this is the one facet that the internet and overflow of information can never help with. As a good reader of people through years of playing poker, it’s nice to know my fellow owner’s tendencies or tells. Does Owner A who drafts right before me in Round 3 like to have 2 backs before going WR or does he think getting a top 3 QB is most important. These are the subtle tips that will help your draft strategies.
So, if draft prep was first then the actual draft would be next. For my league not much has changed here. We are all friends and we could never imagine drafting via a website or exchanges of emails, but that is the predominant method of drafts today. Millions of players flock to sites like ESPN to play for free or for money and draft virtually. About the most high tech my league gets here is every once in awhile one or two of us might have to draft via conference call. As someone who has had to do this twice, it is not nearly as fun, but it is effective. I imagine technology could also lead to collusion with IM chats and other devices that would allow owners to communicate with others behind the ‘internet curtain’.
Once the draft is over the rest of the year is dedicated to trades, free agent moves and weekly line ups and scoring. Once again, here is where technology has taken over. Back in the day I remember waiting for the Thursday edition of the Gainesville Sun so I could read the ‘injury report’ to know who was hurt. Today we can watch SportsCenter 7 times a day or flip over to the NFL Network and each team has its own website with all the info. However, with information comes deception. What once was a true injury report is today a load of bull; probable means definite, questionable means most likely. Then there are coaches like Bill Belichek who either likes to screw with reporters, the gamblers or the fantasy players or most likely all three because he is likely to put EVERYONE on an injury report. It reminds me of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL when someone loses an arm in Game One and they are listed with an ‘upper body injury’ for Game Two and are listed as day to day. Besides the injury issue, the access to information has made life so much easier for in season moves. Back in the day you would have little access to who the third string tailback is in New Orleans but today everyone knows who Pierre Thomas is and IF he goes undrafted what a pick up he could be.
The last major change I can think of is scoring. In the fall I would wake up on Monday early whether I had class or not and run to the newspaper machine outside the fraternity house to make sure I got a copy of the Sun so I could ‘do my stats’. Yes kids of the internet age, we actually went through box scores the next day to figure out who had won and by how much. Today if you play on a site you get instant updates and even if you don’t you can follow along with the internet or the NFL Network. This also brings us to ‘How we watch the games’. Back in ’88 we were excited if local TV carried two 1:00 games and what we often did was get to THE local sports bar so we could catch all of the action. Today, even without Direct TV you can stay on top of all the action right from your couch.
At the end of the day though one thing will never change; fantasy football is about competition, friendship and the love of a sport we all dreamed we could play at one point in our lives. It is our way of being on the field or owning the team we grew up loving. Whether you go wire to wire this year or are locked in a battle for the cellar, enjoy every minute of it, because before you can say TJ Houshmanzadeh it will be all over again for the year.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
It's time to start talking FOOTBALL
Last night I walked in the door from travel day from hell just in time for HBO's latest series, Hard Knocks, NFL Training Camp: The Dallas Cowboys. Now, if you don't know me, let me accentuate this point:
I HATE THE DALLAS FREAKING COWBOYS!!!!
As a kid growing up in Philadelphia there was no ifs, ands or buts about this point. This hatred grew and festered as I watched Da Boys win multiple Super Bowls. When we moved to Florida my loyalty to my hometown never left. The early 80's were pretty good to Philly sports fans and South Florida at that time only had the Dolphins. Additionally all my friends were transplants as well, mostly from New York, so they were predominantly Jets and Giants fans and in those days Philly had the upper hand. All except for Scotty, who despite his New York upbringing was and still is a dyed in the wool Cowboy fan. I am glad to say that Scotty is still one of 4 guys I would lay down my life for and vice versa but all that goes by the wayside when we talk NFL football. He loves to remind me of the ZERO Super Bowls, and all I can respond with is, you aren't even from Dallas (insert expletive)...
