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FANTASY Uncategorized

Fantasy League Week 6 recap – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-28

The hot teams

At the half way point of the regular season, certain teams have made the necessary adjustments to separate themselves from the pack.  Beginning with the True Fanatics League.  Texas Proud has continued to roll relying on the strength of their two top Tier Running Backs Kareem Hunt and Melvin Gordon.  Currently undefeated they still maintain their number 1 position, and are definitely the team to beat.  Two teams that have made a statement recently are Muh Feelins, and Cobe Life.  Both teams are on a two Game winning streak because of key acquisitions.  Much Feelins is taking full advantage of their Tarik Cohen, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins pickups.  Cobe Life has benefitted from their Chris Thompson waiver wire pickup,  and carefully cycling through kickers.

In the Gridiron Pros League the hot teams are Blitzkrieg which comes as no surprise considering how well balanced their roster is.  A surprise addition to the hot teams list is The Losers.  Aggressive acquisitions of Adrian Peterson, Allen Hurns, and Rishard Matthews have quickly turned this team into a playoff contender.  For Whom the Bell Tolls for has also utilized the waiver wire, and Free Agency to go from winless to two straight victories.  Grid North is obviously looking to make a statement.  Luckily for me, my team(Grid Warriors) has been the only upward mover in Grid Central.  My two straight wins while every other team has lost has every team in Grid Central sitting at 3-3.  At this point the Division title is totally up for grabs.  The last three games of the regular season could mean more to this division than the others.

Lets make a deal

A couple key trades happened this week in the Gridiron Pros League.  Both of which involved Grid Central teams.  With the recent group of injuries to Quarterbacks, Team Managers were looking to strengthen their rosters with a new signal caller.  Grid Warriors dealt Tevin Coleman and a high Draft pick to acquire Rookie sensation Deshaun Watson.  With the injury to Aaron Rodgers potentially knocking him out for the remainder of the season.  Skins2 dealt Will Fuller to acquire Marcus Mariota to take over as their starting Quarterback.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see a couple more trades happen before Week 8.  Injuries, and underperforming players are forcing Team Managers to look beyond the waiver wire.  Each trade your opponents make is a trade you may have missed out on.  My only weakness was at Quarterback.  Well after one trade I would consider that position a strength now.  A couple weeks ago I picked RuinRevelation as the team to beat in Grid Central.  Well now I can confidently say that my team is the team to beat in Grid Central.  I have a tough match this week against Pixie’s Pirates, but after that I wouldn’t be surprised if I win enough games to sit on top of my division.

 Added depth

I love looking at my starting lineup, and seeing that it has no weakness.  Nothing makes you feel more confident before a game.  I still look at my bench though.  If my bench is full of Players I wouldn’t even consider starting.  I begin to wonder what will happen to my Season if even one star gets hurt.  This is why you should never get complacent in Fantasy Football.  Injuries have a far greater impact in Fantasy Football than any other Fantasy Sport.  If a star Player misses even 4 games.  That’s the equivalent of a third of most Fantasy Football regular seasons.  If you can pickup a surging Player off the waiver wire for even 3 games.  That could be the extra points you needed to make the Playoffs.  Something I’ve noticed playing Fantasy Football year after year is the lack of attention Free Agents get.  Once waivers have cleared it’s open season on whatever Players are left unclaimed.  Quite often I’m able to find great Players available for free because they happen to be on a bye week.  It doesn’t hurt to take a look every Thursday to see what’s available.

Competitive Leagues

At the beginning of every Fantasy Football year the same thought crosses my mind.  I hope that no matter what happens every Manager remains interested and competitive.  So far this year every Fantasy League I’m in has been very competitive.  The real test begins around Week 9.  It’s possible to be practically eliminated from the Playoffs at that time.  Well so what.  Do your League a favour and play spoiler.  When I know that I’m going to miss the Playoffs.  My goal is to take another team down with me.  That’s how rivalries are made.

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GOLF Uncategorized

Going outside your comfort zone – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Your go to clubs

Every one of us has a couple of clubs in their bag that we can’t seem to ever hit poorly.  These are our go to clubs.  One of mine is my 52 degree MacGregor VIP Wedge.  A full swing will allow me to carry the ball about 82 yards with around 2-3 yards of roll out.  I can muscle it up to 92 yards with maybe 2 yards of roll out.  I can also swing easy and hit it about 78 yards with a couple yards of roll out.  I know this because I use it so often in any number of situations.  There are very few clubs that I will choose to muscle for additional distance.  My Gap Wedge is one of them, and my 3 Hybrid is the other.  My first full year playing Golf, the longest club in my bag was my 3 Hybrid.  You learn to muscle your longest club.  Especially when you usually hit it about 180 yards, and you need to hit your Tee shot 190 yards just to reach the Fairway.  It’s one of the only clubs in my bag that I can affectively shape my shot with.  If I need to hit a long low stinger to stay out of the wind.  The only club I would consider is my 3 Hybrid.

Having that kind of confidence can only help your game right.  Sure it does.  Knowing that you can make those shots will definitely help you work your way around a course.  What you may not realize is that you could also be limiting your opportunities by leaning on those particular clubs.  I’ve caught myself doing it at times.  Teeing off with my 190 yard 3 Hybrid when I could aim for an equally wide portion of the Fairway with my 205 yard 3 Wood.  Then having to cut the corner of a dogleg and carry my approach shot 160 yards.  Instead of having a clear approach to the Green of only 145 yards.  Just because I trust my ability with my 3 Hybrid more than I do with my 3 Wood.  I’ve passed up trying to reach the Green in two after a great Tee shot, because I wanted to set myself up for a Gap Wedge approach from 85 yards.  Chances are I wouldn’t have reached the Green, but I could have easily left myself with a 20 to 30 yard chip shot instead.  Sound familiar to any of you?

