Reflecting on the Year in Sports 2008

2008 is about to come to an end and with it another year in sports. I've heard many people say that this year is the "Greatest Year in Sports". I don't know if I would go that far but I will say it was a memorable one. Here's some highlights that stick in my mind:

1.) Super Bowl XLII...or the Super Bowl that ruined perfection. While the Patriots are not my favorite team (that would be the Titans followed by the Seahawks), I was hoping they would finish off the perfect season just because it has never been done in my lifetime. So when the Giants won I was disappointed. Guess that's what this upcoming playoffs is for...sweet redemption in the Giants losing, hopefully before they get to the Super Bowl.

2.) Another thrilling March Madness with the championship game going into overtime with Memphis and Kansas. It once again shows how a tournament works in deciding a champion. If only Division I football would learn this lesson...

3.) The first annual "Winter Classic" put on by the NHL with the Penguins and Sabres last New Year's Day. It was a cool concept and cool game. I'm looking forward to this year's edition with the Blackhawks and Red Wings at Wrigley Field.

4.) The Boston Celtics winning the NBA Finals after a long drought. It was cool seeing the Celts (one of the first teams that I watched as a little kid) back on top and even more so beating the Lakers. It was a definite highlight of the NBA.

5.) However, a definite lowlight was the debacle that involved Clay Bennett and the team which shall not be mentioned. It was sad that David Stern, whom I regarded as one of the best comissioners today would allow a travesty like letting that franchise to leave Seattle. I take some solace in the fact that the franchise is on pace to set the worst record in the regular season. But I have lost respect for David Stern and until they rectify the situation by getting a team back in Seattle, the NBA will be probably my third favorite sports league, possibly my fourth.

6.) The 2008 Summer Olympics definitely lived up to the hype. I wondered if it was going to be pulled of in Bejing but it was. Obviously for me the highlights were Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, the beach volleyball (both men's and women's) and the Redeem Team (men's basketball).

7.) The Tampa Bay Rays making the World Series. I never thought I'd see the day they would but I did. They ended up losing to the Phillies, who hadn't won since I was like nine months old, but still it was something. Unfortunately with the way the Yankees are spending yet again, it may be forever before the Rays ever get back.

8.) The return of the Titans. It was cool that they started the year of 2008 in the playoffs (losing unfortunately but making it). Even more so was the 2008 season which saw them finish 13-3 (tieing the franchise record), winning the AFC South (first time since 2002 season), getting the #1 overall seed. I must say it was a surprise and I hope that the first part of 2009 will bring a Super Bowl victory and the Lombardi trophy back to Nashville.

As far as personal highlights, I went to my first Arena Football game in about 10 years, went to eight Royals games (including seeing both the Red Sox and the Mariners). I also went to my first NHL game in three years.

It was a cool and interesting sports year. It'll be interesting to see how 2009 will shape up

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 17 (Championship) Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 17 Edition aka "The Championship Edition". It was an interesting Week 17. The two teams that were playing in the highlight leagues won which meant one team in the highlight leagues won a championship. I also won a championship in a non-highlight league which brings the total to two championships for the second straight year. Here's the breakdown of Week 17 and a recap of the 2008 season in the three highlight leagues...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces finished with an improbable second straight fantasy football championship as they squeaked past Domination by the score of 53.07 to 44.26. Both teams were rather flat as they both had starters that had short performances or didn't play due to injury. It was very much a war of attrition and it indeed came down to the final game on the schedule as Jay Cutler and Eddie Royal may have not led the Broncos in the playoffs but they did secure a championship for the Masterpieces, a second straight in the Speed Kills league. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Eddie Royal, Jay Cutler, Chris Cooley, and Ronnie Brown. After Week 17 and the championship game, the Masterpieces have a record of 11-6.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators and the Tulsa bullMoosen squared off in the second week of a two week battle for the top spot in the consolation bracket (aka 5th place). The second week score was 120-73 with the Perks getting the advantage. In total over the two weeks, the final score was 220-189 with the Perks getting the win. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Philadelphia DEF, LaDanian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, and Bernard Berrian. After week 17, and the final game of the season, the Perkalators finish a record of 9-5-1.

Final recap of the 2008 season:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (11-6) finished the regular season in 4th place and won three games in the playoffs to secure their second straight championship. The fact that this team was able to repeat as champion was shocking with the loss of 1st round pick (7th overall) Tom Brady to a season ending injury in Week 1. The team was able to rally and coupled with a good rest of the draft along with some key free agent pickups, the Masterpieces picked up where Seattle Perkalators left off with a championship. Out of the 15 players initially drafted, 10 were left in the end. Steal of the draft was QB Jay Cutler (10th round #114 pick). Transaction of the year was the waiver wire pickup of WR Eddie Royal. Offensive player of the year was Eddie Royal. Defensive players of the year were the Tampa Bay DEF. Most points scored in a week: 127.69 (Week 10)

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (9-6) finished the regular season in 3rd place, lost in the first round of the playoffs and finished in 5th place after winning the 5th place game. This team was both a disappointment and a surprise. They lost their starting QB to injury (Matt Hasselbeck) along with several other key players during the year. The times the team had off weeks were unfortunately weeks they couldn't afford to do it. The Chefs held the #2 overall pick and selected RB Adrian Peterson. Out of the 18 players initially drafted, 13 were there in the end. Steal of the draft was QB Philip Rivers (11th round #102 overall). Transaction of the year was waiver wire pickup of RB Jerious Norwood. Offensive player of the year was Philip Rivers. Defensive players of the year were Tennessee DEF. Most points scored in a week: 152.63 (Week 10)

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (9-5-1) finished the regular season tied for 3rd in Division 1 and won two games in the consolation bracket to finish 5th overall in the league. This team started off on fire but cooled off in the middle of the season. In the end, the team picked up the pace to finish strong and win the consolation bracket. The Perks held the #1 overall pick and selected RB LaDanian Tomlinson. Out of the 16 players initally drafted, 11 were there in the end. Steal of the draft was QB Philip Rivers (10th round #100 overall). Transaction of the year was waiver wire pickup of Philadelphia DEF. Offensive player of the year was Philip Rivers. Defensive players of the year were Philadelphia DEF. Most points scored in a week: 120 (Week 17).

That's all for this season. Hope all of you have a happy new year!

Reason #1 Why I Like Football Better Than Baseball

There are many reasons why I like football more than I like baseball. It's not that I don't like baseball, I do. Since I've lived in major league cities (Seattle, Kansas City), I go to several games a year. I have several fantasy baseball teams a year including one keeper league. When I was a kid, I collected baseball cards.

But simply put, I like football better. If I had to rank major league sports, football would be #1. Hockey would actually be slightly ahead at #2 followed by baseball and then basketball (this is because the NBA and David Stern allowed Clay Bennett to leave with the team which shall not be named and take them from Seattle to Oklahoma City, which by the way are like 3-27 which makes me super happy....but that's another story). Football is a sport that I grew up on as kid with college and pro.

I was reminded again why I like football better yesterday when the Yankees signed yet another player for an exoberant amount of money. It's not just the fact that I'm a Red Sox fan that the news disgusted me. It was the fact that their salary is more than the worth of the franchises of the Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers (with money to spare). I'm sure there are several MLB teams who's total payroll doesn't even equal the starting lineup + starting 5 of the Yankees...combined. It is simply ridiculous.

I'm much rather keep up with football than baseball. Baseball you can pretty much write off 3/5ths of the teams right now (and that's being generous) and it's still two months or so before spring training. Football, you can have a horrible year one year (i.e. Miami, Atlanta) and make the playoffs or have a shot at the playoffs the next. Teams in smaller markets (Green Bay, Tennessee) have chances to go to the Super Bowl every year. Small markets teams in MLB rarely have a shot beyond maybe once in a decade if that.

The Yankees should be happy they signed yet another free agent. I'll be happy to keep watching America's true pastime...football

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 16 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 16 Edition. There are two teams left playing in the three highlight leagues as they compete on, one trying to win a championship and the other trying to finish strong in the consolation bracket. Here's the breakdown of Week 16 and the look ahead to Week 17...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces rolled on in their quest for back to back championships with a semi-final playoff victory over the #1 seed The Rainmaker by a score of 95.13 to 87.22. The Masterpieces helped to avenge a regular season loss with a strong overall perfomance by a team that is starting to click at the right time. With the victory, the Masterpieces advance to the finals with a chance to repeat as champ. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Wes Welker, Reggie Wayne, Jay Cutler, and Eddie Royal. After Week 16 and semi-finals of the playoffs, the Masterpieces have a record of 10-6.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs finish their season with a record of 9-6.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators and the Tulsa bullMoosen squared off in the first week of a two week battle for the top spot in the consolation bracket. The first week score was 116-100 with BullMoosen in the lead. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Hines Ward and LaDanian Tomlinson. After week 16, the Perkalators have a record of 8-5-1.

