Is It Sunday Yet? My Dad the True Blue Fan (W6 & W7 recaps and the W8 lineup)

I am back from a personal bye week (and ½) – I hope you missed me, at least a little.

I was at a research conference in Toronto and my dad came up from Buffalo so that we could celebrate his birthday a little early. We had a great time. This gives me an opportunity to talk about being a true fan.

My father loves the Bills. He wore a Bills shirt everywhere we went. Several times people passing by would say to him “Go Bills!” “I hope they win!” My father would wave back and said that they would, while telling me privately that we were in trouble against the Ravens. (And then, we almost won that game…).

I hope the Bills win this week and when they play the Bears in Toronto the next week.

But, one of the things of like about being a Bills fan is the loyalty you see.

I think the fans of another team – which will remain nameless, but rhymes with Plowboys – could learn a lesson here. (Did you really need to boo when the backup QB was in? Doesn’t he have enough problems?)

A True Blue fan wears the shirt proudly in public, even when their team is dead last.

You make me proud, Dad!

On to the recaps and the Week 8 lineup…

**Week 6 Recap**

I played the top team in my league Week 6 and almost won!  

The final scores:

   Me = 82 points

   My Opponent = 87 points

I had picked up Addai because he was my lucky charm last year and he did great – until he got hurt (and hurt badly…) Had he kept going, I am pretty sure I would have defeated the scary Bunnies. Thanks for being the player that you are, Addai, and get well soon.

**Week 7 Recap**

Decided to make some changes after coming so close to another victory. I had traded SF WR Crabtree for WAS RB Torian and dropped SD RB Tolbert for DEN RB Moreno.

My starters were: QB = Flacco, RB1 = MJD, RB2 = WAS Torian, WR1 = Moss, WR2 =  Smith (NYG), WR3 = Branch, TE = Witten, K = Gostkowski, and DEF = Seahawks.

As you can see I made a few other changes in places (K and DEF) and benched Harvin and Moreno. (We now know that was a mistake – but it happens).

My opponent has Chris Johnson and Roddy White – enough said. I did not expect to win.

But, I did it!

  Me = 120 points (yeahhhhh!)

  My Opponent = 102 points

We were neck and neck all the way up to MNF…

She had the NYG RB Brashaw and I had NYG WR Smith and DAL TE Witten. I was lucky that Witten got a TD right away and happy to see the DAL QB getting the ball repeatedly (although I must admit I never thought I would write that). The more time Dallas spent on the field, the less time Bradshaw would be running around on the field.

And then…Romo got hurt. Badly.

The Giants began to dominate. This was great for my WR Smith. But, it also meant that I could be watching long black streaks across my computer screen that represented Bradshaw running up and down the field. I am so close to winning and the backup DAL QB Kitna is getting sacked and sacked…

Then – Kitna found the one Dallas player that could catch his throws – Witten.  (Joy!)  I was watching small, but multiple, streaks across the pages that said “Witten for 9 yards”, “Witten for 4 yards”, etc.

Kitna was checking down and I was earned enough points to win.

**Week 8 Lineup ***

This week I play one of my best friends, Steph, who is 6-1 right now. She has Romo for her main QB and several players on a bye week, so my win should have been a no brainer.  

Except…I made a potentially fatal error….

Many of my RBs are on a bye next week and I thought I would be savvy and look ahead for another RB. I saw the new upcoming RB for Tampa Bay, Blount, and thought I should take him now in case he really breaks out this week and someone else takes him.

After deciding on playing Big Ben instead of McNabb - who I picked up specifically to play this week because Flacco is on a bye - I dropped McNabb and picked up Blount.

I did not look at my opponent’s roster. If I had, I would have seen that…

• Her backup QB is on bye too and that she would immediately pick up McNabb.
• Santana Moss is one of her WRs. McNabb likes to throw to him because, well, they are on the same team and S. Moss likes to catch passes that turn into TDs.
• AND, Washington is playing Detroit. Detroit does not have the best DEF (which is why I kept McNabb on my roster...)

I basically handed my opponent McNabb…

AHHHH!

Now I am running scared again. But, if I lose, I really have only myself to blame.

Here is the W8 STARTING LINEUP:

QB: Big Ben Roethlisberger (got to hope he can passes through the NO def)

WR1: Moss (he’s playing his old team and might explode if he does not get the ball)

WR2: Havin (benching him last week was a mistake, but does he need Favre?)