Practice what you hate

Too often we go out to the Range, or spend an hour in the simulator hitting whatever we are best at.  Marvelling at the distance, trajectory, and shot dispersion.  We might shoot a short video or take a picture for posterity.  I sure as hell do.  It lets us know that we have improved, builds confidence, and shows others that we know what we are doing.  To be honest though it doesn’t actually help us much.  Don’t get me wrong, any practice is better than nothing.  The problem with hitting your best shot during practice is that you should be using this time to improve your worst shots.  Think about it.  If you are nervous, or uncomfortable hitting difficult shots during Practice when the result doesn’t matter.  How are you ever going to hit a successful one of those shots out on the course when it does matter?  When I first began playing I’d only hit the clubs I was most comfortable with because I didn’t want to embarrass myself at the Range.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that Range embarrassment is much easier to take than Course embarrassment.  At that point I would bring the clubs I was struggling with, and one or two clubs I was confident with to the Range.  That way I could switch back and forth between clubs I hit well, and clubs I don’t.  Just so I wouldn’t get overly frustrated.  It wasn’t long before I realized that I started every Range session with clubs I hit well “to loosen up”, and finished the Range session with the same club.  I’d only hit a few of the clubs I’m struggling with in between.  All that actually accomplished was to reinforce my opinion of which clubs I hit best.  It was actually counterproductive.  My last trip out to the Range I only bought one club along to practice with.  I’ve been having trouble hitting my Driver with any degree of accuracy.  So I went out to the Range with the sole purpose of fixing my issues with the least accurate club in my bag.  It took about a full bucket to get my Driver swing to where I hoped it would be.  The first 20 balls I hit we’re ugly, and that’s putting it lightly.  If I had another club with me I would have probably given up, and switched to hitting that.  I’m glad I didn’t because by the time I had finished my bucket of balls I couldn’t wait to Tee off with the big stick on a course.

What’s the goal?

Golf is simply just a series of choices.  Each shot requires you to choose the right club, and choose the right shot.  Then you just need to execute.  In order to do this effectively you need to be able to treat every club in your bag as your go to club.  That way it doesn’t matter the distance, situation, or lie.  You will hit each and every shot with total confidence.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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GAMING Uncategorized

Imperial Assault review – The Gamer in me GL-14

A great Design

I’ve been playing board games for a long time.  One thing that I can say for sure is that Game Design has significantly improved.  I use to find major flaws with almost every game I purchased after a few times playing.  The percentage of games that are brutally unbalanced, or contain game breaking elements are far lower now.  Imperial Assault is no exception.  I’ve read other people’s reviews, and comments about Campaign balance issues.  After playing through the game a number of times.  I can assure you that their opinions are unfounded.  The concern is most commonly about one side (Rebels or Imperials) gaining a significant advantage by winning too many missions in a row, and gaining an insurmountable advantage.  With proper Strategy, no advantage is insurmountable if you focus on the objectives.  Another aspect that is overlooked by most is that in order to win, the only mission that matters is the last one.  Every other mission only helps determine which path you take to get there.  I’ve also come across discussions on the Forums about assembling super groups of Rebel Heroes.  Trust me there is no such thing.  As the Imperial player there will be some missions that provide you with a predetermined Imperial units load out that can significantly limit your chances of success.  Of course there are other missions that provide you with the freedom to select the best possible group of units to defeat the Rebels.  In this way Campaigns involving equally skilled players rarely feel unbalanced.  Fantasy Flight Games have done an excellent job of making each and every character feel unique, and equally important.  Of course there are characters like Gideon from the Core set that can combine with others to create powerful effects.  This in no way makes other characters feel insignificant.

Unpredictable turn sequence

An interesting departure from the majority of RPG style dungeon crawler games is Imperial Assault’s Turn sequence.  Instead of all the Rebel Players playing their turn, then the Imperial player taking theirs.  Each Character or unit takes their turn alternating between the Rebels and Imperials.  The order isn’t predetermined by initiative or any other means.  Each side selects which unit they would like to activate next after the opponent has completed their last activation.  This makes choosing which unit to use next, and how to use them quite similar to Chess.  Although the game is character driven.  Rebel Players will be upgrading, and levelling up their Heroes as the Campaign progresses.  Imperial Assault is first and foremost a Strategy based Board Game.  Resource management, time management, character formations, and even sacrificing characters play an important role.  The simplest of Actions could be the difference between winning or losing a mission.  All of these elements combined make for a very enjoyable game to play.

Is it Star Wars?

There are many games on the market that are based upon existing storylines.  Whether they are video game adaptations, movie adaptations, literary adaptations, or historical adaptations.  A recognizable background story can make a game appeal to a far greater number of people.  Obviously Star Wars is recognizable by most people.  The Star Wars universe is so well known that it places an even greater importance on creating something that feels authentic.  Well Fantasy Flight Games have done an excellent job of making each mission in Imperial Assault feel like a scene out of one of the movies.  The Rebels always seem to be out numbered.  Whenever they do appear to gain the upper hand.  A powerful Imperial character like Darth Vader shows up to wreck the day.  The sense of urgency that you feel throughout the majority of Star Wars films. The Rebels always seem to be running out of time.  That is also well represented in an Imperial Assault Campaign.  You might expect to see many of the most popular characters early and often in an Imperial Assault Campaign.  To be honest it’s what I expected the first time I played the game.  Well you would be wrong.  The Imperial Assault Campaign system does a good job of placing the importance on the Players Heroes, but still having your favourite characters from the movies be a factor.  This effectively helps keep everyone interested, and adds an additional element of excitement when a famous character from the Star Wars universe makes an appearance.