Outlook for Week 17:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (10-6, #4 seed) will look to finish their season with a second straight championship as they square off against #2 seed Domination (10-5) in the championship game. The Masterpieces are riding high after their win over the #1 seed while Domination had to squeak by in their semi-final matchup. This should come down to the wire as the Masterpieces will have two guys going in the last game of the day. Key matchup will be the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. Brett Favre). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs finish with a record of 9-6.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (8-5-1) will face off in the second of two weeks against Tulsa bullMoosen (6-7-1). This matchup will decide the 5th place winner. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Jason Whitten). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 15 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 15 Edition. The playoffs are in full effect and at least there was some good news this week. I went 3-0 in the highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown of Week 15 and the look ahead to Week 16...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces began their defense of their championship with a 1st round playoff victory over the Jammers by a score of 91.89 to 58.45. It was an impressive performance which was also helped by the Jammers not having two players score points. With the victory, the Masterpieces advance to the semi-finals and keep a repeat championship alive. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Eddie Royal, Wes Welker, Rob Bironias and Tampa Bay DEF. After Week 15 and round 1 of the playoffs, the Masterpieces have a record of 9-6.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs finished their season with a victory in the 5th place game against Romosapiens by the score of 123.59 to 87.73. The Chefs had a huge scoring performance and had the most points by any team last week. It was a positive end to a disappointing season as they finish in 5th place. Leading scorers for the Chefs were Philip Rivers, Andre Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Adrian Peterson. After Week 15, the Chefs finish with a record of 9-6.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators and the NashVegas The Editor finished their two week battle with the Perks coming through with a win. The second week score was 105-88. It took a Monday night performance by the Philly DEF to get the job done. With the win, the Perks advance in the consolation bracket. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Philip Rivers, Bernard Berrian, Phliadelphia DEF and Rob Bironias. After week 15, the Perkalators have a record of 8-5-1.

Outlook for Week 16:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (9-6) will look to continue the playoff run as they take on #1 seed The Rainmaker (10-4) in a semi-final matchup. This will be a heavyweight matchup between the defending champs and the #1 seed. Key matchup will be the WR position (Reggie Wayne/Wes Welker/Eddie Royal vs. Calvin Johnson/Terrell Owens/Antonio Bryant). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the slightest favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs finish with a record of 9-6.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (8-5-1) will face off in the first of two weeks against Tulsa bullMoosen (6-7-1). This matchup will decide the 5th place winner. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Jason Whitten). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Reflections on Plaxico Burress

This is one that I've mulled on a litle recently, the incident involving Plaxico Burress shooting himself. I'm not the only one as a wise man (notice I didn't say wise guy) as already commented on it on his blog (which you should check out, http://billyvsquickhits.blogspot.com/). I'll just add my two sense here.

I found it ironic that the incident happened on the same weekend as the Washington Redskins honored Sean Taylor who was tragically shot and killed in his home by robbers. I think too often there is a lack of common sense that seems to permeate in situations like the one involving Burress. There is an old saying that seems to work well..."Nothing good happens at (fill in the blank early morning hour)". I personally don't have a problem with going to a club but if you feel like you have to carry a gun in order to go to a club, then you probably shouldn't be at that club. And I'm not against owning guns either (I have several back in Tennessee that are with my family), but there should be proper care and handling with those too and not being careless with them.

Hopefully, something can be learned from this incident, especially from Burress. My guess is he will not be with the Giants next year. Wherever he lands, I hope that he will have a better perspective on his life and those around him.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 14 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 14 Edition. It is playoff time or close to it in the highlight leagues. It was an okay week with good news and bad news. I went 1-1-1 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown of Week 14 and the look ahead to Week 15...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces finished the regular season with a victory as they beat Deal's Gap Dragons by a score of 90.42 to 59.01. With the victory, the Masterpieces not only make the playoffs but finished with a 4th seed. This is good news for a team trying to repeat as champions. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Jay Cutler, Wes Welker, Eddie Royal and LenDale White. After Week 14 and the end of the regular season, I finished in 4th place with a record of 8-6.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the playoffs to Souper Bowl Sundays by the score of 113.86 to 104.05. The Chefs had the lead going into the Monday Night game but a huge performance by DeAngelo Williams helped the Sundays advance. Now the Chefs are relegated to the 5th place game. Leading scorers for the Chefs were Philip Rivers, Maurice Jones-Drew, Andre Johnson, and Tennessee DEF. After Week 14, the Chefs have a record of 8-6.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators and the NashVegas The Editor ended the first week of two matchup in the consolation bracket in a tie with the score of 52-52. It was a less than impressive performance from both sides and ironically this is the second tie the two teams have had in their matchups. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Rob Bironias, Bernard Berrian, Greg Jennings, and LaDanian Tomlinson. After week 14, the Perkalators have a record of 7-5-2.

Outlook for Week 14:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (8-6) will look to secure a victory in a first round playoff matchup as they square off against the Jammers (8-6). The Masterpieces will be looking to keep the winning tradition going as they look to repeat as champions of the Speed Kills league while the Jammers look to start a tradition of their own. Key matchup will be the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. Jeff Garcia). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (8-6) will look at least win his final game as he faces off against the Romosapiens (8-6). This game will not be highly looked at between the two clubs but they will want to finish the season on a high note. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Tennessee vs. New York Giants). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the slight favorite.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (7-5-2) will face off again against rival NashVegas The Editor (7-5-2). Key matchup will be at the K position (Rob Bironias vs. John Carney). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 13 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 13 Edition. After a short hiatus that some changes in standings, I'm back. This was a good week as I went 2-1 in the three highlight weeks. Here's the breakdown of Week 13 and the look ahead to Week 14...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces pulled out a victory as they beat the Dixie Rebels by the score of 113.33 to 92.15. This snaped a two game losing streak (started by a computer malfunction that rivaled the BCS as the Yahoo computers stole a victory that had previously been given over The Rainmaker). With the decisive victory, the Masterpieces stay in contention for the playoffs. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Rob Bironias, Eddie Royal, Jay Cutler, and LenDale White. After Week 13, I'm in 6th place (essentially in 5th place) with a record of 7-6.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs had their five game winning streak snapped as they lost to regular season champs Multiple Homeowners by the score of 124.09 to 100.24. It was a hard fought game but the Chefs were in too deep of a hole going into the Monday Night game to overcome. This was the last game in the regular season. The Chefs ended the season with a record of 8-5 and in a 4 way tie for 2nd place. The tiebreaker was points scored. Because of this the Chefs will have the #3 seed going into the playoffs. Leading scorers for the Chefs were Tennessee DEF, Adrian Peterson, Andre Johnson and Philip Rivers. After Week 13 and the end of the regular season I'm in 3rd place (essentially tied for 2nd) with a record of 8-5.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators won a game finally to break the losing streak as they beat the San Diego Super Chowders by the score of 100-44. The win was satisfying in that it was a convincing victory. However, it was bittersweet as it came too late to try and make the championship bracket of the playoffs. The Perks will now play in the consolation bracket. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Rob Bironias, Bernard Berrian, Greg Jennings, and LaDanian Tomlinson. After week 13, I'm tied for 3rd place in Division 1 with a record of 7-5-1.

Outlook for Week 14:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (7-6) will look to secure a victory and a playoff spot as they take on Deal's Gap Dragons (4-9). These two teams met in Week 3 with the Masterpieces taking the win. This is the last week in the regular season. There are only two playoff spots available and three teams in contention. As of right now the Masterpieces are in but need a win to clinch and have a shot at repeating as champ. Key matchup will be the RB position (Ronnie Brown/LenDale White vs. Leon Washington/Fred Taylor). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (8-5) will look to get the playoffs started properly with a win as they take on Souper Bowl Sundays (7-6). This game is a rematch against old rival and friend Adam from Week 7. The Chefs will look to avenge the loss that came from that game and a playoff matchup would be the best place to do it. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Adrian Peterson/Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Marion Barber/DeAngelo Williams). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the slight favorite.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (7-5-1) will look salvage the season by winning the consolation bracket. The first step is to take on Division 1 rival NashVegas The Editor (7-5-1). These two teams met twice in the regular season with the Perks getting a win and the other game ending in a tie. This will be a two week matchup and the Perks will be looking forward to getting a quick start in the win column. Key matchup will be at the K position (Rob Bironias vs. John Carney). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Back On The Field With Some Updates

It as been a while since I posted. I was gone for a week hence no Fantasy Football Tuesday for last week. Look for that this coming Tuesday. I am also hoping to post a little more consistently in a few weeks when I get a new laptop. I'm excited to have a laptop that doesn't overheat and shut off in a few minutes and not have consistent work on.

There are some quick highlights I want to hit on:

NFL: I'm excited still about the Titans. Yes, they lost to the Jets but came back to stomp the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. 11-1 is still a great record and one not to sneeze at. Hopefully they will finish strong and secure that #1 spot and homefield throughout the playoffs.