In 1997, we moved to Dallas. My best friend in Dallas is a life long Cowboy fan with family season tickets on the 40 yard line. For 6 years I enjoyed going to games with him and his Dad. We even had sideline passes for the day T.O. raced out onto the star at midfield to celebrate a TD. Let me tell you, the smile on my face at that was PRICELESS. Every time the Eagles came to town I would don my McNabb #5 and deal with the Cowboy fans. I love being the underdog and I certainly enjoy instigating some good natured ribbing.
Sorry for the sidetrack, but there is some background...back to last night:
The show was phenomenal! Now that I am in the production world I watch things differently and the folks at HBO do just a great job. As a football geek it was great to see the behind the scenes stuff, the practices, the rookie hazing, etc...but best of all was to get to see what I know will be a very formidable team on the field this year develop.
Let me reiterate my opening point:
I HATE THE DALLAS COWBOYS!!!!!!!
However, and I hope the guys from my league don't read this blog, I would LOVE the Romo-Owens 'bam bam' that should happen at least 15 times this year, and say what you want about Adam 'Pacman' Jones, that kid is one of the sickest athletes I have ever seen.
In other news, can you believe Brett Favre is now a New York J-E-T Jet? I know some guys that are doing backflips right now!
Meanwhile, in addition to the Fantasy Football show we are producing and that I am hosting I will also be contributing op-ed pieces to the website in article form. I think my first one will be about the changes in fantasy football over the last 10 years and how drastically changes in the NFL force new thinking with Fantasy Football.
I HATE THE DALLAS FREAKING COWBOYS!!!!
As a kid growing up in Philadelphia there was no ifs, ands or buts about this point. This hatred grew and festered as I watched Da Boys win multiple Super Bowls. When we moved to Florida my loyalty to my hometown never left. The early 80's were pretty good to Philly sports fans and South Florida at that time only had the Dolphins. Additionally all my friends were transplants as well, mostly from New York, so they were predominantly Jets and Giants fans and in those days Philly had the upper hand. All except for Scotty, who despite his New York upbringing was and still is a dyed in the wool Cowboy fan. I am glad to say that Scotty is still one of 4 guys I would lay down my life for and vice versa but all that goes by the wayside when we talk NFL football. He loves to remind me of the ZERO Super Bowls, and all I can respond with is, you aren't even from Dallas (insert expletive)...
In 1997, we moved to Dallas. My best friend in Dallas is a life long Cowboy fan with family season tickets on the 40 yard line. For 6 years I enjoyed going to games with him and his Dad. We even had sideline passes for the day T.O. raced out onto the star at midfield to celebrate a TD. Let me tell you, the smile on my face at that was PRICELESS. Every time the Eagles came to town I would don my McNabb #5 and deal with the Cowboy fans. I love being the underdog and I certainly enjoy instigating some good natured ribbing.
Sorry for the sidetrack, but there is some background...back to last night:
The show was phenomenal! Now that I am in the production world I watch things differently and the folks at HBO do just a great job. As a football geek it was great to see the behind the scenes stuff, the practices, the rookie hazing, etc...but best of all was to get to see what I know will be a very formidable team on the field this year develop.
Let me reiterate my opening point:
I HATE THE DALLAS COWBOYS!!!!!!!
However, and I hope the guys from my league don't read this blog, I would LOVE the Romo-Owens 'bam bam' that should happen at least 15 times this year, and say what you want about Adam 'Pacman' Jones, that kid is one of the sickest athletes I have ever seen.
In other news, can you believe Brett Favre is now a New York J-E-T Jet? I know some guys that are doing backflips right now!
Meanwhile, in addition to the Fantasy Football show we are producing and that I am hosting I will also be contributing op-ed pieces to the website in article form. I think my first one will be about the changes in fantasy football over the last 10 years and how drastically changes in the NFL force new thinking with Fantasy Football.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
100th post
Nothing really deep or philosophical in my head, just trying to enjoy things day by day.