Conclusion

If you are a fan of the Star Wars universe, or just a fan of strategic dungeon crawler style Board Games.  Imperial Assault would make a great addition to your game collection.  As far as Campaign based Board Games go.  Imperial Assault has become my absolute favourite.  Although there are quite a few expansions, and character packs available.  Imperial Assault is perfectly playable with only the Core set.  If you have three or four friends that you can get together with on a regular basis.  Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Imperial Assault.  You won’t be disappointed.

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FANTASY

Real deal rookies – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-27

A Rookie Rampage

I’ve been watching NFL football for a long time.  I’ve seen Rookie sensations before.  I’ll never forget Anquan Boldin’s rookie record breaking performance in his first game as an Arizona Cardinal.  Terrell Davis had a great rookie season, and just kept getting better.  Randy Moss put all his doubters to shame, and proved the Minnesota Vikings right for picking him.  Year after year another star is born.  This year, this Season just feels a little bit different.

Kareem Hunt

Deshaun Watson

Leonard Fournette

Dalvin Cook

Christian McCaffrey

Alvin Kamara

David Njoku

and the list goes on.

Why are so many rookies succeeding?

Are the colleges doing a better job of coaching them?  Has changes to the Game allowed them to shine?  Has modern science helped develop superior athletes?  I believe that all three play a part.  There has been a recent shift towards a more pass oriented NFL.  One of the reasons for this is the implementation of stricter rules governing contact, and tackling of Wide Receivers.  Stricter rules implemented to protect Quarterbacks have contributed to the passing game as well.  When the rules allowed for linebackers to take full powered headshots on Quarterbacks.  The Running Game was of an even greater importance to keep Quarterbacks healthy.  As a result of this change to a more pass happy game.  Opportunities have been created for rookie Wide Receivers who might have been limited to far fewer targets a decade ago.  My list of breakout rookies has five Running Backs on it though.  What isn’t obvious at first but makes perfect sense is that a pass happy offence creates additional room to run.  Defences have shifted from single or two safety formations to three safety plus drop back linebackers to shut down passing lanes.  This can allow Running Backs to get to the second level of the Defence far more easily.  Even though Running Backs get far fewer touches per game on average.  Their likelihood of breaking free for a big gain is increased.

There’s no doubt that Players keep getting bigger, faster, and stronger.  Pay attention to the Scouting combine.  Records are getting broken by the new crop of Rookies every year.  Modern science has made an impact.  Couple that with a League that has placed a far greater emphasis on protecting the health of their Players.  What used to be a very difficult transition for many Rookies to make, and stay healthy has become a relatively easy transition to the professional game.  Of course injuries can still happen.  As evidenced by Dalvin Cook this year.  Still fewer carries for Running Backs means greater longevity.  Rules to protect Quarterbacks means rookies will have more time to acclimate to the NFL before they become shell shocked, or seriously injured.  Penalizing Safeties for making powerful hits on defenceless Receivers will allow Rookies to learn their routes without being worried about getting knocked out of the game.

In regards to how well the College programs are preparing their Players for the NFL.  I don’t think that the College programs have necessarily improved.  What I believe is that the NFL has become more like the College Game.  Mobile Quarterbacks, a greater percentage of option plays, and multiple Receiver sets are what the College Game has been all about for years.  You are now beginning to see similar offences in the NFL.  The Carolina Panthers are a great example.  When their Offence is clicking, it’s like watching a College Game.

Is it here to stay?

I truly believe that it is.  The more rules that are implemented to protect Quarterbacks and Receivers.  The more likely a pass first motion Offence will thrive.  A part of me misses the hard nosed football of days past.  When my favourite Player of all time Steve Atwater would literally run full speed, and time the snap count perfectly to destroy the Quarterback or Running Back on a blitz behind the line of scrimmage.  When going across the middle, and stretching out to catch a ball meant you risked getting killed by Ronnie Lott.  Now as a Fantasy Football Fanatic I can appreciate that my roster of Players have a very good chance of finishing the Season.  What I can’t accept as easily is the records that are being broken in this era should have an asterisk attached.  Especially when it concerns Quarterback statistics.

 

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GOLF Uncategorized

Golf budget Buyer advice – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Golf on a budget

Golf is an expensive sport to play.  There’s really no way around it.  When you add up the cost of your equipment, clothes, golf balls, travel, Range, and Course costs.  The final number isn’t anything to laugh at, and the cost to play never ends.  So when your leisure time is on a budget like mine.  Why choose Golf as your sport?  For me the answer is simple.  Golf can provide you with an experience that very few Sports can offer.  For a few hours on the course you can feel like you’re somewhere else.  I’ve described it to people as a one day vacation.  Being out on a well maintained course for a round of golf can feel like you just got off a plane, made your way over to the resort, and now you are enjoying a little R&R.  The bonus is that you didn’t have to go through customs, check your luggage, or sit in an uncomfortable seat for who knows how long between two strangers.  You can’t get that same sensation playing hockey on a rink, baseball on a diamond, soccer on a pitch, or basketball on a court.  The closest thing to it is skiing or snowboarding which I did do for a while.  Unfortunately winter doesn’t agree with me so I eventually gave it up.  So now you understand my main motivation.  That still doesn’t overcome the main obstacle to playing Golf.

