Categories
FANTASY Uncategorized

Cobe Life 2018 NFL Playoff Predictions

Bet on the Home Team

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

This Season it’s particularly difficult to bet against the home team in the first Round.  That’s not to say that the visiting squads don’t have a chance.  Lets take a look at each match, and see where the keys to victory for each team lie.

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

After an unlikely turn of events the Buffalo Bills find themselves back in the Post Season.  Predicted by most to be irrelevant this Season, the Bills surprised everyone with their exceptional Defensive play, and game breaking performances by LeSean McCoy and Tyrod Taylor.  They will need all three of those elements to be functioning at 100% if they expect to get by Jacksonville.  There lies the issue.  LeSean McCoy will definitely be less than 100% on Sunday.  Without LeSean McCoy at full strength to take some of the pressure off of Tyrod Taylor, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ pass rush will declare open season on the Bills’ QB.  That leaves the Buffalo Bills Defence as their only path to victory.  Their first job will be to contain rookie sensation Leonard Fournette.  If they are able to do that then forcing Blake Bortles into making key mistakes is what it will take to win.

Another surprise team in the Post Season, the Jacksonville Jaguars actually have all the tools necessary to go deep into the Playoffs.  A very strong Defence, a featured Running Back, weapons at all levels of the Offence, and some veteran leadership.  The only knock against them is the inconsistent play of their signal caller Blake Bortles. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing them for that reason.  Quarterbacks have won Superbowls with far worse play than Bortles has showcased this Season.  The old adage is that Defence wins championships.  Well if that is the case then the Jacksonville Jaguars could be on their way to the Superbowl.  In order to beat the Buffalo Bills, all Jacksonville will have to do is limit their mistakes.  Protecting the Ball will be their path to victory.  Fournette is such a Beast of a Running Back that the Bills won’t be able to totally contain him.  I don’t expect this to be a high scoring affair, but I expect Jacksonville to score Touchdowns when they get into the Red zone, and be able to limit the Buffalo Bills to only Field Goals.  In the end I expect that to be the difference.

Jacksonville Jaguars by 6

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs

Now here is a match between two teams that are about as difficult to predict how they’ll play, or who will win.  If I were to ask you to describe what type of team the Tennessee Titans are.  What would your answer be?  Are they a hard Running clock control Offence?  Sometimes they are.  Is Mariota an elusive Quarterback that can go downfield and take over a game?  Well he’s done it before, but he’s also a competent game manager.  Their Defence is built to stop the Run but does it?  Honestly figuring out how the Titans might approach this particular game is difficult, and that’s what makes them dangerous.  You just don’t quite know what to expect when you face them.  There is one thing that they lack that the Kansas City Chiefs have plenty of though and that’s…       Star Power

At times this Season the Kansas City Chiefs appeared to be the best team in football.  Then again there were a few games they played this year that made them seem totally disorganized.  Which team will show up at Arrowhead stadium on Saturday remains to be seen.  One thing is for sure.  All eyes will be on Star Players Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, and Alex Smith.  Each and every one of those players have proven that they can take over a game.  If just two of them step up Saturday’s game could end up as a blowout.  What Kansas City does best is strike hard and fast when you least expect it.  A delayed draw play to Kareem Hunt can quickly turn into 20+ yards.  A screen pass to Tyreek Hill in a third and long situation can suddenly become a trip to the endzone.  Try to limit the Kansas City Chiefs perimeter Offence, and you end up getting burned by Kelce across the middle.  Oh and just in case you thought you might be able to turn the game into a shootout.  The Kansas City Chiefs Defence is none too shabby either.  In other words the only way I can see the Kansas City Chiefs losing is if they beat themselves.  The thing is they’ve done it quite a few times this Season.  The thing is I don’t see them doing it at home.

Kansas City Chiefs by 10

Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams

“Embrace the suck” has been the Falcons motto this Season.  Well they’re back in the Post Season after their Superbowl meltdown last year.  There’s no denying that the Atlanta Falcons are excellent on paper.  They have a franchise Quarterback in Matty Ice.  Julio Jones is probably the most physically dominant Wide Receiver in the NFL.  Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are a potent one two punch at Running Back.  They have veterans at every level of the Defence.  It shouldn’t really be a surprise that they are back in the playoffs.  Then why does it feel that way?  Things just haven’t clicked for the Atlanta Falcons this Season.  Something seems a little off.  Could it be that the team we watched in awe last Season was a total fluke?  I don’t think so.  What I believe is that it’s rare to have all of your Star Players playing to their full potential at the same time.  If the Atlanta Falcons want to win this game it’s going to be in Julio’s hands to do it.  When he has a great game, so does the entire team.  Double covered or not, just throw him the ball.  There aren’t too many Cornerback/Safety tandems that can effectively cover him.  Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Rams they don’t have one of those tandems.

So the Los Angeles Rams are not only in the Post Season, but they are playing at home.  They have who I would consider to be the Offensive Player of the year in Todd Gurley.  Jared Goff is playing like the first pick overall this Season.  The Rams Defence is still the dominant Defence it’s always been, but now gets to play with a lead at times.  5 times this Season they put up 40+ points so you know this Offence can score.  If there’s a weakness it’s whether or not they are ready for the Post Season.  Obviously the Falcons are ready.  They have got to be chomping at the bit to get back to the Superbowl.  This game will come down to who stops who’s Star Player.  Will the Falcons be able to contain Todd Gurley, or will the Rams be able to contain Julio Jones?  As much as I want to see the Rams advance I’m going to go with the experience here.