Today we shot the first 4 preseason segments of the Fantasy Football Guru. It was a lot of fun and it's great that we have added a professional to the team, Chuck "The King" Oliver from 790 The Zone here in Atlanta. The three of us played off each other well and had a good time. We have added his radio station as a major partner/sponsor and they will be hosting the show on their website, www.790thezone.com. We also partnered with a company here in Atlanta called The Ice Box, which is an ad specialty company. They have designed really cool baseball style jerseys for us with logos and names on the back. The show should really get some traction and we have a chance to grow regionally and nationally with the approach we are taking. Once the first webisode is edited I will add it here as well and link over to all the places it will be distributed from.
We have some really neat sponsor tie ins going as well as the ability to do live call ins from the radio at times and I think we will even be guests on some regular radio shows as well.
Who knows, maybe I'll be on ESPN one day :)
Enjoy you weekend, I will be away from the PC trying to get some much needed R&R before the girls go back to school on the 11th. Is summer really over already? Can you believe that tomorrow is August?
Today we shot the first 4 preseason segments of the Fantasy Football Guru. It was a lot of fun and it's great that we have added a professional to the team, Chuck "The King" Oliver from 790 The Zone here in Atlanta. The three of us played off each other well and had a good time. We have added his radio station as a major partner/sponsor and they will be hosting the show on their website, www.790thezone.com. We also partnered with a company here in Atlanta called The Ice Box, which is an ad specialty company. They have designed really cool baseball style jerseys for us with logos and names on the back. The show should really get some traction and we have a chance to grow regionally and nationally with the approach we are taking. Once the first webisode is edited I will add it here as well and link over to all the places it will be distributed from.
We have some really neat sponsor tie ins going as well as the ability to do live call ins from the radio at times and I think we will even be guests on some regular radio shows as well.
Who knows, maybe I'll be on ESPN one day :)
Enjoy you weekend, I will be away from the PC trying to get some much needed R&R before the girls go back to school on the 11th. Is summer really over already? Can you believe that tomorrow is August?
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Guru will be back!
For those of you that were around last fall you might remember that I was a part of a Fantasy Football weekly internet video show. It was a lot of fun to do and we had some pretty good traffic.
I have spent a good portion of the 'off season' pitching the concept to my friends at 790 The Zone, which is Atlanta's premiere sports talk radio station. I am happy to report that we have agreed in principal to partner on the 2008 NFL Season.
The Guru will expand in reach, content and distribution! We will also grow with new talent. Joining Jordan and I will be Chuck Oliver from the station and we'll have plenty of surprise and celebrity guests throughout the season. We are signing on to produce 40, yes 40 segments. We will do 8 preseason shows starting in July to help folks get ready for the draft and then each week we will produce 2 segments.
Be sure to stay tuned for details and if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities to reach an amazing demographic (males 18-45 with DISPOSABLE income) feel free to let me know. Now is the right time to 'jump in'. We'll be seen by 25,000 plus loyal listeners in Atlanta on a bi-weekly basis and we think that will be just the start.
I have spent a good portion of the 'off season' pitching the concept to my friends at 790 The Zone, which is Atlanta's premiere sports talk radio station. I am happy to report that we have agreed in principal to partner on the 2008 NFL Season.
The Guru will expand in reach, content and distribution! We will also grow with new talent. Joining Jordan and I will be Chuck Oliver from the station and we'll have plenty of surprise and celebrity guests throughout the season. We are signing on to produce 40, yes 40 segments. We will do 8 preseason shows starting in July to help folks get ready for the draft and then each week we will produce 2 segments.
Be sure to stay tuned for details and if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities to reach an amazing demographic (males 18-45 with DISPOSABLE income) feel free to let me know. Now is the right time to 'jump in'. We'll be seen by 25,000 plus loyal listeners in Atlanta on a bi-weekly basis and we think that will be just the start.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Get ready for the debut of "The Fantasy Football Guru Report"
Yep, you got it, we just finished shooting a 'pilot' for a concept I have been passionate about for the last 2 years.
Here I sit with a great gig, we create online videos for clients and have our own studio! I love all things sports and I also thought as a kid that I would go into sports broadcasting. I still don't know how that didn't happen, but I digress.