The Cost, and how to reduce it.

Understanding the secondary market for Golf equipment is key to buying on a budget.   Most major retailers of used Golf equipment still charge a relatively high price.  In most cases you can find brand new clearance product for the same or in some cases an even lower price.  For instance I have seen a clearance set of Speedblade Irons for $100 less than a used set.  Another thing that you need to be aware of is the difference between Mass market, Large market, and Niche market manufacturers.  Mass market manufacturers like Wilson or Dunlop over complete sets of clubs for a reasonable price.  The quality is quite good for the cost, but the perceived value is much lower than the Large or Niche market manufacturers.  In other words don’t ever plan on selling your set for anywhere close to what you paid for it.  Of course most people won’t need to replace their clubs for many years with minimal maintenance so the resale value shouldn’t be much of a detriment.  Another issue some of the more serious Golfers will have with mass market golf sets is the lack of customization.  What you see is what you get.  There’s no bounce or degree options with the Wedges.  Don’t expect Drivers or Woods to be adjustable.  Hopefully the Putter suits you.  Of course you can add additional clubs after, but each club costs you more money.

Large market retailers like Taylormade, Cobra, and Calloway offer the smart consumer great deals provided they are willing to buy clearance stock.  In the constant battle to keep your interest.  These three companies constantly release new products.  Taylormade has been known to release three new sets of Clubs in a single year.  This would make models from the previous year undesirable by most, but still readily available.  In order to create display space for the new models, retailers will heavily discount last year’s product.  If you pay close attention to the product specs and reviews you will quickly realize that last year’s model might be almost identical to this year’s with only slightly different aesthetics.   For about half the price of the newer model you can get a brand new club that provides almost identical performance.  Although the resale value of Large market manufacturers isn’t very high either.  Chances are good that you will be happy with the clubs you personally selected for a long time.

Niche market manufacturers should be avoided by Golfers on a budget.  Companies like Titleist, PXG or Ping charge a high price for their equipment.  As a result the resale value is quite high as well.  This makes buying second hand equipment costly as well.

Take advantage of the off season

As much as the coming of Winter disappoints me because the Golf courses will all be closing for a few months.  It does provide the savvy buyer with many opportunities to stock up on golfing gear.  Golf stores are pretty dead during the winter so they will try almost anything to get customers in the store.  Buy a Driver and get the matching Wood free.  Get your clubs regripped for half price.  Stock up on Golf balls while they are being heavily discounted.  The clearance clothing stores like Winners or Marshalls will have racks of Summer Golf overstock in the late Fall.  Then of course there’s all the Boxing Week sales.  I got my $400 Driver for $160 on boxing day.  I was offered $250 for it three months later at the local Range.

Buy a little at a time

Buying everything at once can seem overwhelming, and depending on your budget impossible.  Spread out your purchases over time.  It allows you to wait for the best deal, and keep your budget under control.  I went through a full Season without a Driver.  I went through almost two full Seasons before I completed my Wedge set.  I got a great deal on each and every club.  As an added benefit it forced me to learn how to get the most out of each club I owned before I purchased another one.  Remember that if you are serious about taking up Golf.  You will be playing this Sport for many years.  There’s no real rush to complete your first set of 14 clubs.  Most courses can be played just fine with half that number.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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GAMING Uncategorized

Amnesia The Dark Descent – The Gamer in me GL-13

Another great addition from PS Plus

If you like horror genre video games then The Dark Descent is definitely for you.  Currently Free to Playstation Plus Subscribers as part of the Amnesia Collection.  This game is unlike any other horror survival game I’ve ever played.  You are unsure of what your goal is at the beginning.  This is in keeping with the Amnesiac theme.  You are unarmed, although you can pick up a bottle or chair in a pinch and hope that helps.  Helpful hint here, it won’t!  You’re wondering around a dilapidated mansion without any sort of detailed map.  You’re even unsure of how much health your character has because it only tells you things like you are currently bruised.  The beauty of it is that the less you know, the scarier it is.

A surround sound system masterpiece

The game actually suggests that you should play it while wearing headphones for the greatest affect.  When you have a surround sound system like mine though, headphones aren’t necessary.  Just the sound effects are enough to freak most people out.  The Designers have done an excellent job of setting the mood through sound and lighting.  I should say the lack of lighting because like the title implies, The Dark Descent is definitely dark.  Thankfully you can light the occasional candle, or carry a lantern around with you to light the way.  Of course the brighter things get in the Mansion.  The more likely something undescribably horrible might find you, and viciously rip you a new one.

Defeating the Demons

In the event that you come across something menacing, or horrific.  Don’t immediately despair.  Play it right, and you can still make it out alive.

Option 1- find a dark place like in a closet or under some stairs, curl up into a little ball, and pray that whatever that thing was doesn’t find you.

Option 2- turn away from the freakish thing that you just saw, and run like your life depended on it, cause it does.  Keep running until you think you have escaped.  Then proceed to use Option 1.

Will you be frightened?

Yes you will.  Some people will try to argue with me about this.  There’s always that one person who claims to be totally unafraid.  What The Dark Descent succeeds in doing to everyone that plays it is make you incredibly nervous.  It achieves this in a number of ways.  I’m not going to tell you about each way because that would ruin the surprise.  What I will tell you is that it makes you doubt your characters sanity.  This isn’t a spoiler because one of your characters key stats is Sanity.  Of course like your character’s Health it isn’t represented by a quantifiable score.  There are times during the game where you may begin to wonder if what you are seeing is real or imagined.  That alone can be very disconcerting.  Then there’s the constant creaks, footsteps, opening and closing doors, and everything else that doesn’t feel right about the Mansion.  As soon as you think you have a feel for how the game operates.  That’s when things will suddenly get very different.