Atlanta Falcons by 3

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

Superman is in the building.  The success of this Season’s Carolina Panthers begins and ends with their charismatic signal caller Cam Newton.  Injuries and inconsistencies have plagued their usually dominant Defence.  This Season the wins came through the strength of Cam’s arm, and at times his legs.  Having Greg Olsen back is a huge boost, but will it be enough?  The Panthers lack a legitimate deep threat to help keep the New Orleans Saints Defence honest.  You can almost guarantee that the Saints will dedicate at least a linebacker to keep close tabs on Cam, and I would expect a few Corner or Safety blitzes as well.  I know I’m supposed to be campaigning on Carolina’s behalf during this paragraph but it’s difficult to do so.  Cam will have to be almost perfect to win this game.

The New Orleans Saints resemble the team that won the Superbowl.  Drew Brees is still one of the Top Quarterbacks in the NFL.  They have the best tandem of Running Backs in football with Mark Ingram, and Alvin Kamara.  Michael Thomas has quietly become one of the Top Wide Receivers in the NFL.  Their Defence which has been their Achilles heel in recent Seasons is playing at a very high level.  Home field advantage is absolutely huge for the Saints.  Losing at home is a rarity for them.  The Superdome is easily in the Top 5 of Home field advantage stadiums.  Player to Player the New Orleans Saints are just better than the Carolina Panthers.  Of all the games this weekend, this is the one I’m most certain of.  It would be a travesty if the Saints lost this game.

New Orleans Saints by 11

Categories
GAMING

A Gaming Holiday Hangover – The Gamer in me GL-22

It’s sooo tempting to play what’s new!

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

During the holidays there’s ample opportunity to play any number of games.  If you are a dedicated gamer like me then you probably received a couple new games as gifts.  Your friends were off from school or work so it was the perfect time to go online and coordinate some Destiny boss runs, or get together for a Board game night.  You probably played more games over the last couple of weeks than you had the last couple of months before.  Now that you have been sufficiently spoiled you can’t help but want to keep playing.  You probably have a new favourite.  Like the next Season of your favourite show on Netflix you can’t wait to binge play it.  Of course what happens when you quickly finish that current Season on Netflix?  You suffer a form of withdrawal when it’s over.  Nothing else you watch seems worthy.  Well even though games don’t suddenly end.  Playing too much of a favourite game can quickly render it unplayable.  I don’t care how much you love a particular game.  If you don’t give it a rest every once in a while you’ll quickly tire of it.

Like it or not it pays to switch genres

Different types of games require different skills.  Games can excite our imagination, fuel our competitive nature, challenge our intellect, and at times totally surprise us.  Of course most of all they’re entertaining.  Most of us excell at one or two particular types of games.  Focus on only the ones that you are best at, and you limit how entertaining games can be.  I’m not a big fan of First Person Shooters, but there have been a few that I actually loved when I tried them.  Some people wouldn’t even consider playing a Racing simulation style game.  Then you sit them down, and have them try out your gaming steering wheel, and they become hooked.  I’ve known people who dismissed Board games as a child’s distraction.  Then I talked them into playing a game of Roborally after a few beers, and they couldn’t stop playing until they finally passed out.  It might surprise you what games will surprise and entertain you.  So as much as you love the new game you got on Christmas.  Don’t keep playing it until you hate it.  Play something totally different every now and then.  Even if it doesn’t totally thrill you.  It will make going back to your favourite game that much more satisfying.

Don’t bully your buddies

Just because you are still available after Christmas doesn’t mean that your friends are.  For many this time of year is getting into their slow time at work.  The big sales are coming to an end.  The winter weather shuts down a lot of the outdoor activities and industry.  Even the Real estate, and home improvement markets slow down.  If this is a slow time for you?  It won’t be long before you are going stir crazy wishing you had a few more friends to game with.  Don’t message all of your gaming friends like a pyramid scheme direct marketer.  Your Best shot of getting a few friends together to play some games is to just let everyone know that you are available.  Trust me, just because they might be busy most of the time doesn’t mean that they aren’t interested in blowing off a little steam by having a games night.  When they have a free night, they’ll be happy to know that at least you are definitely available.  As long as you make a habit of showing up when invited.  You will probably receive enough invitations to to keep your gaming addiction under control.

As much as I hate winter, so do a lot of other people.  Staying indoors is the perfect excuse to try a few new games so get gaming!

Categories
GOLF Uncategorized

Giga Golf Irons – A Beginner’s Opinion

First Impressions of Giga Golf Clubs

Like pretty much every other Golf enthusiast on a budget I’ve looked into the possibility of playing clone, or custom small manufacturers clubs.  After extensive research of a number of brands I decided to give Giga Golf Irons a chance.  Some key factors that went into my decision were their direct from manufacturer approach, custom club assembly, and ease of contact.  I was actually able to speak with the President of the company Robert Wilson before making a purchase.  They also offer an online Efit system for getting your clubs fit for your body size.  Although it isn’t a foolproof method, it should work for most.  I already knew my proper sizing, and the Efit method confirmed it so it would have worked for me.  As a lefty my choices were limited, but fortunately they did have a game Improvement Iron that seemed suitable.  Their manufacturing facility is located in Florida.  Even though I was having the clubs custom built, and I placed the order on the 19th of December.  The clubs arrived at my door in Toronto, Ontario nine days later.  Needless to say I was very impressed with the speed my order was fulfilled.