College Football: It was bittersweet for Philip Fulmer in his last game on Saturday. He was a great coach but at the same time there was a need for a change. It will be interesting to see how things shape up after that but at least the last game of the season was a win.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 11 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 11 Edition. This was another critical week as teams vie for playoff spots and positioning. This week as I went 2-1 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 11 and the look ahead to Week 12...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces have now won three in a row for the second time this season as they eeked by The Rainmaker 96.12 to 95.62. The Masterpieces held off a late charge by Marion Barber's huge Sunday Night performance to secure the victory in the closest matchup of the week in the league. With this win, the Masterpieces keep pace with the leader at only one game out of first place. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Eddie Royal, Jay Cutler, Wes Welker and Tampa Bay DEF. After Week 11, I'm in 2nd place with a record of 7-4.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs now have a team high four game winning streak as they defeated Eskimo Army soundly by the score of 90.48 to 68.14. With this win, the Chefs avenge an early season loss to the Army and keep pace with the leaders in the league. With the win, the Chefs go to three games above .500 for the first time all season and two back from the leader with two games to go. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Maurice Jones-Drew, Anquan Boldin, Tennessee DEF and Hines Ward. After Week 11, I'm in 4th place (essentially tied for 3rd) with a record of 7-4.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators lost a heart breaker to divsion leading Louisville Express by the score of 97-72. The Perks couldn't muster up enough of a comeback with RB Jamal Lewis going on Monday night to get the win. The Perks are now tied for 2nd in the division and are on the outside looking in of the championship playoff bracket as it stands right now. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were LaDanian Tomlinson, Philadelphia DEF, Hines Ward and Greg Jennings. After week 10, I'm tied for 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 6-4-1.

Outlook for Week 12:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (7-4) will look to bring the winning streak at four games as they take on Headhunters (6-5). The Masterpieces will look to avenge a Week 1 loss to the Headhunters along with trying to keep pace with the division leader. No team has clinched a playoff spot yet and three games separate the number 1 team with the number 9 team with three weeks to go. Key matchup will be the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. Donovan McNabb). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (7-4) will look keep the winning streak going as they take on The Infirmary. This is a rematch against old rival and friend Steve from earlier in the season. In that game the Chefs came away with the victory. The race for the playoffs is tightening up. Two teams have qualified which leaves four spots available. Right now there are five teams playing for four spots along with playing for seeding. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Tony Gonzalez). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (6-4-1) will look to bounce back with a win as they square off against Tulsa bullMoosen (4-6-1). This is a critical game for the Perks as they are looking to get back into the Championship bracket with only two games in the regular season left. This is a very critical game. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Philadelphia vs. Indianapolis). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Sad Times In Seattle Sports

I feel for my "second" home of Seattle right now. Sportswise it is a very dark time. The Mariners finished in last place this past season with a horrible record. The Seahawks are struggling through a dismal season. The U-Dub football team is winless. And the team which shall not be named was moved to Oklahoma City. To be a Seattle sports fan is hard right now.

And to add insult to injury, recently "Tuba Man" passed away. For those not familar with him, he was a guy that would set up outside of Safeco Field or Qwest Field or Key Arena (depending on the season) and would play the tuba. You couldn't go to a game without hearing the bellowing tunes he would put out. His playing was just as much a tradition as garlic fries at Safeco or raising the 12th Fan flag at Qwest. Win or lose after the game as well you'd hear him play. It was a cool thing.

The sad story about him being beat up by a couple of youth which lead to his death is tragic. It broke my heart to hear about that. I pray for his family and for the community at large. It is a hard reminder of the fallen world we live in and the reality it is. Things will improve in Seattle sportswise, things like this tend to go in cycles. The "Tuba Man" will be missed.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 10 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 10 Edition. It's the point of the season where the stretch run takes place on the way to the playoffs (hopefully). This was a great week as I went 3-0 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 10 and the look ahead to Week 11...


Breakdown:


In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces have won two in a row now after knocking off the River City Roosters by the score of 128.69 to 83.56. The Masterpieces were yet againthe highest scoring team in the league this week. It was a huge performance and at a perfect time given the race to the playoffs is heating up. With this win, the Masterpieces are only one game out of first place. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Eddie Royal, Jay Cutler, Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker. After Week 10, I'm in 4th place (essentially tied for 3rd) with a record of 6-4.


In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs have kept the momentum going as they've now won three straight games EasieR WIN by the score of 152.74 to 62.33. The Chefs scored the highest amount of points this week in the league. They easily won the matchup even before Anquan Boldin stepped on the field for his game on Monday Night. With the win, the Chefs go to two games above .500 for the first time all season. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Philip Rivers and Anquan Boldin. After Week 10, I'm in 4th place with a record of 6-4.


In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators bounced back this week with a win as they beat the Tennessee Journeyman by the score of 66-50. Helped by the Journeyman starting two players who were on the bye, the Perks were able to eek out a win to get back on track and keep pace in the playoff race. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Philip Rivers, Jamal Lewis, Antonio Gates and Hines Ward. After week 10, I'm in 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 6-3-1.


Outlook for Week 11:


In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (6-4) will look to keep the momentum going as they take on the league leading The Rainmaker (7-3). With only four games left in the regular season, this will be a critical game for both teams. As it stands right now, there is only two games seperating 7 teams from the top spot. It also means one little slip up and you can be out of the playoffs as only six teams make the playoffs. It will be a fight the rest of the season as the Masterpieces look to make the playoffs and retain their championship. Key matchup will be the RB position (Ronnie Brown/LenDale White vs. Chris Johnson/Darren Sproles). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.


In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (6-4) will look avenge a loss early in the year as they square off against the Eskimo Army. The Chefs would love to hand the Army a loss as they have become the "villian" team in the league with the trash talking and repeated roster moves to disrupt things. There are only three games left in the regular season so every game matters. As it stands right now, two games seperate the top team from the sixth place team. One team has already qualified for the playoffs (Multiple Homeowners) so there are five playoff spots left along with seeding to play for. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Philip Rivers vs. Tony Romo). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Army as the favorite.


In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (6-3-1) will face off against division rivals the Louisville Express (7-3). This will be a huge matchup as this matchup is against the top two teams in Division 1. These two teams faced off in Week 4 with the Perks getting the win. The winner of this game will be in 1st place in the division with only two more games left in the regular season after this week. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Owen Daniels). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.


That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Reflecting on an End of an Era

I've been wanting to talk about this topic for a while but life has kind of taken me away for a little bit. But I have some time so I'll use it now for that.

In recent weeks, I learned that the two coaches of teams I root for will not be coming back next season. Tyrone Willingham at Washington and Philip Fulmer at Tennessee. I have varying feelings about both.

In the case of Willingham, I'm very disappointed. Personally, I don't think he got a fair shake. He was trying to rebuild a program that was pretty much down in the dumps. In my time in Seattle, I saw a team that was willing to play for him and if there hadn't been some injuries here and there (along with some bad refereeing) he would have made a bowl game at least once, maybe twice. I only got to watch about two games this year (BYU, Oklahoma) so I can't really gauge the difference as to why they're winless. What I do know is it's sad that he's not going to be back and the next coach is going to have a tough time.

In the case of Fulmer, I'm not really surprised. Ever since my senior year of college (2001-02), he has really had a hard time. The team off the field has had multiple problems (not recently but a few years ago) and the team on the field has had similar problems. In 2005, they missed going to a bowl game for the first time since 1988 and this year they're on track to do it again. It has been really frustrating because in the big game the team seems to way underachieve. Personally, I thought he should have been fired at least two times earlier. But I do like him and I'm glad for the way he has carried himself. It's very rare to see the loyalty that he showed to the school that he has spent such a long time at first as a player, then assistant head coach, then head coach. I'm sure he'll stick around in some capacity as an administrator. I do hope the next coach they bring in will be someone who can compete not only for the SEC championship but the national championship.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 9 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 9 Edition. This was another week of improvement as I ended up going 2-1 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 9 and the look ahead to Week 10...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces finally got back on the win column as they beat KILLA B by the score of 110.79 to 64.25. The Masterpieces were the highest scoring team in the league this week. Given the past two weeks, this week's victory helps to right the ship and with five games left in the season, every win is key. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Eddie Royal, Rob Bironias, Ronnie Brown and Chris Cooley. After Week 8, I'm in 4th place (essentially tied for 3rd) with a record of 5-4.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs have miraclously won two straight games as they beat Homeskool Dropouts by the score of 78.39 to 68.39. The Chefs, in spite of not benching Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates who were on the bye and not starting Adrian Peterson, were able to pull out the victory and are above .500 for the first time since 1-0. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Jerious Norwood, Tennessee DEF, Anquan Boldin and Maurice Jones-Drew. After Week 9, I'm in 6th place (essentially tied for 5th) with a record of 5-4.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators lost a tough game against Mexico City Gringos by the score of 78-67. The Perks had a hard time with backup QB Matt Schaub getting hurt and also backup TE Tony Scheffler not playing at all which helped contribute to the loss. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Bernard Berrian, Rob Bironias and Jerious Norwood. After week 9, I'm in 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 5-3-1.