The more the merrier

Although you would think that The Dark Descent is probably best played on your own.  Like one of my other favourite games Until Dawn, it’s actually a blast to play with a few friends.  How each one of you is affected by the gameplay can actually increase the tension in the room.  Also the game can be so mentally, and psychologically taxing for some people.  That way somebody else can take over playing while they give themselves a rest.  I would definitely suggest that any fans of the horror genre download the Amnesia Collection.  Even people who don’t normally play horror games, but can appreciate a very well designed exploration game will like it.  Also if you have invested in a serious surround sound system like myself.  Then you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t own this game.

 

Categories
FANTASY

True Fanatics Season update – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-26

Stranger than usual

If I asked you in July who you thought would be leading at each position in Fantasy Football after four weeks.  I’m sure a few performers at this time would surprise you.

Quarterbacks

1- Tom Brady (Cobe Life)

2- Aaron Rodgers (Ball Breakerz)

3- Drew Brees (Texas Proud)

Running Backs

1- Kareem Hunt (Texas Proud)

2- Todd Gurley (Aegon Targaryen)

3- Leonard Fournette (Muh Feelins)

Wide Receivers

1- Stefon Diggs (Cobe Life)

2- Antonio Brown (In Dak we Trust)

3- DeAndre Hopkins (Texas Proud)

Tight Ends

1- Rob Gronkowski (Raider in the North)

2- Travis Kelce (Texas Proud)

3- Zack Ertz (The Bottom Feeders)

A quick look over the top performers and it should be obvious that Texas Proud has a very well balanced team so far this season.

Key Injuries

Fantasy Football wouldn’t be Fantasy Football without injuries.  The number ranked team in your league could become the weakest if the wrong player gets injured.  This season has seen it’s fair share of key injuries already.

Quarterbacks

Andrew Luck is yet to see the field.  Hopefully he is cleared to play some time this season.

Sam Bradford got out to a great start.  He suffered a severe bone bruise on his knee, and is currently listed day to day.

Derek Carr is supposed to lead a stacked Raiders team to the playoffs.  A transverse back fracture now has him out of action for 3-6 weeks.

Running Backs

David Johnson is the consensus number one pick in fantasy.  A dislocated wrist has him likely out till some time in December.

Dalvin Cook was on his way to having an amazing rookie season before a torn ACL ended his season.  He was on pace to setting Minnesota Vikings Rookie RB records.

Spencer Ware had his season come to an end before the regular season even started.  This created the opportunity for Kareem Hunt.

Danny Woodhead continues to be plagued by injuries. A Hamstring injury should keep him off the field until November.

Darren Sproles suffered a broken arm and torn ACL which is almost certain to prevent him from returning to play this season.

Chris Carson had showed enough promise to earn his spot as the lead back for the Seattle Seahawks.  A broken leg will surely prevent him from returning until possibly late December.

Wide Receivers

Julian Edelman was set to be the number one target for Tom Brady.  A torn ACL essentially ended his season before it began.  This created opportunity for Brandin Cooks, and Chris Hogan to see an increase in targets.

Injuries to both Cameron Meredith, and Kevin White have left the Chicago Bears with a practically unknown receiving corps.

Allen Robinson the undisputed number one Wide Receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars suffered a torn ACL ending his season in the very first game.  His absence has put additional pressure on the Jaguars to effectively run the ball.  Their rookie Running Back Leonard Fournette has thrived in the role.

Corey Coleman got out to a great start last year before suffering a wrist injury.  This year a broken hand will have him out of commission until at least mid November.

Tight Ends

C.J. Fiedorowicz suffered a concussion in the first game of the season.  Having already suffered a concussion in the preseason.  Fiedorowicz has been entered into the concussion protocol, and placed on IR.

Greg Olsen was filling his usual role as Cam Newton’s security blanket when a fractured foot knocked him out of action.  He won’t be back until the fantasy playoffs.  In his absence the Carolina Panthers have looked disorganized on Offence.  This has negatively impacted all of their players fantasy production.

Power Rankings

1- Texas Proud

The highest scoring team in the league with a Top 3 Player at every offensive position.  It’s hard to argue against Texas Proud being the number one team in our rankings.

2- The Bottom Feeders

The second ranked team in the D-Line division is also the second ranked team in our power rankings.  Kirk Cousins, A.J. Green, Ezekial Elliot, and Zack Ertz practically guarantee that they will make the playoffs.

3- Aegon Targaryen

The top ranked team in the O-Line division comes in at number three in our power rankings.  With the least amount of points against them, they’ve had an easy ride to 4-0.  Their strength is in their running game with Todd Gurley, Carlos Hyde, and LeGarrette Blount.  A healthy Julio Jones could put them higher up in the rankings next time.

4- Cobe Life

As the second highest scoring team in the league.  Cobe Life has a strong roster that matches up well against any team in their division.  Tom Brady, Chris Thompson, Le’Veon Bell, Stefon Diggs, and even the Jacksonville Jaguars Defence are all at or near the top of their positions in points.  With so many teams at 2-2.  All it could take is two wins to be in the top 3 of the League.

5- Justice League of America

The second ranked team in the O-Line division comes in at number five. A key injury to Derek Carr, and a hobbled Jordan Reed has reduced the strength of their team.  Their strong trio of Wide Receivers Odell Beckham Jr, Dez Bryant, and Brandin Cooks will definitely keep them competitive.