Love at First Sight

Upon opening the box that contained my new Irons I was pleasantly surprised.  To be fair I wasn’t expecting to be impressed with the looks of the TRX Power Slot Irons.  A set including five Iron through Pitching Wedge without any shaft or grip upgrades comes out to only $225 Canadian including delivery.  Compare that to the Taylormade, and Srixon Irons sets I was looking at that were $500+.  Expecting them to be aesthetically pleasing, and function well seemed like too much to hope for.  Even the pictures on the Giga Golf website appeared a bit cheesy looking.  Seeing them up close for the first time.  The subtle style touches, thin topline, and mixture of reflective and matt surfaces look great.  If these Irons perform half as well as advertised I’ll be more than satisfied.  The suggested shafts by True Temper look great, and even their basic grip by Sensatec in midsize feels good.  Giga Golf does offer a number of grip upgrades by Golf Pride, Lamkin, and Winn but my preferred grip wasn’t one of them so I decided to go with their basic grip at no additional charge.  If it doesn’t perform well I can just regrip the clubs later.  Giga Golf allows you to order clubs individually so I only ordered the 6 Iron, 7 Iron, 8 Iron, 9 Iron, and Pitching Wedge.  As a High handicapper I believe that the best combination of clubs in the bag include Hybrid Clubs.  My current set includes a 3 Hybrid, 4 Hybrid, and 5 Hybrid so I didn’t require the 5 Iron.  Removing the one club saved me around $25.

An Ongoing Review of Giga Golf Irons

You would expect that with all of the information available on the internet you could find a review of Giga Golf Irons that included Carry and total Distance numbers, Spin rpms, and Launch angles.  Well you can’t.  Sure there are unboxing videos, and product information reviews but those don’t really tell you how good their clubs may actually be.  Not only will I be testing these Irons on the course, but I’ll also get you all of the numbers in a Simulator.  What you have probably been craving for most is direct comparisons of Giga Golf Clubs against the top manufacturers.  Well I’ll have that too!  So be sure to Subscribe to my Blog, and YouTube Channel to finally learn how much of a difference the Top manufacturers equipment gains you.

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
http://twitter.com/cobeness

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM
http://instagram.com/cobesports

FOLLOW ME ON MY WEBSITE
https://cobelife.com

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/cobelifegolf

https://youtu.be/Q0_qsFfX54U

Categories
FANTASY Uncategorized

We are the Champions – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-37

Consistency wins

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

In both of my featured Fantasy Football leagues the highest average scoring team in the League won the Championship.  All is right in the Fantasy universe.  If you have played Fantasy Football for a few years you will know that that isn’t always the case.  It’s Fantasy Football, so absolutely anything can happen.  What makes the right thing happening so special this Season is that my Grid Warriors team was the highest scoring team in the Gridiron Pros Fantasy Football League.  Which means I have retaken the Championship in my longest running Keeper league.  😁 I managed a fourth place finish in the other feature league.  I lost the semi-final to the eventual Champion Texas Proud.  Trust me when I tell you that it didn’t come as a surprise.  I predicted them to win it all Mid Season.

Top 6 Final standings

Gridiron Pros

True Fanatics

Coming out on top as the eventual Champion this Season was especially special.  There were an unprecedented amount of Star Player injuries, underperforming, and overperforming teams, and amazing rookie seasons.  Who would have predicted that the Jacksonville Jaguars would make the playoffs, and the Dallas Cowboys or Denver Broncos wouldn’t.  Some of the top performing Quarterbacks at the end of the Season were backups at the beginning.  Finishing first this year means you stayed one step ahead of it all.

Dawn of a new age

I hinted in my last Fantasy post that Fantasy Football has been dramatically changed.   For at least the last five Seasons the primary focus of Fantasy drafts have been about Running Backs.  Year after year it seemed like the number of quality Running Backs continuously diminished.  More teams adopted the Running Back by committee approach.  Utilizing two or three Running Backs each and every game.  Reducing the value of each back to fantasy irrelevance.  The NFL has slowly transitioned into a passing league.  Further limiting the value of Running Backs.  Their increased chance of injury coupled with the concussion protocol system means that most of the top Running Backs will miss at least a few games.  If you didn’t draft a quality RB early you were really hoping to get lucky with a backup, or fantasy relevant third down back.  Well next year things are going to be a lot different.  The recent crop of star rookie Running Backs, backups that excelled when given an opportunity, and teams that have switched to a Run heavy offence will dramatically change next Season’s draft.  Coming in to this Season there was only about 10 potential high value Running Backs.  In a 12 team League which I consider to be the most competitive that left very few to go around.  By the time you draft next summer things will be much different.  I can count on at least 20 high quality Running Backs being available in next Season’s draft, and that’s not including Rookies.  If Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, and Kareem Hunt haven’t convinced you how important a Rookie Running Back can be to your team then you probably shouldn’t be playing Fantasy Football next Season.  There’s at least another 10 after the first 20 that will be fantasy relevant, and could help you win a Championship.  Gone are the days of the First Round Running Back pick, or you’re in trouble drafts.  With that many quality Running Backs available you can afford to wait until the third Round before you draft your first RB.  It is my belief that the NFL currently has more star power now at every skill position than it’s had in over a decade.  The only skill position that’s at all lacking is Tight End, and it’s the least important in Fantasy.  My Grid Warriors team won this Season with a combination of Charles Clay, Hunter Henry, Eric Ebron, and Austin Hooper.  That’s how unimportant it is.  Due to the wealth of talent there’s only one draft strategy that’s viable in my opinion next Season.

