The 2010-2011 Fantasy Football End of the Year Extravaganza!
It’s been a fantastic year of fantasy football in the United Republic of Kenwood division – probably the most competitive yet. Each week, half of us felt the thrill of victory and the other half felt the agony of defeat (so goes competition, or something). And now, these Sundays of intense staring at a computer screen, watching tiny numbers go up (or occasionally, down) have come to an end. The legends hath been writ and the curtains hath fallen. Nevertheless, while the long winter hath arrived, we can keep ourselves comforted with the pleasant memories and motivated with the not-so-pleasant memories from these past sixteen weeks.
*****
To recap the playoffs
Round 1: Upset! The Cupcakes become the fourth number 8 seed in five years to knock off the number 1 seed. The other top seeds all held serve, highlighted by a thrilling comeback from the Runnings to overtake the Z’s in the highest scoring game of the week. Meanwhile, the Strangers and Sheep were gifted miserable performances from their respective opponents the Cats and Minions, the latter scoring and all-time league record low 32 points despite no players putting up goose eggs.
Round 2: Not much drama this week. The championship game was set without controversy when both the Strangers and Sheep annihilated their opponents, including the year-high score of 162 from the Sheep. The Cats and Showers both bounced back from disappointing first round efforts to win their second round matchups solidly.
Championship Week: In the seventh place game, the Minions finally snapped out of their funk to take down the Z’s, who never quite recovered from their heartbreaking round 1 defeat. In the fifth place game, the Cats continued to show a bit of return to midseason form with a strong Tuesday night performance, plus two QBs, to knock off the Showers whose otherwise strong season ended on a down note.
In the third place game, both the Runnings and the Cupcakes scored less than half a point less than they had scored the previous week – how’s that for consistency? The Runnings came out on top and have to be pleased with their best finish yet, while the Cupcakes managed to snag a 4th place finish for the second straight year.
For those of us hoping for a competitive championship, well, we were sadly disappointed. The Sheep took the Strangers to the woodshed, getting strong performances up and down the lineup for the second straight week, and became the first multiple-year champion in league history!
*****
And now, to hand out some virtual hardware:
League Champion: A Sheep at the Wheel
As in the previous two seasons, the Sheep started strongly; however, it was clear by midseason that this was not the dominant regular season team we’ve seen so recently. The Sheep endured some uncharacteristic midseason turbulence, but had the steeliness to weather the storm and finish the regular season in third. After surviving their round 1 matchup, they kicked into another gear and posted two consecutive league high scores, earning their championship the right way – by being the best at the end of the year.
Coach of the Year: Cupcakes of DOOM!
Nobody did more with less this year than the Cupcakes. They survived a draft filled with unlucky busts (take another look at it - pretty horrendous, in retrospect), they managed to squeak into the playoffs with only one bona-fide stud (Brees), and they still managed to finish fourth overall. Their greatest triumph was an all-in approach in Round 1 of the playoffs – play multiple solid players from high scoring offenses (in this case, the Saints and Patriots), and hope for the best. The bet paid off spectacularly as the Cupcakes pulled off the upset.
GM of the Year: The Hot Showers
The Showers had an abundant run of success this year. First came a great draft, with such valuable finds as Rivers, Foster, and Tomlinson. They managed to snag Bowe off the waivers in the early going, and also saw fit to cut ties with Moss just before his implosion. All in all, a great job of building a roster that was the best in the regular season and only a few breaks away from a solid postseason.
Avatar of the Year: Doctor Dilaudid
The Doctors didn’t win much this year, but they ran away with one of my favorite awards for the third time in its four year history. The overwhelming genius they display in this category is truly a sight to behold. I mean, it’s got a baby, a barbecue, a stethoscope, and Star Wars! C’mon, how do you top that?
Team Name of the Year: Bad Bad Victorcat
The ★ earned originality points, but symbols are just a bit unwieldy to win when the award giver does a lot of typing. Instead this prestigious award goes to a name that just rolls off the tongue, evoking a sense of hip, cool fifties beat poetry. As a plus, it lends itself to easy nicknaming (the Cats, the Victors); not only that, it proved to be prescient in describing their results this season (Bad Bad).
Rookie of the Year: Left Hand Strangers
Kind of an obvious choice really, but despite being the new kid on the block, the Strangers had a strong season with fourth place regular season finish and a runner-up finish in the postseason. They flew under the radar for a while, but as the year went on they kept improving and proved to be a quality addition to the league dynamic.