6- Raider in the North

Another team with loads of potential.  They are also quite balanced with Jameis Winston, LeSean McCoy, Tyreek Hill, and Rob Gronkowski leading the way.  I fully expect this team to make the playoffs.  They are only a couple of breakout performances away from moving up the list.

7- Watch it Burn

Watch it Burn is maybe one trade away from being a top five team.  Lamar Miller, Jordy Nelson, and Mike Evans make for a good start.  What they are seriously lacking is additional depth at Running Back.  Still this team could compete for a Playoff spot.

8- Breton

Dak Prescott, Adam Thelien, and a solid group of Running Backs allowing Breton to play favourable matchups has kept them competitive.  Although they have very few truly standout players.  Breton can sneak into the playoffs if they manage to continue starting the correct players.  Trading for another trustworthy Wide Receiver would greatly increase their chances of making the playoffs.

9- Muh Feelins

If not for the injury to David Johnson, Much Feelins would probably have been in the top five. Still with Russell Wilson, Leonard Fournette, Tarik Cohen, and Michael Crabtree.  Their current position at the bottom of the D-Line division is sure to change.

10- In Dak we Trust

A poorly underperforming squad has limited their success.  Still Antonio Brown, and Christian McCaffrey have breakout potential on any given week so they will earn some unexpected wins.  Still as the team stands, the playoffs are very unlikely.  A lucky pickup off the waiver wire, or a key trade could go a long way.

11- Ball Breakerz

The fact that Andrew Luck hasn’t started a game yet this season has probably hurt Ball Breakerz more than anyone else.  What should be a very strong trio of Aaron Rodgers, C.J. Anderson, and T.Y. Hilton is now reduced to the Aaron and C.J. show.  Just not enough to compete against most teams in this league.  Dealing T.Y. Hilton to a team that can stash him for a competitive player now could be the answer.  Otherwise, don’t expect Ball Breakerz to improve their ranking anytime soon.

12- Geezer Domination

Something good needs to happen for Geezer Domination to have a chance to make the playoffs.  Andrew Luck could start sooner than expected, and come back in perfect form.  Terrelle Pryor showed some recent from Monday night.  Hopefully that translates into more targets going forward.  Hopefully their players can go a week without injuries.  So far nothing has gone right for Geezer Domination.  Here’s to hoping the waiver wire lends a hand.

 

 

Categories
FANTASY

Gridiron Pros Season update – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-25

Current Standings

1 – Skins2 

Total Points for ranking – 5th

Skins2 got off to a great start in a very difficult division.  Currently at 3-1 their record is better than expected considering that two of the other three teams in their division have had higher scoring teams.  Their current roster has been weakened by two significant injuries.  Chris Carson is likely done for the season, and Mohamed Sanu will probably miss a few games.  Despite getting off to a great start, Skins2 could have a difficult time making the postseason.  They have the third hardest strength of remaining schedule, and two of the top 4 scoring teams in their division.  Only time will tell if their luck will last.

2 – Blitzkrieg 

Total Points for ranking – 3rd

If not for a poor Season opener by the Seattle Seahawks limiting Russell Wilson’s and Doug Baldwin’s Fantasy production.  Blitzkrieg would likely be 4-0.  Still at 3-1 they lead their division comfortably.  Only Stoniestars seems to have a chance to possibly catch them.  Still it’s very unlikely.  With injuries to both Danny Woodhead who’s done for the season, and Rob Kelley who’s day to day.  Blitzkrieg hasn’t lost any key pieces going forward.  They also benefit by having the easiest remaining strength of schedule.  Blitzkrieg is my pick to win the Grid North division.

3 – RuinRevelation

Total Points for ranking – 4th

RuinRevelation has gotten off to a great start despite poor fantasy production from some of their early picks. Marshawn Lynch, Kelvin Benjamin, and Latavius Murray could all qualify as busts at this point.  Murray isn’t even on the roster any longer.  Fortunately RuinRevelation has made some key acquisitions, and avoided the injury bug.  Currently at 3-1 with star players like Tom Brady, Stefon Diggs, and Jordan Howard.  RuinRevelation is my pick to win the Grid Central division.  It won’t be easy because they have the sixth hardest remaining strength of schedule, but seems likely.

4 – Because you’re a Lannister

Total Points for ranking – 9th

Of the four teams at 3-1, Because you’re a Lannister is the least deserving.  Only three teams in the league have scored fewer points than them.  Yet they have benefitted from playing against teams when key players suffered injuries, or their opponents players faced difficult defences.  Eventually their luck will run out.  They are the lowest scoring team in their division, and have the fourth hardest remaining strength of schedule.  Allen Robinson is out for the season, and Jack Doyle just entered concussion protocol.  The only potentially good news for them is the possible return of Andrew Luck in the second half of the season.  Although they currently lead their division.  It’s possible that Because you’re a Lannister could actually fail to make the playoffs given their current situation.

5 – Captain Canada

Total Points for ranking – 8th

Currently ranked 5th overall Captain Canada represents the first of our 2-2 teams.  Predicting what will happen to the majority of these teams is difficult.  Fortunately for Captain Canada their only significant injury is to Darren Sproles.  Unfortunately they also have the fifth hardest remaining strength of schedule.  Their current roster looks strong, and they have a number of Quarterbacks that they could use to trade for an improvement at Wide Receiver.  That could be all it takes for them to make the playoffs.

