When Fantasy Becomes Reality

Okay, for all of you who read that title and then thought that something provocative was going to follow, shame on you! You should know by now that we are a family-friendly blog, and that just shows us where your mind is. Get it out of the gutter!

Each year for the past several years, Carrie and I have taken part in a Fantasy Football league with young people from our church. If you have followed us for a while, you know that we have not always done so well. A few years ago, I finished the season in first place, only to lose my first two playoff games and end up 7th. Carrie has done better, but neither of us has climbed the mountaintop of success and finished in first place before.

This year, Carrie managed to finish the regular season in 4th place. That was good enough to make the playoffs. The top four teams would compete, 1-4 and 2-3, with the winners going to the finals. We liked Carrie's chances, except for the fact that she was facing, well, me.

Yes, I finished in first overall in our league, a full two games ahead of second place. That pitted Carrie and I against each other, and our records did hold true. I ended up winning by a fairly healthy margin, vaulting me into the championship game, while she fought for 3rd place.

In the third place matchup, Carrie was looking really good after Monday's game was over. Typically, since the NFL week is over with the Monday night game, that would mean a win, and 3rd place. However, due to heavy snow in Philly, the Vikes-Eagles game was postponed until Tuesday night. Her opponent had 4 players playing in that game, and managed to eek out a victory to claim 3rd. Carrie claims 4th place, which really is no reason to hang her head.

My matchup was against a student who had claimed a high-scoring win during the first round. So he came in looking for an upset. However, by the time the second round of games started on Sunday, I had already built up a formidable lead. At one point, I was over 100 points ahead of him. I ended up with about a 75 point win, which means, for the first time, someone in our family holds a championship in Fantasy Football!

Yes, I finished first in the regular season, and first in the playoffs. Carrie was 4th and 4th. We both now look forward to next year, when Carrie has revenge in her eyes! Thanks for following us this year!

Fantasy Football Fever

It's that time of year again. When the Friday night lights fire up, the Saturday college games kick off, and the NFL starts off its grind toward the Super Bowl. But more important than any of those, it's FANTASY FOOTBALL TIME!

Yes, Fantasy Football. That super fun exercise in picking players from various teams, lining them up against your opponent, and then cheering for players, not teams, as you watch the NFL games on Sunday and Monday (and the occassional Thursday and Saturday, too). Its really fun when your QB is competing against your chosen defense, and you really don't know who to cheer for. Or when you have a Wide Receiver that needs lots of points, but your opponent has the Quarterback that is throwing to him.

Once again, Carrie and I are part of a league with some of the college students and young adults at our church. Week one saw me taking a victory in a runaway, while Carrie scored the second most points in the league, only to be matched up with the team with the most points. That puts me at 1-0, and she is 0-1, despite actually outscoring me last week.

What will this week bring? We'll let you know sometime next week. In the meantime, think about the players you would want on your fantasy team.

Fantasy Football Farewell

It's so sad. It's all over. There's nothing but the crying left.

Yes, fantasy football season is over. It was a flurry throughout the playoffs, and I ask your forgiveness for not keeping you up to date. For some reason, Christmas and that time of year gets a little busy for me.

As you may recall, Carrie and I both made the playoffs in our mutual league, and I also made them as the top seed in my other league. In the first round of our league, Carrie was shocked and upset as she went down, losing her first round matchup and relegating her to the consolation bracket. She then followed that up with a win to secure 5th place overall.

I had a bye week the first round, so I didn't face any competition until the next week. Sadly, I also ended up losing my first matchup, which relegated me to the 3rd/4th place game. I ended up winning that one, thus claiming 3rd overall for our league.

In my other league, despite being the top seed, I played a team who had a lot of players on good teams playing well in December. As can be expected, I was upset and ended up losing that matchup. However, I ended up winning the consolation side, thus ensuring that I finished in 3rd place in both leagues.

So, to recap, Carrie and I lost all our first matchups, then won our second ones. No championships will make their home here, but we're hopeful for next year!

Fantasy Football Update

So you may have noticed that the fantasy football updates haven't been quite as regular as they were earlier in the year. But now it's playoff time for us, and so we have some news to report.

First of all, both Carrie and I made the playoffs in our church league. I ended up, somehow, with the 2nd overall record, which meant that I had a week off during the first week of the playoffs. Carrie made the playoffs as the 3rd best team, which means that she had a game last weekend in the first round.

In my other league, I managed to grab the top overall record, so I sit nicely with the easiest path to the championship. Those playoffs don't begin until this coming weekend's set of games.

However, our church league playoffs started this past weekend. As I mentioned, I had a week off, so I automatically advanced to the next round. Carrie had a matchup against one of the high school boys, which sadly ended in defeat for her. That means that, this week, she will be playing another friend from our church for 5th/6th place overall.

I have a matchup with the team that ended up with almost the most points in the league, but also ended up with a fairly poor record. I like my chances of advancing to the championship round with a win this weekend.

In my other league, I'm battling the guy who finished 4th overall. Because points are a little more difficult to come by in that league, I'm hopeful for a good round, and then advancing on to take home the money for a championship.

Root, root, root for the home team!!!

Fantasy Football Update

Yes, it is that time of the week again, happy sports fans. You've tuned in to your favorite fantasy football team update, and what an exciting weekend of action it was.

As the action got underway, it became quite apparent that Scott's team in the church league was facing an uphill battle. In the end, he ended up going down in the flames of defeat, as his opponent raced away to about a 50 point win. For those of you scoring at home, let's just say that a 50 point win is something like an NFL team taking on a high school team. In other words, the bad team really stinks, just as Scott's 4-5 record indicates.