Outlook for Week 10:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (5-4) will look to keep the momentum going as they take on the River City Roosters (4-5). The Masterpieces will be without Tampa Bay DEF and TE Chris Cooley while the Roosters will not be affected by the bye. Key matchup will be the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. David Garrard). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (5-4) will look to keep the momentum going as they match up against Easiest Win Ever (2-7). These two teams met in Week 1 with the Chefs getting a victory. The Chefs will be at full strength as there are no players on the bye and all starters will be in the lineup. The Easiest Win Ever will be without WR Roy Williams on the bye. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (5-3-1) will face off against Tennessee Journeymen (7-2). This will be a tough matchup as the Perks square off against a team that is tied for the division lead in the other division. The Perks will be at 100% with no players on the bye. The Journeymen will be without RB Clinton Portis and Tampa Bay DEF as they'll be on the bye. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Philip Rivers vs. Eli Manning). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

NBA Preview and Predictions

Here is my predictions for the 2008-2009 NBA season (yes I know the season started yesterday but I don't have ready access to cable so it's okay)

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams (division winner marked by plus sign):
Boston+
Orlando+
Cleveland+
Detroit
Toronto
Atlanta
Chicago
Miami

Western Conference Playoff Teams:
New Orleans+
LA Lakers+
Utah+
Portland
Golden State
Houston
San Antonio
Phoenix

Eastern Conference Champs: Boston
Western Conference Champs: New Orleans

NBA Champs: Boston

Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley
MVP: Kevin Garnett
Worst Team in the NBA: That Team That Previously Was in Seattle

There you go. There's the predictions sure to be wrong in some way but that's why they're predictions :)

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 8 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 8 Edition. This week was a better week as I ended up going 2-1 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 8 and the look ahead to Week 9...


Breakdown: In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces have lost two straight as they lost to Domination by the score of 95.70 to 78.67. The Masterpieces again were down big going into the Monday Night game and just weren't able to get the victory. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Wes Welker, LenDale White and Rob Bironias. After Week 8, I'm in 5th place with a record of 4-4.


In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs got back to their winning ways with a victory over the Romosapiens by the score of 108.64 to 96.54. The Chefs, inspired by the return of WR Anquan Boldin, roared back to secure a victory and pull the team back to .500. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Philip Rivers, Anquan Boldin, Antonio Gates, and Andre Johnson. After Week 8, I'm in 6th place with a record of 4-4.


In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators are on a three game winning streak as they beat the Harleton Cowboys by the score of 109-82. The Perks had another strong performance from his key players to help lead them to the longest winning streak of any of the highlight teams this year. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Philip Rivers, LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Jamal Lewis, and Rob Bironias. After week 8, I'm in 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 5-2-1.


Outlook for Week 9:


In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (4-4) will look to get back to their winning ways as they take on KILLA B (2-6). The Masterpieces will not be affected by they bye this week while KILLA B will be without QB Jake Delhomme for the bye and QB Tony Romo due to injury. Key matchup will be the DEF position (Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.


In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (4-4) will look to get above to .500 as they match up against Homeskool Dropouts (1-7). The Chefs will be without QB Philip Rivers and TE Antonio Gates while the Dropouts will be without WR Mushin Muhammed. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Adrian Peterson/Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Marshawn Lynch/Warrick Dunn). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite.


In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (5-2-1) will face off against division rival Mexico City Gringos (4-4). The two teams met in week 5 with the Gringos coming up with the victory. The Perks will be looking for revenge this time around. For the Cowboys, they will be without WR Steve Smith. For the Perks, they will be without QB Philip Rivers, RB LaDanian Tomlinson and TE Antonio Gates. TE Tony Scheffler will be a question mark to start given his injury status as well as who will be the starting QB. Key matchup will be at the K position (Rob Bironias vs. David Akers). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Gringos as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Random Sports Reflections

Here's some random stuff to talk about:

*I'm disappointed in the Red Sox not making the World Series. Given the way the team finished, I guess it was the best to be expected. I'm not really excited about the World Series this year with the (Devil) Rays and the Phillies. I think if I have to pick a team to root for, it'd be the Phillies. The city (Philadelphia) deserves a champ and the last time they won the World Series I was like 8 months old (so 28 years ago) so I'm thinking they're due. I'll say Phillies in 6.

*I'm not really into college football this year. Partly I think it has to do with the Vols and the Huskies having horrible years. All I know is the one thing that's always the case every year...the BCS won't work. Some way shape or form, it won't work and people will want a playoff (which every other division and every other sport have).

*I'm disappointed in the Seahawks. Ever since I've moved, they've went in the tank. Could me moving have put a jinx on them? Could it be the curse of Shaun Alexander in cutting him? Or could it be that they just have way too many injuries this year to overcome. At this point, it might just be worth looking forward to next year, getting a good draft pick and settling into new coach Jim Mora Jr.

*I just heard today that the 49ers fired Mike Nolan and hired Mike Singletary as the interim head coach. Anyone who knows me knows how much of a Singletary fan I am. Growing up, he was one of my favorite players to watch. I respected him both on and off the field. I've felt he's been due a head coaching opportunity after several years as a defensive coordinator. I might actually sort of start rooting for the 49ers again (for the first time in a long time) with him at the helm, though when they play the 'Hawks, still have to pull for the Hawks.

*I'm so excited about the Titans. They've been due a season like this in a long time. This team reminds me in a lot of ways of the dominant teams of the early part of this decade. If they continue to play like they have so far, I don't think there's any reason why they can't win the Super Bowl. If you got a defense like they do, a one-two running combo in White and Johnson, a kicker who's lights out good, and a veteran quarterback who's calm under pressure, then you have the formula for winning a championship.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 7 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 7 Edition. This year seems to be a yo-yo type year. One week I do well, the next I do bad. This week I went 1-2 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 6 and the look ahead to Week 7...



Breakdown: In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces lost a close one against Dooley's Dawgs by the score of 102.47 to 100.46. The Masterpieces were down big going into the Monday Night game and tried to storm back. However, they couldn't get enough to pull out the victory. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were LenDale White, Wes Welker, Eddie Royal and Rob Bironias. After Week 7, I'm in 4th place with a record of 4-3.



In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs lost a tough one against Souper Bowl Sundays by the score of 147.96 to 102.76. The Chefs just didn't have what it took as the team once again went one game under .500. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Adrian, Peterson, Philip Rivers, Ryan Longwell, and Andre Johnson. After Week 7, I'm in 6th place with a record of 3-4.



In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators are on a two game winning streak as they beat the Nashville Underdogs by the score of 69-38. The Perks took a freebie as several players for the Underdogs didn't play and got 0 points, but given how the other leagues went, it was a win easily accepted. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Bernard Berrian, Hines Ward and Philip Rivers. After week 7, I'm in 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 4-2-1.



Outlook for Week 8:



In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (4-3) will look to bounce back as they take on Domination (5-2). Domination is tied right now for first place so this is a critical game for the Masterpieces. The Masterpieces will be without QB Jay Cutler and WR Eddie Royal while Domination has no starters affected by the bye. Key matchup will be the TE position (Chris Cooley vs. Dallas Clark). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting Domination as the favorite.



In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (3-4) will look to get back to .500 as they match up against Romosapiens (5-2). The Chefs will be without RB Adrian Peterson and K Ryan Longwell for the bye but get back RB Maurice Jones-Drew and WR Anquan Boldin (hopefully). The Romosapiens will be without RB Matt Forte. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Tennessee vs. New York Giants). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite.



In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (4-2-1) will face off against the Harleton Cowboys (2-4-1). For the Cowboys, they will be without RBs Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte. For the Perks, they will be without WRs Greg Jennings and Bernard Berrian. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Philip Rivers vs. Jake Delhomme). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 6 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 6 Edition. After the horrible week last week, I bounced back in a awesome way. I went 3-0 in the three highlight leagues to make for a perfect week. Here's the breakdown for Week 6 and the look ahead to Week 7...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces won big against the Tuna Helper by the score of 105.44 to 78.77 The Masterpieces bounced back after a poor week 5 performance. Despite Eddie Royal not playing, the Masterpieces were buoyed by the rest of the team picking up the slack. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Tampa Bay DEF, Reggie Wayne, Ronnie Brown and Wes Welker. After Week 6, I'm in 2nd place with a record of 4-2.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs bounced back to beat The Incredibles by the score of 113.32 to 103.82. The Chefs held off the Incredibles as WR Plaxico Burress went on Monday night. After sweating it out, the Chefs pulled out the win to once again be at .500 for the season. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Philip Rivers, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Andre Johnson. After Week 6, I'm in 6th place with a record of 3-3.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators beat Nashvegas TheEditor by the score of 113-97. The Perks scored the highest point total of the week and had the win wrapped up even before RB Jamal Lewis took the field on Monday night. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Philip Rivers, Bernard Berrian, Greg Jennings and Jamal Lewis. After week 6, I'm in 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 3-2-1.