WR2: Branch (he is still questionable, but Smith is on a bye)

RB1: MJD (please let it be a good week, please)

RB21: Torian (I need WAS to RUN the ball - A LOT)

TE: Witten (think JAC DEF also knows Kitna likes to throw to him? This might be risky.)

K:  Gostkowski (I want the MIN DEF to wake up and force NE to kick FGs. Except for throws to Branch, of course. Yep - I want a lot.)

DEF: TB Bucs (They are playing ARI and I need ARI to keep playing like ARI).

BENCH: Flacco (Bye), Smith (Bye), Moreno (might do well), BJGE (not feeling confident about him anymore), Blount (is he a one-hit wonder? We will see this week)

Wish me luck and Happy Halloween!

Is It Sunday Yet? W6 - Getting Ready to Play the #1 Team

I usually post my lineup much earlier on Saturday. In fact, I usually know who I am playing by Thursday. I am having trouble choosing starters this week.

This week is different because:

1. Some players are on a bye week
2. Some players are injured
3. Some injured players are getting better and may play (or may not or they may play and get re-injured…or maybe no one knows what is going to happen but they are really good players and I need them!...SIGH)
4. I am playing the #1 team in my league and it is going to be tough  
5. BUT - I almost beat a really great team last week and with smart adjustments might beat the #1 team this week...

You only have to look at our cumulative totals across the last five games to see why I might be reaching in #5…

      My total after 5 games: 377  

My opponent’s total after 5 games: 577

My opponent’s team name is the Dust Bunnies, but please do not let this fool you. Her team is the most feared in the league. I think of the Rabbit of Caerbannog in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when I think about playing them.

(Run away! Run away!)

She has Brees, Forte, Best, Foster, Austin, B. Lloyd, B. Edwards, Knox, Keller and the Charger DEF. Would you call this team the Bunnies? Hmmm? They are more like the Beasts! There is so much talent there that you have to wonder how the rest of us let this happen.

I have a lot of respect for my opponent - but, she is 5-0 and needs to feel the agony of defeat. I will do what I can...

MY Week 6 STARTERS (unless I tinker with it...one...more...time)

  QB:     Big Ben (yes, I grabbed him of the ww – I have to take a chance)

  WR1:  Moss (here I go depending on Favre again…)

  WR2:  Havin (Ditto)

  WR3:  Smith (Okay Eli, I need repeat of last week)

  RB1:   MJD (please be healthy, please run – Run Like The wind!)

  RB2:   Addai (I had him last year and did well – but see #3 above)

  TE:     Witten (I am still mourning Finley…)

  K:       Bryant (Let’s hope ATL needs a few FGs)

  DEF:  GB (doing okay with them so far)

MY Week 6 BENCH:

  -Flacco (this might be a mistake)

  -McNabb (yep, I have 3 QBs again)

  -The Law firm (Brady might throw a lot)

  -Crabtree (Is he is a one-hit wonder?)

  -Tolbert (might regret this too…Thought process while making this decision: "Matthew is healthy again…but, he might not be or might get hurt again...but, he might not…such is the life of a FF team owner)

Wish me luck!

How Did I Do? W5 – Gotta Love A (almost) Comeback!

Monday Night Football was an absolute blast for me. As you all know, I started Moss and Harvin and they made me 35 points – in one game!

Sure, I lost by 2 pts. But, it was so much fun to watch my score climb and climb…everyone in our league chat room getting excited…(omg!  Another pass to Havin!  You could win!) ...that I almost did not care.

And, I just knew that there would be fireworks in the 4^th quarter. Yes, I did find myself yelling at Favre out of sheer frustration for the first three quarters (You have everything you need, Favre!  Man up, Favre!). But something inside me just knew that he was not going to go all night without throwing to a TD to Moss.

I loved it.

It was also fun because I played against one of my best friends - I have known her since the 2^nd grade. She is a very savvy FF player. She grabbed Hillis, Torian, and Vick off the waiver wire before any of us could blink. I look at which players she drops just in case I can use them. (I am not above grabbing another owner’s hand-me-downs). And, she is married to a Buffalo Bills fan – which shows that she has great taste. Congratulations, Allison! It was a pleasure playing against you this week.

It was not all roses for me, however. My TE Finley is hurt – which really hurts my team. He is one of the best TEs out there. And, the Bills shutdown MJD (I know, I should be happy for the Bills – but I could have won with those points!).

I still have work to do. I'm at 1-4 now.  

But, in the end, it is all about the fun for me…and boy it was fun this week.