Take the best Player available!

Position picking will be far less important next year than in years previous.  Where I used to be concerned about drafting a Top 10 Running Back in either Round 1 or 2, it won’t matter now.  If you drafted a stud Wide Receiver in Round 3, and when your fourth Round pick comes around there’s another great WR.  Don’t even think twice about it, draft him.  I used to stack my bench with Running Backs in case my first or second rounder went down with an injury.  Trust me when I tell you that I won’t be doing it next year.  There are so many quality backups that I’ll pick one up off the waiver wire when I need one.  Managers would stress over when to draft a Top tier QB.  Well let me be the first to tell you that next Season should have you stress free.  There were so many great QB performances this year that picking one early doesn’t make sense at all.  Next Season should actually be better.  I guarantee that a number of Backup Quarterbacks that were given a chance to strut their stuff will be full time starters on another squad nest Season.  It was already leaning that way the last couple of Seasons.  So much so that I was able to draft Matthew Stafford in the 10th Round this Season as my primary Starter, and used both Tyrod Taylor as a backup early in the Season, and Blake Bortles later in the Season.  Blake Bortles was in my lineup for the Semi-final and Championship games by the way.  Blake Bortles!  As next Season draws closer I’ll go into far more depth about each position, and why drafting the best available is your only option for success.

So don’t forget to subscribe!

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

 

Categories
GAMING

The Dos & Don’ts of Family Gaming – The Gamer in me GL-21

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

Many of us will be spending a lot of time with our families over the holidays. The more time you spend with them the greater the chance that you will end up playing a few games.  Family Gaming can be absolutely great. Beware of making the classic mistakes that can turn a fun night into a warzone.

PROPER GAME SELECTION

Picking the right game to play with your family is key to having a successful day. There are an endless amount of choices so choosing the right game might not be as easy as you think. You can’t just open a pack of cards, and be done with it. Or can you? Card Games are a classic favourite with many families. A single deck of cards can provide hours of entertainment. So many different games can be played requiring minimal set up, and a rereading of the rules generally isn’t necessary. Everyone remembers how to play, and quite a few of the games require a fair amount of luck to win. The luck factor is very important. It means that one family member is unlikely to win every game. Well there you have it then. Cards are the perfect family game. Well hold on for a second. Not every card game is appropriate for a family get together.

Card Game Dos & Don’ts

As popular as Poker has become over the last decade. Suggesting that the family play Poker together over the holidays is a seriously bad idea. Everyone has a different amount of expendable income. Some people can afford to play Poker and lose. There are those that winning is really the only option. By suggesting a game of Poker you are essentially saying that you have money to burn, or you are arrogantly confident in winning. You also effectively exclude anyone who is feeling the holiday pinch in the wallet. Christmas is an expensive time for many. Don’t be a tool, and ask your family to gamble. If your family is familiar with four handed Euchre I would suggest that as maybe the perfect substitute. Four handed Euchre is played as two teams of two so you win or lose together. That also allows you to occasionally switch up the teams so stronger players can be paired up with weaker players creating balance. There is a bit of bluffing in Euchre. If you play to ten points like most people then you can put something trivial as a prize on the outcome. Winner gets a larger slice of pie, or the losers have to give a candy cane to the winners for each point they lost by. Whatever you decide Euchre provides the right combination of competition and friendly fun.

Board Game Dos & Don’ts

If your family prefers to play Board games. Choosing the right Board game is absolutely critical. Unlike Card games which are easy to pack up, or simply switch to another game if the current game your playing isn’t enjoyable. Board Games can require a lot of set up, a fair amount of time to play, and in some cases additional time to relearn the rules. I’m sure that most of you have started at least one game of Monopoly that never got finished. The same can probably be said about Risk. A quick note about Risk, don’t ever play Risk with an odd number of people. Doing so practically guarantees that an alliance will be created at some point in order to crush the individual that got off to a good start. This usually results in a lot of swearing, and in extreme cases a trip to the medicine cabinet. Keep a fair amount of Advil, and possibly some Band-Aids if you intend to play Risk. I’ve finished a few games of Monopoly in my lifetime, and I consider that to be one hell of an achievement. It takes an incredible amount of dedication, and patience from all involved to actually finish a game of Monopoly. Instead of Board games that require a lot of patience, strategy, and who knows how long to play. Choose games that are much shorter, and contain a random element like Snakes and Ladders, or Sorry. If you are from a family full of dedicated gamers then I would suggest bringing a cooperative Board game to play. That way you can all win or lose as a team. It also allows the most serious gamers to take on a greater role, and the occasional gamers to feel involved. Basically everybody wins. If you are unfamiliar with cooperative games I would suggest that you read my https://cobelife.com/competitive-or-cooperative-the-gamer-in-me-gl-20/