Outlook for Week 7:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (4-2) will look to continue on their winning ways as they take on Dooley's Dawgs (1-5). The Masterpieces will have no starters affected by the bye but will have a gametime decision regarding WR Eddie Royal. The Dawgs have no TE so that will play a role unless they fill that spot. Key matchup will be the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. Ben Roethlisberger). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (3-3) will look to get back above .500 as they match up against Souper Bowl Sundays (2-4). The Sundays are run by Adam, yet another former Union alum and friend. The Chefs will be without RB Maurice Jones-Drew and WR Anquan Boldin who are on the bye. The Sundays won't be affected by the bye. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Tennessee vs. Green Bay). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite by the slightest margin.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (3-2-1) will face off against Division 1 rival the Nashville Underdogs (2-4). Earlier in the season, these two teams squared off in a matchup that ended in a loss for the Perks. For the Underdogs , they will be without QB Donovan McNabb and RB Edgerrin James. For the Perks, they will be without the Eagles DEF. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Chris CooleyDrew Brees). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Reflecting on Rooting Tendancies

Recently, Stephen, my friend/fellow Union alum/former roommate/sports enthusiast wrote on his blog a very interesting post regarding his rooting tendancies (here's a link to that post). It got me to thinking about my rooting tendancies. Here's a kind of breakdown by sport of who and why I root for them and a brief history:

MLB: (who I root for now: AL-Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals; NL-St. Louis Cardinals)

Growing up living in Tennessee, we did not have a MLB team. The closest we had was a Triple-A minor league team (Nashville Sounds). So I didn't have allegiences to any team because of region. The first team I rooted for was the Red Sox (and the first year ironically was 1986 when I was 6 years old....of course we know how that all ended). I've pretty much stuck with them ever since. There have been times when I rooted for the Cincinnatti Reds and Chicago White Sox (Reds because the Sounds were the Triple-A team for them when I was a kid and when they won the World Series in 1990 I saw a lot of their stars when they played in Nashville, White Sox cause they were the hip cool team in the early 90s). I never really rooted for the Braves like many that I knew. When I went off to college, I found my NL team in the Cardinals. In fact, the first MLB game I went to was at old Busch Stadium to see the Cards play the Reds. When I moved to Seattle, I adopted the Mariners and the same has been for the Royals. So here's the order of rooting for me in MLB

1) Boston, 2) Seattle, 3) Kansas City, 4) St. Louis

Teams I root against: New York Yankees, Anaheim (I refuse to call LA) Angels

NFL (who I root for now: Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks)

I have been a huge NFL fan. Football is probably my favorite sport. Growing up, I didn't really have a team, just players I rooted for. I did like the 49ers back in the 80s, along with the Bears, Eagles, Dolphins, Oilers, Broncos. In the early to mid 90s, I kind of shifted to add the Packers to that list along with the Falcons and the Buccaneers. That all changed by the end of the 90s when the Oilers moved to Tennessee and became the Titans. The first professional franchise in the state of Tennessee became my first "home" team to root for and I've stuck with them ever since. When I moved to Seattle, I adopted the Seahawks as my NFC team. I have not (and don't plan to) adopted the Chiefs as a team to root for, out of respect for my Titans (and my former boss who's a Chargers fan). Here's the order:

1) Tennessee, 2) Seattle

Teams I root against: Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers

NBA (who I root for now: Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies)

Growing up, I was a huge NBA fan and why not? It was in a way a golden age of stars with Magic, Bird, Jordan, Barkley, Malone, Stockton and on and on. From the time I was way little, I was a huge Celtics fan. I did like the Showtime Lakers but when those two teams faced off, I went with the Celtics. Of course, like most kids my age at the time, I liked the Bulls. I had kind of a love/hate relationship with the Pistons. When I got to college, I rooted some for the Kings. My junior year of college was the year that the Grizzlies moved to Memphis and I began rooting for them. I liked the Spurs for a time too (the first NBA game I went to was an exhibition game in Nashville between the Spurs and the Knicks/regular season game was in Memphis). When I moved to Seattle, I started rooting for the SuperSonics. Since they moved, they have moved onto my root against list.

Order of rooting:

1) Memphis, 2) Boston

Teams I root against: Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma Thunder

NHL (who I root for now: Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins)

When it comes to hockey, I come a little late to the party sort to speak. I didn't really get into hockey until I was 8 or 9. I started watching because of Wayne Gretzky and it was a part time thing. I really didn't get hooked on hockey until I was in high school then it became one of my favorite sports. The first teams I rooted for was the Calgary Flames and the Philadelphia Flyers. I was also a fan (still kind of am) of the Boston Bruins because of guys like Ray Bourque. When Nashville got a team back in 1998, I had my #1 team and have stuck with them ever since. I usually root for one Canadian team and for now that team is Vancouver.

Order of rooting:

1) Nashville, 2) Vancouver, 3) Boston

Teams I root against:

1) Detroit Red Wings, 2) Colorado Avalanche

College Football

Another sport that I grew up on was college football. In the South, Saturdays are reserved for college football. Being from Tennessee, I grew up a Volunteers fan. I loved watching the games on TV and turning the volume down on the TV and tuning in with the radio to listen to John Ward call the games. The Vols have always been my #1 college football team. When I moved to Seattle and began working in and around the campus of U-Dub, I adopted them as my second team. Since moving to Kansas City, I haven't really decided if I'm going to root for any team in the Big 12.

Order of rooting:

1)University of Tennessee, 2) University of Washington

Teams I root against:

1)University of Florida, 2) University of Alabama, 3) University of Miami, 4) University of Michigan, 5) University of Southern California, 6) Washington State University

College Basketball:

I loved college basketball as well growing up, not as much as college football. For me, one of the best times of the year is March Madness. I love the upsets, love the storylines and love the fact that a champion is decided on the court. Growing up, I rooted for North Carolina. I kind of still do but in recent years, I've started rooting for Tennessee in basketball and also for Memphis. I also adopted U-Dub when I moved to the Northwest.

Order of rooting:

1) University of Tennessee, 2) University of Washington, 3) University of North Carolina

Teams I root against:

1) Duke University, 2) University of Florida, 3) UCLA, 4) University of Michigan

Well there you go, a semi-brief look at who and why I root for who I do

Reflections on O.J. Simpson

I'm sure if I had this blog when I was 15, this post would be like part 3 or 4. But since this is a recent institution, this is the first and hopefully only one.

The latest Simpson trial ended with a conviction 13 years to the day of the famous murder trial. It was the end to another sad chapter in the life of the former Hall of Fame running back whose life has never been the same since 1994.

I can't believe it has been so long since all this has started. There has been a generation of people who know of O.J. Simpson in the light of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Growing up, this was not the case for me. Though I was born after his football career had ended and I didn't know him as an All-Pro running back, I was well aware of who he was. I knew him as a guy on many commercials andas the sidekick in the Naked Gun movies. But mainly, I knew him as a sideline reporter for NFL games on NBC. He was a guy who had this big grin on his face and would joke around and just be the life of the party on the sidelines.

That all changed in 1994. When the news broke about the murders, I was shocked. I remember the slow police chase in the white Bronco. I, like most people at that time, tuned in to watch the trial. As the trial went on, it seemed more and more like I didn't know the man I used to watch on the sidelines of football games. When the verdict was read, I was a sophomore in high school and I was watching it in I believe English class. It was one of those events in history that people remember.

From that moment on, it just seemed like Simpson was a different man, and not in a good way. Instead of being repentent or embarrassed or humbled by this experience, he seemed to become very haughty. More and more, it seemed that because he was found not guilty, he felt that he could get away with anything. He wrote a book called "If I Did It". He would jokingly threaten people with a banana acting like it was a knife. Finally, it was this incident in a Las Vegas hotel room.

For many people, this guilty verdict is 13 years too late. For me, I believe it may finally be the wakeup call that he needs in his life. Maybe now, he can see that his behavior affects so many people including himself. It's sad that it had to come to this but hopefully there will be a better ending that the one that has transpired so far.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 5 Edition

It's Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 5 Edition. This week was just horrible. I went 0-3 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 5 and the look ahead to Week 6...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces lost big against the Memphis Explosion by the score of 157.60 to 98.99. The Masterpieces simply had no response to a team that had already won the matchup even before Reggie Bush had his tremendous performance. The Masterpieces, however, did not drop in the standings and maintain their position they held the previous week. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Chris Cooley, Reggie Wayne, Jay Cutler, and Ronnie Brown. After Week 5, I'm in 3rd place (essentially tied for 2nd) with a record of 3-2.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs lost their second game in a row as they lost to the Devil Dogs by the score of 104.62 to 85.69. The Chefs had a chance to win going into the Monday Night game, but couldn't pull it out with a poor performance by Adrian Peterson. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Andre Johnson, Philip Rivers, Tennessee DEF, and Hines Ward. After Week 5, I'm in 6th place with a record of 2-3.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators lost against previously winless Mexico City Gringos by the score of 72-64. This was due in large part to the -6 performance by the Seahawks DEF which will be benched for the rest of the season and possibly waived. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Bernard Berrian, Greg Jennings, Hines Ward, and Philip Rivers. After week 5, I'm tied for 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 2-2-1.