In the meantime there is so much fantasy sports content out there but it is mostly text based.
So here I have the perfect confluence of passion and resources and I have finally found a group to partner with. I have know the guys at www.thefflguru.com for years now and when I heard their concept I pitched mine and it should be a great marriage.
Later today our first webcast will be up and I will post it here.
Here I sit with a great gig, we create online videos for clients and have our own studio! I love all things sports and I also thought as a kid that I would go into sports broadcasting. I still don't know how that didn't happen, but I digress.
In the meantime there is so much fantasy sports content out there but it is mostly text based.
So here I have the perfect confluence of passion and resources and I have finally found a group to partner with. I have know the guys at www.thefflguru.com for years now and when I heard their concept I pitched mine and it should be a great marriage.
Later today our first webcast will be up and I will post it here.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Weight Watchers Update
So there was no weigh in last week because of Labor Day. I set a goal for myself to lose 2.4 lbs I think...
Did I? No. I only lost .2 lbs but hey, at least I didn't gain. Let's dissect the 2 weeks and see where I failed:
1. Spent 4 days in Florida with the boys - playing golf, fantasy football draft, drank a few beers and I probably ate too much bad food and didn't think 'portion control'.
2. Labor Day - flew home and took the girls too the Braves-Phillies game. I did well here; no beer, not hot dogs, etc...just a grilled chicken sandwich and peanuts.
3. Took the company to the Braves - Phils on Wednesday for a day game AND we sat in the 'All you can eat seats'. Again, I did relatively well compared to Old Gil. I had ONE LIGHT BEER and 2 hot dogs. Old Gil would have been 2-3 beers, 4 hot dogs, fries and nachos.
4. This past weekend we drive down to Gainesville and took the girls to their first HOME Gator game. On the road I had a Chick-Fil-A sandwich on the way down and nothing on the way back. Before the game I had a Subway Turkey sub and NO chips. At the game I had a little of Rachel's pizza and Diet Coke's (actually Diet Pepsi's but that's a horse of a different color).
5. I only ran 4 days of the 2 weeks as well.
All in all I'll take the fact that I maintained and try to get back on the horse this week. I would like to hit the 10 pound loss this week.
Did I? No. I only lost .2 lbs but hey, at least I didn't gain. Let's dissect the 2 weeks and see where I failed:
1. Spent 4 days in Florida with the boys - playing golf, fantasy football draft, drank a few beers and I probably ate too much bad food and didn't think 'portion control'.
2. Labor Day - flew home and took the girls too the Braves-Phillies game. I did well here; no beer, not hot dogs, etc...just a grilled chicken sandwich and peanuts.
3. Took the company to the Braves - Phils on Wednesday for a day game AND we sat in the 'All you can eat seats'. Again, I did relatively well compared to Old Gil. I had ONE LIGHT BEER and 2 hot dogs. Old Gil would have been 2-3 beers, 4 hot dogs, fries and nachos.
4. This past weekend we drive down to Gainesville and took the girls to their first HOME Gator game. On the road I had a Chick-Fil-A sandwich on the way down and nothing on the way back. Before the game I had a Subway Turkey sub and NO chips. At the game I had a little of Rachel's pizza and Diet Coke's (actually Diet Pepsi's but that's a horse of a different color).
5. I only ran 4 days of the 2 weeks as well.
All in all I'll take the fact that I maintained and try to get back on the horse this week. I would like to hit the 10 pound loss this week.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Monday's Random Thoughts
I guess Monday's will be a good place to dump these thoughts, especially since they build up over the weekend.
1. Chaos in the house! I am NEVER moving again if I can help it. The last time we moved I got a 'hall pass' as I was already in Atlanta so the task of packing up was left to Ilene (who was 7 months pregnant, I know...nice husband!). Anyway, this weekend we did a 'mini-pack' as we have to move for a week or two as they are installing new hardwoods in the house. Man does this SUCK, and we are staying! On the positive side, once this is done not only will the house look great but we can sort of start over fresh and get rid of the junk that has been collecting, sort of a forced 'Spring Cleaning'.