Video Game Dos & Don’ts

For many gamers it’s all about technology now. It doesn’t matter if you are a PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo fan. There are great games on all the different platforms that can be enjoyed by many. A favourite of mine that’s perfect for family occasions is the PlayStation Playlink game That’s You! Up to six people can play at once, and instead of using traditional game controllers each player uses an application on their cellphone. The game itself is very simple. The Players are presented with an example and each Player votes for which Player the example is most like. If you vote with the majority you earn points. For a more detailed review of That’s You check out my  https://cobelife.com/the-gamer-in-me-gl-8-thats-you/  Now on the flipside there are many games you should avoid. Honestly there’s too many to list, but the majority fall in to two categories; First Person Shooters, or Competitive Fighting Games. Seriously avoid the Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, and Halos of the video gaming worlds. Unless you want your family get together to be filled with trash talk, and a potential fight. Certain Sports games like Madden or FIFA fall under the Don’ts column as well. Do yourself a favour and take turns playing classic side scrollers, or racing simulators. Those games can be as much fun to watch as they are to play.

VIRTUAL REALITY IS HERE!

I’ll tell you where it isn’t though. At your family get together. If you were hoping to see your sister trip over her gift basket then play VR. If you would prefer to pretend that you aren’t with your family at all then play VR. If you were were hoping to see someone get disoriented and vomit well then set up the Virtual Reality. I’m sure you see what I’m getting at. Virtual Reality with the family is a huge Don’t! Maybe in a few years as the technology improves things will change, but for right now just no.

Hopefully my warnings, and suggestions will help make your family occasion that much better. All the best!

Categories
GOLF

Subscribe to Cobe Life on YouTube – Beginner’s guide to Golf

My first set

The first of many instructional video series

https://youtu.be/N7LetIYMIJ8

https://youtu.be/_iO3ROUZPkg

https://youtu.be/-kcAq622yho

https://youtu.be/X8wMVYaEDEw

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Whether you are about to purchase your first set, or your fifth set of clubs.  Spending a little extra time to make sure you get the correct set for your ability will make your next trip out to the course far more satisfying.

For total Beginners our ranking of Forgiveness – Cost – Distance – Spin is perfect for you when considering which clubs to buy.

For high handicappers I’d rank the four categories Forgiveness – Distance – Cost – Spin.

For mid handicappers I’d rank the four categories Spin – Distance – Cost – Forgiveness.

For low handicappers I’d rank the four categories Distance – Spin – Cost – Forgiveness.

High handicapper – 20+ handicap

Mid handicapper – 10 to 20 handicap

Low handicapper – 9 or lower

Everything counts

Just because one of the categories has to be last, doesn’t make it unimportant.  If you are having a difficult time as a High handicapper deciding between two Drivers that you hit equally well.  Just choose the one that’s least expensive.  If they are the same price?  Pay attention to the Spin statistics.  If one is more consistent then go with that.  The same rules apply for all the clubs you eventually purchase.  No matter what your handicap if you purchase what’s statistically best your game will improve.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

Categories
FANTASY Uncategorized

Championship Week – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-36

Then there were two

In both of my featured leagues, one of the teams in the finals was obviously going to make it there.  In the True Fanatics league Texas Proud continued their Season of dominance by knocking me out in the semi-final.  Their final test to cap off a truly great Season with a Championship comes against Raider in the North.  In the Gridiron Pros League my team the Grid Warriors easily made their way into the Championship game.  My opponent beat the Top seed Blitzkrieg in order to earn their spot against me.  For the third time this Season I will face my division rival Swaggy B, but this time it’s for the Championship.  I defeated him easily the first two times but this time won’t be as easy.  I’ll be without the best Fantasy Wide Receiver in the league Antonio Brown because of his injury.  To make matters worse another one of my Top Wide Receivers Davante Adams is in concussion protocol.  Beating Swaggy B won’t be as simple as rolling with the best players in Fantasy.  Matchups will be a key path to victory.

The Championship rosters

Texas Proud

QB – Drew Brees

QB – Philip Rivers

RB – Melvin Gordon

RB – Kareem Hunt

RB – Duke Johnson

WR – Keenan Allen

WR – DeAndre Hopkins

WR – Marqise Lee

WR – Rishard Matthews

WR – Robert Woods

WR – Mohamed Sanu

TE – Travis Kelce

TE – Eric Ebron

Raider in the North

QB – Case Keenum

QB – Andy Dalton

QB – Jameis Winston

RB – LeSean McCoy

RB – Jerick McKinnon

RB – Giovani Bernard

RB – Alfred Morris

WR – Tyreek Hill

WR – Michael Thomas

WR – Cooper Kupp

WR – Devin Funchess

TE – Rob Gronkowski

TE – Tyler Kroft

Grid Warriors

QB – Matthew Stafford

QB – Blake Bortles

RB – Leonard Fournette

RB – Jerick McKinnon

RB – Alvin Kamara

RB – Chris Ivory

WR – Antonio Brown

WR – Davante Adams

WR – Jarvis Landry

WR – Martavis Bryant

TE – Eric Ebron

Swaggy B

QB – Jameis Winston

QB – Jimmy Garoppolo

QB – Dak Prescott

RB – Kenyan Drake

RB – Kareem Hunt

RB – Isaiah Crowell

RB – Peyton Barber

RB – Alex Collins

WR – A.J. Green

WR – Adam Thielen

WR – Tyreek Hill

TE – Evan Engram

Although there are a few similar names amongst the four Championship rosters.  The four rosters have very different strengths and weaknesses.  Of course every team’s roster has gone through major changes over the course of the Season.  What every one of these roster does have in common is a Top 5 RB and a Top 5 WR.  It just goes to show you how important it is to have a balanced roster.

