So Jonesing for Football!

Hey guys!  It's almost football season!  Yes, I know it's technically not almost football season, but it's closer than it was this time last week...

Thanks to Sue for giving us a place to get together and play Fantasy.  I am glad to be on ESPN for this season, the interface is good.  My only complaint is the logo function, I have never been able to get my own logo up!  But that is so not important.

What is important is the draft.  So I went through and ranked the players for my draft, even did the autodraft rules (this is a very cool new feature with ESPN).  Spent a fair amount of time looking at players, byes, my preferences, etc.  I got this thing NAILED!  Then I started cruising around the league tabs and looked at the keeper page.  Um, I shoulda looked at that first.  Cuz now I have to re-rank my players.  Unless you guys want to trade your keepers to me. 

No big deal, really (she tells herself, shaking her head).  I usually go throught the draft list at least three times before "the day".  What do you do to prepare for the draft?

Oh, The Bye Weeks...

So, the bye weeks are here.  Yay (this is dripping with sarcasm).  I am not so cool as Rusty, who can take bye weeks into account during the draft.  I am lucky if I can pick players who aren't in jail or out for the season...

Which brings me to Peyton Manning.  Actually, it brings me to Curtis Painter, but bear with me for a second.  I miss Peyton.  The Peyton of old, always the smartest man on the field.  Always able to pull a victory from the jaws of defeat.  Now that he's on the bench for a season, it's a toss-up if he'll be able to come back to form.  I hope so.

But in the interim there is Curtis Painter.  For such a young guy (he's younger than my sons!) he is showing some real big-boy poise in the pocket, and has made some pinpoint passes.  And what an arm!!!  Not sure if he has what it takes to be a stellar QB, but he's better now than Collins ever was.  But Indy is 0-6.  Just typing that is causing my physical pain...I am near tears.

And, just in case you were wondering why I hadn't brought it up...THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ARE 5-1.  Really.  I know, it reads like a typo or the delusion of an old granny that can't face the harsh reality that her team sucks. That still doesn't mean that Alex Smith can play football, but I think Harbaugh is able to get a bit out of the dry well that is Smith's talent.  Feel free to prove me wrong Alex.  Please...

And who else is shocked (shocked, I tell you!) that 6 weeks are gone already?  I am kinda bummed.  Actually I am really bummed, because I haven't been able to catch as many games as I'd like.  But the heart of the season is coming up and hopefully my pitiful fantasy teams can hang in there so I don't drag down the stretch in last place.

The bye weeks are killers.  Are you haunting the waiver wire and FA lists, picking up dreck to fill a slot too?  No, you're picking up the decent players on waivers before I can get to them! 

What are the bye weeks doing to you?

This isn't a Fantasy, it's a Nightmare!!!

I was SO stoked about my fantasy teams.. Peyton on 2 teams, Romo on 1 (even though I am not convinced he is a real live elite QB), all kinds of good players, kickers and DST.  Then came THE NEWS...

Peyton Manning is out for probably the entire season.  In a fit of panic I picked up Kerry Collins (I know, he sucks) because the rest of the Indy offense was whole, so how bad could it be?  Right? 

Oh man, it just got worse and worse.  I felt kinda sick to my stomach as I watched Houston just beat the Colts to a pulp. 

That's pretty much indicative of how the first two weeks have gone for me.  Players who are supposed to produce don't.  Unless they are on my opponents' roster.

And the Niners are just giving me fits!  I was estatic that Harbaugh is our coach, but then he says, out loud, in public, that Alex Smith is the starting QB.  I'm guessing no one gave him the memo:  ALEX SMITH CAN'T PLAY FOOTBALL.  CUT YOUR CONSIDERABLE LOSSES AND KICK HIM TO THE NEAREST CURB!!!

No one listens to me.  But I am a wife and a mom so I am used to it (lol).  I would think that over 35 years of faithful fandom would get me at least an hour with the coaching staff to tell them how to run the team...

And I just SO can't stand Tony Romo.  Stay on the bench if you're hurt you wannabe.  Kitna was losing doing just fine!  Field goal in OT, I HATE THE COWGIRLS!!!!

And is it just me or is anyone else sick of Tom Terrific already?  How many of these color analysts are gonna drool all over Brady?  It's starting to feel like Madden with Favre.  Yeah, he's an awesome (arrogant creep) QB, probably the best in the game (sorry Peyton), but the pedestal he's on is pretty high.  Enough already!

So enough rantings by this old granny.  Let's see what week three does to me brings!

How's it going for you???

I am SO Ready for Some FOOTBALL!!!

Wow, after a long off-season (don't they seem to be getting longer?) and the drama of the lockout  my first Fantasty Draft is tonight.  I'm playing in only three leagues this year, all with mostly the same great group of people, and I'm looking forward to a lot of fun!

I was sooo happy when Harbaugh was named the 49er's head coach.  Not to dis Singletary, (my respect for him as a Christian man and a total beast of a middle linebacker is well documented) but he was way too invested in Alex Smith.  So this afternoon I read an article quoting Harbaugh as saying that the starting QB job is Smith's to lose.  WHAT???????

Note to the 49er coaching staff, front office and ownership:  ALEX SMITH CAN'T PLAY FOOTBALL.  Cut your considerable losses and move on, hopefully to a good QB.  Heck, talk to Kurt Warner.  He may be long in the tooth, but at least he's a quarterback!

So I sit here, waiting for the draft to start, excited and happy and anticipating all the highs and lows football brings.  But, having been a Niners fan for 35 years, I am anticipating some serious lows...

What are you most excited about???

Fantasy Drafts

Ok, so I'm going through all of my lineups today in preparation for tomorrow's kick-off to the NFL season (tomorrow! tomorrow! I luv ya, tomorrow!) and I noticed something.  The lineup I picked myself (I actually got to participate in one of the live drafts this year) is probably the best. 

I really enjoyed the live draft, and wish my schedule allowed me to join in on the drafts for my other teams.  It was a lot of fun.  I thought there would be more chatting, but everything moved very quickly, so I didn't have time to check out the smack talking!  Maybe next time, now that I know what the heck I'm doing!!

I was pretty intimidated going into the draft room because I didn't want to come off as a total idiot (at least, not this early in the season).  But no worries, everything was very self explanatory and user friendly (aren't you tired of that phrase?  I am).  The only problem I had was that people continually drafted players I wanted before I could get to them!!! 

What I liked best was the ability to pick the team I wanted.  Conventional wisdom tells us to go for the rock star running backs first, then QB's, wideouts, etc. I did go for a rock star first, but then I went for the Ravens and Steelers defenses early, because I know from painful experience that a defense can make or break your Sunday.  Also a couple of top notch QB's, for the same reason.  I also picked tight ends early.  Of course, I am hurting a bit in the WR position, but I live on the waiver wire anyway, so I'll be ok.

Another great thing was the ability to avoid problem children.  I don't care how talented TO or Chad whatshisface are, I don't need any more drama in my life.  The only diva I have time for is my granddaughter.  The first season of fantasy I played was a nightmare because of the 'antics' of these overpaid egotistical sons-of-(but I digress...)

Something else I was able to do (that I learned from Rusty last year) was to pick players and positions around bye weeks.  'Cause bye weeks can kill you, take my word for it!

All in all the live draft was a pretty positive experience.  Although I do have to admit there is a certain thrill to seeing your team lineup for the first time if it's autopicked (that's where the computer picks the top ranked player available when it's your turn).  That's kinda fun, too, for a minute.  Until I realize I had the stupid computer that apparently drafted from the bottom up!