2. Boy does the Phillies Bullpen BLOW! Yesterday while I was schlepping stuff from our house to my parents I was listening to the Phils' game on XM (I love the XM). They are up 4-0 going into the 7th and as a Phils' fan I just know the wheels will come off. One, I think Charlie Manuel must think he is managing a different team. I have never seen (or more often heard) a Manager so quickly yank a Starting Pitcher than Manuel. I mean if we had a the Boston bullpen I'd yank these guys in the 6th too but we're talking Alfonseca, Romero, Geary and Flash Gordon here...I'll roll the dice with the kid who has only given up 4 hits in 6 1/3...
3. I hate to go back to the Vick thing but two things are REALLY irking me:
a. The 'DUE PROCESS' thing - let's get this straight, Mike Vick is getting due process. Let's see, he is facing multiple felony charges, has 3 co-defendants lined up against him and his team is working on a plea deal. Where is Mike right now? He is sitting at home free to do almost anything he likes. He's NOT locked up, he's NOT on house arrest. No, he can't play football but that is not the Court's decision it is his employer's. And by the way, I don't see his Union fighting that decision. I could be wrong here but I also think he might be getting paid during this suspension. Regardless he has NOT been fired! So that's 3 big NOT's. Put me, you or Uncle Al in Mike's place and I bet you we are sitting in jail waiting for trial, have been fired from our jobs and our entire world would already been ruined. Start using the correct terms people - and by people I mean the media as well as the unabashed Vick supporters. Mike is getting due process from the only place where due process means anything - the courts.
b. Could there be more...yes there is. I keep hearing, specifically on Atlanta radio that we care more about dogs than we do people apparently. Really? I have now heard that Mike is being treated worse than murderers are treated. Again, really? We now know that his co-defendants have plead guilty to KILLING 8 dogs in a really disgusting manner. I also think they will do less than 5 years. In fact, each killing is worth 5 years on a sentence so they would do 40 if they went to trial, were convicted and sentenced. So, let's see how does that compare to killing people? If I go on a murderous rampage where I kill 8 people by electrocution and drowning will I get 5 years per murder? Will I get to plea this down? Ummm, I think not. In States where the Death Penalty is available I am frying, where it is not I am ROTTING in prison wasting taxpayer money where I am serving 8 consecutive life sentences without parole (that's 25 years x 8 folks). This argument is stupid!
4. Now that I got that off my chest, this weekend did have a football related bright spot. On Saturday night we had the annual picking of the cards for my Fantasy Football Draft. Unlike many leagues this one is unique. First it has been around since 1989 and I have been in since 1992. We also have stuck to only 8 teams and we have our own unique scoring system, which we still do on our OWN, no website. We also do a complete random order throughout the draft - no snake, no traditional, completely random! So I get the #7 pick in round 1 and the #1 in Round 2. Not horrible but my picks stay pretty bad. Last year I won the whole thing with the #8 pick so there is hope. The other great thing about this league, like all leagues is the draft. For this one I go to South Florida every year for the draft (or almost every year, I've done a couple via conference call). It's a great weekend with great friends, I'm sure you'll hear plenty this year :)
5. I am admitting it here to the 'unwashed masses' - I like soccer and not just coaching Cydney and Rachel's teams. I like soccer on TV. I have the Fox Sports Soccer channel and I like watching English Premier League, the Bundeslega, Argenitinian Soccer and even MLS (gasp). I watched the LA - NY match and Beckham is just amazing! On top of that Landon Donovan is a true superstar in the making, he needs to go to Europe and let the world see it!
OK, that's a REALLY long post. I have more but my fingers are hurting!