As we move to our next highlight, we see Carrie taking on another team, and what excitement there was in this matchup. Her team passed, ran, and kicked the ball all the way to the highest point total in the league for the weekend. Not only does she hold on to the top spot overall, but she has put herself in the enviable position of controlling her own fate when it comes to the playoffs, standing atop the standings with a 7-2 record.

In other action, Scott's team in his other league was in position for the payoff of the highest point total for the week. However, the Monday night game brought about a few too many yards for one of the wide receivers for another team, who walked away with the highest point total by a mere 3 points. However, Scott managed to pull out the win and is tied with two other teams for the top of the standings with a 6-3 record, and with the second most points overall.

So what will this coming weekend of action hold in store? We'll figure it out as footballs across the nation are kicked, thrown, and caught. As Carrie takes on the team that she's tied with for first, and in his other league, as Scott does the same thing, we'll be root, root, rooting on our teams to victory. Who knows, maybe Scott can even manage to pull out a win with his church league team. Tune in next week for all the highlights!

Fantasy Football Update from last weekend

(in the style of an old-town crier)

Hear ye, hear ye, the weekly update on fantasy!

Ye humble family of this blog thus decrees that last weekend shall henceforth be known as Undefeated Weekend. Due to the dual victories of Scott, and the prevailing win of Carrie, which has vaulted her into parts unknown, which in this case shall be called "First Place", we call for a weekend of celebration for the upcoming weekend.

Additionally, may it be celebrated that once again, Scott has claimed the Weekly Winner in his alternative league, doing so by achieving the highest point total of said weekend, which score shall be reflected upon as the single one breaking the 100 point barrier. Thus, with great victory in hand, may he once again prevail over his next opponent, one whom he still must call a friend.

With said decree upon our happy hearts and souls, may you henceforth give thought and prayer to the upcoming weekend being yet another Undefeated Weekend.

This announcement is proclaimed forth from the mouth of your loyal crier!

Fantasy Football Update

You may have noticed that I haven't posted about the last two weekend's worth of fantasy football results. Part of that was that I was out of town two weekends ago, and simply forgot. Last weekend was a rather full weekend, so I'm just now getting around to it. My apologies to our fanatical (you know who you are), but faithful, followers.

Two weekends ago, you may recall that Carrie and I went head to head. Well, to put it in a nice way, I let her win (okay, the truth is her team was really superior to mine, but I want to think that I was just being nice). That put her only a game out of first place, but with the most points in our league. I have to say that she has a pretty strong team moving forward. Then, in my other league, I managed to pull out a loss, though it was a very close matchup. I lost by only 0.34 of a point. Every yard counts!

Then, this past weekend, Carrie chalked up another win, putting her in a tie for first, though she holds first place, again, because she has the second most points overall (the person with the most points, with a lot of points this past wekeend, has a worse record than Carrie). I happened to be playing the team with the most points, and of course, I pulled out another L. My team is going down fast. On the other hand, in my other league, I pulled out a comeback win thanks to the Sunday night game! I'm in second, merely one victory out of first.

We'll see what this weekend has in store. Our hope is to pull off another 3-0 weekend for all of our fantasy teams.

Fantasy Football Week 5

Another weekend of NFL games in the books, which also means that another week of fantasy football is complete.

I happened to win in both of my leagues this week, which pushes my record in each league to 3-2. In one, I am in second place, while this record is only good enough for 6th in the one Carrie and I share. However, there is still a lot of season ahead, and I think I've got a pretty good team.

Carrie also managed to pull out a win, which gives her two in a row, and a 3-2 record. However, because her players have gotten more points, she currently sits in 3rd place, with over 100 more points than my team.

I face a dilema this week, though. Carrie and I face off against each other. Each week she likes to ask what I think of her team, and what gives her the best possibility of winning. As you can see, this may put me in a bit of an awkward situation. Do I tell her to use her best team, in which case I might lose, or do I suggest players that may not do so well, simply so that I can win? Do I take one for the team (family peace), or do I show my competitive juices and try to win? Any suggestions?

Fantasy Football Week 4 Update

Okay, I will admit that I'm not in the best mood this week. Once again, each of my teams ended up losing (though I think to inferior opponents!!!). That evens out my record in both of my leagues at 2-2. I have to keep reminding myself that it's a long season, and there's plenty of time to get some wins.

Carrie, on the other hand, pulled off a win this week to push her record to 2-2. So, while we may have the same record, she is on a winning streak, whereas I am on a losing one. But things are really starting to look up for her team, as she has several really good players who are just getting rolling, it seems.

Incidentally, I wonder if my teams struggling is related in any way to the fact that the Dallas Cowboys, my favorite football team, are struggling, too. It really couldn't be that I have at least 3 Cowboys on each of my teams, could it? Deep thoughts to ponder heading into week 5.

Fantasy Football Week 2

As you may recall, last week ended with a victory for me in both of my fantasy football leagues, while Carried dropped her opening game. Therefore, each of us had great anticipation as week 2 rolled around.

As it turned out, neither of us was able to watch any of the football games over the weekend, and without access to our computer, we also weren't able to check our lineups until the scores were all in. When we did, we found that our household had actually pulled off a sweep of the weekend.

In our league together, we both pulled out wins. That puts my record at 2-0, while Carrie stands a mere game behind at 1-1. I had a majority of my points from my two running backs, one of whom netted me 66 points! I also had the high score of the week, with 175 points.

In my other league, I also managed to pull out a win. I only had 62 total points in this league, though it was enough to give me the win. That puts my record to 2-0, which happens to be the only undefeated team in the league.

It's still early, and lots of fantasy football will still come. Stay tuned for more results.