6 – Pixie’s Pirates

Total Points for ranking – 1rst

If it wasn’t for the Season ending injury to David Johnson.  Pixie’s Pirates would probably be the top ranked team on this list.  Even after losing the consensus number 1 pick in fantasy football.  Pixie’s Pirates remaining stars Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, Todd Gurley, and Carlos Hyde should be more than enough to win Grid South.  To make matters worse for the rest of their division.  Pixie’s Pirates has the second easiest remaining strength of schedule.  Pixie’s Pirates is my pick to finish the Season as the Top ranked team.

7 – Just Win Baby

Total Points for ranking – 7th

Although 2-2 is a decent start in such a competitive League.  Just Win Baby’s season has taken a dramatic turn for the worst after losing Dalvin Cook for the rest of the season this week, and Derek Carr for at least a few games as well.  With the Denver Broncos on their Bye week.  This leaves Just Win Baby scrambling to find a Quarterback, and seriously lacking Running Back depth.  The good news for Just Win Baby is that they have the third easiest remaining strength of schedule.  Hopefully that’s enough for them to squeak into the playoffs.

8 – Swaggy B

Total Points for ranking – 10th

How Swaggy B is 2-2 is anyone’s guess.  They are the lowest scoring team in their division by far.  They lost Corey Coleman for the season but that doesn’t affect them much.  Where they have been seriously lacking is with there Running Backs.  Without a single Running Back that they can count on, it’s been a guessing game each week.  To make matters worse Swaggy B has the most difficult remaining strength of schedule.  Unless they make some drastic moves quick, Swaggy B won’t be making the playoffs this Season.

9 – The Losers

Total Points for ranking – 11th

Another team that is unbelievably at 2-2.  The Losers have been relying on the strength of the Denver Broncos Defence, a ridiculous amount of points from their Kicker Matt Bryant, and Tom Brady’s new favourite target Brandin Cooks to win games.  Whether this formula can continue to generate wins remains to be seen.  In my opinion it won’t be enough to get them into the playoffs.  Especially because they have the second hardest remaining strength of schedule.

10 – Grid Warriors

Total Points for ranking – 2nd

How am I at 1-3 with the second most points for in the league?  You got me.  Although my last loss was due to two early injuries in last week’s games.  Ty Montgomery, and Julio Jones both left their games in the first quarter.  If either one of them finished the game I would have won.  Even though I find myself at the bottom of my division.  It’s still a possibility that I could potentially win it.  At this point with the sixth easiest remaining strength of schedule I actually expect to make the playoffs.  The combination of star players Leonard Fournette, Antonio Brown, and Julio Jones should be enough to get me to the playoffs.

11 – Stoniestars

Total Points for ranking – 6th

Another 1-3 team that should be doing far better.  Stoniestars has also been extremely unlucky.   They have a very balanced roster that includes the current number 1 fantasy player Kareem Hunt.  They are in the statistically easiest division, and have the fourth easiest remaining strength of schedule.  With no significant injuries holding them back.  I expect Stoniestars to easily make the playoffs.

12 – For Whom the Bell Tolls for

Total Points for ranking – 12

Somebody has to be last right.  Our current Champion is not just the only team without a win.  They are statistically the worst team in the league.  Oh how the mighty have fallen.  There is reason to be optimistic though.  Le’Veon Bell seems to have finally hit his stride.  Terrelle Pryor seems to be on the same page as Kirk Cousins now.  Chris Thompson was a great acquisition off the waiver wire.  As long as For Whom the Bell Tolls for keeps making smart decisions there’s a chance that they might sneak into the playoffs.  They also benefit from having the  fifth easiest remaining strength of schedule.

Opportunities

It seems like every Season around this time that the first League trades start to happen.  All it takes is one key trade to turn around a Season.  The injuries begin to mount up so what becomes available on the waiver wire is sorely lacking.  This year Running Backs are at a premium.  So many of the Top RBs are either injured or not performing as expected.

What happens over the next four games will ultimately determine who has a chance, and who’s getting ready for next Season.

Categories
GOLF

The Presidents Cup – Starting from Scratch SS-20

Green in Regulation

A total mismatch

The conversation began when  the two teams were officially announced a few weeks ago.  The American team reads like a who’s who of PGA tour professionals.  Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed are enough to practically guarantee that the Americans were going to win.  The next six don’t make things any easier for the International team. Kevin Chappell, Charley Hoffman, Daniel Berger, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, and Phil Mickelson round out the rest of the team.  Keep in mind that Mickelson would count as the weakest link on that team.  How ridiculous does that sound?  Expecting the International team to have even a snowball’s chance in hell of winning was optimistic.  The International team’s stars are Jason Day (who finally started to find his form during the FedEx Cup), Marc Leishman, and Hideki Matsuyama.  Although Matsuyama hadn’t been playing as well as he is capable going into the event.  The rest of the team is made up of former stars, and Players that have had some recent success.  Si Woo Kim, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Adam Scott, Jhonattan Vegas, Anirban Lahiri, Adam Hadwin, and Emiliano Grillo would serve as the remaining fodder.

Even the most casual fan of Golf would recognize the majority of the American team.  The Internationals though, no so much.  Over the four days of competition I have watched only a handful of matchups.  It’s hard to get excited about watching Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler just obliterate their opponents.  I caught a bit of the Four Ball team selections, and couldn’t help but laugh when the Americans announced the pairing of Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.  I mean come on.  Pairing  Johnson and Koepka together is like saying we don’t just want to beat you.  We want to humiliate you off the Tee while doing it.