G
1. Chaos in the house! I am NEVER moving again if I can help it. The last time we moved I got a 'hall pass' as I was already in Atlanta so the task of packing up was left to Ilene (who was 7 months pregnant, I know...nice husband!). Anyway, this weekend we did a 'mini-pack' as we have to move for a week or two as they are installing new hardwoods in the house. Man does this SUCK, and we are staying! On the positive side, once this is done not only will the house look great but we can sort of start over fresh and get rid of the junk that has been collecting, sort of a forced 'Spring Cleaning'.
2. Boy does the Phillies Bullpen BLOW! Yesterday while I was schlepping stuff from our house to my parents I was listening to the Phils' game on XM (I love the XM). They are up 4-0 going into the 7th and as a Phils' fan I just know the wheels will come off. One, I think Charlie Manuel must think he is managing a different team. I have never seen (or more often heard) a Manager so quickly yank a Starting Pitcher than Manuel. I mean if we had a the Boston bullpen I'd yank these guys in the 6th too but we're talking Alfonseca, Romero, Geary and Flash Gordon here...I'll roll the dice with the kid who has only given up 4 hits in 6 1/3...
3. I hate to go back to the Vick thing but two things are REALLY irking me:
a. The 'DUE PROCESS' thing - let's get this straight, Mike Vick is getting due process. Let's see, he is facing multiple felony charges, has 3 co-defendants lined up against him and his team is working on a plea deal. Where is Mike right now? He is sitting at home free to do almost anything he likes. He's NOT locked up, he's NOT on house arrest. No, he can't play football but that is not the Court's decision it is his employer's. And by the way, I don't see his Union fighting that decision. I could be wrong here but I also think he might be getting paid during this suspension. Regardless he has NOT been fired! So that's 3 big NOT's. Put me, you or Uncle Al in Mike's place and I bet you we are sitting in jail waiting for trial, have been fired from our jobs and our entire world would already been ruined. Start using the correct terms people - and by people I mean the media as well as the unabashed Vick supporters. Mike is getting due process from the only place where due process means anything - the courts.
b. Could there be more...yes there is. I keep hearing, specifically on Atlanta radio that we care more about dogs than we do people apparently. Really? I have now heard that Mike is being treated worse than murderers are treated. Again, really? We now know that his co-defendants have plead guilty to KILLING 8 dogs in a really disgusting manner. I also think they will do less than 5 years. In fact, each killing is worth 5 years on a sentence so they would do 40 if they went to trial, were convicted and sentenced. So, let's see how does that compare to killing people? If I go on a murderous rampage where I kill 8 people by electrocution and drowning will I get 5 years per murder? Will I get to plea this down? Ummm, I think not. In States where the Death Penalty is available I am frying, where it is not I am ROTTING in prison wasting taxpayer money where I am serving 8 consecutive life sentences without parole (that's 25 years x 8 folks). This argument is stupid!
4. Now that I got that off my chest, this weekend did have a football related bright spot. On Saturday night we had the annual picking of the cards for my Fantasy Football Draft. Unlike many leagues this one is unique. First it has been around since 1989 and I have been in since 1992. We also have stuck to only 8 teams and we have our own unique scoring system, which we still do on our OWN, no website. We also do a complete random order throughout the draft - no snake, no traditional, completely random! So I get the #7 pick in round 1 and the #1 in Round 2. Not horrible but my picks stay pretty bad. Last year I won the whole thing with the #8 pick so there is hope. The other great thing about this league, like all leagues is the draft. For this one I go to South Florida every year for the draft (or almost every year, I've done a couple via conference call). It's a great weekend with great friends, I'm sure you'll hear plenty this year :)
5. I am admitting it here to the 'unwashed masses' - I like soccer and not just coaching Cydney and Rachel's teams. I like soccer on TV. I have the Fox Sports Soccer channel and I like watching English Premier League, the Bundeslega, Argenitinian Soccer and even MLS (gasp). I watched the LA - NY match and Beckham is just amazing! On top of that Landon Donovan is a true superstar in the making, he needs to go to Europe and let the world see it!
OK, that's a REALLY long post. I have more but my fingers are hurting!
G
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