Looking ahead

As the 2017 fantasy Season comes to an end, I’m more excited than I’ve ever been about what’s to come next year. You are probably wondering why.  Things have happened across the league this year that has made draft strategies of the last five years obsolete.  I’ll go into detail in my next post.  For those of you in the Championship game in your leagues, Good Luck!

 

 

Categories
GAMING Uncategorized

Competitive or Cooperative? – The Gamer in me GL-20

How things have changed

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

All of us grew up playing games.  Some of us played Sports.  Many of us played Board games.  A few of us were early adopters of Video games.  Practically everyone played Card games.  I could go on and on but one thing is for sure.  I played them all.  I didn’t just play them though.  I played to win!  You see the one thing that was similar about all of the games I played was that they included an opponent.  Another person, a few other individuals, or another team that I had to beat.  This was one of the main things about games that made them appealing to me.  You had a quantifiable way to determine if you were better than someone else.  I was naturally competitive so I tended to win more often than I lost.  Which made playing games one of my favourite things to do.  But what if you were somebody that lost most of the time?  Well fortunately for them Video games increased in popularity, and quality as a direct result.  Home Video game consoles turned gaming into a solitary affair.  Eventually though people began to miss the connection with others they used to have playing games.  But how could they get past the inherent competitiveness of it?  Along came the current generation of cooperative games.  Games that allow a group of people to play together to achieve a common goal.  You either win as a team, or all of you lose collectively.  It creates a sense of equality that wasn’t present in the games we played as kids.

Congratulations for coming out

It’s commonplace for children’s sports leagues to give every player a trophy at the end of the season.  The reason for this is to prevent anyone from feeling less accomplished than anyone else.  Some leagues no longer keep score during games.  That way there is no winner or loser.  Everyone is considered an equal success for having played.  Do agree with this new way of thinking?  No I don’t, not at all.  That’s a whole nother article though, and I won’t go into it now.  I’ll just summarize it by saying it’s wrong to make someone feel inept, but it’s equally wrong to marginalize someone else’s talent.  I’ll leave it at that.  Cooperative games make this new way of thinking unnecessary.  The best games require multiple disciplines, and innovative thinking to succeed.  In this way they can appeal to many different people.  Probably one of the best examples of this is Escape Rooms.  I’ve played Escape Rooms that required athleticism, manual dexterity, trivia knowledge, and of course puzzle solving.  Just imagine the group of people that would be required to work together as a team to be victorious in that particular Room.  Schools should be working towards incorporating extra curricular activities similar to Escape Rooms if they are concerned about all participants feeling valuable.

Kitchen table battleground

Cooperative Board games, and Card games have turned what used to be the family Kitchen table battleground into a friendly cooperative affair.   My family played cards when I was a kid, and I could probably give lessons on how to play competitive Crazy 8s, Hearts, or Euchre.  A particularly brutal night of cards could lead to me receiving a couple of days of the silent treatment.  It also meant that the next family game night wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.  What if we were playing a cooperative game instead?  If I won it meant we all won.  No more jealousy or resentment, just celebration.  Games like Escape, Curse of the Temple or if you are feeling really adventurous and have a few hours Gloomhaven are great games to play that require real teamwork to win.  The best part is losing only makes the group more determined to win next time, and winning becomes addictive because of the group celebration.  You won’t have to wait long no matter what the result was before you get together to play again.  I’ve become a real fan of cooperative games because I can approach playing them in a far more relaxed manner.  My competitive instincts are still there, but the anxiety that usually goes along with it is gone.  I still want to win, but I don’t need to.  If you have played anything at a competitive level you’ll know what I mean.  The other major bonus that comes with playing cooperative games is finding others to join you is much much easier.  Trust me, there was a time that finding someone to play me head to head at Magic the Gathering required a tournament entry.  Cooperative games are here to stay, and I am really glad that they are.  If you haven’t played one yet.  I suggest that you give one a try.

Categories
GOLF Uncategorized

All about Forgiveness – Beginner’s guide to Golf

What is Forgiveness?

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

Forgiveness is a term used over and over again in Golf equipment reviews.  What it is, and why you need to be aware of how it will effect your game is the focus of this post.  There’s a common misconception that Forgiveness is just a simpler way of saying easier to hit.  Just because a club is Forgiving doesn’t guarantee that it will be easy to hit.  For instance I have used both Cavity back Wedges (Forgiving) and Bladed Wedges (Unforgiving).  The feedback I feel through the hands with a Bladed Wedge has helped me be far more accurate when chipping or pitching.  Even though the Cavity back Wedges are actually more Forgiving.  They aren’t easier to hit in those situations.  What actually makes a club Forgiving is having a larger sweet spot, and in most cases a lower center of gravity.  Forgiveness is all about getting the most from your club when you miss hit it.