Most Improved Team: Cool Runnings
After watching their two expansion-mates win back to back championships while they sat mired in seventh place finishes, the Runnings had to be anxious for a break-out year. This year, they delivered, finishing a strong second in the regular season and following that up with a solid, two-win postseason and third place finish despite losing star RB Gore at the end of the year. A great step forward for the Runnings.
Most Surprising Team: Minions
The Minions haven’t been too good in fantasy football lately. Ever since the league’s inaugural year, when they won the regular season only to implode in the playoffs, they’ve been a basement-dwelling, last-place-finishing pushover. But something unusual happened this year – the Minions won their first game. And then they won their second, and followed that up with their third straight. By the time the year ended, they had racked up eight wins, good enough for the fifth seed. And while the playoffs were rough, they did manage a seventh place finish, which happens to be their best ever!
Best Trash Talk: Fat Cats
Even if you weren’t emotionally invested in their game, the Cats matchup screen was often a must-check. You just wanted to see what sort of wit and wisdom the Cats brought to the table. Some inspired moments: “Turn that hat/headband forward, young man!” (wks. 3/4, vs. the Runnings/Showers), “You might be a shooting star.” (wk. 5 vs. the ★) and my personal favorite, “Do I need exact change for the pain train?” (wk. 10, in response to the Z’s “Woo WOoo, here comes the pain train!”).
Rip Van Winkle Award: ★
What a weird season. The ★ were horrendous, just horrendous, the first half of the season, going 0-6 and looking absolutely hopeless. So naturally, they would wake up at midseason and go off on a tear, winning five of seven losing a playoff tiebreaker by about 5 pts/gm. If only the alarm had gone off sooner!
Loudest Bark: Z Power
The Z’s were a scary team…on paper. By midseason, they had managed to pull off what looked to be a blockbuster trade, and had a starting lineup with two of the top three draft picks this year. Unfortunately, their bite was surprisingly gentle as they stumbled to an eighth place finish. Despite the disappointing end to this year, you have to expect the Z’s to bounce back, given their strong career track record.
Sportsmanship Award: The Schmuckernators
The Schmuckernators had a disappointing season, just missing out on the playoffs despite an arguably stronger team than some that made it. Despite this, they were filled with dignity to the end, not complaining, not rationalizing, but accepting their fate with a gentleman’s class. Plus, they win this because they needed to win something.
*****
And now, I’m exhausted. Done typing, I swear. Thanks for reading. Happy New Year everybody! ‘Til we battle again!
*****
To recap the playoffs
Round 1: Upset! The Cupcakes become the fourth number 8 seed in five years to knock off the number 1 seed. The other top seeds all held serve, highlighted by a thrilling comeback from the Runnings to overtake the Z’s in the highest scoring game of the week. Meanwhile, the Strangers and Sheep were gifted miserable performances from their respective opponents the Cats and Minions, the latter scoring and all-time league record low 32 points despite no players putting up goose eggs.
Round 2: Not much drama this week. The championship game was set without controversy when both the Strangers and Sheep annihilated their opponents, including the year-high score of 162 from the Sheep. The Cats and Showers both bounced back from disappointing first round efforts to win their second round matchups solidly.
Championship Week: In the seventh place game, the Minions finally snapped out of their funk to take down the Z’s, who never quite recovered from their heartbreaking round 1 defeat. In the fifth place game, the Cats continued to show a bit of return to midseason form with a strong Tuesday night performance, plus two QBs, to knock off the Showers whose otherwise strong season ended on a down note.
In the third place game, both the Runnings and the Cupcakes scored less than half a point less than they had scored the previous week – how’s that for consistency? The Runnings came out on top and have to be pleased with their best finish yet, while the Cupcakes managed to snag a 4th place finish for the second straight year.
For those of us hoping for a competitive championship, well, we were sadly disappointed. The Sheep took the Strangers to the woodshed, getting strong performances up and down the lineup for the second straight week, and became the first multiple-year champion in league history!
*****
And now, to hand out some virtual hardware:
League Champion: A Sheep at the Wheel
As in the previous two seasons, the Sheep started strongly; however, it was clear by midseason that this was not the dominant regular season team we’ve seen so recently. The Sheep endured some uncharacteristic midseason turbulence, but had the steeliness to weather the storm and finish the regular season in third. After surviving their round 1 matchup, they kicked into another gear and posted two consecutive league high scores, earning their championship the right way – by being the best at the end of the year.
Coach of the Year: Cupcakes of DOOM!