Outlook for Week 6:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (3-2) will look to rebound as they take on the Tuna Helper (3-2). The Masterpieces will be without RB LenDale White and K Rob Bironas. The Helper will be without WR Hines Ward, TE Heath Miller and K Rian Lindell. Key matchup will be the DEF position (Tampa Bay vs. Chicago). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (2-3) will look to get back to .500 as they match up against The Incredibles (4-1). The Incredibles are run by Joseph, another former Union alum. The Chefs will have a tough go as they are still without WR Anquan Boldin due to injury and lose WR Hines Ward and the Tennessee DEF to the bye week. The Incredibles have no starter on the bye and will get WR Plaxico Burress back from suspension. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Philip Rivers vs. Jason Campbell). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite by the slightest margin.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (2-2-1) will face off against Division 1 rival the NashVegas The Editor (2-2-1). Earlier in the season, these two teams squared off in a matchup that ended in a tie. For The Editor, they will be without WR Josh Reed. For the Perks, they will be without WR Hines Ward and K Rob Bironas. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Philip Rivers vs. Drew Brees). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Random Sports Reflections

There is a lot going on lately and so here is a way to hit some points in a random fashion:

*The baseball playoffs started yesterday...on cable. So that means, no watching for me at least the first few days. Of course I'm pulling for the Red Sox in the AL. In the NL, I'm supporting the Cubs and the Brewers. I would like to see a Red Sox/Cubs World Series (like I did back in 2003). We'll see if that turns out.

*I meant to write about this sooner but I wanted to share a story that has broken my heart. In the preseason, Jacksonville Jaguars OT Richard Collier was shot 14 times outside of an apartment building with a former teammate waiting for some girls to come out. This past week, he had his leg amputated. He is still alive thankfully but his life is forever changed. I have been praying for Collier and would ask those that read this blog to do the same.

*College Football teams haven't been good on my end. The records of the two teams I root for (Tennesse, Washington) are a combined 1-7. It has not been fun at all. Thankfully the two NFL teams I root for is a different story. Their combined record (Tennessee, Seattle) is 5-2, with Tennessee being 4-0 for the first time in the history of the franchise. Hopefully that will continue and that Seattle will turn things around as well.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 4 Edition

It's time, time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 4 Edition. This week I went 2-1 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 3 and the look ahead to Week 4...

Breakdown: In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces won convincingly against the Jammers by the score of 85.77 to 64.5784.23. The Masterpieces have won three straight and are starting to get on a roll like they did last season. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Tampa Bay DEF, Eddie Royal, Rob Bironas and Patrick Crayton. After Week 4, I'm in 3rd place (essentially tied for 2nd) with a record of 3-1.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs lost to rival and friend Multiple Homeowners by the score of 114.96 to 98.56. It was a tough, hard fought game and unfortunately the Chefs couldn't pull it out in the end. With the loss, the Chefs are back to .500. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Adrian Peterson, Tennessee DEF, Philip Rivers, Anquan Boldin, and Antonio Gates. After Week 4, I'm in 5th place (essentially in 4th) with a record of 2-2.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators got a huge victory over the #1 team the Louisville Express by the score of 113-98. It was a great perfomance by everone on the Perks highlighted by LaDanian Tomlinson and Greg Jennings combinding for 44 points. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Tomlinson, Jennings, Jamal Lewis, and Rob Bironas. After week 4, I'm tied for 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 2-1-1.

Outlook for Week 5: In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (3-1) will face a tough matchup in Week 5 as they take on the Memphis Explosion (2-2). Neither team is on the bye so each team will be playing at full force. Key matchup will be the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. Kurt Warner). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Explosion as the slight favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (2-2) will square off against the Devil Dogs (2-2). The Chefs and the Dogs both come into the game with a similar record. The winner of this game will go a long way to getting momentum back. Neither team is really affected by the bye. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Tennessee vs. Carolina). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Dogs as the favorite by the slightest margin.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (2-1-1) will face off against Division 1 rival the Mexico City Gringos (0-4). The Perks will look to continue their winning streak and continue to climb the standings. For the Gringos, they will be without TE Kellen Winslow. For the Perks, they will be without RB Jamal Lewis and WR Braylon Edwards. Key matchup will be at the K position (Rob Bironas vs. David Akers). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Fan Appreciation Night: Eighth Royals Game in Review

This past Saturday, I went to my last Royals game of the year. After the game on Thursday, my friend Kyle and I were excited about watching some more baseball. We convinced ourselves that if the weather was still good we'd go one more time. And of course it was, so we decided to go on Saturday. It was Fan Appreciation Night and given there was a special online for tickets we ended up with 8.50 outfield tickets (they were 50% off). We had a couple of friends go with us (Lane and Andrew Higgingbotham, later joined by Andrew Huseing in the seventh inning, funny story with that....the night before he asked me if the game started at 8:30pm. I told him no, it started at 6:00 and we would probably leave an hour earlier or so. Come that evening, we try calling him around 4:30 and no response. Finally around the third or fourth inning, he calls and asks if the game is at 8:30. Anyway, he ended up coming and watching the last few innings).

When we got to the stadium, we got our free stocking caps (that was the giveaway) along with a card with the team poster and early 2009 calender. The game itself was a good one. They were playing the division rival Chicago White Sox. The team went ahead early on a couple of home runs (including one inside the park by David DeJesus). We also saw the first career home run by Kila Ka'aihue. The Sox rallied with a home run of their own to cut the score to three runs. But the Royals prevailed thanks to the save in the 9th by Joakuim Soria and the Royals won 5-2.

For 2008, the Royals ended up going 3-5 at games I attended. Hopefully, they'll improve next season and I look forward to that.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 3 Edition

That time of the week again, it's Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 3 Edition. It was a much better week than last week and one worth celebrating. In the three highlight leagues I'm in, I went an impressive 3-0 for the week. Here's the breakdown for Week 3 and the look ahead to Week 4...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces made it two victories in a row as they defeated the Deal's Gap Dragons 106.61 to 84.23. The Masterpieces, despite a -4.0 performance by the New England DEF, had a tremendous output from their team. Of course leading the way was the record setting performance by Ronnie Brown. He put up by himself 37.88 points to lead the team to victory. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Brown, Jay Cutler, LenDale White, and Chris Cooley. After Week 3, I'm in 4th place (essentially tied for 2nd) with a record of 2-1.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs rebounded from their Week 2 loss to post a hard fought victory against friend and rival the slobberknockers by the score of 118.28 to 78.47. The change at QB to Philip Rivers helped to propel the team to victory. With this victory, the Chefs have the all important momentum that comes from a victory in this league. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Rivers, Tennessee DEF, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ike Hilliard. After Week 3, I'm in 3rd place with a record of 2-1.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators finally notched their first victory of the season as they beat Who Would Jesus Draft? 88-67. It took a comeback performance from the Perks as they had 3 starters going on Monday Night (QB Philip Rivers, RB LaDaninan Tomlinson, TE Antonio Gates). With their combined performance, the Perks were able to finally get their first win and hopefully get back on track. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Rivers, Tomlinson and Greg Jennings. After week 3, I'm tied for 3rd place in Division 1 with a record of 1-1-1.

Outlook for Week 4:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (2-1) will face a tough matchup in Week 4 as they take on the Jammers (2-1). The Jammers are new to the league and come in with the same record as the Masterpieces. The first week of bye weeks is in full effect and with have impact on both teams. For the Jammers, they will be without QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Brandon Jackobs. For the Masterpieces, they will be without Ronnie Brown, Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker and the New England DEF. The Masterpieces look to recently acquired WR Brandon Lloyd and RB Rashard Mendenhall to help pick up the slack. Key matchup will be the DEF position (Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (2-1) will square off against another rival the Multiple Homeowners (2-1). The Multiple Homeowners, managed by Jon, another one of my good friends from college, has a similar record as the Chefs and will obviously be a tough matchup. The only starter affected by the bye for the Chefs is K Adam Vinateri. The Homeonwers aren't affected by the bye at all. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Adrian Peterson/Maurice Jones-Drew vs. LaDanian Tomlinson/Michael Turner). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Homeowners as the favorite by the slightest margin.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (1-1-1) will face off against Division 1 leading Louisville Express (3-0). The Perks will look to get win #2 while also handing the Express their first loss of the season. Player affected by the bye for the Express are the Giants DEF. For the Perks, they will be without their starting DEF as well (Seattle). Key matchup will be at the QB position (Philip Rivers vs. Tony Romo). As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Nothing Better than a Titans/Seahawks Victory

It has been awhile since there has been a weekend where the Titans and Seahawks both won (if I remember right it was at the end of last season). So it was nice that Week 3 is finally that week where it happens.

For Seattle, it was a nice dose of the St. Louis Rams and playing at Qwest Field which helps in getting their first victory of the year. I don't mind if it takes a winless team to do it. You have to start somewhere. I'm sad that I didn't get to watch the game (they had on TV here on Fox the Broncos/Saints game).

For Tennessee, it is what has become the staple of their team, defense and the running game. They gave the Texans fits throughout the game. Even with it being close for about three quarters, the Titans pulled away at the end, aided by a interception return for a touchdown by Courtland Finnigan which covered the length of the field. Unfortunately, I got stuck with the K.C./Atlanta game. Oh well, the Titans are 3-0 and still getting the job done.

The Clash of "Home" Teams: Seventh Royals Game in Review

Yesterday was a perfect day to go watch a baseball game. So of course I went. I didn't have any classes in the afternoon and the weather was great to take in a baseball game and the Mariners were in town. So my friend Kyle and I went to the ballpark for some midday baseball. I of course was representing my old "home" with my Mariners shirt and cap on. I swear I saw maybe four other people wearing Mariners gear. Talk about standing out, that is what I did.