We all want center face contact

You’ve heard it described many ways.  “Man you caught it flush”!  “I hit that one on the screws”!  “I can’t hit it any better than that”!  However you choose to describe it, one thing is for certain.  Very little feels better than making center face contact with a full swing.  First of all hitting it out of the sweet spot is gentler on the hands.  The end result is usually very satisfying as well.  In most cases it even sounds better.  So who wouldn’t want the sweet spot on their clubs to be as large as possible?  Believe it or not but quite a few people would prefer small to medium sized sweet spots instead of large ones.  Sounds crazy right?  Well that’s what I thought also.  Now I’m one of those people.  My next set of Irons are going to have a medium sized sweet spot. I’ll go into detail as to why I have chosen to go this route.  There are many different methods that can be utilized to increase the size of the sweet spot on a club.  Perimeter weighting, moving the center of gravity further back from the face of the club, and increasing the amount of flex the face of the club has on impact are just a few methods.  Whichever method a club manufacturer chooses to use essentially achieves the same result.  Miss hits should fly a little further, and a little straighter.  To help you better understand how this translates into real world results I’ll share some actual simulator numbers with you.  At the time I hit my super forgiving 7 Iron about 140 yards when I absolutely flushed it.  Even if I hit my 7 Iron off the toe of the club with a good swing I’d send it about 133 yards, and maybe 10 yards off line.  I tested a far less forgiving forged blade with a small cavity back and averaged 138 yards when I caught it perfect.  I attributed the 2 yards lost to a weaker loft with the forged blade.  The real difference was when I miss hit it.  Catching one off the toe only yielded me 126 yards, and 11 yards off line.  That’s more than a full club shorter for me.  Being 11 yards off line at only 126 yards out is close to being a slice.  Now you are probably wondering after seeing those numbers why I would even consider switching to less Forgiving clubs.  Hell why would anyone?

Sweet swingers

Some of us, and I’m not included in this particular group make center face contact most of the time.  If you have your swing fully dialed in?   Then Forgiveness isn’t really necessary for you to produce a great round of golf.  You’re already at that point that so many Beginners like myself aspire to reach.  You can seemingly hit the ball relatively straight at will.  For the majority of us, that’s all we are after.  Foolishly we believe that will be enough.  Chances are good that when that day comes you will want to do more.  You will want to start shaping the ball.  This brings us to our next common misconception about Forgiving clubs.  Supposedly you can’t shape shots with Forgiving clubs.  Anyone that tells you that is flat out lying.  There are many ways to shape a shot.  Club swing path, face angle at impact, and face contact position all play a role.  My clubs are about as Forgiving as clubs can be, and I can hit a butter cut, or power fade if I want.  I couldn’t hit a draw with my clubs but that’s more about my limitations than the clubs.  What you need to understand is that the more Forgiving the club, the more difficult it becomes to shape the ball.  As the sweet spot increases in size, the amount of space left on the face of the club to influence shape is reduced.  As the center of gravity is moved further back to help Beginners hit the ball straighter, the more difficult it becomes to create a curved shot.  So when you’ve reached that point where you are ready to start shaping the ball.  A super forgiving set of clubs might actually work against your improvement.  So that’s got to be it then.  I must be looking for a less Forgiving set of Irons because I’m ready to start shaping shots.  Truth is I’m not ready.  Not even close to ready actually.  So why then Cobe? WHY!

Feedback

You are finally going to find out why I’ve decided to switch to a less Forgiving set of Irons.  I made my decision on a Sunny afternoon on a Par 3 at Scarlett Woods Golf course in Toronto.  The hole was playing at 155 yards to the center of the green.  The Pin was set left center so it set up well for my natural shot shape which is a little right to left.  I hit my 6 Iron about 155 yards with a full swing so time to let her rip.  My swing felt perfect.  I made great contact, and even heard that satisfying pop off the face of the club.  I watched the ball launch towards the target until I lost sight of it in the sun.  I switched my focus to the Green eagerly awaiting the Ball’s return to earth.  Hopefully within a safe distance for a chance at birdie.  I never saw it land.  Oh shit I thought.  I caught it so perfect that I flew the Green.   With  bushes, and a muddy marsh behind the Green I was getting prepared for another bogey.  While searching behind the Green for my ball my playing partner noticed another ball about 10 yards short of the green.  At first I figured that it must have been somebody else’s lost ball.  Turns out that it was mine.  Somehow I came up 15 yards short.  Seriously!  But I made perfect contact!  Well on closer inspection what I thought was perfect contact was actually high on the face, and a bit chunky.  The issue was the Feedback.  There really was none.  I’ve learned that I shouldn’t assume  I’ve hit a great golf shot until I’ve verified the result.  Forgiving clubs tend to provide very little Feedback.  Even though improved miss hits can definitely help a Beginner get through a round of golf with an acceptable score.  If you are serious about furthering the development of your game?  Playing golf with clubs that provide a decent amount of Feedback are important to have as well.  If you are unsure of when you make poor contact.  You won’t be able to effectively adjust your swing to where you can fully trust it.  It’s going to take a bit of practice, but knowing when I make perfect contact is going to seriously improve my game.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
http://twitter.com/cobeness

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM
http://instagram.com/cobesports

FOLLOW ME ON MY WEBSITE
https://cobelife.com

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/cobelifegolf

Categories
FISHING Uncategorized

Selecting the right Reel – The Right Angle RA-18

The three things to consider

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

First of all this post is about helping you choose between the three complex Reels.  If your particular interest is in Fly fishing then this post isn’t for you.  Although Fly fishing Reels may differ in quality.  They are all essentially of the same design.  In this post I will help you understand the differences between Spincast, Spinning, and Baitcast Reels.  Selecting the correct one for you will depend upon how you intend on using it, where you will be fishing most often, and how skilled you are at casting?  In some cases it may be beneficial for you to own more than one type of Reel.  I will discuss why this might be the best option for some of you.