Even the fans are frustrated

You know that the interest is lacking when even the fans at the actual event get tired of cheering on their team.  As the Tournament progressed the crowds got considerably quieter.  It became obvious that the American team didn’t require a boost from the fans to grind out a win.  The win was practically guaranteed, so why lose your voice cheering loudly.  I saw a number of great shots get minimal celebration.  The actual Golfers were trying to get the fans involved by pumping their fists, and motioning for the fans to get loud.  By Saturday their attempts to get the crowd involved was hopeless.  With still a day left to play the Tournament was already decided.  The Americans win, yeehaw!

So what’s the point?

It’s a really good question.  With the PGA tour being an American heavy organization.  It’s expected that the Presidents Cup will continue to be won by the American team every time.  To expect something different is truly optimistic.  There just isn’t enough competitive Golf being played at the development level in any of the International team countries.  The odds of there ever being a large enough number of top level International Players that peak at the right time to truly compete against an American team is slim to none.

That doesn’t mean that we should do away with the Presidents Cup though.  For many of the international Players it isn’t about winning the Cup.  It’s really about increasing their marketability, and presence on the PGA Tour.  This is true for some of the American Players as well.  Expect to see a lot more coverage of Players like Kevin Kisner, Adam Hadwin, and Jhonattan Vegas at next year’s PGA tour events.  Don’t be surprised if you notice a few more sponsor’s labels on their shirts.  Representing your country as a member of the International team can also be seen as a precurser to the Olympics as well.  Their number of fans will definitely increase as well.  As much as I prefer to have as few people as possible watch me when I’m out Golfing.  It can be the opposite for Players on tour.  It can be intimidating for a Player to be paired up on the final day of a PGA event when it feels like everyone watching is cheering for the other guy.  The more fans you have, the less likely you are to feel that way.

So it might be a heavily one-sided affair.  I definitely didn’t enjoy watching the little bits of it that I managed to watch.  I was happy that our Canadian representative Adam Hadwin earned a draw with Hideki Matsuyama as his partner against Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.  That’s no easy feat.  Kevin Kisner will probably start being treated like the star that he is after this.  The end of the Presidents Cup means the end of another Season.  This Season was a great one, with new stars emerging, new rivalries beginning, and a true battle at the top for Golf supremacy.

I can’t wait for next season!

Categories
FISHING Uncategorized

Salmon Season – The Right Angle RA-14

I hate this time of year

Every fall quite a few of our Southern Ontario Rivers are overrun with Salmon.  For many fishermen this is an exciting time of year.  Well it isn’t for me.  Part of what got me interested in fishing was the difficulty of it.  Making your way up and down a River hoping to get a sudden strike.  You won’t find me on a boat with fish finders, or depth gauges.  I don’t have thousands of dollars of high tech equipment to locate exactly where each fish is hiding.  I don’t fish in stocked ponds in order to guarantee a catch.  I’m a purist.  Not a total purist because I don’t Fly Fish.  I have huge respect for those of you that do.  It’s something I’d like to try one day out on the River with an experienced Fly Fisherman.  I just haven’t had the time or opportunity to do so yet.  I use a Spincast Rod and Reel.  It’s what I’ve used for years, and I’ve become very adept at the subtleties of casting with it.

Dumb questions

Quite a few of my friends know how serious I am about fishing.  When word gets out that the salmon are running they inevitably give me a call.  These are people I rarely hear from.  Usually our correspondence is through Facebook or Instagram.  As soon as I answer the phone I know what question is coming.  “Which lures would you suggest for Salmon”?  It doesn’t sound like a dumb question does it?  Actually if they asked me the exact same question at a different time of the year I would provide them with a serious answer.  During the few weeks that the Salmon are running though.  It’s got to be one of the dumbest questions ever.  I’ll tell you what I tell them.  Whichever lure you own with the greatest number of large hooks.  It doesn’t matter the colour, style, brand, or size.  As long as it has a bunch of hooks on it, and adding a trailing hook wouldn’t hurt either.  This is my advice, and I’m sure you know why.  You are far more likely to snag a salmon while they are running then get a legitimate strike.  In some cases you can land far more fish with a long handled net.  Just leave your Rod and Reel at home.

Zero challenge endeavor

If something is far too easy, then why do it.  As I mentioned earlier, one of the reasons I love fishing is the difficulty of it.  Although I have done it on occasion, I don’t enjoy sight fishing all that much.  I’d much rather get a good hook set off a sudden strike than watching for when a fish is about to take my lure.  The more information you have before a fish strikes, the less enjoyable landing it becomes.  Fishing for Salmon during the run is like sight fishing on steroids.  It’s so easy to land a fish that the satisfaction of doing so is gone.  What makes it even worse is that the same friends that ask me what to use.  Subsequently post pictures of their “catch” after.  That’s like playing a game of one on one basketball against a six year old, and then bragging that you beat them handily.

It had to be Salmon

Here’s the kicker.  If you were to ask me what my favourite fish to eat was.  I wouldn’t even hesitate.  I’d tell you it was Salmon.  I absolutely love Salmon.  So much so that I was on a cruise to Alaska, and one the highlights was having fresh Alaskan Salmon fried for me with only Salt and Pepper as seasoning.  If we weren’t on a schedule I could have just stayed there, and continued to eat salmon until I passed out.  The temptation to just take a quick trip down to the river to snatch a few salmon is huge.  So why don’t I?  First of all the majority of salmon that are making their run aren’t the best to eat.  Secondly you will know that I don’t keep what I catch.  I am a catch and release fisherman.  Thirdly, and this is essentially what this post is all about, it’s just too damn easy.  Now I enjoy watching the Salmon Running as much as the next person.  I just hope that I don’t go down to the river, and spot an “angler” taking a selfie with their trophy fish.