The game itself was ridiculous. The Royals opened up a barrage of runs in the 4th inning and it was pretty much all downhill from there. If I wasn't a Mariners fan, I would have been completely excited. Instead, I had that bittersweet feeling. The score ended up being 12-0 which was the largest margin I've ever seen in person. Recordwise the Royals are 2-5 in games I've seen in person and both the wins have been by Zack Grienkie.

It was a beautiful day, perfect weather and other than the score a great time.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 2 Edition

It's got Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 2 Edition. It was a hard week as there was some hard matchups which led to less that enjoyable performances. In the three highlight leagues I'm in, I went 1-2 for the week. Here's the breakdown for Week 2 and the look ahead to Week 3...

Breakdown: In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces bounced back in a big way as they won against the Dixie Rebels 108.45 to 87.97. The Masterpieces put together a tough gutty perfomance in response to the season ending injuries they suffered the previous week. The team rallied around QB Jay Cutler. His big performance helped put the team in line for the win and gives encouragement for the rest of the season. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Jay Cutler, Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, and Ronnie Brown. After Week 1, I'm in 4th place (essentially tied for 3rd) with a record of 1-1.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs lost a heartbreaker to the Eskimo Army by the score of 130.10 to 111.56. Couple the underachieving performance for a second straight week by QB Matt Hasselbeck along with the Monday Night game, the Chefs lost the game and fall back into the middle of the pack in the league. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Anquan Boldin, Tennessee DEF, Adrian Peterson, and Hines Ward. After Week 2, I'm in 5nd place (essentially tied for 4st) with a record of 1-1.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators also lost a tough one to the Nashville Underdogs 75-66. Again a subpar performance by QB Matt Hasselbeck and a Monday Night game led to the victory by the Underdogs and a loss for the Perkalators. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Greg Jennings, Hines Ward, and Seattle DEF. After week 2, I'm in 4th place in Division 1 with a record of 0-1-1.

Outlook for Week 3:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (1-1) look to keep the momentum going as they face off against the Deal's Gap Dragons (1-1). The Dragons, managed by Rob, a friend of Scott's and a veteran in the league, comes in with the same record as the Masterpieces and look to secure a big win against the defending champs. The Masterpieces look to start rookie WR Eddie Royal to help put even more punch into a line up that was solid in Week 2. Key matchup will be the RB position (Ronnie Brown/LenDale White vs. Fred Taylor/Kevin Smith). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (1-0) will square off against the slobberknockers (0-2). The slobberknockers, managed by Stephen, one of my good friends from college, has gotten off to a slow start but is always a tough matchup. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Tennessee vs. Jacksonville). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (0-1-1) will face off against Who Would Jesus Draft (1-1). The Perks will look to get in the win column by adding QB Philip Rivers to the starting lineup. Key matchup will be at the RB position (LaDanian Tomlinson/Jamal Lewis vs. Stephen Jackson/Thomas Jones). As of right now, ESPN is predicting Who Would Jesus Draft as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Titans 2-0, Seahawks....Not So Much

After Week 2 of the NFL season, it is very much like Week 1. The bad news coming from the Pacific Northwest with the Seahawks losing and going to 0-2 with a loss to the 49ers in the home opener. They really should have won the game despite being without essentially 6 wide receivers (2 out for the year, 2 out for a few more weeks, 1 hurt during pregame and 1 on one of the first plays of the game.) The joy of being able to watch the game on TV in Kansas City along with a 14-0 start was quenched as the 49ers ended up winning the game in overtime. They've gone 0-2 for the first time since 2002 and are two games down to the leader of the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals. Of course there is still a lot of season to go, but if they are going to pick it up they need to do it soon.

The very good news, however, is that the Tennessee Titans are 2-0 after their convincing victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. I unfortunately was not able to watch the game on TV as the Kansas City Chiefs game was on instead. I did keep track of it via the internet. Given the tumultuous week with the events circulating around Vince Young and a gameday which saw weather from the remnants of Hurricane Ike bringing in winds up to 50 miles an hour, the Titans did what they do best: they ran the ball and played awesome defense. Chris Johnson had another good game and has really impressed me in his first two games as a pro. The defense did a great job with three interceptions and a blocked punt/recovered for a touchdown. They are leading the AFC South (in my mind the toughest division in all of football) and are 2-0 for the first time since 1999, which was also the last time the team was in the Super Bowl. This team is of course flying under the radar with regard to their play on the field, which I don't mind at all because usually when that happens they just roll along and keep on winning.

So the best way to sum up Week 2: Seahawks, not yay. Titans, good times!

Reflections on Vince Young

By now, many have heard about what has went on the past few days with Vince Young. Let me preface my thoughts by saying I am a Titans fan and I like him as a quarterback.

It was sad when I heard about what happened on Monday with the cops having been called in and him being missing. How he was described as being depressed and hurt emotionally. Now while some of it was maybe overblown, it does raise up some points.

First, he is human. So often (myself included), we tend to look just at the player and what he does on the field/court and tend to forget that he (or she) has a life outside of it with the same struggles/problems that we do. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on him I'm sure both from outside and inside and it is handed differently by people.

Second, his injury may be a blessing in disguise. His sprained knee will give him some time off to heal and in that time maybe it'll be a chance to get away and also deal with the things going on emotionally so that when he comes back he'll be healthy all around.

Three, this is a great opportunity for those on the team who follow Jesus to speak into his life. I don't know if Vince follows Jesus or not. If he doesn't, this would be hopefully an opportunity that he would be receptive to Jesus and that those teammates and staff who are believers would be able to share with him the Good News.

I am praying for him during this time. Not just that he'll heal up and get back on the field. But that he will be healed on the inside and that from this experience it will be a testimony to the work that God can do in a person's life whether they're a sports star or not. My hope and prayer is there will be a good ending to this story and that God will be glorified in it.

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Edition

Yes, it is time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Edition. To say that it has been a wild and crazy start to the season is an understatement. In the three highlight leagues I'm in, I went 1-1-1 for the week which each league posing it's own kind of excitement and fun. Here's the breakdown for Week 1 and the look ahead to Week 2...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces started their defense of their championship on a very sour note with a loss to the Headhunters by the score of 113.87 to 79.07. In a game that saw both starting QB Tom Brady and starting WR Nate Burleson lost for the season, the Masterpieces had little to be excited about. The one bright spot on the team came from WR Reggie Wayne as he led the team in scoring with 20.30 points. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Wayne, Nate Burleson, and New England DEF. After Week 1, I'm in 9th place (essentially tied for 7th) with a record of 0-1.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the season started off well for the Kansas City Chefs as they put together a solid win against the Foot BallBusters by the score of 105.69 to 53.61. It was an all around performance for the Chefs as the team combined to score the second most points in the league for the week. The leading scorers for the Chefs were Hines Ward, Adrian Peterson, New England DEF, and Matt Hasselbeck. After Week 1, I'm in 2nd place (essentially tied for 1st) with a record of 1-0.

In the Young Guns league, the matchup between the Kansas City Perkalators and the NashVegas The Editor ended in a tie 78-78. The Perks both had bad breaks as well as good ones. The bad came with the Seahawks Def posting a -1 along with sub par performances by QB Matt Hasselbeck and WR Braylon Edwards. The good came with last minute sub RB Jerious Norwood scoring more than regular starter Jamal Lewis would have. In the end, it took a solid performance from WR Greg Jennings and holding on to the very end to get the tie. Leading scorers for the Perkalators were Ward, Norwood, Antonio Gates, and LaDanian Tomlinson. After week 1, I'm in a tie for 2nd place in Division 1 with a record of 0-0-1.

Outlook for Week 2:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-1) look to pick up the pieces and try to get back on track with a win against the Dixie Rebels (1-0). The Rebels, managed by a friend of Scott's I believe, comes in on a roll after winning their opening game. The Masterpieces hope that QB Jay Cutler can now lead the team as he will take over as the starter. Also into the starting position is WR Patrick Crayton. Those two along with the other starters will be looking to right the ship and get the team back going in the right direction. Key matchup will be the TE position (Chris Cooley vs. Tony Gonzalez). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Rebels as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (1-0) will square off against the Eskimo Army (1-0) in a matchup of undefeated teams. The Eskimo Army, managed by one of the few people in the league that I don't know personally, had an impressive Week 1 victory as they ended the week with the most points scored. The Chefs will hope to get more output from RB Maurice Jones-Drew as he had a very lackluster Week 1 along with QB Matt Hasselbeck. The health of TE Antonio Gates is in question but he should start. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Adrian Peterson/Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Brian Westbrook/Reggie Bush). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite.

In the Young Guns league, the Kansas City Perkalators (0-0-1) will face off against the Nashville Underdogs (0-1). The Underdogs are coming off a tough loss which saw them also lose their starting QB in Tom Brady. The Perks will look to get a huge output from Jamal Lewis as he returns to the starting lineup. Key matchup will be at the K position (Rob Bironas vs. Mason Crosby. As of right now, ESPN is predicting the Perkalators as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

The Real Opening Day of the NFL

Anyone who knows me knows that I love football. This weekend was the first weekend of wall-to-wall football with yesterday and college football and then today with the pros.