The three types of Reels

Spincast Reel

Spincast diagram

This is by far the easiest of the three Reel types to use.  Activated by simply pressing and holding a button during the cast to allow the line to release.  Then letting go of the button to stop the line from continuing to cast out.  It can easily be operated single handed, and as such is most often the Reel packaged with children’s fishing kits.  It’s most likely the Reel you learned to fish with.  It was for me.  Although easy to use, it does have some limitations.  The line is coiled around the Spool hidden beneath the Spool cover.  This means that you need to be careful to not add too much line to the Spool, or you risk the line getting jammed during the cast.  Another issue some fisherman comment on about Spincast Reels is their inability to provide visual feedback because everything is enclosed beneath the Spool cover.  Another weakness to the design is that a considerable amount of friction is caused by the Spool cover during casting so you lose a bit of distance and accuracy.  It may sound like there’s a lot of negatives to using a Spincast Reel, but used correctly it is extremely easy, and the most durable and reliable of the three Reels.

Spinning Reel

Spinning diagram

Just looking at a Spinning Reel the differences between it, and a Spincast Reel is obvious.  Where everything was enclosed with a Spincast Reel.  It’s the total opposite with a Spinning Reel.  The Spool, line, and bail are all in view.  This has advantages, and disadvantages.  One of the obvious advantages is being able to see everything that is happening while fishing.  If your line were to get knotted during a cast or retrieve you’ll notice it quickly.  That way you can take care of the issue right away before it develops into a serious problem.  Casting with a Spinning Reel isn’t nearly as easy as casting with a Spincast Reel.  First of all it’s a two handed affair.  Where everything with a Spincast Reel is practically automatic.  A Spinning Reel requires you to open the bail, pinch the line, release the line at the correct time during the cast, and then close the bail when you are ready to either stop the line, or prepare it for retrieval.  In other words, don’t expect to be great at casting with a Spinning Reel the first time out.  A little bit of practice will definitely reward you though.  I’m able to make pinpoint casts with a Spinning Reel that I wouldn’t even attempt with a Spincast Reel.  Another advantage to the Spinning Reel design is the open Spool generally allows for a lot of line to be coiled.  Quite a few models are sold, or at least designed to allow the Spools to be quickly interchangeable with another Spool.  This means that you could quickly switch between different weights of line, or types of line dependant on conditions.  The Spinning Reel has quickly become one of the favoured types of Reels by many.

Baitcast Reel

Baitcast diagram

At first glance the Baitcasting Reel looks like a combination of the Spincast Reel, and Spinning Reel designs.  To a certain extent it sort of is.  The casting motion is similar to a Spincast Reel, but even more complicated than casting with a Spinning Reel.  That can be the first issue that some people have with a Baitcast Reel.  They aren’t easy to master, and unlike the other two Reels on this list can become really troublesome if you use them incorrectly.  Most of the difficulty associated with casting Baitcast Reels is actually in their set-up.  Unlike the other two designs that only require you set the amount of drag correctly.  Baitcast Reels require you set the correct tension adjusted to the total weight of your bait, weights, or lure.  You also need to set the brake adjustment correctly to avoid line overrun or birdnesting.  Done correctly a Baitcast Reel is the most accurate of the three Reel types.  The design is limited to heavier line though.  Light line will have a tendency to unspool incorrectly during the cast and lead to birdnesting or tangles.  With adjustability comes an increase in potential issues so constant maintenance is also important.

Category Rankings

   Easy to use –

1: Spincast

2: Spinning

3: Baitcast

Maintenance –

1: Spincast

2: Spinning

3: Baitcast

Casting Accuracy –

1: Baitcast

2: Spinning

3: Spincast

Long Casting –

1: Spinning

2: Baitcast

3: Spincast

Tackle Adjustability –

1: Spinning

2: Spincast

3: Baitcast

Conclusions

The first thing you should consider is how often you intend to fish?  If you are only going out a couple times a year then a Spincast Reel is probably all you need.  Now if you intend to fish far more frequently I would suggest that you consider one of the other two.  Which one you choose will probably depend on whether you intend to fish from shore, or from a boat.  If larger predatory fish like Musky, Pike, or Bass are what you are after, and you intend to cast into tight spots then maybe a Baitcast Reel is what you should be looking for.  If you plan on going deep Sea fishing for really big fish than a Baitcast Reel is by far the best option.  In my personal opinion though, the additional accuracy that can be gained by using a Baitcast Reel doesn’t out do the versatility of a Spinning Reel in most situations.  If this was Middle Earth the Spinning Reel would be the One Reel to rule them all.  Light or heavy line is fine with a Spinning Reel.  Casting from shore, or a boat is not a problem.  It’s easy to maintain, doesn’t require a perfect set-up, and with only a little bit of practice quite easy to master.  If you are only going to buy one Reel, I suggest you buy a Spinning Reel.  Now if you are one of the few fishing enthusiasts that intend to fish every type of water.  I would suggest that you own a Baitcast Reel for large trophy sized fishing, and one of the other two for a little casual shore fishing.