Nobody did more with less this year than the Cupcakes. They survived a draft filled with unlucky busts (take another look at it - pretty horrendous, in retrospect), they managed to squeak into the playoffs with only one bona-fide stud (Brees), and they still managed to finish fourth overall. Their greatest triumph was an all-in approach in Round 1 of the playoffs – play multiple solid players from high scoring offenses (in this case, the Saints and Patriots), and hope for the best. The bet paid off spectacularly as the Cupcakes pulled off the upset.
GM of the Year: The Hot Showers
The Showers had an abundant run of success this year. First came a great draft, with such valuable finds as Rivers, Foster, and Tomlinson. They managed to snag Bowe off the waivers in the early going, and also saw fit to cut ties with Moss just before his implosion. All in all, a great job of building a roster that was the best in the regular season and only a few breaks away from a solid postseason.
Avatar of the Year: Doctor Dilaudid
The Doctors didn’t win much this year, but they ran away with one of my favorite awards for the third time in its four year history. The overwhelming genius they display in this category is truly a sight to behold. I mean, it’s got a baby, a barbecue, a stethoscope, and Star Wars! C’mon, how do you top that?
Team Name of the Year: Bad Bad Victorcat
The ★ earned originality points, but symbols are just a bit unwieldy to win when the award giver does a lot of typing. Instead this prestigious award goes to a name that just rolls off the tongue, evoking a sense of hip, cool fifties beat poetry. As a plus, it lends itself to easy nicknaming (the Cats, the Victors); not only that, it proved to be prescient in describing their results this season (Bad Bad).
Rookie of the Year: Left Hand Strangers
Kind of an obvious choice really, but despite being the new kid on the block, the Strangers had a strong season with fourth place regular season finish and a runner-up finish in the postseason. They flew under the radar for a while, but as the year went on they kept improving and proved to be a quality addition to the league dynamic.
Most Improved Team: Cool Runnings
After watching their two expansion-mates win back to back championships while they sat mired in seventh place finishes, the Runnings had to be anxious for a break-out year. This year, they delivered, finishing a strong second in the regular season and following that up with a solid, two-win postseason and third place finish despite losing star RB Gore at the end of the year. A great step forward for the Runnings.
Most Surprising Team: Minions
The Minions haven’t been too good in fantasy football lately. Ever since the league’s inaugural year, when they won the regular season only to implode in the playoffs, they’ve been a basement-dwelling, last-place-finishing pushover. But something unusual happened this year – the Minions won their first game. And then they won their second, and followed that up with their third straight. By the time the year ended, they had racked up eight wins, good enough for the fifth seed. And while the playoffs were rough, they did manage a seventh place finish, which happens to be their best ever!
Best Trash Talk: Fat Cats
Even if you weren’t emotionally invested in their game, the Cats matchup screen was often a must-check. You just wanted to see what sort of wit and wisdom the Cats brought to the table. Some inspired moments: “Turn that hat/headband forward, young man!” (wks. 3/4, vs. the Runnings/Showers), “You might be a shooting star.” (wk. 5 vs. the ★) and my personal favorite, “Do I need exact change for the pain train?” (wk. 10, in response to the Z’s “Woo WOoo, here comes the pain train!”).
Rip Van Winkle Award: ★
What a weird season. The ★ were horrendous, just horrendous, the first half of the season, going 0-6 and looking absolutely hopeless. So naturally, they would wake up at midseason and go off on a tear, winning five of seven losing a playoff tiebreaker by about 5 pts/gm. If only the alarm had gone off sooner!
Loudest Bark: Z Power
The Z’s were a scary team…on paper. By midseason, they had managed to pull off what looked to be a blockbuster trade, and had a starting lineup with two of the top three draft picks this year. Unfortunately, their bite was surprisingly gentle as they stumbled to an eighth place finish. Despite the disappointing end to this year, you have to expect the Z’s to bounce back, given their strong career track record.
Sportsmanship Award: The Schmuckernators
The Schmuckernators had a disappointing season, just missing out on the playoffs despite an arguably stronger team than some that made it. Despite this, they were filled with dignity to the end, not complaining, not rationalizing, but accepting their fate with a gentleman’s class. Plus, they win this because they needed to win something.
*****
And now, I’m exhausted. Done typing, I swear. Thanks for reading. Happy New Year everybody! ‘Til we battle again!
2 Comments:
Thanks once again for your insights over the year Danny!
Danny, thanks for the commentary throughout the year.
And thanks for the Avatar award. I'm sure my patients would be happy to know I spent a lot of time creating my FF persona instead of studying. Definitely worth the cyberspace accolade!
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