It was my first season not starting the season watching it on the West Coast. Over there, what would happen would be watch the pregame shows (mainly the CBS one) then a little bit of the first quarter of the early games before getting ready for worship. Then after the service, watching the fourth quarter of the first game and then going from there. Now, being back in the Central Time Zone, it's back to being able to watch both games as they come on after the worship service.

Unfortunately, also being in Kansas City means two things. One, the CBS affiliate will only show Chiefs games (being an AFC team means not as much opportunity to see the Titans) and two, the FOX affiliate will more than likely only show Rams games (which if there is a bright side, means I'll at least get to see two Seahawks games as they are in the same division).

This week ended up being a mixed feeling kind of day. On the down side, the Seahawks got beat down by the Bills (the Bills!?). I can kind of understand it being that it was in Buffalo. I don't think it will be indictive of the rest of the season. They will get healthy and they'll do well.

On the up side was, of course, the Tennessee Titans. They beat their division rival Jacksonville Jaguars 17-10. It was great on a number of levels. One, they won the game. Two, they beat a division rival. Three, they did it at home (LP Field). Four, the defense showed up as usual and had a beat down of a performance (7 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 fumble recovery). And five, Chris Johnson, the rookie running back, showed why he is going to be a factor in the Titans' offense. The only concern was QB Vince Young not having a great day and also got a sprained knee which knocked him out of the game. Hopefully, it won't be serious and he'll be back for next week's game.

So to recap:

Seahawks = sad that they are 0-1

Titans = very happy and elated that they are 1-0

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Preview

It's finally time. It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday to return, this year on this blog dedicated to sports and theology. It will be a fun time and as a way to kick off the season, here is the Week 1 preview...

Outlook for Week 1:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-0) take on the Headhunters (0-0). The Headhunters are managed by Scott, a friend from my days at Union and who finished third last season in the league. On paper, this looks to be like an interesting matchup. Both teams have quality QBs (Tom Brady vs. Donovan McNabb) and have TEs (Chris Cooley vs. Jeremy Shockey). Advantage at RBs could go to Headhunters with their duo of Brian Westbrook and Selvin Young while the advantage of WRs could go to the Masterpieces with their trio of Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker and Nate Burleson. Key matchup will be the DEF (New England vs. Buffalo). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces by the slightest of margins as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Chefs (0-0) square off against Foot-Ball Busters. The Busters are managed by Jen, a friend and former co-worker of Jon, one of my good friends from college. The matchup appears to be an intriguging one. The two QBs in the matchup both come from the NFC West (Matt Hasselbeck vs. Marc Bulger). Both teams have quality TEs (Antonio Gates vs. Dallas Clark) and are also solid in the kicking game (Adam Vinateri vs. Nick Folk). The key matchup will be at the WR position (Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin and Hines Ward vs. Roy Williams, Reggie Brown and Jerry Porter). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chefs as the favorite.

In the Young Guns League, the Kansas City Perkalators (0-0) will face off against the NashVegas The Editor. The Editor is managed by Chad, who actually is an editor over at Lifeway under the collegiate/young adults mantle (Threads). This will also be another tough matchup. The QB matchup will be an interesting (Matt Hasselbeck vs. Drew Brees) along with the TE matcup (Antonio Gates vs. Dallas Clark). Health could be a factor as Jamal Lewis is fighting an injury and that could play a role in the matchup. If he cannot go for the Perks, Jerious Norwood could start. The key matchup will be WR postion (Braylon Edwards/Greg Jennings vs. Terrell Owens/Anquan Boldin). As of right now, ESPN has the matchup as a push with neither team as the favorite.

Well that's the outlook for Week 1 of the Fantasy Football season. Good luck to all who are participating and look forward to a great season!

2008 Fantasy Football Preview Extravaganza

The NFL season is less than a week away and of course with that comes fantasy football, one of my favorite past times. I have participated in fantasy football leagues in some form or fashion going way back before the internet days with some of my buddies from high school (over ten years). With the advent and growth of the internet, the popularity and participation of not only myself but many others has skyrocketed it to what it is today.

Last year, I started the tradition on my Xanga blog of Fantasy Football Tuesday which was a recap and preview of my fantasy football teams in the leagues I was in. This year the tradition has moved to this blog and to kick it off, here's a draft recap of the three fantasy football leagues that I'm in that are must watch/keep up with.

*To start off, the first league is Speed Kills, this league is one that I've been participating in since 2001 (eight years counting this season). I have finished in the top 3 four times and have won the championship twice including last season. It is made up of some friends from college and some friends of friends.

The team name this year is the K.C. Masterpieces. In this year's draft, the Masterpieces had the 7th overall pick and with it selected Tom Brady (a hold over from last year's championship team). The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Tom Brady (1st round-7th pick)
RBs - Ronnie Brown (3nd round-31th pick), LenDale White (5th round-55th pick
WRs - Reggie Wayne (2nd round-18th pick), Wes Welker (4th round-42nd pick), Nate Burleson (8th round-90th pick)
TE - Chris Cooley (6th round-66th pick)
K - Rob Bironas (9th round-103rd pick)
DEF - New England (7th round-79th pick)

Key backups drafted: QB Jay Cutler (10th round-114th pick), WR Patrick Crayton (11th round-127th pick), RB Justin Fargas (12th round-138th pick), TE Marcedes Lewis (13th round-151st pick)

Season Prediction: While there are fewer teams this year (12 as opposed to 16) and there are several top teams not returning in this league (including those run by my friends Jon and Stephen), it will be a tough year. I have never repeated as a champ in this league. There are several question marks with this team (can Brady provide a top performance again this year, will the starting running backs be enough to win on a consistent basis, the question of a depleted team on one bye week), however this team does have the potential to compete deep into the playoffs. I do think they will finish in the top 3.

*The second league is one that I'm very excited about. It's called the League of Fantasy Footballers. This is the first year of the league and features several friends from college (Jon, Stephen, Adam, Joseph) and several of their friends.

The team name in this league is the Kansas City Chefs (play on the Snickers commercial back in the day). In this year's draft, the Chefs had the 2nd overall pick and with it selected Adrian Peterson. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Matt Hasselbeck (6th round-59th pick)
RBs - Adrian Peterson (1st round-2nd pick), Maurice Jones-Drew (2nd round-19th pick)
WRs - Andre Johnson (3rd round-22nd pick), Anquan Boldin (5th round-42nd pick), Hines Ward (9th round-82nd pick)
TE - Antonio Gates (4th round-39th pick)
K - Adam Vinatieri (8th round-79th pick)
DEF - New England (7th round-62nd pick)

Key backups drafted: QB Philip Rivers (11th round-102nd pick), RB Julius Jones (10th round-99th pick), WR Reggie Williams (12th round-119th pick), TE Donald Lee (14th round-139th pick)

Season Prediction: This team, the first of the three for me to live draft, is probably the best on paper. The 1-2 punch of Peterson and Jones-Drew is the best RB combination in the league. Health will be the concern for this team along with the talent at the WR position. This will also be a very competitive league. It will be hard to win the championship in this 10 team league but I think this team out of the three has the talent to win the championship.

*The third league I'm in will be a very interesting one as it is in uncharted territory. It is called the Young Guns league and it is made up of college/young adult leaders across the country and run by a guy who is at Lifeway and is a part of a department called Threads which is geared towards college/young adult ministry. I don't know anyone personally in this league so it'll be interesting to get to know them through this. Also this is the first league that I'm doing that's with ESPN. The other leagues I've been in have been through Yahoo so that'll also be an interesting change as well.

The team name in this league is the Kansas City Perkalators (throwback to one of the team names used by me last year). In this year's draft, the Perks had the 1st overall pick (second year in a row I've had a team with the first overall pick) and with it selected LaDanian Tomlinson. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Matt Hasselbeck (5th round-41st pick)
RBs - LaDanian Tomlinson (1st round-1st pick), Jamal Lewis (3rd round-21st pick)
WRs - Braylon Edwards (2nd round-20th pick), Greg Jennings (6th round-60th pick)
RB/WR - Hines Ward (7th round-61st pick)
TE - Antonio Gates (4th round-40th pick)
K- Rob Bironas (8th round-80th pick)
DEF- Seattle (9th round-81st pick)

Key backups drafted: QB Philip Rivers (10th round-100th pick), RB Jerious Norwood (13th round-121st pick), WR Bernard Berrian (11th round-101st pick), TE Tony Scheffler (12th round-120th pick)

Season Prediction: This team, like the Kansas City Chefs, had high draft picks. Also like the Chefs, they are in a 10 team league. They have the same starting QBs and TEs (Hasselbeck and Gates). The strength of this team is depth at WR and TE along with two quality starting RBs. The weakness of this team is depth at RB. It will be hard to judge how this team will fare in a league of unknowns. However, given the talent level of this team, it would be hard pressed not to list them as a favorite to win Division 1 and possibly the entire league.

This has been the great Fantasy Football Preview Extravaganza. Early next week (probably by Wednesday) will be the Week 1 preview matchups from each league. Until then, later days...